Celebration of "So What"!

[Ive always been a dreamer]

HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY SO WHAT!!!

40 - hard to believe! But, it remains timeless and is one of my top Joe solo albums.

[sodascouts]

I LOVE this album and here is something crazy - I listened to it in the car yesterday on the way to work and back without even realizing it was turning 40 that day. Something in the air!

[shunlvswx]

Happy 41st Birthday to So What. This is my favorite album of Joe's. I love all the songs on this album.

[Annoying Twit]

Really like this album. So many great songs. It's the album that shows, in several ways, how he would fit into Eagles.

[NightMistBlue]

Oh my, I didn't know he co-wrote "Falling Down" with Henley.

According to Wikipedia, Randy Meisner contributed bass and background vocals and Glenn background vocals. Maybe just on that one track - anybody know?

Bass player Bryan Garofalo and drummer Ron Grinel later played on Randy's solo album One More Song I believe.

[shunlvswx]

I'm trying to figure out what song Glenn, Don and Randy sang backup on. Maybe it was Help Me Thru The Night.

[NightMistBlue]

The end of "Falling Down" sounds like an Eagle (or two or three) could have been singin'.

[Delilah]

I'm trying to figure out what song Glenn, Don and Randy sang backup on. Maybe it was Help Me Thru The Night.

There's a YT performance where Joe is singing this with Glenn and both Dons. Funny I didn't see anyone playing bass guitar but I hear it.

I thought I heard those stellar backing vocals on a couple of different songs--Time Out, Turn to Stone and County Fair; was it supposed to be just one song?

I wasn't aware Randy played bass on any of the tracks. Anyway, it's a very good album.

[Funk 50]

So What was the first album I ever bought. It was the only album I had for a month or two, so I spent many a long while gazing at the artwork and studying the album credits.

Firstly it was released in 1974 (14th December according to wikipedia) so it's close to it's 42nd birthday. It was made about the same time as Dan Fogelberg's Souvenir, which was produced by Joe and also heavily features Joe, Don (H), Glenn and Randy (but not Bernie).

1 Welcome To The Club is performed by Barnstorm
Joe Vitale (D) (Drums ) + Kenny Passarelli (B) ((Bass) + T Stephenson (O) (Organ) + Joe Walsh (G) (Guitar) ,(LV) (Lead Vocals), Mellotron

2 Falling Down (Lyrics by J Walsh & D Henley)
Ron Grinel (D) + Joe Walsh (B), (G), (S) (Synthesizer), (LV)
Don Henley, Bryan Garolalo, Jody Boyer & Joe Walsh (BVs) (Background Vocals)

3 Pavanne (De La Belle Au Bois Dormant) (Maurice Ravel 1875-1937)
Joe Walsh (Arp & Moog Synths)

4 Time Out
Ron Grinel (D) + Joe Walsh (B), (G), (S), (LV)
John David Souther & Joe Walsh (BVs)

5 All Night Laundry Matt Blues
Dan Fogelberg (G) + Joe Walsh (G), (LV)
Dan Fogelberg, Joe Walsh & John Stronach (Miscellaneous Noises)
Leonard Southwick (Harmonica)

6 Turn To Stone **
Joe Vitale (D) + Bryan Garofalo (B) + Tom Stephenson (O) + Guille Garcia (Congas) + Joe Walsh (G), (LV), (Church Organ)
Randy Meisner, Don Henley & Glenn Frey (BVs)

7 Help Me Through The Night
Joe Vitale (D) + Bryan Garofalo (B) + Joe Walsh (G), (P) (Piano), (LV)
Don Henley, Randy Meisner & Glenn Frey (BVs)

8 County Fair
Joe Vitale (D) + Tom Stephenson (O) + Joe Walsh (B), (G), (P),
No vocalists are credited, not even Joe's lead vocals

9 Song For Emma (Arranged by Jimmie Haskell & Bill Szymczyk)
Russ Kunkel (D) + James Bond (Acoustic Bass) + Joe Walsh (P), (B), (LV)
The wonderful Strings and Choir are uncredited.


** Although he's listed in the album credits, Terry Trebandt is uncredited as the co-wtiter of Turn To Stone on the LP I have.

There are a lot of names listed under the heading, Special Thanks to.... at the bottom of the inner sleeve. If I had the internet in the 1970s, I probably would have googled them all but there are a few I recognise. Besides all the people already mentioned, I recognise Irv "The Bear" Azoff, Elliot Roberts, Allan Blazek (Engineer along with Bill Szymczyk and John Stronach, who also produced the album, except for Song For Emma. Such an emotional and personal song needed close friend, Bill Szymczyk as producer), Patrick Cullie, Rocke Grace, Cameron Crowe, Gary Mallaber, Jimmy Page, Wolfman Jack and tragically deceased daugher, Emma's mother, Stefany. There are many others that I've never heard of.

I'm wondering who does the background vocals on County Fair now

[Delilah]

Thank you for posting all that info, F50. I thought I heard JD Souther on one of those tracks. Cool that Joe played the mellotron; after reading up on the Rolling Stones, I've come to associate the mellotron with Brian Jones.