Joe Walsh - vocals, guitars; Kenny Passerelli - bass, vocals; Joe Vitale - drums, vocals; Rocke Grace - keyboards
Joe Walsh had been out of The James Gang less than two years when this show was recorded for the King Biscuit Flower Hour radio concert series (which was in its debut year of broadcasting). Walsh still relied on much of the material he had written for The James Gang that had established him on FM radio. He does, however, offer a good dose of material from his first solo album, Barnstorm, and The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get, which had just been released.
Opening with "Meadows" from his new album, the group smokes from the beginning. Highlights include an extended jam at the end of "Turn To Stone," followed by a nearly nine-minute version of "Rocky Mountain Way," which was new at the time, but still worked as a showstopper.
Walsh, who began his career in Kent, Ohio (after leaving Kent State University during the upheaval of the Vietnam War protests), made three successful studio albums with The James Gang, gaining considerable airplay with FM hits "Funk 49," and "Walk Away" and "The Bomber." His 1972 album, Barnstorm, was an intriguing departure for Walsh, featuring a broader and more expressive range of music than The James Gang recordings. With the following year's album he went platinum with the hit single, "Rocky Mountain Way." His solo career was thriving, when in 1976, The Eagles tapped him to replace Bernie Leadon on guitar.
Today, Walsh remains active as both a solo act and a member of the reunited Eagles, and toured with a reunited James Gang in 2006.