Rocky Mountain Way - Joe Walsh (1973) 1/18/22

In 1971, Joe Walsh was guitarist for The James Gang, but he felt creatively stifled and wasn't happy. Even though the group had charted a few rimes and was starting to build momentum, Joe decided to go solo and move from Cleveland to Colorado to clear his head. He was angry, feeling sorry for himself, and was convinced that he needed to justify what many people thought was committing career suicide. One day, he had an epiphany: Instead of being angry and remorseful, he decided it would be better to be positive and proud. He formed a new band called Barnstorm, and they toured extensively for the next two years. During that time, they released two albums--the second of which was called "The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get." And that brings us to today's "Great Song of 1973." As a group, Barnstorm developed a rockin' blues instrumental track for the album, and then Joe, inspired by the beautiful Colorado scenery, (ala John Denver), came up with lyrics and a title: "Rocky Mountain Way." (Of course it sounded NOTHING like John Denver!) (Side note: Legend has it that Joe was mowing his lawn and looking at the Rocky Mountains when the lyrics came to him. He ran inside to write them down but forgot to shut off the mower. It kept going...right into his neighbor's yard where it ruined a garden!) "Rocky Mountain Way" was one of the first songs to use what was known as a "talk-box," which gave Joe's vocals a unique electronic vibe. It was quite different than what was being heard on the radio back in '73 and took some getting used to. Still, it was a solid hit, reaching #23 on the Hot 100. Over the years, however, it has gained in popularity, becoming a go-to hit on classic rock stations. As for the other members of Barnstorm, they've pretty much faded into obscurity and most people think "Rocky Mountain Way" is a "Great Song of 1973" by Joe Walsh--as a solo artist. That's too bad, but at least everyone is still collecting songwriting residuals!