Joe Walsh -

Joe Walsh (born Nov. 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter from Wichita, Kan., who emerged at the turn of the 1970s in hard-rockers the James Gang, appearing on the albums Yer’ Album, Rides Again, and Thirds. In 1972, he debuted as a solo artist with the ABC Dunhill release Barnstorm, named for his backing band on two subsequent albums. His guitar playing also features on albums from the period by America, B.B. King, Billy Preston, Joe Vitale, Jay Ferguson, Michael Stanley, Rick Derringer, REO Speedwagon, and Stephen Stills.

In late 1975, Walsh joined the Eagles as a second lead guitarist and stayed until their initial breakup in 1980. While the band were between albums, he scored his biggest solo success with the 1978 Asylum Records release “But Seriously, Folks…” After a second album for Asylum in 1981, he released three albums on Warner Bros. between 1983 and 1987, plus two further titles on Pyramid/Epic during the early 1990s.

Background

He was born Joseph Fidler on November 20, 1947, in Wichita, Kansas. His father, Lt. Robert Newton Fidler, was a flight instructor who died in a 1949 Okinawa plane crash. His mother, a classically trained pianist of Scottish and German ancestry, remarried to a man with the surname Walsh.

At age five, Joseph was adopted by his stepfather and given the Walsh surname. He spent most of his childhood in Columbus, Ohio. He got his first guitar at age 10. Two years later, the family moved to New York City. After nailing “Walk Don’t Run” by The Ventures, he knew he wanted to be a professional rock guitarist. In his teens, he moved to Montclair, New Jersey, and played oboe in the high school band.

In the wake of the British Invasion, Walsh became bassist of The Nomads, a popular beat group from nearby Madison. He later enrolled at Kent State University as an English major and joined Cleveland-area garage-rockers The Measles. They served as a studio stand-in for the Ohio Express, performing on the bubblegum act’s “I Find I Think of You”, “And It’s True”, and “Maybe.”

Along with Gerald Casale, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Chrissie Hynde, Walsh was present during the Kent State massacre on May 4, 1970.

In early 1968, Walsh joined Cleveland rockers The James Gang. That May, they opened for Cream at Detroit’s Grande Ballroom. The following January, they signed with ABC Dunhill. Between 1969 and 1971, they released three studio albums: Yer’ Album, Rides Again, and Thirds. Walsh wrote some of their best-loved songs, including “Take a Look Around,” “Tend My Garden,” “Walk Away,” and “It’s All the Same.” As a guitarist, he was noted for his slide technique and hot-wired pickup sound. After the release of James Gang Live in Concert, he left the band in late 1971.

Upon learning of his exit, English guitarist/singer Steve Marriott asked Walsh to join Humble Pie as the replacement for departed co-vocalist/guitarist Peter Frampton. Walsh declined, moving instead to Colorado, where he formed Barnstorm with bassist Kenny Passarelli and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Joe Vitale.

Barnstorm

Joe Walsh released his debut solo album, Barnstorm, in October 1972 on Asylum.

The album introduces a spacious, rustic blend of acoustic-based rock, country-tinged folk balladry, and experimental studio textures shaped through multi-instrumental layering. Walsh steps away from the power-trio riffing of the James Gang in favor of open-ended forms that emphasize atmospheric keyboards, harmonic depth, and pastoral arrangements. Drummer Joe Vitale and bassist Kenny Passarelli handle additional keyboard, flute, and harmony parts, forming a core ensemble that blends ensemble tightness with sonic exploration. Walsh deploys the ARP Odyssey and a Leslie-amplified guitar rig for sweeping tonal effects, particularly on longer mid-album tracks.

Barnstorm contains eight Walsh compositions, including co-writes with Vitale (“Giant Bohemoth”) and Passarelli (“Mother Says”). Two tracks are credited externally: “I’ll Tell the World” (Alan Gordon, Allan Jacobs) and “Turn to Stone” (Terry Trabandt, Walsh).

A1. “Here We Go” (4:58) — gentle electric piano ballad with slow-building vocal harmonies and phased guitar lines; fades over sustained ARP textures.
A2. “Midnight Visitor” (3:13)
A3. “One and One” (1:15) — short interlude for multi-tracked vocals and acoustic guitar.
A4. “Giant Bohemoth” (4:19) — slow, swampy instrumental with echo-treated slide figures and gliding synth timbres.
A5. “Mother Says” (6:14) — sprawling minor-key sequence with chordal piano, dynamic drumming, and a surging vocal climax; closes with a layered ARP run.

B1. “Birdcall Morning” (3:42) — radiant fingerpicked acoustic ballad; shifting harmonic framework with harmonica accents.
B2. “Home” (2:53)
B3. “I’ll Tell the World” (3:54)
B4. “Turn to Stone” (5:16) — riff-driven hard rock track with distorted guitar motifs and dense chorus voicing.
B5. “Comin’ Down” (1:54) — hushed acoustic and harmonica coda.

Sessions took place in March 1972 at Caribou Ranch in Nederland, Colorado, with producer–engineer Bill Szymczyk. Walsh contributed guitars, keyboards, piano, synthesizer, vocals, and telegraph key. Vitale played drums, flute, electric piano, and co-produced arrangements. Passarelli played bass and guitarrón. Guests included pianist Paul Harris, pedal steel player Al Perkins, and bassist Chuck Rainey. Szymczyk added backing vocals.

“Turn to Stone” was later re-recorded for Walsh’s 1974 album So What and released as a single in early 1975. The original Barnstorm mix was reissued in Japan in 2011 as a limited-edition SHM-CD with replica artwork.

Barnstorm reached No. 79 on the US Billboard 200.

The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get

Joe Walsh released his second solo album, The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get, on June 18, 1973, on Asylum.

The album marks Walsh’s commercial breakthrough and final release under the Barnstorm lineup, though credited solely to Walsh. Guitarist and vocalist Joe Walsh shares songwriting and vocal duties with keyboardist Rocke Grace, bassist Kenny Passarelli, and drummer Joe Vitale, all of whom contribute multi-instrumental backing. The nine-track set alternates between blues-based numbers, jazz-influenced interludes, atmospheric instrumentals, and layered rock songs driven by effects-treated guitars and textural keyboard interplay.

Walsh wrote four of the album’s tracks solo and co-wrote the remaining five with Barnstorm members, including Vitale (2, 8), Grace (1, 4), and Passarelli (1, 5).

A1. “Rocky Mountain Way” (5:15) — blues shuffle led by Walsh’s talk box guitar phrases over a stomp rhythm with layered slide parts, phased keyboards, and soaring breaks
A2. “Bookends” (2:45)
A3. “Wolf” (3:09)
A4. “Midnight Moodies” (3:39)
A5. “Happy Ways” (2:40)

B1. “Meadows” (4:36)
B2. “Dreams” (5:50)
B3. “Days Gone By” (5:54)
B4. “Daydream (Prayer)” (1:56)

Sessions took place in late 1972 and early 1973 at Caribou Ranch (Nederland, Colorado) and the Record Plant (Los Angeles) with co-producers Joe Walsh and Bill Szymczyk. Engineers included Mike D. Stone, Ron Albert, Al Blazek, and Szymczyk. Additional percussion was provided by Joe Lala, with backing vocals by Venetta Fields and Clydie King.

The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get features cover photography by Bob Jenkins and design by Jimmy Wachtel.

“Rocky Mountain Way” appeared in July 1973 with “(Daydream) Prayer” as the B-side. It reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 13 on the Cash Box Top 100. The album peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 in Canada.

So What

Joe Walsh released his third solo album, So What, on December 14, 1974, on Asylum.

The album builds on Walsh’s post-Barnstorm trajectory with a mix of hard rock numbers, reflective ballads, and orchestrated interludes arranged across a tightly sequenced nine-track set. Walsh plays guitar, bass, keyboards, and Mellotron, while sharing backing vocal duties with Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Randy Meisner of the Eagles—foreshadowing his future membership. The album includes an updated take on “Turn to Stone,” originally recorded in rawer form on Barnstorm, and closes with the elegiac “Song for Emma,” written for his late daughter. Interspersed among the rock material is a Moog/ARP rendering of Ravel’s “Pavanne of the Sleeping Beauty.”

Walsh wrote six songs solo and co-wrote one song with Don Henley and two with lyricist Terry Trebandt. The Maurice Ravel adaptation appears as a standalone interlude.

A1. “Welcome to the Club” (5:14)
A2. “Falling Down” (4:56) – Walsh, Henley
A3. “Pavanne of the Sleeping Beauty” (1:59)
A4. “Time Out” (4:28) – Walsh, Trebandt
A5. “All Night Laundry Mat Blues” (0:58)

B1. “Turn to Stone” (3:47) – Walsh, Trebandt
B2. “Help Me Through the Night” (3:35)
B3. “County Fair” (6:43)
B4. “Song for Emma” (4:39)

Sessions took place between December 1973 and April 1974 at the Record Plant locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Sausalito with co-producers John Stronach, Bill Szymczyk, and Walsh. The three also handled engineering and mixing, with mastering by Rick Collins. Drummers included Joe Vitale, Ron Grinel, and Russ Kunkel. Bassists included Kenny Passarelli, Bryan Garofalo, and James Bond. Additional guests included JD Souther, Dan Fogelberg, Tom Stephenson, and Guille Garcia.

So What features art direction and design by Jimmy Wachtel, with photography by Joe Walsh and Lorrie Sullivan. Early pressings bore the vinyl runout etching “THAT’S NO BANANY, THAT’S MY NOZE.”

The album peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 and No. 19 on Canada’s RPM chart.

You Can’t Argue With a Sick Mind (live)

In 1976, Joe Walsh released You Can’t Argue With a Sick Mind, a document of his recent live set for the syndicated music program Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, performed on November 26, 1975, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Joe Walsh released You Can’t Argue With a Sick Mind in March 1976 on ABC. The album documents his November 26, 1975, appearance on the syndicated television series Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, recorded live at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and billed as “Joe Walsh and Friends.”

The set captures Walsh in transition between solo activity and his forthcoming role in the Eagles. Across six tracks, he revisits material from Barnstorm, The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get, and So What, backed by a hybrid lineup of his touring band and guest musicians. Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Don Felder contribute vocals to “Help Me Through the Night,” foreshadowing Walsh’s entry into the Eagles in December 1975. The album also premieres one new track, “Time Out.”

A1. “Walk Away” (3:21)
A2. “Meadows” (7:08)
A3. “Rocky Mountain Way” (7:40)

B1. “Time Out” (4:22)
B2. “Help Me Through the Night” (3:43) — with guest vocals by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Don Felder
B3. “Turn to Stone” (8:46)

Joe Walsh produced the album with engineering by Tom Flye and mixing by John Stronach. Alex Sadkin handled mastering. Musicians include Jay Ferguson and David Mason on keyboards, Willie Weeks on bass, Andy Newmark and Joe Vitale on drums, Rocky Dzidzornu on percussion, and Felder on second guitar and vocals (track 5). Vitale also plays flute on “Turn to Stone.”

You Can’t Argue With a Sick Mind features design and photography by Jimmy Wachtel, with additional artwork by Amanda Flick and live shots by Lorrie Sullivan.

The album reached No. 20 on the Billboard 200, No. 13 on the Dutch Album Top 100, No. 19 in New Zealand, and No. 28 on the UK Albums Chart.

“But Seriously, Folks…”

Joe Walsh released his fourth solo studio album, “But Seriously, Folks…”, on May 16, 1978, on Asylum.

The album blends thick laid-back textures with Walsh’s signature guitar layering, sardonic lyrics, and multi-instrumental arrangements. Following his 1976 entry into the Eagles, Walsh assembled a studio ensemble that included all four Eagles members alongside returning collaborators Jay Ferguson, Joe Vitale, and Willie Weeks. The record’s highlight, “Life’s Been Good,” satirizes the excesses of 1970s rock stardom over a reggaefied pattern interlaced with ARP synthesizers and phased rhythm guitar. Elsewhere, Walsh offsets rustic-rock passages with instrumental segues and layered jam interludes, threading the album as a cohesive side-long suite on vinyl.

Walsh composed all tracks solo except “At the Station,” co-written with Joe Vitale, and “Theme from Boat Weirdos,” credited to Vitale, Ferguson, Weeks, and producer Bill Szymczyk. “Second Hand Store” is by Mike Murphy.

A1. “Over and Over” (4:53)
A2. “Second Hand Store” (3:35)
A3. “Indian Summer” (3:03)
A4. “At the Station” (5:08)

B1. “Tomorrow” (3:39)
B2. “Inner Tube” (1:25)
B3. “Theme from Boat Weirdos” (4:43)
B4. “Life’s Been Good” (8:56) — LP version ends at 8:04, followed by a hidden studio outtake (0:42)

Sessions took place at Bayshore Studios in Coconut Grove, Florida, with production by Walsh and Szymczyk, who also handled engineering. Ed Mashal assisted on engineering; mastering was by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC. The cover design and photography were by Jimmy Wachtel with assistance from Michael Curtis, Mark Foltz, and Jage Jackson.

Guest performers include Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Timothy B. Schmit on “Tomorrow,” with Don Felder on pedal steel (“Second Hand Store”) and guitar (“At the Station”), and Jody Boyer on backing vocals (A2–3, B4). Joe Vitale contributes drums, percussion, ARP Odyssey, piano, flute, and backing vocals across six tracks.

But Seriously, Folks… reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200, No. 9 in Canada, and No. 16 in the UK. “Life’s Been Good” peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Walsh’s highest-charting solo single. The album earned Platinum certification in the US and Canada.

There Goes the Neighborhood

Joe Walsh released his fifth solo studio album, There Goes the Neighborhood, in May 1981 on Asylum.

The album presents a mix of guitar-driven rockers, sardonic commentary, and carryovers from earlier sessions. “A Life of Illusion,” recorded in 1973 during the Barnstorm period and completed for this album, opens side two with layered acoustic textures and a climbing synthesizer hook. Side one closes with “Rivers (Of the Hidden Funk),” a talk box-enhanced funk rocker originally written for The Long Run, featuring Don Felder on co-lead guitar. Walsh closes the album with “You Never Know,” a cryptic track referencing music industry gossip and management tensions. Additional contributors include Bob Mayo, David Lindley, Victor Feldman, Joe Vitale, and Timothy B. Schmit.

Walsh composed six tracks solo. Co-writers include Felder and Kenny Passarelli. Perry co-produced and played bass on six tracks.

A1. “Things” (5:40) — backing vocals by Schmit; bass by Perry; drums and backing vocals by Vitale
A2. “Made Your Mind Up” (4:24) — drums by Vitale; bass by Perry
A3. “Down on the Farm” (3:10) — violin by Lindley; triangle by Kunkel
A4. “Rivers (Of the Hidden Funk)” (5:06) — co-written with Felder; talk box and rhythm guitar by Felder; 12-string guitar by Mayo; percussion by Perry

B1. “A Life of Illusion” (3:30) — co-written with Passarelli; guitarrón and trumpet by Passarelli; organ by Stephenson
B2. “Bones” (4:32) — violin and backing vocals by Lindley; acoustic piano by Vitale
B3. “Rockets” (3:55) — percussion by Perry; noises by Walsh
B4. “You Never Know” (5:20) — dual lead guitars by Walsh and Felder; percussion by Feldman; backing vocals by Boyer

Sessions took place in October and November 1980 at Santa Barbara Sound Recording with Joe Walsh and George “Chocolate” Perry producing. Jim Nipar engineered and mixed the album with assistance from James Geddes. Mastering was by Mike Reese at The Mastering Lab in Hollywood.

There Goes the Neighborhood features cover photography by Jim Shea with art direction and design by Jeff Adamoff. Todd Andrews contributed sleeve photography.

The album peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and No. 27 in Canada. “A Life of Illusion” reached No. 34 on the Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream Rock chart.

You Bought It – You Name It

Joe Walsh released his sixth solo studio album, You Bought It – You Name It, in June 1983 on Warner Bros.

The album reflects Walsh’s blend of satire, rock caricature, and introspection, alternating between hard rock sendups, somber ballads, and self-deprecating novelty. Side one ranges from the declarative riff-rock of “I Can Play That Rock & Roll” to “I.L.B.T.s,” a bawdy funk pastiche. Side two includes the arcade-culture satire “Space Age Whiz Kids,” the loungey “Love Letters,” and the reflective “Class of ’65.” Walsh recorded six tracks live to tape at the Casino Ballroom on Santa Catalina Island and completed the rest at Santa Barbara Sound, with co-production by George “Chocolate” Perry and returning engineer Bill Szymczyk.

Walsh wrote four songs, co-wrote five, and covered “Love Letters” is by Edward Heyman and Victor Young.

A1. “I Can Play That Rock & Roll” (3:03)
A2. “Told You So” (3:54) — Walsh, Felder
A3. “Here We Are Now” (3:54) — backing vocals by Henley and Schmit
A4. “The Worry Song” (4:37) — Walsh, Perry
A5. “I.L.B.T.s” (2:53) — Walsh, Vitale

B1. “Space Age Whiz Kids” (3:40) — Walsh, Vitale
B2. “Love Letters” (3:11) — Heyman, Young
B3. “Class of ’65” (4:27) — backing vocals by Murphy; bass by Pruessner
B4. “Shadows” (5:09)
B5. “Theme from Island Weirdos” (3:35) — Walsh, Vitale

Sessions began in September 1982. Six tracks were recorded in the Casino Ballroom on Catalina Island with mobile equipment; four others were cut at Santa Barbara Sound Recording. Joe Vitale handled piano, drums, synths, and backing vocals. George Perry played bass and co-produced. Waddy Wachtel contributed rhythm guitar and synth, while additional players included Kevin Dukes (6, 7), Joe Pruessner (8), and Don Felder (2). Guest vocalists include Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit (3), and Mike Murphy (8).

Mastering took place at Sterling Sound (NYC) by Ted Jensen. Art direction was by Jeff Adamoff with photography by Jim Shea and coloring by Bob Jacobs. The cover features a photo of Walsh seated next to a resting firefighter aboard the damaged USS Yorktown, with surreal visual inserts on the reverse sleeve.

You Bought It – You Name It peaked at No. 48 on the Billboard 200. The single “Space Age Whiz Kids” reached No. 52 on the Hot 100 and No. 21 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

The Confessor

Joe Walsh released his seventh solo studio album, The Confessor, on May 21, 1985, on Warner Bros.

The album shifts between introspective passages, lyrical satire, and dense instrumental arrangements. It opens with mid-tempo rockers like “Problems” and “Bubbles,” and incorporates an outside composition, “Slow Dancing,” by former Sniff ’n’ the Tears guitarist Loz Netto. “Rosewood Bitters,” originally by Michael Stanley, is reprised here with Walsh on electric guitar, a departure from the original slide performance he contributed in 1973. The album closes with “Dear John,” a spare ballad. The title track unfolds as a two-part suite, moving from acoustic reverie into a heavier instrumental section with extended guitar lines and layered percussion.

Walsh wrote five tracks solo and co-wrote three with Bill Arbuckle, Waddy Wachtel, or Michael Stanley. Netto contributed one composition. The album was co-produced with Keith Olsen and recorded at Goodnight LA Studios.

A1. “Problems” (3:55) — co-written with Arbuckle
A2. “I Broke My Leg” (3:12)
A3. “Bubbles” (3:33)
A4. “Slow Dancing” (4:22) — written by Netto
A5. “15 Years” (3:52)

B1. “The Confessor” (7:06)
B2. “Rosewood Bitters” (3:29) — written by Stanley
B3. “Good Man Down” (4:14) — co-written with Wachtel
B4. “Dear John” (2:40)

Sessions featured a large cast of LA session players. Walsh handled vocals, lead guitars, bass, synthesizers, and talk box. Keyboard contributions came from Randy Newman and Alan Pasqua. Bassists included Mark Andes, Mike Porcaro, Rick Rosas, Keith Olsen, and others. Drums were split between Jeff Porcaro, Jim Keltner, Rick Marotta, and Chet McCracken. Saxophonists included Jerry Peterson and Earl Lon Price, with trombone by Kenneth Tussing. Timothy B. Schmit contributed backing vocals.

The Confessor was recorded and mixed at Goodnight LA Studios, engineered by Olsen and Dennis Sager, and mastered by Greg Fulginiti at Artisan Sound Recorders. The artwork features Romantic landscape paintings by Caspar David Friedrich: Two Men Contemplating the Moon (front) and Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (back), overlaid with a grainy portrait of Walsh. Art direction and design were by Hugh Kent Brown.

The album peaked at No. 65 on the Billboard 200 and No. 32 in New Zealand. “The Confessor” reached No. 8 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Walsh supported the album with a tour in Australia and the US, performing “The Confessor” and “Good Man Down” in the setlist.

Discography: