It’s hard to hate Joe Walsh without laughing. ‘The Dude‘ and many others criticize The Eagles, yet Walsh’s contagious enthusiasm captivates fans wherever he appears. The man’s playing remains intense. Walsh says two legendary guitar pieces are his career highlights.
Because Walsh feels most comfortable with a guitar on his back. While Joe Walsh’s piano skills can fascinate and excite his audience, his admirers come his shows to see him play other instruments. At a Billy Joel concert, no one wants him to play guitar instead of piano.
Walsh’s guitar is his musical partner, and ‘Life in the Fast Lane‘ was an Eagles smash. It’s odd because Walsh hadn’t considered writing songs until the riff came to him.
Joe Walsh needed a warm-up piece for his fingers in History of the Eagles before sharing it. A coordination exercise, he said. The issue is confusing pats stomach and rubs head. I started playing it, and everyone was curious. “Well, I possess it, so there you have it.”
Walsh has had many classic singles before joining the Eagles. The James Gang disbanded, yet every guitar shop played ‘Funk 49’. Walsh got famous for ‘Rocky Mountain Way’ when he entered California rock.
He started out funky, but this song is one of the best 1970s blues songs. Walsh’s slide guitar and passionate voice are on display. While opening for the Eagles in the late 1970s, Walsh’s jam session on ‘Rocky Mountain Way’ sealed the deal. Frey wondered how well he might replace Bernie Leadon.
Walsh said in an interview with Howard Stern that ‘Life in the Fast Lane’ and ‘Rocky Mountain Way’ are his best songs. He said a roomful of musicians playing together created these songs’ enchantment. “That groove, you won’t be able to achieve it using Pro Tools.”
Walsh’s efforts with the Eagles to improve Hotel California weren’t limited to overdubs. ‘Life in the Fast Lane‘ has a distinct sound. Their success is due to the hours they spent honing the song, playing it over and again until they had the ideal take that made everyone proud.
