| But Seriously, Folks... | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 16, 1978 | |||
| Studio | Bayshore (Coconut Grove, Florida) | |||
| Genre | Rock,hard rock,soft rock | |||
| Length | 35:22 | |||
| Label | Asylum | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Joe Walsh chronology | ||||
| ||||
But Seriously, Folks... is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalistJoe Walsh. The album was released in mid-1978, on theAsylum 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 the single release, and this became Walsh's biggest solo hit, peaking at No. 12 on theBillboard Hot 100.
The album also featured the other four members of theEagles – which Walsh had joined two years earlier – as well as singer-keyboardistJay Ferguson, a former member of the groupsSpirit andJo Jo Gunne (who co-wrote one track on the album), drummerJoe Vitale from Walsh's former bandBarnstorm, and bassistWillie Weeks.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[2] |
In a contemporary review forThe 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 ofPet 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'sslide guitar solo.[4]
All songs written and composed by Joe Walsh, with additional writers noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Over and Over" | 4:53 | |
| 2. | "Second Hand Store" | Mike Murphy | 3:35 |
| 3. | "Indian Summer" | 3:03 | |
| 4. | "At the Station" | Joe Vitale | 5:08 |
| 5. | "Tomorrow" | 3:39 | |
| 6. | "Inner Tube" | 1:25 | |
| 7. | "Theme from Boat Weirdos" | Vitale,Jay Ferguson,Willie Weeks,Bill Szymczyk | 4:43 |
| 8. | "Life's Been Good" (Life's Been Good ends at 8:04 and is followed by an untitledhidden track that runs for 42 seconds) | 8:56 | |
| Total length: | 35:22 | ||
Musicians
Guest musicians
Production
| 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 |
| USBillboard 200[10] | 8 |
| 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. | ||
