OK, now that I've had a chance to listen to this several times, I have to say I really like it! I think it's Joe's most consistently good album since But Seriously, Folks... That's quite an accomplishment. The only track that I think is a bit weak is "Spanish Dancer" and maybe "India," but even those are far from terrible; they just don't work quite as well as the others.
Analog Man - this is the kind of commentary I love from Joe. It's light-hearted but still fun and catchy. He even manages to avoid sounding like an old fogey as he praises the scritchy-scratch sound of vinyl, whose appeal cannot be deemed as anything other than nostalgia when one plays a track from that format side by side with a CD or MP3 (the big artwork of an old school record is a boon, yes; the sound quality, no). I love the bit about finding an "Analog girl." That also lifts is above old-fogeyness (I think I just made up a new word).
Wrecking Ball - While this is not really a "conversion" song like "One Day at a Time," it certainly gets across a similar message; it's an outside warning from the voice of experience, as he says himself. I especially love the chorus. The extended metaphor is also clever, continuing the theme of "wrecking ball" with "and then you slam into another brick wall."
Lucky That Way - My favorite part is the "started in the middle of nowhere" bit. While the rest of the song isn't as melodic, it still works. I'm in my thirties so I don't have as much life experience to draw from, but I can still totally relate to the line "And the times I thought were the end of the world didn't turn out so bad after all."
Spanish Dancer - As I said earlier, this one kind of seems to stick out - and not in a good way. I don't think Joe really sells the romance of the song. If you want to hear Joe singing sexy, check out "Slow Dancing" from The Confessor and you'll see what I mean. That said, it's not a bad song; I'm just not feelin' it.
Band Played On - Again, a very clever analogy with the Titanic. Once again, tuneful and enjoyable commentary that doesn't come off as preachy.
Family - This song is very pretty and Joe sings it with a lot of heart, but I have to admit, when I hear it I feel a little sad for him. The man has several children but never considered himself to have a family until he married his current wife. Ouch for them, sad for him. Of course, better to focus on the more positive side of that in that he's now happy, and the song itself is very melodic.
One Day at a Time - There are a few interesting changes from the Eagles version and while I miss those Eagles harmonies, this is still really good. I'm very happy he included it on his album, because I've always liked it and thought it was a shame you could only hear it on Farewell 1.
Hi-Roller Baby - What a catchy song! As I was listening to it on the plane yesterday I found myself singing along and tapping my foot. "It could be good..." yeah, I like it!
Funk 50 - way to bring in the history! I feel like this is a reward to James Gang fans, as is the last track of course. The riffs are stellar, as always. Heck, even Joe's suckiest rock songs have good riffs (well, maybe not "Coyote Love.") He's just got that knack - he's just "lucky that way"! lol
India - At first I thought "generic trance music with nothing to distinguish it from anything else in this genre" - but it grew on me. While it's not a favorite, it's still cool.
Fishbone - Sometimes, joke songs annoy me. Sometimes, I absolutely love them. This one falls into the latter category. The fact that it has a great tune is probably the deciding factor, lol.
But I Try - This is a cool novelty and it's neat for him to include him it. Again, a reward for the James Gang fans! Of course, it rocks!
The first Joe album I've had in a long time where I don't find myself wanting to hit "skip" on at least one track.
You go, Joe!