The one song Joe Walsh said “saved my life”
There is a fine balance of luck and talent that is needed to change the course of a career in an instance, as Joe Walsh can attest firsthand.
For the last 50 years, he has been a vital part of the Eagles while carrying on with an esteemed solo career. He has also enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with Ringo Starr, and essentially has the keys to do whatever he pleases within the realm of rock ‘n’ roll.
It’s a privileged position that Walsh has deservedly earned through skill and hard work. However, for a time, it seemed like a pipedream which would never materialise until the birth of one song changed his fortunes and put Walsh on the right path once again.
The song in question is ‘Rocky Mountain Way’, which he remains eternally grateful for and considers to be a turning point. While Walsh has penned many classic songs with and without the Eagles, which have helped him become a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, none mean as much as on both a personal and professional level.
When he wrote ‘Rocky Mountain Way’, his career was perilous after he departed from the James Gang in 1971. His exit from the band, who had enjoyed relative success, was made with all the intentions of establishing himself as a solo star. However, it quickly became a decision that looked as if it had backfired.
Artists only get one opportunity in their career to record a debut album, and in most cases, it sets up a foundation for them to build upon for decades to come. As Walsh already had a reputation thanks to the James Gang, it should have been relatively plain sailing. Sadly, much to his frustration, 1972’s Barnstorm failed to captivate a barnstorming public reaction.
It wasn’t a bad record by any stretch, but making people go out and buy the album without it containing a hit single was a tough ask. In those days, having a hit on the radio was necessary for an album to chart, and if he was to survive getting dropped from his label, Walsh couldn’t afford to make the same mistake twice on his sophomore effort.
Then, one day, his prayers were answered with the unexpected creation of ‘Rocky Mountain Way’, which he knew right away had all the credentials to take him to the top.
Speaking to AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson on the programme A Life On The Road, Walsh reflected on his second solo album, The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get: “That album came out with ‘Rocky Mountain Way’ on it, and that saved my life. I knew it was a good song.”
He continued: “People feel it, and they remember where they were the first time they heard it, and that’s the connection that makes things special.”
During an appearance on Howard Stern’s radio show on Sirius XM in 2012, Walsh delved into his mindset on the day of writing the iconic track, honestly revealing: “I was in Colorado, I had left the James Gang and was worried that I might have made a mistake because we were doing fine.”
Despite the thoughts of regret flooding through his mind, the distraction of the picturesque surroundings near him gave him a source of much-needed inspiration, explaining, “I’m mowing the lawn. I look up, and there’s the front range of the Rocky Mountains, and there’s snow on them in the summer. And it knocked me back because it was just beautiful. And I thought, ‘Well, I have committed. I’m already in Colorado, and it’s too late to regret the James Gang. The Rocky Mountain way is better than the way I had because the music was better.’ I got the words. Bam!”
The success of ‘Rocky Mountain Way’ proved Walsh was right to follow his heart and leave the James Gang to pursue solo endeavours. As a result of the single charting, which the album also did, it put him on the radar of the Eagles. Although his solo career was flying high, which meant he didn’t need to join the Eagles for financial reasons, he knew it was the right decision to make.
His first contribution to an Eagles album was in 1976 on Hotel California, which has sold more than 32 million copies. He may have had to share the limelight and songwriting responsibilities after joining the group, but it remains the best decision of his career. Yet, whether any of this would have happened without ‘Rocky Mountain Way’ is a question that continues to linger.
