Joe Walsh – The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get

Joe Walsh, and the band behind his name

“Rocky Mountain Way” opens the door, but there is more behind it than one famous song. Released under Joe Walsh’s name in 1973, The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get also draws on the collective contribution of his Barnstorm colleagues. Kenny Passarelli, Joe Vitale and Rocke Grace bring their own songs and voices. Treating it simply as a guitarist’s solo showcase leaves an important part of the story unheard.

Between James Gang and the Eagles, Walsh made an album that reveals the breadth of his musical interests. Working with producer Bill Szymczyk, he assembled nine tracks with room for different personalities. The record reached number six on the American album chart. More interesting for a listening session is how those different ideas find their place within the same programme.

More than one voice

Joe Vitale sings his compositions “Bookends” and “Days Gone By”. Kenny Passarelli takes the lead on “Happy Ways”, which he wrote with Bernard “Buddy” Zoloth. Rocke Grace contributes “Midnight Moodies”. Walsh’s songs therefore sit inside a musical partnership that extends well beyond the usual distinction between a solo artist and a backing band.

The instrumental credits reinforce that picture. Vitale contributes flute and keyboards as well as drums and percussion. Joe Lala appears as an additional percussionist, with Venetta Fields and Clydie King credited for backing vocals. Their participation is documented at album level, but the available credits do not securely assign every guest to individual tracks. That distinction is retained in the personnel information.

Give the whole record its time

After “Rocky Mountain Way”, “Bookends” already brings a different perspective. Later, “Meadows” and “Dreams” share the programme with “Days Gone By”, before “Daydream (Prayer)” closes the album. Follow that sequence as a whole: listen beyond the next guitar passage to the ways a voice, a rhythm or an arrangement changes the mood.

Recording took place during 1972 and 1973. Caribou Ranch in Colorado is among the documented locations and was where the album was mixed. That provides a tangible historical setting without requiring an imagined account of a particular session. The musicians’ contributions supply the real attraction, with plenty to discover beyond the celebrated opening track.

Kevin Gray’s mastering across four sides

The Analogue Productions edition offered here, AAPP 108-45, is a stereo double LP on 180-gram vinyl at 45 RPM. Kevin Gray remastered it at Cohearent Audio, with the publisher identifying the original master tapes as the source. Plating and pressing are credited to Quality Record Pressings. Stoughton Printing supplies the tip-on gatefold jacket.

It should be distinguished from the separate 33⅓ RPM edition. This release spreads the original nine-track programme across four sides. It is an invitation to explore Walsh’s breakthrough as a complete album and to give the musicians and writers behind its less familiar songs their share of attention.

You order from Michael 45 in Germany. We arrange the US import and dispatch from Hilden.

Customer question: Buying Analogue Productions records in Europe

Musicians

Participants and documented credit status. Track references correspond to the tracklist.

• Joe Walshguitar, keyboards, synthesizer, vocalsParticipation: Album · lead vocals: A1, B1, C1, C2, D2
• Kenny Passarellibass, guitar, vocalsParticipation: Album · lead vocals: B3
• Joe Vitaledrums, percussion, keyboards, synthesizer, flute, vocalsParticipation: Album · lead vocals: A2, D1
• Rocke Gracekeyboards, vocalsParticipation: Album personnel
• Joe LalapercussionParticipation: Track assignments unconfirmed
• Venetta Fieldsbacking vocalsParticipation: Track assignments unconfirmed
• Clydie Kingbacking vocalsParticipation: Track assignments unconfirmed

Roles refer to documented album credits, not automatically to every listed track. Track references indicate documented participation; where several instruments are listed, not every role applies to every track.