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Song Facts: Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good

Posted on 12/17/24 at 4:17 pm
Posted by Ranger Call
Lonesome Dove / Montana
Member since Apr 2023
674 posts
Posted on 12/17/24 at 4:17 pm
I find Joe Walsh to be completely likable, and I think it has to do with his willingness to poke fun at himself. He doubled down with the poking in another song Ordinary Average Guy, which has a mellow vibe like Life's Been Good.

A friend of mine recently saw The Eagles at The Sphere in Vegas and she said Joe Walsh still had the mojo up there on stage.


Solid quote..."I've been around the world in concerts, and people say 'What was Japan like?', but I don't know. It's got a nice airport, you know... so it was kind of an overall statement."

quote:

Lifes Been Good
Joe Walsh
This is a humorous look at the spoils of fame and fortune associated with being a rock star. Walsh pokes fun at the lifestyle of wealth and fame and the spoiled mentality - how it's not me that's changed, but everyone else.

In a 1981 interview with the BBC, Walsh explained: "I wanted to make a statement involving satire and humor, kind of poking fun at the incredibly silly lifestyle that someone in my position is faced with – in other words, I do have a really nice house, but I'm on the road so much that when I come home from a tour, it's really hard to feel that I even live here. It's not necessarily me, I think it paraphrases anyone in my position, and I think that's why a lot of people related to it, but basically, that's the story of any rock star – I say that humbly – anyone in my position. I thought that was a valid statement, because it is a strange lifestyle – I've been around the world in concerts, and people say 'What was Japan like?', but I don't know. It's got a nice airport, you know... so it was kind of an overall statement."

Walsh lived up to this song, indulging in the hedonism he sang about long after it was released. "I started believing I was who everybody thought I was, which was a crazy rock star," he told Rolling Stone in 2017. "It took me away from my craft. Me and a lot of the guys I ran with, we were party monsters. It was a real challenge just to stay alive."

This is the last song on the the album. On the original recording from this album, the music fades away into silence. Then, about 30 seconds later, there is a really funny secret message from Joe Walsh which says "Wha-oh...here comes a flock of wanh-wanhs!", followed by a chorale of "wannh", "wanh" "wahn" (collectively sounding like a bunch of ducks or sheep).

The cover of the But Seriously Folks album shows Walsh eating a meal... under water. In the same BBC interview, he said: "I had to do that a couple of times, but I did go down to the bottom of the pool, and almost drowned... but it was fun. Not at the time, but it was fun to do. We weighted everything down, but it was very involved and it took a long time, and I was real proud of it. As long as you have access to art, or visually presenting something with your record, I would like to use that, pursue it and try to make it an integral part of the music. It was hard to do, but when I look at it, I can't believe it either, I can't believe I was stupid enough to do that, but I was proud of it. I won't be repeating it, I can assure you!" (see the cover in Song Images)

In 1979, Walsh announced his campaign for President of the United States, promising "Free gas for everyone" if he won (he didn't).

A famous line in this song, "My Maserati does 185," was used as the title to a 2005 episode of the TV series Entourage.




Posted by Tangineck
Mandeville
Member since Nov 2017
2885 posts
Posted on 12/17/24 at 4:50 pm to
I think you'd have to make a conscious effort to dislike Joe Walsh.
Posted by Big Scrub TX
Member since Dec 2013
39327 posts
Posted on 12/17/24 at 5:54 pm to
And he's related to a Beatle by marriage too. It's been a great run.
Posted by Telecaster
Memphis
Member since May 2017
2210 posts
Posted on 12/17/24 at 7:09 pm to
Well, looks like it’s a Joe Walsh/James Gang evening. Thanks for the reminder of his greatness.

He’s a bit of a philosopher too:
This post was edited on 12/17/24 at 7:12 pm
Posted by Mizz-SEC
Inbred Huntin' In The SEC
Member since Jun 2013
22716 posts
Posted on 12/17/24 at 7:28 pm to
quote:

I think you'd have to make a conscious effort to dislike Joe Walsh.

It makes you wonder how he (and Vince Gill) work with such an insufferable prick like Don Henley.
Posted by pmacneworleans
Member since Dec 2013
2186 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 7:11 am to
Saw him live back in 73 when he was on tour promoting The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get. He performed at the Cultural Center in Chalmette (an oxymoron), and his band's gear truck broke down and didn't arrive. Instead of cancelling, he used the gear that the opening act had (local act - Paper Steamboat), but he was missing the talk box that was used on Rocky Mountain Way. Instead, he performed an utterly amazing extended slide solo on that song, that left everyone's jaw open.
Posted by Ranger Call
Lonesome Dove / Montana
Member since Apr 2023
674 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 7:17 am to
quote:

he was missing the talk box that was used on Rocky Mountain Way. Instead, he performed an utterly amazing extended slide solo on that song, that left everyone's jaw open.


Legtit CSB. That solo is already badass, but to take it to the next level is rock star shite.

I read recently about him leaving the James Gang, and how the song Rocky Mountain Way came to be. Once he busted out of the James Gang and Ohio (iirc), he moved to Colorado. One day while in his yard cutting grass, he looked up and could see a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains, begain feeling vindicated in his decision to make changes in life (before Eagles tenure) and immediately penned the song in inspiration.

quote:

Spent the last year
Rocky Mountain Way
Couldn't get much higher
Out to pasture
Think it's safe to say
Time to open fire
And we don't need the ladies
Crying 'cause the story's sad
'Cause the Rocky Mountain Way
Is better than the way we had


Joe Walsh is the friggin' man.
Posted by Ranger Call
Lonesome Dove / Montana
Member since Apr 2023
674 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 7:20 am to
quote:

Don Henley


As I understand it, Glenn Frey and Henley both kicked Don Felder out of the band (Felder was part owner as well) after Felder said some shite in an argument with them. Since Frey passed away, Felder has reached out about joining the Eagles again, showing remorse, and Henley refuses to let him back in.
Posted by yallgood
Franklinton
Member since Jan 2018
1088 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 8:02 am to
Completely likeable in his music career until he hit twitter a couple years ago with bizarre ramblings and beliefs.
Posted by Ranger Call
Lonesome Dove / Montana
Member since Apr 2023
674 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 8:08 am to
I missed all that, but I've never had a Twitter/X account. He isn't the first Boomer that lost his mind on social if so.
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
95187 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 9:00 am to
quote:

Glenn Frey and Henley both kicked Don Felder out of the band (Felder was part owner as well) after Felder said some shite in an argument with them.


It all started (of course) over money. To Henley and Frey's credit (they were doing most of the songwriting work, which was where most of the money in popular music was), they formed the original "Eagles" corporate entity with founders Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner (RIP) and, at the time, new addition Don Felder.

Felder is a relatively unique nexus to that Gainesville crop of musicians that saw notable figures such as the aforementioned Bernie Leadon, Stephen Stills, Tom Petty and the Allman Brothers (among others) pass through its bars and college venues, all in a relatively narrow time window in the early/mid 60s.

Felder had been in a band as a teenager with Stephen Stills (The Continentals) and taught music to Tom Petty (Felder says guitar, Petty remembered it as piano - memory fades over the years). Bernie Leadon and Felder were good friends (maybe bandmates, briefly?). These connections landed Felder with touring gigs with CSN and, later, a session with the Eagles facilitated by old friend and founder Bernie Leadon.

Anyway, back to Eagles, Inc., when Leadon became disillusioned with the direction of the band (ironically, the rock direction because of Felder's addition, and away from the country-rock niche they were in, similar to the FBB and Poco), he left and got bought out. Meisner had his own falling out with famously prickish Glenn Frey and also got bought out, leaving only Henley, Frey and Felder as "owners". When replacements Walsh (beginning with Hotel California) and Schmidt (for The Long Run, as he had also replaced Meisner in Poco years before) joined, they were and are sidemen, technically employees.

When the Hell Freezes Over tour was going on, Henley and Frey spent lavishly on their assistants, accommodations, travel, etc., while Felder, Walsh and Schmidt had more *ahem* "modest" and resources more out of a band pool. Felder didn't have a particular problem with their choices, but the band was being billed for all of that - in other words, the corporation was paying for those choices, not Henley and Frey. Felder was the main one affected as the third owner. He was also the treasurer (IIRC) of the corporation and when he started digging into the records, he was fired.

It is (almost) always the money. When you have a difficult to get along with member (like Frey, particularly), it can be other things, but folks don't generally walk away from a very lucrative enterprise unless the money is no longer worth it (and then, it is still about the money in a way).

Speaking of which, when you have 2 particularly difficult to get along with folks (like David Crosby and Neil Young), it makes for even more drama. Henley is sort of the second prick in the Eagles recipe that causes this, despite Frey having passed on.
Posted by Ranger Call
Lonesome Dove / Montana
Member since Apr 2023
674 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 9:26 am to
Well said (per usual). I'm partial to Felder's guitar work, so it would be good to see him get another chance at some of those shows with the band before they're done for good.

I heard Meisner was booted from the band for (among other reasons) his refusal to sing Take it to the Limit in live shows, since the high notes were so intimidating.
Posted by Socrates Johnson
Madisonville
Member since Apr 2012
2369 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 9:29 am to
The Eagles manage to be less than the sum of their parts, with this man being the most valuable.
Posted by Ranger Call
Lonesome Dove / Montana
Member since Apr 2023
674 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 9:42 am to
Walsh played the first solo on Henley's "Dirty Laundry", which is one of my favorite songs ever. Steve Lukather from Toto played the second solo in one take.
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
95187 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 9:43 am to
quote:

I heard Meisner was booted from the band for (among other reasons) his refusal to sing Take it to the Limit in live shows, since the high notes were so intimidating.


I'm torn on this. Certainly he did flex at times and refuse to sing it if he wasn't feeling it. But, obviously he did sing it a lot on the Hotel California (his last) tour and, IIRC, he sang it the last night he performed with the band. If Henley and Frey wanted that to be the reason, it certainly wasn't the only reason.

Mainly, it was because Glenn Frey was a bully and a prick. Bernie Leadon is a quiet, artsy fartsy type and Meisner was a simple country boy. Neither were compatible with Frey's big city bullying, namecalling and prickishness, IMHO.
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
95187 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 9:53 am to
quote:

The Eagles manage to be less than the sum of their parts, with this man being the most valuable.


And I'm not so sure about this. Certainly Don Henley and Joe Walsh are legit solo stars (or Walsh with his prior outfit, The James Gang). Schmidt, as a session singer, is all over records from the 70s through the 80s (and beyond). Felder is a fantastic guitarist. Perhaps he doesn't have the songwriting resume of some, but as good a blues/rock/shredder as there was in the 70s, for sure. In the prior iterations, Bernie Leadon is a master of multiple instruments (like Stephen Stills, Paul McCartney or Steve Winwood) and a real niche genius. Meisner was one of the great high singers of a generation.

But, together, and I'll just take the example of their cover of Seven Bridges Road - whatever combination 4 or 5 of their voices (always with Henley and Frey as the core), they were a great 4/5-part harmony band, really without peer for a rock band. CSN was a band of singers. If anything Stephen was the "band". Fleetwood Mac had 3 singers, as did Three Dog Night and The Beatles. Even if you give Ringo credit for his solo career, only The Eagles, for a major band, had at least 5 different singers have hit songs with lead vocals either for the band, other bands or in a solo capacity.

That's extraordinary. And for Hotel California and The Long Run, had one of the best 2-guitar combinations ever.

Posted by Socrates Johnson
Madisonville
Member since Apr 2012
2369 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 9:54 am to
quote:

Frey's big city bullying

He belongs to the city
This post was edited on 12/18/24 at 10:04 am
Posted by Mizz-SEC
Inbred Huntin' In The SEC
Member since Jun 2013
22716 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 10:04 am to
quote:

Felder was the main one affected as the third owner. He was also the treasurer (IIRC) of the corporation and when he started digging into the records, he was fired.

Didn't Felder sue and win and undisclosed (but huge) amount?
Posted by Ranger Call
Lonesome Dove / Montana
Member since Apr 2023
674 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 10:08 am to
Frey and Meisner allegedly got into a fistfight backstage over it. So much for a "peaceful, easy feeling" in the band.

Something tells me Frey was a cocaine a-hole.
Posted by Socrates Johnson
Madisonville
Member since Apr 2012
2369 posts
Posted on 12/18/24 at 10:08 am to
But imagine what they would've produced if they appreciated each other.
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