The songs that Joe Walsh said it were the best ones he ever wrote

One of the most influential America guitarists of all time, Joe Walsh first achieved fame as a member of James Gang, also having success on his solo career and in 1976 joining The Eagles, that are one of the best-selling bands in history.

In an interview with Howard Stern back in 2012 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage) he picked the songs that in his opinion are the best ones he ever wrote with The Eagles and on solo career.

The songs that Joe Walsh said it were the best ones he ever wrote:

“Eagles-wise, I co-wrote ‘Life In The Fast Lane’ with Don (Henley) and Glenn (Frey). Solo-wise, probably ‘Rocky Mountain Way’. One of the things that makes it magic (is that) it’s a bunch of guys playing in a room. That groove, you can’t do with Pro-Tools.”

When asked if he recalled how he wrote his solo hit “Rocky Mountain Way”, Joe Walsh said: “I was in Colorado. I had left the James Gang, I was worried that I might have made a mistake, we were doing fine.” Then he continued to explain why he left James Gang, saying: “A three-piece band, I just got saturated with playing really loud and being like a kick-ass guitar guy, playing through Marshalls and stuff. I was hearing all these songs like with a piano and (the other two guys were kind of against it).”

He continued:

“So I was in Colorado and I have an album done which was the ‘Barnstorm’ (1972), the first solo album I did and I am mowing the lawn. I didn’t have any words for ‘Rocky Mountain Way’ but we had the track done. And I’m just dead in the water about this song ‘what is it about?’. If there were words I hear where they go (but I didn’t) know where they are. Well, I’m mowing the lawn I look up and there’s the front range of the Rocky Mountains with snow on them, in the summer and it knocked me back.”

“It was just beautiful and I thought ‘Well, I have commited, I’m in Colorado, it’s too late to regret the James Gang, the Rocky Mountain way is better than the way I had because the music was better. And I got the word ‘Bammm’ and ‘ he’s tellin’ us this and he’s tellin’ us that, changes it every day,’ that’s about the James Gang’s manager.”

“‘And we don’t need the ladies crying ’cause the story’s sad,’ that’s giving up the regret of leaving the James Gang. I got all these words at once and I ran into the house to write the words down and the lawnmower kept going over into the neighbours yard and ate the garden (laughs). It was an expensive song to write but…,” Joe Walsh said.

The musician also had other big hits on his solo career like “Life’s Been Good”, “A Life Of Illusion” and “One Day At a Time”.

With the Eagles he recorded three albums “Hotel California” (1976), “The Long Run” (1979) and “Long Road To Eden” (2007). Even after joining them he continued to perform his solo career hits live with The Eagles