Joe Walsh Barnstorm CD

All songs by Joe Walsh except "Giant Behemoth" (J. Vitale), "I'll Tell The World" (A. Gordon/A. Jacobs), "Turn To Stone" (J. Walsh/Terry Trebandt), "Mother Says" (Walsh/Vitale/Passarelli).

Barnstorm, Joe Walsh's first solo album after leaving the James Gang, garnered him fame not only as a guitarist but also as a songwriter. While it's true that Walsh established himself as a late-'60s/early-'70s guitar hero on the Gang's more boogie-oriented rock numbers, it's Walsh's love of lushly textured production and spacy, open-ended songs featuring both acoustic and electric guitars that is showcased here on this wildly adventurous and forgotten unqualified masterpiece. Recorded at the Caribou Ranch in Nederland, CO, Barnstorm reflects the big sky and wide open spaces. Accompanied by bassist Kenny Passarelli and drummer Joe Vitale, Walsh freely indulges himself with fat guitars and keyboards, beautiful choruses, country tinges, and pastoral pop hooks, as evidenced by the glorious opener, "Here We Go." This segues, via the sound of a spooky lonesome wind, into the hauntingly beautiful psychedelic country tune "Midnight Visitor," with elegantly woven acoustic guitars, fat carnival ...