(Credits: Far Out / TIDAL)
Sat 13 September 2025 19:00, UK
The Eagles had already redefined music before Joe Walsh came along. Their blend of rock ‘n’ roll paired with country was unlike anything people had come across before, and it paved the way for a brand new style.
There is something ingrained within country music that refuses to subside, no matter how much time passes. We see it today, still, with the overwhelming popularity of country acts around the world. There is something inherently embedded into that sound which is unlike any other genre, as it wears relatability and truth unlike any other style can. People can connect with country in a way that they can’t with other genres out there, and it makes for a great listen.
Of course, when songs are constructed of similar chords, time signatures and melody, they can often overlap with one another. As such, early country music needed an injection of something different, something much more engaging and interesting, so that it could find its feet more effectively and provide something different for fans.
The band’s debut album still makes for a sweet-sounding listen to this day. Despite being decades old, songs like ‘Take It Easy’ are timeless, and still inspire singalongs. However, while Eagles saw success in these early days, they didn’t peak until a few albums later, when they opted to bring Joe Walsh into the band, who was able to inject a bit more rock into their sound.
“When Bernie [Leadon] decided that he just wasn’t interested very much in continuing, Don [Henley] and Glenn [Frey] thought I would plug in really well with where the Eagles were eventually going to go,” recalled Walsh, “And at the time, I was going, ‘Aw fuck, it’s time to do another solo album. Oh, shit. Anybody got any ideas?’ You know? So, it all just kind of came together. I joined the Eagles – and the result, of course, was Hotel California.”
Walsh brought a new dynamic to the band, as his shredding guitar lines added layers to an already complex sound. Glenn Frey was really happy when Walsh joined the band, as he had an ability to play solos that was akin to the other guitar greats of the time. “Walsh is like an almanack,” he said, “I could sit down at a piano at any given moment and play every song the Drifters ever recorded. But Joe can do the same thing with Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton. I mean, every single blues lick.”
It shouldn’t have been a huge surprise that Walsh took to the guitar so well, because it was an instrument that he had a fascination with from a very young age. He came across the work of early guitar bands and was instantly fascinated by how they got such a versatile sound out of their instrument. One of the first solos he heard was on ‘Walk–Don’t Run’ by The Venture, and he recalls that being a pivotal moment in his life.
“I didn’t even play guitar at the time, but I loved ‘Walk—Don’t Run’. I was 13 when that came out in 1960, and I borrowed a guitar just to learn the lead part,” recalled Walsh, “At the time, my mom was making me practice a stupid metal clarinet in orchestra. A lot of people ended up playing guitar because of that song.”
Related Topics