Re: James Gang
11Joe Walsh seems like an affable guy, but his music just isn’t for me—not in The Eagles, not on his solo records, and not in The James Gang.
Re: James Gang
12tremendous rock band.
absolutely dumb as hell.
A+ not crap
absolutely dumb as hell.
A+ not crap
My thoughts on music: https://ediblesaudibles.com/
Re: James Gang
13The Eagles? Let's not even bother going there. James Gang? I honestly haven't heard enough at this point to be able to come to any conclusions. Walsh's solo material? Cannot judge it as a whole either, as I haven't heard much of it...but man, have I always found "Life's Been Good" to be irritating!!Wood Goblin wrote: Tue Jun 14, 2022 2:19 pm Joe Walsh seems like an affable guy, but his music just isn’t for me—not in The Eagles, not on his solo records, and not in The James Gang.
Can honestly say it's one of my least favorite popular songs, on a strictly musical level (meaning, putting aside any tongue-in-cheek/satirical/potentially self-critical lyrical conceits which could be construed as clever).
Am posting it here, in case anyone needs a refresher:
Hoo-boy, is that ^^^ a tough climb, no?
In literature, the charge that a work is "overwritten" sometimes seems to be a smokescreen for the reader/reviewer not appreciating how a story doesn't "get to the point" or progress in a normal (normative?) enough manner, as expected. It can be valid, but I do think art of any sort is able to deviate/zig-zag away from structural and aesthetic norms in compelling ways. To state the obvious, there's no set-in-stone manner of doing things, and sometimes it takes an ambitious artist to tread a less beaten path.
And yet, "Life's Been Good"--in terms of riffage--takes roundabout ways to reach its destination, and it's all the worse for it! It is that most limp of Boomer rock staples, the kind that doesn't gain steam and mostly just seems to sit there. The drumming is clod. The vocals exist in a register best avoided in polite society. Overall it's just tedious. I am almost shocked that NO ONE has ever seemed to call out the song for possessing one of the least desirable of qualities in popular music: a piece being "inelegantly 'baroque,'" or "'complex' to a fault."
"Life's Been Good" just grates and goes on and on, missing one mark, barely hitting the next, and then taking another unflattering detour. Am mystified by its apparent popularity.
Re: James Gang
14That song definitely blowsDaveA wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2022 3:09 amThe Eagles? Let's not even bother going there. James Gang? I honestly haven't heard enough at this point to be able to come to any conclusions. Walsh's solo material? Cannot judge it as a whole either, as I haven't heard much of it...but man, have I always found "Life's Been Good" to be irritating!!Wood Goblin wrote: Tue Jun 14, 2022 2:19 pm Joe Walsh seems like an affable guy, but his music just isn’t for me—not in The Eagles, not on his solo records, and not in The James Gang.
Can honestly say it's one of my least favorite popular songs, on a strictly musical level (meaning, putting aside any tongue-in-cheek/satirical/potentially self-critical lyrical conceits which could be construed as clever).
Am posting it here, in case anyone needs a refresher:
Hoo-boy, is that ^^^ a tough climb, no?
In literature, the charge that a work is "overwritten" sometimes seems to be a smokescreen for the reader/reviewer not appreciating how a story doesn't "get to the point" or progress in a normal (normative?) enough manner, as expected. It can be valid, but I do think art of any sort is able to deviate/zig-zag away from structural and aesthetic norms in compelling ways. To state the obvious, there's no set-in-stone manner of doing things, and sometimes it takes an ambitious artist to tread a less beaten path.
And yet, "Life's Been Good"--in terms of riffage--takes roundabout ways to reach its destination, and it's all the worse for it! It is that most limp of Boomer rock staples, the kind that doesn't gain steam and mostly just seems to sit there. The drumming is clod. The vocals exist in a register best avoided in polite society. Overall it's just tedious. I am almost shocked that NO ONE has ever seemed to call out the song for possessing one of the least desirable of qualities in popular music: a piece being "inelegantly 'baroque,'" or "'complex' to a fault."
"Life's Been Good" just grates and goes on and on, missing one mark, barely hitting the next, and then taking another unflattering detour. Am mystified by its apparent popularity.
Re: James Gang
17On top of your analysis—which I think is spot-on—I would add that the song is a grating “humble brag” about how “funny, man…” it is being a rock star.
Almost on-topic: I do like “Walk Away”. There’s a live version from Beat Club on YouTube in which Joe declines to go for the high note at the end of the first chorus, thereby totally blowing the song’s hook. Blowing a good hook by singing the melody differently live: Crap.
(See also: literally every live rendition of “Blister in the Sun” I’ve ever heard The Violent Femmes play. There’s only one thing that’s even kind-of good in that song and you’re ruining it, dude.)
Tone attorney formerly known as Tom Lael is Dogs.
Re: James Gang
18I love that version, and think it's probably truer to how the song was conceived vs the studio version gussied up with harmonies. I remember Risk/Reward doing a cover inspired by it years ago:The Yeoman Ghost wrote: Thu Jun 16, 2022 8:30 pm Almost on-topic: I do like “Walk Away”. There’s a live version from Beat Club on YouTube in which Joe declines to go for the high note at the end of the first chorus, thereby totally blowing the song’s hook. Blowing a good hook by singing the melody differently live: Crap.
(damn you disabled video)
Re: James Gang
19I love Joe Walsh. He has an agreeably goony Midwest personality and his music is a nice balance between progressive and basic three-chord rawk with an ear for pop hooks and guitar riffs. His stuff sounds great on the radio. James Gang Rides Again is a classic record, among the best of its era.
I agree with the analysis of Midnight Man: it's like Joe dug that guitar part so much he wrote some lyrics on the spot just to finish the song.
James Gang Thirds is like Creedence's Mardi Gras: the main guy lets the bass player and drummer each write and sing 1/3 of the album, with predictable results.
Let's not forget the band's appearance in the enjoyably bad "Psychedelic Western" Zachariah (always wondered if the Jesus Lizard song was about this film):
I agree with the analysis of Midnight Man: it's like Joe dug that guitar part so much he wrote some lyrics on the spot just to finish the song.
James Gang Thirds is like Creedence's Mardi Gras: the main guy lets the bass player and drummer each write and sing 1/3 of the album, with predictable results.
Let's not forget the band's appearance in the enjoyably bad "Psychedelic Western" Zachariah (always wondered if the Jesus Lizard song was about this film):
Re: James Gang
20What the hell?tonyballzee wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2022 8:40 am Let's not forget the band's appearance in the enjoyably bad "Psychedelic Western" Zachariah (always wondered if the Jesus Lizard song was about this film):