As far as studio albums go,
But Seriously Folks is
Joe Walsh's most insightful and melodic.
But Seriously Folks, released in 1978, was the album
the Eagles should have made rather than the mediocre
The Long Run. It captures a reflective song cycle along the same thematic lines of Pet Sounds, only for the '70s. The album's introspective outlook glides through rejuvenation ("Tomorrow," "Over and Over"), recapturing the simple pleasures of the past ("Indian Summer"), mid-career indecision ("At the Station," "Second Hand Store"), and a melancholy instrumental ("Theme From Boat Weirdos"). The disc's finale, "Life's Been Good," is a sarcastic and bittersweet ode to
Walsh's "rock star-party guy" persona which reached the Top 10 on the pop charts and became a staple of FM rock radio. The only way
But Seriously Folks could have been improved, was to include "In the City," essentially solo
Walsh, which unfortunately ended up on
The Long Run instead. ~ Al Campbell