Joe Walsh: The Confessor CD Track Listing

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Joe Walsh The Confessor (1985)
Originally Released 1985\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Joe Walsh just hasn't been able to produce a complete album of great material, and The Confessor is no exception. Side one is drek, with such titles as "I Broke My Leg" and "Bubbles." Turn the record over, and we find one of Walsh's masterpieces. The title tune is great! Over seven minutes of pure Joe Walsh rock with cryptic lyrics and a socko arrangement. Side two also includes a cover of Michael Stanley's "Rosewood Bitters" which Walsh played on long ago. Worthwhile for the title track alone. -- James Chrispell\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nThe slide continues..., August 25, 2005\nReviewer: Jeremy Diringer "dabbler" (Fredonia, New York, USA)\n(I'd say it's more towards 2.5 stars than 2) \n\nFor some reason, after "You Bought It...You Name It," Joe Walsh and Bill Szymczyk didn't work together for a while. I believe that if he had retained Bill, this album could've been much better. For one thing, I think he (Bill) would've lit the drum machine on fire and shoved it off the rooftop. Honestly, I would recommend this and say it was on par with "You Bought It...You Name It" if they had tapped Joe Vitale, or at the least, got a session drummer. On some tracks, like "Problems," it kinda fits. But "Good Man Down" could've been a good-ol'-boy rocker if they'd have had someone smashing those skins, not just this imitation kit going "pfft pfft". I think Bill would have also known not to imbue the shiny sound-of-the-day on the album--Joe Walsh sounds best when he's jamming, grooving, and having fun, and making the songs slick and bright sounds awkward. \nYeah, it beat what a lot of other holdovers from the '70s were doing (Queen comes to mind--I still can't sit through "Works"), but in comparison to a lot of his other stuff, this simply isn't a strong album. Some of times, the lyrics aren't there. "I Broke My Leg" is decently humourous, but could've been funnier were it fleshed out more; "Dear John" sounds like "Rockets" with schmaltz; and "Bubbles" strikes me as bland, though I do like the line about "drink the cork and pop the champagne." And I cannot stress it enough: The production is dated and the drums are annoying. "I Broke My Leg," "15 Years," "The Confessor," and "Good Man Down" all could have been stronger songs if they'd a: had actual drums, and b: came across as solid rock songs rather than pop with a slight rock edge. \nI seem to spend most of my time ripping apart his '80s albums, so I'll post the good things about the album: \n1. "The Confessor." Other than wimpy synth drums, it's a strong song. Arguably (between this and "Rosewood Bitters") the best track of the album. It's unusually serious and cryptic, but Walsh pulls it off without pretention, and if it wasn't for the '80s production sheen, it could've fit in well on a lot of his older stuff. \n2. "Rosewood Bitters." I haven't heard Michael Stanley's original, but this is a good '80s pop-rock song, and one of my favourite '80s tracks from him. The synths are very of-the-time, but unlike on some of the other songs, they don't date it, they enhance it. \n3. "Slow Dancing." I know the voices are dissimilar, but it reminds me of Joe trying to be Ric Ocasek, and it almost works. \n4. "Problems". Yes, it's "Things" revisited. But I liked "Things." \n\nOverall, if you liked "You Bought It...", and you see this in the used rack, pick it up: there's the chance you'll enjoy it, if only for "Rosewood Bitters" and "The Confessor" alone. This isn't a bad album, so to speak, but it sounds less jokey, less wild, and less inspired than his early stuff (and much of his post-"Gum" output).\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nLabeled mostly as "typical", August 14, 2004\nReviewer: Scott Rogers (Ga.) (Gainesville, Ga United States) \nThis album was slaughtered by critics upon its release, and has been catagorized as ordinary and typical 70's rock, but of course, these people are totally wrong. The Confessor finds Walsh in the middle of the eighties still rockin like it was the 70's. And really, whats wrong with this? His sound is updated slightly with more polished production, a bit more synth and keys, but at its core it's still Walsh, tongue-in-cheek, poking fun at stuff while laying down bloozy riffs and funky beats, which all your naysayers should know, that stuff NEVER goes out of style. The production on the title track really shines with every string rattle in Walsh's 12-string jumping out in the track giving a loose, slippery feel to the song before the knockout blow of crunching guitars and screaming vocals. Not really a signature style for Walsh, but effective nontheless. The rest of the album walks a tightrope of hangdog, laid back Walsh rockers, and pure pop structured songs, all delivered with a wink and a punch. The Confessor couldn't get any respect from the world when it was released at a time when funny looking Englishmen with bad haircuts and keyboards ruled the airwaves, nor does it get any respect today when focus-group picked talentless made-for-television bands are the flavor of the month. But for the afficianado of rock and roll listener its a worthy pickup if you haven't heard it. \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nHis last GREAT album..., June 3, 2002\nReviewer: A music fan\nJoe Walsh was the Eagles member known for his quirky sense of humor. He was also the FUNKIEST of the Eagles, which showed itself most notably on his solo records (see "Rivers of the Hidden Funk" from his There Goes the Neighborhood album).\nOn Confessor(1985), Walsh blends his sound nicely with the emerging technology of the mid 80's... utilizing drum synths and keyboards while keeping the best of what made his earlier records so great: good melodies, plenty of hooks and an endless supply of crunchy slide guitar riffs.\n\nMr. Walsh brings out his off-kilter humor on tracks like "I Broke My Leg" and "Bubbles"... gets rather philosophical on "Problems" and "Rosewood Bitters" (a solid rocker with a tasty slide guitar solo), and goes for all-out crunch on songs like "15 Years", "Good Man Down" and of course the epic title track, "Confessor".\n\nMany people name only the title track and one or two other songs when they talk about this record, but the truth is the whole album is an enjoyable listen.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nI bought this album in the 80's!, August 5, 2000\nReviewer: A music fan\nIf it wasn't for the song "Confessor" where would I be? But let me go back. In the wild's of Kentucky(1985) the glam rock was everywhere. I use to listen to 100KDF out of Nashville. They use to rock. That is when I first heard "The Confessor". WOW! What made it so neat was that we had a place, an old campground, where the only thing left was the old hot tub and pool, that is where we use to go. A friend and I had picked up our dates and headed there. Oh yes. It was a hot, humid KY night. We called our little place the HOT TUB CLUB. That's when we made this song the"HOT TUB CLUB " song. Listen to it and enjoy. By the way,only 2 songs are on the album I liked. "The Confessor" and "Hard to Keep a Good Man Down".It's just a strange, mysterious and a different mood setting music. But it was good in the glam rock days when you needed something to really rock!. Rest of the songs are bad, except "I broke My Leg" which is different and funny.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nThe title track is Walsh at his best., May 16, 2000\nReviewer: "oldtimerocker" (Huntington, WV USA) \n"The Confessor" is the song that many fans of Joe Walsh had been waiting for. Not since "Rocky Mountain Way" has he shown that he can rock with a vengeance. "Good Man Down" also is a good rock song. The rest of the album is a mixed bag, but the songs mentioned above make this a better than average album.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nJoe's Second Best Album, January 22, 2000\nReviewer: Mike S (Front Royal,Virginia United States) \nI love this album almost as much as BUT SERIOUSLY FOLKS. The Confessor, Dear John, Rosewood Bitters,and Can't keep A Good Man Down are excellent songs. Joe's sense of humor kills me. There are great session players on this album which make Joe's sound better than ever.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nSolid CD from Walsh., July 12, 1999\nReviewer: Anthony Souza (Sunnyvale, CA USA) \nNot a bad CD from Walsh. One of the things that always drove me crazy about him though is how he can write a masterpeice like "The Confessor" and then turn around and put something crappy on like "Bubbles". Despite that, this CD finishes fairly strong with the last four tracks.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nJoe Walsh has become a bore, and should give it up, finally., June 15, 1998\nReviewer: A music fan\nCan you say Deja Vu? What was once cute is no longer. Joe Walsh is lucky to be in the Eagles - they might not be the band that they once were but a driving force like Don Henley is obviously needed for second rate musicians like Joe. Like an athlete who plays too long, Joe Walsh just doesn't know when to quit. I had truly hoped for better. It's sad.\n\nHalf.com Details \nContributing artists: Randy Newman \nProducer: Keith Olsen \n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel: Joe Walsh, Mark Andes, Dennis Belfield, Denny Carmassi, Jim Keltner, David Margen, Rick Marotta, Chet McCracken, Randy Newman, Keith Olsen, Alan Pasqua, Jerry Peterson, Jeff Porcaro, Mike Porcaro, Lon Price, Rick Rosas, Timothy B. Schmit, Ken Tussing, Waddy Wachtel.\n\nRecorded at Goodnight L.A., Los Angeles, California.
This rock cd contains 9 tracks and runs 36min 30sec.
Freedb: 6a088c09
Buy: from Amazon.com

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