recalled, ‘It was the very first album done
at Caribou, which belonged to James
Guercio, who was Chicago’s producer
and he owned this huge ranch, about
eight thousand feet up, near Nederland,
Colorado, which is about an hour and a
half out of Denver. At that time, he was
getting into the movie business, so he
wasn’t around the studio at all, which was
still being built. So I met him and said,
“Look, I’m living round here too, and I’d
like to make records here, and I can rent
it from you while you make your movie.”
It was on the second floor of a barn, and
it was so new that the bottom floor still
had dirt floors, but if you went up to the
second floor, you were in electronics city,
with best top of the line equipment.’
During 1973, Szymczyk and Walsh
worked together once more on a second
Barnstorm album with the curious title
of The Smoker You Drink, The Player You
Get, about which Walsh says, ‘It was
something I thought of late at night, and
it makes sense if you think about it.’
The album was a significant success,
reaching the Top 10 of the US chart
and being certified gold. By this time,
the group had been augmented by the
addition of two keyboard players, as
Walsh explained, ‘I didn’t want to play
with another guitar player, I didn’t find
anyone I could relate to – I was still using
Marshall stacks and stuff, and I thought
keyboards would be much better.’
The album included a song that was
widely regarded as Walsh’s signature
tune prior to his joining the Eagles,
Rocky Mountain Way, which was a US
Top 30 hit single: ‘I always felt that was
special, even before it was complete – we
had recorded that before I knew what
the words were going to be, but I was
very proud of it. The words came about
when I got fed up with feeling sorry for
myself, and I wanted to justify and feel
good about leaving The James Gang,
relocating, going for it on a survival basis.
I wanted to say “Hey, whatever this is, I’m
positive and I’m proud”, and the words
just came out of feeling that way, rather
than writing a song out of remorse.’
After a lengthy tour with Barnstorm,
encompassing 330 shows in just one year,
the band split up. In 1975, Walsh made
what was effectively his first solo album,
So What, on which he used a synthesizer
as well as playing guitar: ‘I had one or two
rare guitars that I had come across, and I
sent one over to Pete Townshend and he
liked it a lot. I think he played it on Who’s
Next. All of a sudden, I got a package at
my house, and it was a synthesizer, a kind
of thank you from Pete, so I plugged itin and stayed in the room for about three
weeks straight! I got into synthesizers, and
I have subtly used them from So What on- not in the context of electronic albums
like Switched On Bach, but every once in a
while underneath the guitars you can hear
s y nt he si z er.’
An example on So What is the Walsh
version of Ravel’s Pavane: ‘It’s one of
my favourite pieces of classical music.
Maurice Ravel was an impressionist
musician, and Pavane of the Sleeping
Beauty is part of The Mother Goose Suite
and I think it’s very haunting. My version
is all synthesizer.’
So What included help from Don
Henley, Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner,
Joe Walsh had worked with
the members of the Eagles and
had formed a good relationship
which, in 1975, made him the
natural choice to replace the
departing Bernie Leadon.A track-by-track analysis of
the iconic Hotel CaliforniaHotel California
(Don Felder/Don Henley/Glenn Frey)
Quite possibly the most recognisable
song ever to emanate from an
American group in the seventies,
this song has succeeded beyond
anyone’s imagination or dreams.
Today this ode to the dark side
of modern life has become as
synonymous with America as Levi
jeans. The guitar interplay between
Don Felder and Joe Walsh is nothing
short of stunning, and with Don
Henley’s distinctive – and in this
case rather haunting – vocal, the
stage was set for a masterpiece. The
single was a monster, and live, this
song is still the band’s crowning
glory. Hitting number one, the track
remained in the charts for fifteen
weeks. Classic stuff.
New Kid in Town
(John David Souther/Henley/Frey)
Written as much about the Eagles
and their own belief that life at the
top of the pile would be a short-
lived thing. Ironically, in their case,
they have remained at the top or
very near it for a very long time –
especially as far as album sales are
concerned. Glen Frey’s lead vocals
graced this track to perfection.
Released as a single, it hit the No. 1
spot in the US and became a Top 20
hit in the UK.Life in the Fast Lane
(Joe Walsh/Henley/Frey)
One of the rockiest tracks ever
committed to record by the band,
this track had a classic Walsh riff
and the distinctive Henley vocal. A
great performance by the band, this
track has remained an enduring
gem throughout the band’s career.
Released as a single and backed with
Victim of Love, it became a chart-
topping success in its own right,
reaching No. 11 and charting for the
same number of weeks.