Joe Walsh-But seriously folks,,,

But seriously folks..

When he released "But Seriously, Folks..." in 1978, Joe Walsh was in the middle of his first tenure with the Eagles. (The group would split after their 1980 tour to support "The Long Run," and resume in 1994 with "Hell Freezes Over.") Although it looked like Walsh's solo efforts would be on hold indefinitely with him joining the Eagles, this album came as a pleasant surprise to many, and shows a wide diversity in his musical influences.

There are hints here of everything from reggae to country to pop to full-blown rock, and it all flows extremely well. "Life's Been Good" is undoubtedly the best known track on this album, and would become a top 10 single and a concert favorite. Walsh's signature slide guitar is present on this album, in the excellent solo on the reggae-tinged "Over And Over," and peppered throughout the nostalgic "Indian Summer," while "Second Hand Store" has a bit of a country feel to it, complete with pedal steel guitar courtesy of Don Felder. A bit of Eagles presence is heard in the harmonies of the laid-back "Tomorrow," with background vocals provided by Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Timothy B. Schmit. "At The Station" features the great double guitar work of Walsh and Felder. The sequence of "Inner Tube" and "Theme From Boat Weirdos" is beautifully done, and is widely considered to be the best of Walsh's instrumental work. The album's closer is the full version of the famous "Life's Been Good," Walsh's hilarious satire on rock stardom and "the silly lifestyle someone in my position leads," as he once put it so well.

Produced by Bill Szymczyk, this album features the core of Walsh's touring band from the 1976 live album "You Can't Argue With A Sick Mind," including longtime collaborator Joe Vitale, Jay Ferguson (Spirit), and the great Willie Weeks, as well as the noted appearances by Henley, Frey, Schmit, and Felder. "But Seriously, Folks..." is one of those rare albums that not only doesn't have a bad track on it, but also has a stellar list of supporting musicians behind those songs. This one is truly a classic.