I used to just turn up and go in any direction I wanted, because I was the only melodic thing, and improvise and make stuff up in the spur of the moment. “But there’s another side of that, a real rock ‘n’ roll roots side, and it’s freeform and improvised, and I rediscovered that with jamming with the (James Gang) guys. “We’re very structured, and we’re proud of that. “With the success and all, you play this stuff for people, and there’s a specific part at a specific time, and it fits into what the other guys are playing exactly – and I’m talking about my day gig with the Eagles,” Walsh said. And it’s been a long time, really, since we’ve played professionally.” But the fire of this band has always been its unpredictable nature – and that’s what drew Walsh back into the fold after all these years. “We’ve never played anything twice in a row the same. Talking about his current rehearsals with Jimmy Fox and Dale Peters, Walsh said they weren’t going very well. That set me up to still be here today, much to my amazement.” “I’m so glad to be a part of my generation because right out of high school, here come The Beatles – and we rode along with them, and it was such a creative period. It’s so commercial, and radio isn’t the same. It was more of an art form back then, and these days it’s more corporate-related or an industry. “Music was a bigger part of our generation than what I see today. “The creative juices were really flowing back then, and it seems like it was everywhere,” said Walsh. Walsh attributes some of his success to the mind-set of the musicians and fans of his generation. Its period of influence was in 1970-71, when it produced the albums “Rides Again” and “Thirds.” After his departure, the Gang started to unravel, fighting turnover and a creative drought until the band eventually called it quits.Īnd while the band’s legacy – 10-plus records in seven years – is spotty, it’s impressive, legendary, even, when you key in on the group’s golden years. There were places to play, lots of people came and you didn’t have to be that good.”īut Walsh lasted only three records with the James Gang before starting his solo career and later joining Don Henley and Glenn Frey in the Eagles in 1976. “But more importantly, it was totally supported. “I didn’t have a lot of the responsibilities that you get later on in life, and there was a great artistic community,” he said. “I was joyous and carefree,” Walsh said recently from Los Angeles, where the James Gang was preparing for yet another ride, a reunion tour that will bring the band to Red Rocks Amphitheatre for a show tonight. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu
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