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View Full Version : Circumstances around "You Can't Argue With a Sick Mind"



bernie's bender
09-11-2009, 02:30 AM
HI,
Do any of you know the chronology of Joe's live album "You Can't Argue With a Sick Mind"?

Felder was already an Eagle when it was recorded... I can remember seeing Joe open for the Eagles... and Felder was in the band...

I can't make sense of the chronology though... I notice that Felder never mentions it in his book... It is a really great album... really capturing both of them in a context that is a great contrast to the more 'controlled' eagle atmosphere.....

I'd love to hear what some of you might know about this record.

sodascouts
09-11-2009, 11:15 AM
The record was recorded in the fall of 1975, I believe (somebody correct me if I'm wrong). It was during a transitional period when Bernie Leadon was gone although still officially in the Eagles, and Joe was pretty much in the Eagles but not officially.

Joe Walsh has said that by 1975, he was unhappy being a solo artist. He was tired of having to make all the decisions for everything. He wanted to be in a band again.

Meanwhile, Bernie had become increasingly unhappy with his role in the Eagles. Initially, he felt like an integral part of the band. By 1975, he could see the band moving away from his initial vision. Glenn and Don formed a united front giving them the power of 2-against-1 (I get the feeling Randy just went along and did not assert himself, no matter what his opinions). Also, Glenn has the advantage of forming the band in the first place. Glenn and Don were making most of the decisions, and they decided they wanted it to sound more rock-oriented. That wasn't Bernie's style. Tensions increased, and it became more like mutual toleration than a band mentality.

On One of These Nights, Bernie collaborated with his girlfriend Patti Davis on "I Wish You Peace", which angered the rest of the band - but he insisted, and got his way. Same for "Journey of the Sorcerer" which he wrote alone - it was completely different from where the band was going, but Bernie insisted. Bernie was tired of insisting - and it's also been said that he wasn't comfortable with the path of superstardom the Eagles were on. Touring constantly, even if they were playing to audiences of tens of thousands and raking in the money, was not his style. In fact, it was driving him towards a melt down. He needed to get out.

Don Felder was a part of that. His addition to the band in 1974 just before the release of On the Border showed that the Eagles were serious about rockin'. While he was Bernie's friend and they both appeared on One of These Nights released in 1975, their styles didn't really mesh. Just one more reason for Bernie to get out. The Eagles needed to find someone who DID mesh with Felder... and they sure were successful!

Both Joe Walsh and the Eagles were managed by Irving Azoff. Aware of the situation, Azoff suggested Joe to the Eagles as a replacement for Bernie if he should decide to leave (and everyone pretty much figured he would be leaving at any minute). They were familiar with Joe and liked his style, but some band members were unsure if he would be a good fit. Azoff pushed very hard to get his client Joe in with the Eagles, so the band agreed to try him out and give him kind of a "trial period" to see how he worked with Felder and the band.

First, Felder guested with Joe Walsh on Joe's tour around March of 1975, before the Eagles went on the road (by that time, the Eagles were done recording his guitar parts for One of These Nights, although the album wasn't released until June). When the Eagles did go on the road in the late spring and summer, Joe was not only their opening act, he started playing with the band onstage as their "special guest." They sounded great and were obviously in sync. It was decided: Joe Walsh would step in when Bernie stepped out. Bernie was technically still in the band at this time and playing gigs as an Eagle even as Joe appeared onstage with them, but at that point everybody knew what was going to happen.

By the recording of the show which would become You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind in the fall of 1975, it was a done deal. The album came from the Don Kirshner Rock Concert - also called "Joe Walsh and Friends" - which was a way to get the public used to Joe with the Eagles. It gave folks a gander at all of them together, in a row (sans Randy for some reason). You could also see how visibly Felder and Joe worked well together. He played with Joe on other songs, too. Even Glenn came out and played with them again for the encore, although that was not included on the album.

I don't know if Bernie waited until they were certain about Joe before he left, but his departure and Joe's joining were announced either simultaneously or within a very short time (I can't remember which). At any rate, one followed hard upon the other. Joe's joining was announced Dec. 20, 1975.

As a solo artist, Joe had been on the label Dunhill Records. After Joe left Dunhill Records to join the Eagles who were on another record label, Dunhill released You Can't Argue with Sick Mind using the audio from that Kirshner show in 1976. Since Joe wasn't on the label anymore at that point, I'm unsure if Joe or Azoff was in on this decision - anyone know?

If I've gotten anything wrong in the above, folks can feel free to correct me! I'm working from memory.

Perhaps some of our expert Joe fans around here can give you some more facts about the album and its context.

sodascouts
09-11-2009, 11:24 AM
P.S. I don't know if you're familiar with the Don Kirshner concert aka "Joe Walsh and Friends" that the live album was taken from. Here's some videos from it:

Meadows (Joe Walsh and Friends 1975)
Download .mpg (70 megs) (http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/meadows75.mpg)
Download .wmv (17 megs) (http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/meadows75.wmv)

(http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/meadows75.wmv)
Mother Says (Joe Walsh and Friends 1975)
Download .mpg (48 megs) (http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/mothersays75.mpg)
Download .wmv (11 megs) (http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/mothersays75.wmv)

(http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/mothersays75.wmv)
Get Back (Joe Walsh and Friends 1975)
Download .mpg (43 megs) (http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/getback75.mpg)
Download .wmv (11 megs) (http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/getback75.wmv)

(http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/getback75.wmv)
Gimme Some Lovin' (Joe Walsh and Friends 1975)
Download .mpg (40 megs) (http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/gimmesomelovin75.mpg)
Download .wmv (10 megs) (http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/gimmesomelovin75.wmv)


Help Me Thru The Night (Joe Walsh & Eagles 1975)
Download .mpg (36 megs) (http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/hmttn75.mpg)
Download .wmv (9 megs) (http://www.joewalshonline.com/multimedia/live/hmttn75.wmv)


And here's Help Me Thru the Night on YouTube if you'd rather stream and you don't mind lower picture quality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqW_e7zqwHQ

bernie's bender
09-11-2009, 04:04 PM
Wow! Thank You! that fills in some holes. I remember the Kirshner show well and vaguely seeing Joe on it....

those videos are awesome!

I wish you could buy a dvd of that...

I think that was Joe and Don at their very best...

I remember seeing a couple of Eagles shows where they brought Joe out...

all very interesting.. thanks again for the information....

sodascouts
09-11-2009, 05:05 PM
No problem - glad I can help! I just hope I got all my dates straight, but that's how I remember it going down from various things I've read.

I don't know how much stuff you've read around here, but you might notice I can get a bit wordy! :lol: Glad you like the videos. I love them too (obvious I guess since I put them up, lol).

bernie's bender
09-12-2009, 05:26 PM
I called an old friend (an old studio rat) in LA this morning and told him about this thread and he laughed and said, "Oh man, those guys remember it better than the people who were there!"

Anyway, he got me a good copy of the original Kirshner show... which will be cool...

He's got some really great eagles stuff too.. which should be terrific!

As for wordiness... bring it on, you write really well and it is very interesting...

I'm listening to one of Bernie's production jobs from a long time ago and it is a great indicator of what he brought tot he eagles... if you've never heard larry stewart's band Restless Heart... Bernie was all over lots of their cuts and produced several songs for them....

great stuff...