But Seriously, Folks... | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 16, 1978 | |||
Studio | Bayshore (Coconut Grove, Florida) | |||
Genre | Rock, hard rock, soft rock | |||
Length | 35:22 | |||
Label | Asylum | |||
Producer | ||||
Joe Walsh chronology | ||||
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But Seriously, Folks... is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Walsh. The album was released in mid-1978, on the Asylum label. It included the satirical song "Life's Been Good". The original 8:04 (8:57 on CD releases with a speech at the end) album version of this track was edited down to 4:35 for single release, and this became Walsh's biggest solo hit, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 .
The album also featured the other four members of Eagles – which Walsh had joined two years earlier – as well as singer-keyboardist Jay Ferguson, a former member of the groups Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne (who co-wrote one track on the album), drummer Joe Vitale from Walsh's former band Barnstorm, and bassist Willie Weeks.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | C+ [2] |
In a contemporary review for The Village Voice , Robert Christgau wrote that, although Walsh has "a gift for tuneful guitar schlock", most of the album's songs fall "far short of the irreverent shuck-and-jive" of "Life's Been Good". [3] In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Al Campbell said that the album is "Joe Walsh's most insightful and melodic", and "captures a reflective song cycle along the same thematic lines of Pet Sounds , only for the '70s". [1]
Cash Box said that the single "Over and Over" "has several distinctive rhythmic breaks, organ backing, swirling guitar work, slip and slide beat and good double-tracked vocals" and praised Walsh's slide guitar solo. [4]
All songs written and composed by Joe Walsh, with additional writers noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Over and Over" | 4:53 | |
2. | "Second Hand Store" | Mike Murphy | 3:35 |
3. | "Indian Summer" | 3:03 | |
4. | "At the Station" | Joe Vitale | 5:08 |
5. | "Tomorrow" | 3:39 | |
6. | "Inner Tube" | 1:25 | |
7. | "Theme from Boat Weirdos" | Vitale, Jay Ferguson, Willie Weeks, Bill Szymczyk | 4:43 |
8. | "Life's Been Good" (Life's Been Good ends at 8:04 and is followed by an untitled hidden track that runs for 42 seconds) | 8:56 | |
Total length: | 35:22 |
Musicians
Guest musicians
Production
Chart (1978) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [5] | 31 |
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [6] | 9 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [7] | 46 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [8] | 10 |
UK Albums (OCC) [9] | 16 |
US Billboard 200 [10] | 8 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [11] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [12] | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [13] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |