But Seriously, Folks...

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.

But Seriously, Folks...
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 16, 1978
StudioBayshore (Coconut Grove, Florida)
GenreRock, hard rock, soft rock
Length35:22
LabelAsylum
Producer
Joe Walsh chronology
You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind
(1976)
But Seriously, Folks...
(1978)
The Best of Joe Walsh
(1978)

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.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[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]

Track listing

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All songs written and composed by Joe Walsh, with additional writers noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Over and Over" 4:53
2."Second Hand Store"Mike Murphy3:35
3."Indian Summer" 3:03
4."At the Station"Joe Vitale5:08
5."Tomorrow" 3:39
6."Inner Tube" 1:25
7."Theme from Boat Weirdos"Vitale, Jay Ferguson, Willie Weeks, Bill Szymczyk4:43
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

Personnel

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Musicians

  • Joe Walsh – vocals, synthesizers, guitars
  • Jay Ferguson – keyboards
  • Joe Vitale – synthesizers, drums, percussion, flute, backing vocals (1-4, 7, 8)
  • Joey Murcia – 2nd guitar
  • Willie Weeks – bass

Guest musicians

Production

  • Bill Szymczyk – producer, engineer, digital remastering
  • Ed Mashal – engineer
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Jimmy Wachtel – album design, cover photography, sleeve photography
  • Michael Curtis – design assistant
  • Mark Foltz – design assistant
  • Jage Jackson – design assistant
  • Lorrie Sullivan – sleeve photography
  • Recorded at Bayshore Studios (Coconut Grove, Florida)
  • Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)

Charts

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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

Certifications

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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.

References

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  1. ^ a b Campbell, Al. "But Seriously, Folks... > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 21, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (September 4, 1978). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  4. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 21, 1978. p. 28. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 332. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4671a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  7. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Joe Walsh – But Seriously, Folks" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  8. ^ "Charts.nz – Joe Walsh – But Seriously, Folks". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  9. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  10. ^ "Joe Walsh Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  11. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Joe Walsh – But Seriously, Folks". Music Canada.
  12. ^ "British album certifications – Joe Walsh – But Seriously Folks". British Phonographic Industry.
  13. ^ "American album certifications – Joe Walsh – But Seriously, Folks". Recording Industry Association of America.