(Credits: Far Out / TIDAL)
Sat 7 February 2026 0:00, UK
For Joe Walsh, the best music comes from the most risk-taking and adventurous environments, which was an absolute necessity when it came to the Eagles’ success.
Most musicians thrive when collaborating with people is smooth sailing, and while Walsh appreciates those dynamics too, he always feels a different sense of excitement when there are people who are more open to challenging the way things are being approached or handled. For the Eagles, disagreements generally meant that everybody was fighting for a higher level of excellence.
However, there was once a time when it felt as though Walsh had to prove himself. Although the guitarist already had a good bag of credentials before he replaced Bernie Leadon in 1975, many people were still unsure whether he’d be a good addition to the Eagles operation or if his capabilities were a good match for their overall sound.
But people quickly got over those concerns when Walsh proved that he was the perfect recruit, one that Don Henley once said was crucial to the band’s development. “[Walsh] introduced some harder guitar playing even though he didn’t put it on this album in the way of songwriting, but I think he and Felder played some killer guitar for us all,” he said. “To me, it’s like Duane Allman and Eric Clapton together.”
Of course, this is high praise coming from someone who formed the entire vision, but it’s true – Walsh’s guitar playing prioritised emotion and charisma, and he wanted the music to feel like an entire journey whenever he was on stage, a melodic symphony that never took itself too seriously. Because of this, he could play simple rock arrangements while fitting seamlessly into tighter, more polished sounds – the ideal balance for a band like the Eagles.
For this reason, it makes sense that Walsh would become drawn to other musicians with similar visions and approaches, like Jeff Lynne, who he once said was a “musical genius” who “is one big humble and lovable reason rock ‘n’ roll is now and forever king”. This effortlessness is also part of the reason why he adores Albert Lee, even if his abilities positively terrify him.
“Albert is just so smooth,” he told Guitar Player, praising Lee’s ‘Luxury Liner’. “He has a ’53 Tele, and it’s all three-fingered picking, he doesn’t really use a pick… I can’t even comprehend what he’s doing. I tried to listen to it to figure out what he’s doing, and I gave up… I said, ‘Forget it!’”
He went on, “He plays weird scales that have to be played with a certain left-hand position. It’s a whole style all by itself. He’s brilliant at that, and I envy him. He makes me really, really nervous. It’s funny: He’s one of the guys who’s very nervous to get onstage with me – ’cause I can blow him away in certain styles – but when he cranks and gets going, I feel like a fucking idiot!”
Despite the praise, Walsh’s words reveal quite a lot about why he also became a master player. Instead of reinventing the entire game or commanding a space on his own, Walsh soared to the top by perfecting what was already there, defining his own legacy by the genius push-and-pull of constantly shaping and shifting with the times. In the end, those qualities are the ultimate breeders of endurance.
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