I tried and tried and tried to like
The Confessor but I was convinced that Joe was finished, he'd lost whatever it was that made me love him and his recording career was over.
Got Any Gum wasn't as bad but no cause for optimism,
Ordinary Average Guy seemed like Joe jumping through hoops to be worth a record contract,
Songs For A Dying Planet, was a bolt out of the blue, unexpected joy. The first time I played the CD, I was in tears during the amazing intro to Decades, and then again when the background music fades to leave just Joe and his acoustic playing.
1992, 16 or so months after
Ordinary Average Guy, Joe releases the best album he's done since joining the Eagles in 1975. Not a collection of songs but a series of moments of delight for Walsh fans.
Since joining the Eagles, I think Joe's become too song based and as albums have given away to individual track downloads, I wasn't expecting anything as immersive as
Songs For A Dying Planet from
Analog Man.
I was a big ELO fan but Jeff Lynne is not the man for Joe's music. Joe say's everything Jeff touches sounds perfect for the radio but the radio isn't anywhere near as important as it was in the analog days to promote new music.
Opening track,
Analog Man is a great concept but some of the lyrics were already old hat when it was released and it seems to me to be a perfect launchpad for an extended instrumental section that sadly, never happens.
Wrecking Ball is a fine rocker with great lyrics and a nice riff. It deserves to be more substantial but it's a little too short.
Lucky That Way is an affable country pop song. Well executed but there are dozens of guitar strumming artists, releasing this type of material. I'm more opposed to songwriters for hire, like Tommy Lee James than I am to Jeff Lynne.
I actually listen to
Spanish Dancer quite a lot. Lyrically very similar to
I Love To Watch A Woman Dance, musically it's Joe singing ELO. I wish it had a bit more of an intro and a bit more of an outro.
Again,
Band Played On, too concise for me. It has a fabulous concept. Using the band playing on, as if nothing is happening as the Titanic was floundering to it's/her death as a metaphor for people in power today, inventing ways to avoid addressing the ecological problems that are causing the destruction of the planet's ecosystems. I like the sitar, I like the melody. Could do without the bubbles at the end though. Could
Band Played On have followed
Long Road Out Of Eden on disc 2 of that Eagles album?
Almost every Walsh album has a synth laden ballad and
Family ticks that box for Analog Man.
I'm convinced
One Day At A Time has the wrong tempo. Straightforward ELO backing again. I'd like to hear it with a more relaxed Reggae feel. It has another Walsh solo that is simply, Walsh guitar over an instrumental verse. I expect a little more from Joe.
Hi Roller Baby is apparently a song that Joe was asked to sing to provide a guide vocal for somebody else. Written by Tim Armstrong of Punk Rock band, Rancid, and female artist LP. I'm not sure Joe was initially aware that she wrote it too. He checked her out on YouTube after the album was released and was impressed. Tim and Joe share a Lawyer or some other guy who wears a suit and tie and works in an office.
I'm not sure about HRB's cluttered arrangement, again too busy but there's some lovely acoustic guitar in there somewhere and it's a fun, singalong ditty. Just Joe and his acoustic would've done for me.
Funk 50, my adopted moniker
![partytime](images/smilies/eusa_dance.gif)
again too short, (unlike most of my posts
![Smile](images/smilies/001.gif)
) so short you could say inconsequential. Great lyric, always destined to be overshadowed by
Funk #49 but I'm glad he did it. I just wish he'd done a little more of it... and used a live drummer/percussionist.
Never thought I'd hear Joe playing dance music but
India is Joe playing dance music. A pleasant and undoubted surprise, I hope he explores it a little more in future.
Fishbone is Joe playing blues. Joe's an outstanding all round musician/guitarist. Great blues players are pretty common. I think Joe should leave the blues to those guys and play the stuff that's out of their league.
But I Try isn't a Joe Walsh track. It's a James Gang track with Lttle Richard singing and playing piano. Joe Vitale says Little Richard can only play in the key of C so I guess, But I Try is in the key of C.
All those people who say Joe should never have joined the Eagles, he was at his best in the James Gang, this is Joe in the James Gang. I'm pretty sure it was the first song voted off the
Analog Man Song Survivor but I think it's great. Sure it's a Jam that kind of loses it's way but it was never meant to be released on a record so I'm delighted that I've had a chance to hear it.
I wouldn't add it to a James Gang compilation though.
Much like
Long Road Out Of Eden,
Analog Man is almost a rebirth album, just getting used to the environment again after a mighty long break. Pretty good with the promise of better to come.
Thanks for your post honeymoon critiques WalshFan88, Freypower, sodascouts and Midnight Visitor (Szymczyk would be great but I wouldn't deny a guy his retirement)... and enjoy your journey through the Walsh albums kaikoura, there's a few nearly Walsh albums to enjoy too.
I hope you get as much joy as I did although I hope Joe stays clear of Mark Knopfler. I don't dislike MK but it seems to me that he'd rather be M.O.R, (middle of the road) than rock.