Don Henley of the Eagles referred to it as “Duane Allman and Eric Clapton together.”
The Eagles are noteworthy for a number of reasons, the most well-known of which being their extensive roster. The majority of the band’s most well-known songs are credited to Don Henley, Don Felder, and Glenn Frey, but a number of other people also contributed to the California-based group’s rise to prominence.
Joe Walsh, the guitarist, is among the most prominent. Before Eagles gained notoriety, the legendary Kansan axeman was already well-known for his work with James Gang, whose smash song from 1970, “Funk #49,” showcased his guitar and vocal prowess. Later, in 1972, he broke away from the group and started Barnstorm. In 1975, he rejoined the Eagles as a replacement for founding member Bernie Leadon.
Long before it really happened, it appeared as though Walsh would become an Eagle. Producer Bill Szymczyk, who had previously worked on On the Border and One of These Nights, along with Eagles members Frey, Henley, and Randy Meisner made cameo appearances on the last Barnstorm album, 1974’s So What. Moreover, Irving Azoff, who oversaw the Eagles, supervised Walsh as well.
Two years before Leadon quit, the band would eventually disclose that they had spoken with Walsh at the start of 1975, so the writing was clearly on the wall. The next year, Frey informed Melody Maker that Walsh’s reply to the inquiries about taking Leadon’s place was to give him a ring if he ever left. He acknowledged that “it was more or less a matter of time” before they came together. Leadon had been on the road for a lot longer than all of his bandmates, having previously been a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers.
Walsh, on the other hand, was more than happy to take on a more supporting position in the Eagles as he was sick of being the band’s leader and songwriter. In that same interview, Frey clarified that they had no intention of employing anyone else save the former James Gang members because no one else could, and they were happy with the musical advantages of being a five-piece rather than going back to being a quartet.
For example, Walsh’s arrival freed Frey to continue playing rhythm guitar while Felder and the new guitarist were complemented by two lead guitarists. The band’s breakthrough song, “Hotel California,” which was the title track of their 1976 debut album with Walsh, would go on to become an iconic angle.
But it was Henley who gave Walsh the genuine inside scoop on his decision to join the group. Many questioned whether Walsh would blend into the group’s rootsy, soft-rock sound because of his unique hard-rock approach, but in actuality, their different approaches worked well together. Henley clarified that Walsh and the Eagles got along great on their first tour together, even covering his compositions like “Funk #49” and “Rocky Mountain Way.”
“He is capable of playing the stuff we do, and we are capable of playing his music,” declared the drummer.
Henley compared the effect of Walsh’s hard-rock approach to that of Felder’s more subdued technique, comparing the two to “Duane Allman and Eric Clapton” combined. Considering the strength of their separate approaches and their collaborative efforts as a duo in Derek and the Dominos, that is quite a compliment. Clapton, on the other hand, has long been considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
“Sure, he introduced some harder guitar playing even though he didn’t put it on this album in terms of songwriting,” Henley said in closing. “But I think he and Felder played some killer guitar for us all.” It reminds me of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman combined.
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