The Smoker You Drink, The Player...[Gold Disc]

The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get, Joe Walsh's second solo studio album, continues the heavy and light rock mix of tracks found on his previous release, Barnstorm. Indeed, the opening two tracks bear this out. The first, perhaps Walsh's most recognized track, "Rocky Mountain Way," comes replete with overly distorted guitars and the obligatory solo. The next song, "Book Ends," is a tuneful ode to happy memories. Walsh's ability to swing wildly from one end of the rock scale to the other is unparalleled and makes for an album to suit many tastes. Joe Vitale (drums, flute, backing vocals, keyboards, and synthesizers – a talented man) and Kenny Passarelli (bass and backing vocals) are once again employed, and once again prove themselves adept at handling Walsh's various styles. The album sees an addition to the backing band in the form of Rocke Grace on keyboards and vocals. The legendary Bill Szymczyk works along with Walsh to handle the production, and takes care of the mixing. Szymczyk's work on this area is, as always, astounding. The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get features some of the most remembered Joe Walsh tracks, but it's not just these that make the album a success. Each of the nine tracks is a song to be proud of. This is a superb album by anyone's standards. ~ Ben Davies