Celebration of "But Seriously Folks..."

[Rocky Mountain Way]

I love everything about this album. It, along with Barnstorm, is Joe's best. All of side 1 is nothing but winners. On side 2, you could forget the instrumentals but they're interesting nonetheless. 'Tomorrow' is a really, really underrated song, I just adore it. Sleigh bells, great harmonies, what a tune. And of course there's 'Life's Been Good', a song I've been in love with since I first heard it on the car radio back in 1991. I remember going, "wow, what's this? The guitars are awesome and it's really long and epic and this appealed to me because right then I had just become a fan of Led Zeppelin through 'Stairway to Heaven' and I therefore had my ear open for huge, long classic rock epics. 'Life's Been Good' simultaneously fit that plus it was like nothing I'd ever heard before.

A couple of years later (after becoming an Eagles fan) I finally got a hold of this album on cassette and practically wore it out on my Walkman many mornings that I had to walk to high school.

I've loved Don Henley's solo work since I was a kid in the '80s but as I collected more of Joe's solo albums from the '70s, I began to realize that he had the best solo career out of all the Eagles, and most of it was from before he joined the band!

[WalshGirl]

Interesting article featuring Bill Szymczyk on the recording of Life's Been Good. Among things mentioned, Szymczyk notes that the song was "cobbled together" from three distinct recordings. Szymczyk is also proud that he and Joe Vitale convinced Walsh to record the song's lyrics. If I recall correctly, Walsh once stated the Life's Been Good lyrics were composed as something private, perhaps an inside joke. He never intended them to used in the song.

Anyway, here's the reference to the article:

http://www.mixonline.com/news/profil...en-good/366083

[Delilah]

I don’t know if you’re still around, WalshGirl, but thanks for the link. It’s interesting to read about the vocal tricks Bill S. employed on the album. There are also some interesting quotes.

“Every part of the vocal has its own sound,” says Szymczyk. “It was fun. It was ear candy. Remember, this was still like a vacation from The Eagles.”

Also, Life’s Been Good could have been left off?

After all that work, “Life's Been Good” almost didn't make the album. Szymczyk says that Walsh began second-guessing himself, wondering if the lyrics would be perceived as condescending or snarky.

“I tried to do the song funny without coming across as a jerk,” Walsh explained in a 1978 BAM magazine interview. “I think I try to be humble, but I also feel I've got some seniority after the years I've put in as a musician. I've got to admit that even being at the top doesn't mean anything.”

“I think the best producing job I ever did was convincing Joe that people would understand he was being facetious,” Szymczyk says. “Me and Vitale double-teamed him.” They won Walsh over, and a good thing, too: “Life's Been Good” would become his biggest hit, topping at Number 12 in Billboard and remaining a staple of classic rock, as well as the theme song for an era of music that, like Wall Street more recently, went someplace amazing for a while and ain't never coming back.

I’ll have to give a listen to this later in honor of the album’s anniversary week. This is probably my 3rd favorite Joe album. The album cover is such a contrast to the cover of The Long Run album.

[shunlvswx]

Happy 40th Birthday to the But Seriously Folks album. I can't believe Life's Been Good turns 40 this month. Yikes!

[WalshFan88]

Life's Been Good is my favorite JW song period. And I always preferred hearing it in the context of the Eagles with harmony vocals and Don Felder trading licks with Joe. Such a great song, always seemed like a great Eagles song too. Love LBG.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

ITA, Austin. LBG is a brilliant humorous and satirical look at a rock star's 'life in the fast lane' - Joe at his absolute best, IMHO.

And a belated Happy 40th Anniversary to 'But Seriously Folks ...'.

[CAinOH]

Gads, when did I get to be so old...?!

[sodascouts]

Another thing that blows my mind is that this thread was started when this album was 29... this board has been around a long time! lol

[shunlvswx]

Happy 41st Birthday to But Seriously Folks.

[sodascouts]

Happy birthday to it. One of my faves!