Joe Walsh
But Seriously, Folks!

The composer, singer, producer, keyboardist, actor, political activist, amateur radio enthusiast but above all guitarist Joseph "Joe" Walsh from Wichita, Kansas, has nine albums to his name, of which this one, dated 1978, happens to be chronologically the third.

Walsh is a musician with a strong personality, with unmistakable traits consisting of his extremely sharp, nasal, and sly voice and his peculiar and renowned slide guitar style, played in the manner of the master of masters Duane Allman, that is, using an empty Coricidin bottle slipped on the left middle finger. Throughout his career, he has always tried to present himself as a well-rounded musician, often composing on piano and organ besides guitar, diversifying and expanding musical genres and arrangements, complementing his undeniable grit as a true rocker with a profound melodic predisposition, elevated in the best moments to an emotionally lyrical intensity.

The inevitable jovial streak that has always distinguished him starts right from the album title and its cover, an authentic (no graphic computers back then...) underwater shot of good old Joe attempting to have breakfast... at the bottom of a pool, and ends only with the last of his eight songs, the absolutely dominant "Life's Been Good", almost nine minutes of delirious yet ironic first-person elegy about the high life of superstars, all parties, limousines, and hotel rooms trashed for fun.

This masterpiece of Walsh's career sounds different from any other rock song, mixing in a quasi-operatic manner very different musical structures: starting with an imposing, beautiful cadenced Stratocaster riff, while the verses travel to the beat of reggae, up to the guitar solo (slide, of course) that makes its way through the drones of an ancient, tender ARP synthesizer, to end with the final reprise, even in a free form style, with some unidentifiable sound effects.

Some phrases from the lyrics (for example, "my Maserati does 185 (miles), I lost my license, now I don't drive", which of course in English travels in rhyme...) have almost entered the American colloquial culture. We're talking about a classic here (at least across the ocean...), a piece with a strong personality that is cheerful, lighthearted, satirical but well-conceived, arranged, and played, having acquired historical and symbolic significance.

The rest of the tracks inevitably play a supporting role, with a bit too much saccharine west coast holding back compositions with always beautiful melodic ideas, which in my opinion would have deserved a more masculine and resolute touch... but Joe is one of those musicians to be enjoyed live, where the natural power of his guitar playing and his engaging mimicry come out forcefully and pair wonderfully. In the studio, he tends to overthink things a bit, showing off his class instead of his energy.

The instrumental "Theme From Boat Weirdos" turns out not bad, with eclectic crosses of arpeggiated and slide guitars, synthesizers, and clavinet for a result of strong lyricism and suggestion. "At The Station" is a nice rock piece loudly shouted with Walsh's penetrating timbre, too bad his drummer Joe (also Joe...) Vitale goes on to spoil it with a nauseating hi-hat work. Lastly, mention for "Indian Summer" which, among the many semi-acoustic ballads present, is the one with the most elegant melody.

Three and a half is my rating.