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Slick Willy Radio

4 hours ago

ON THIS DATE (48 YEARS AGO)June 18, 1973 - Joe Walsh: The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get is released.# ALL THINGS MUSIC PLUS+ 5/5# Allmusic 4.5/5 stars# Rolling Stone (see original review below)The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get is the second album by Joe Walsh and his band Barnstorm, released on June 18, 1973. It reached #6 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's & Tape chart. It proved to be his commercial breakthrough, largely on the strength of the Top 40 hit single, "Rocky Mountain Way", which helped propel the album into the Top 10.Walsh is flanked here by Kenny Passarelli on bass and Joe Vitale on drums, keyboards, and flute. Production help from Bill Szymczyk helps give the record its signature sound--simultaneously chunky and slick--and brings the effects-heavy sound of Walsh's guitar to the fore. But this is ultimately Walsh's show: he knows how to rock, lilt, and craft a pop hook, all the while maintaining levity with his off-hand vocal delivery and playful lyrics. The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get is a solid slice of FM rock fare, and is still one of the standouts in Walsh's solo discography."Rocky Mountain Way," the tune that opens Joe Walsh's sophomore release (and remains one of his best-known songs), is a textbook example of Walsh's strengths. The song is driven by a slinky hard rock groove that boasts crunchy, distorted guitars, barrelhouse piano, wiry solos, and a catchy, singalong chorus--proving Walsh's penchant for mixing rock elements and radio-ready accessibility with a sense of wit and fun. The rest of The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get follows suit, with the mid-tempo rock ballad "Bookends," the bouncy, Latin-tinged "Happy Ways," and the airy, wistful "Dreams" keeping the stylistic mix lively.__________ORIGINAL ROLLING STONE REVIEWJoe Walsh is out to do the Stephen Stills number by splitting his supergroup and forging out for Musical Freedom and a distinguished solo career (least that's what it says here). Sounds great -- only Joe's band, the James Gang, wasn't that super and while Stills has just now completed the process of consuming himself, Joe's already done a pretty good job of it on only his second solo album.If there was a James Gang sound, it had to do with Joe's high vocal whine that sounded for all the world like somebody had taught a Moog synthesizer to talk. Some of the old Gang material ("Tend My Garden" on Rides Again) was so contoured to Joe's voice no one else could have performed it. For better or worse, it was the source of the band's identity. Much of Joe's current trouble rests in his lack of one.I'm all for eclecticism in pop music. Some of this year's best albums (like Paul Simon's and Todd Rundgren's) are distinguished by it. But The Smoker You Drink -- the years best album title -- draws from a number of forms without showing confidence in any of them. Presenting a laid-back Joe Walsh who still wants to rock is as confusing as offering a rhythm guitar-powered riffer who's also taking it easy in Colorado; it is difficult to tell from this album who we're listening to."Rocky Mountain Way," with its "The Rocky Mountain Way/Is better than the way we had," is the LP's standout -- and it sounds the closest to the old James Gang. It opens a set which dips down into rhythm-led power tunes, reggae leanings, close-harmonied ballads and acoustic pieces, but never seems comfortable with anything. Ex-Amboy Duke Joe Vitale remains from Barnstorm, with keyboard man Rocke Grace and bassist Kenny Passarilli now added. All are properly subdued, with the exception of Vitale's tasteful flute work on "Midnight Moodies." Mostly, however, the playing is of a detached nature, professional but uninspired.Joe even gets in some licks himself, especially in acoustic-based tunes like "Happy Ways," which are hardly embarrassing to him; neither do they show off the stuff I believe he has. The results still sound like he's shopping around. Like succotash, this album has plenty of elements, but each is such a meager and half-hearted supply that they lose their individual flavor.~ Tom Dupree (September 13, 1973)TRACKS:All songs by Joe Walsh, except where noted.Side one"Rocky Mountain Way" (Joe Walsh, Vitale, Passarelli, Grace) – 5:15"Book Ends" (Vitale) – 2:45"Wolf" – 3:09"Midnight Moodies" (Grace) – 3:39"Happy Ways" (Passarelli, Bernard Zoloth) – 2:40Side two"Meadows" – 4:36"Dreams" – 5:50"Days Gone By" (Joe Vitale) – 5:54"(Day Dream) Prayer" – 1:56#joewalsh #TheSmokerYouDrinkthePlayerYouGet ...

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Slick Willy Radio

4 hours ago

Brother (Acoustic Premiere) ...

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Slick Willy Radio

7 hours ago

🤔 🤔 ...

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Slick Willy Radio

7 hours ago

Revised Line Up for our July 9th Rock Show - After over 15 months of darkness, concerts return to the TaxSlayer Center with a powerhouse line-up of legendary arena rock bands featuring DOKKEN...FIREHOUSE...JACK RUSSEL’S GREAT WHITE...and special guest BRANDON GIBBS. Tickets go on-sale this Saturday, June 19 at 10am. ...

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Slick Willy Radio

7 hours ago

Kick of Fathers Day morning with some coffee, your breakfast and Top 40 hits from 1956 on Slick Willy Radio! ...

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