But Seriously, Folks...
| "But Seriously, Folks..." | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Joe Walsh | ||||
| Released | May 16, 1978 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:22 | |||
| Label | Asylum | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Joe Walsh chronology | ||||
| ||||
"But Seriously, Folks..." is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Walsh. The album was released in mid 1978, on the label Asylum. It included the satirical song "Life's Been Good". The original 8:04 (8:57 on CD releases with a goofy speech at the end) album version of this track was edited down to 4:35 for single release and this became Walsh's biggest solo hit, peaking at #12 on the Billboard chart.
The album also features the other four members of the Eagles—which Walsh had joined two years earlier—as well as singer-keyboardist Jay Ferguson, a former member of the groups Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne (who co-wrote one track on the album), drummer Joe Vitale from Walsh's former band Barnstorm, and bassist Willie Weeks.
Release
Original pressings of this record had text engraved on the carry-out grooves:
- Side 1: Luncheon Counter of the Deli Kind
- Side 2: Call It In the Air!
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | C+[2] |
In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau wrote that, although Walsh has "a gift for tuneful guitar schlock", most of the album's songs fall "far short of the irreverent shuck-and-jive" of "Life's Been Good".[2] In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Al Campbell said that the album is "Joe Walsh's most insightful and melodic", and "captures a reflective song cycle along the same thematic lines of Pet Sounds, only for the '70s".[1]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Joe Walsh, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Over and Over" | 4:53 |
| 2. | "Second Hand Store" (Mike Murphy, Walsh) | 3:35 |
| 3. | "Indian Summer" | 3:03 |
| 4. | "At the Station" (Joe Vitale, Walsh) | 5:08 |
| 5. | "Tomorrow" | 3:39 |
| 6. | "Inner Tube" | 1:25 |
| 7. | "Theme from Boat Weirdos" (Jay Ferguson, Bill Szymczyk, Vitale, Walsh, Willie Weeks) | 4:43 |
| 8. | "Life's Been Good" | 8:04 |
Total length: |
35:22 | |
Personnel
- Joe Walsh – vocals, guitars, synthesizer
- Joe Vitale – drums, percussion, synthesizer, flute, backing vocals
- Willie Weeks – bass guitar
- Jay Ferguson – keyboards, vocals
- Joey Murcia – guitar
Guests
- Jody Boyer – backing vocals
- Don Felder – pedal steel guitar on "Second Hand Store" and guitar on "At the Station"
- Glenn Frey – backing vocals
- Don Henley – backing vocals
- Timothy B. Schmit – backing vocals
- Bill Szymczyk – tambourine, vocals, background vocals
Production
- Producers: Joe Walsh, Bill Szymczyk
- Engineers: Ed Mashal, Bill Szymczyk (Bayshore Studios, Coconut Grove, Florida)
- Mastering: Ted Jensen (Sterling Sound, New York)
- Remastering: Bill Szymczyk
- Design: Jimmy Wachtel
- Photography: Lorrie Sullivan, Jimmy Wachtel
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Billboard 200 | 8 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "Life's Been Good" | Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
| 1978 | "Over and Over" | Billboard Hot 100 | -- |
Certifications
See also
References
- 1 2 Campbell, Al. "But Seriously, Folks... > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
- 1 2 Christgau, Robert (September 4, 1978). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
- ↑ http://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/#!/gp_search=joe%20walsh
- ↑ http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2015-02-17.