When it became known that it would become their finale the criticism quickly heightened, and the references to " But Seriously Folks" earned a louder voice. " The Long Run" did neither but instead appeared to be a collection of disjointed and frankly mediocre songs. In the case of " But Seriously," the record balanced introspection with wit through a mix of biting rockers and breezy ballads. For Hotel, it was an examination of what had become of the American dream and the fantasy of moving west to start anew. This chatter only became louder after critics provided first listens to 1979’s " The Long Run." But "Seriously Folks," like " Hotel California" was a record that served a higher purpose. Schmit on “Tomorrow” and Don Felder on the pedal steel on “Second Hand Store.” Walsh and Felder then reenact their twin-guitar “Hotel California” spiral on “At the Station.” The pairings throughout made critics upon release wonder aloud if this was actually an Eagles’ album.
The other four Eagles all appear on the album with background vocals from Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Timothy B.
While this is a Joe Walsh record from start to finish, it’s impossible to ignore some of the signature elements of " Hotel California"-era Eagles sprinkled throughout the record. However its inherent rock chops, catchy hook, and playfulness propelled it quickly to the top 10 on the pop charts. Its running time alone should have kept it from charting. Songs move through rejuvenation ("Tomorrow," "Over and Over"), to nostalgia of simpler timers ("Indian Summer"), to mid-career indecision ("At the Station," "Second Hand Store"), and ends with the masterful, "Life's Been Good," sarcastic and bittersweet tribute to Walsh's "rock star-party guy" persona. It’s unfortunate that Joe’s talents were only partially tapped, because for Henley and Frey their ownwell was quickly beginning to run dry. Instead of tapping into his deep well, the band simply wanted Joe focused on guitar, and added only one Walsh-penned track to " Hotel California," “Pretty Maids All In A Row” arguably one of the album’s finest and ironically “Hotel California’s” B-side. As far as songwriting goes, the Eagles acquired Walsh at his creative peak. All of them were well received, both critically and commercially. Upon joining the Eagles, Walsh has just completed a two-year stretch where he had released three consecutive albums.
While this shift likely helped the Eagles stay in step with where music was headed, the decision to not lean on Joe for songs or writing contributions was surprising. Walsh added the much desired rock credibility that Glenn Frey in particular had been craving, and the music moved quickly away from the country and bluegrass-based sounds largely inspired by his predecessor Bernie Leadon to confident guitar-driven rockers. With Walsh, the band’s music took a decided turn toward a more gritty rock framework – a place where his contributions would largely end.
There are few moments where the addition of an outside musician to an established rock group has had as profound an effect on a band’s overall sound as when Joe Walsh joined the Eagles.