Life’s Been Good…Eventually

With the release of his first solo album for 20 years, the once “lost” Joe Walsh has found himself again. He’s his own man, as well as an Eagle, and he’s even still part of The James Gang. Somehow, he found the time to talk to Terry Staunton

The warm growl on the transatlantic line says, “Hold tight, guy, I gotta mute these sounds.” Joe Walsh has been listening to Frank Sinatra – the classic Capitol Records era Sinatra – at full blast in his Los Angeles home. As he struggles to conquer the volume control on his hi-fi, the strains of I’ve Got You Under My Skin filter down the phone, like accidental holding music.

Joe’s gone for longer than might be thought necessary, as he gets to grips with the technology in his own abode. We’ll cut him some slack, though, as the 64-year-old is the first to admit that the switches and dials of modern home entertainment systems have a habit of leaving him flummoxed. He is, after all, an Analog Man.

So, you like a bit of Sinatra, do you, Joe?

“Yes, I do, especially the things Nelson Riddle arranged. Nelson, man, he was the guy. We’re talkin’ about someone who elevated popular music to an art form, a real art form. None of this crazy rock’n’roll stuff that anyone can do. Would I consider doing an album of standards? I don’t think so, do you? You’ve heard my voice; that would be a real stupid career move.”

It may be a “stupid” move for Walsh, but it’s what his fellow Eagle Glenn Frey is planning for later this year. Joe, …

by Terry Staunton
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