I regard Joe's pre-Eagles albums, released on the ABC/Dunhill label as his early works and his post Eagles, drunk and lost the magic, albums as his later stuff. Having said that, I love Songs For A Dying Planet.
I didn't realize that the James Gang albums were significant until I saw the set list for the 1981 Reunion bootleg and realized he was still performing James Gang tunes, long after he left them.
I suppose the fact that So What was the first Walsh album I bought and cherished, and Barnstorm and the James Gang album's were the last archive, Walsh albums I bought may have skewed my sense of history.
Without the internet, I'd never have known that other people loved all these Joe Walsh albums too! I really thought I was the only one.