Rocky Mountain Way

iTunes Review

This 1985 best-of marked Joe Walsh’s ascension to the status of classic-rock icon. “Rocky Mountain Way” turned 12 that year, and the fact that it endured as a generation of '70s longhairs changed over to a generation of '80s youngsters is the reason for this collection. The retrospective notion of “classic rock” was just starting to coalesce at this time, and songs like “Turn to Stone,” “Meadows,” “Wolf” and “Welcome to the Club” helped to define a genre that would become one of the most popular programming formats on radio. While Rocky Mountain Way is not strictly a “greatest hits” package, it gives a satisfying and well-rounded portrait of Walsh’s musicianship. While he is most associated with barnstorming guitar anthems, he also did a lot of acoustic work, represented by “Comin’ Down” and “I’ll Tell the World About You.” Walsh also deserves more credit for his work with complex layers of instrumental texture. “Country Fait” and “Days Gone By” bear little relation to the caveman rock ‘n’ roll of James Gang, and rather are sophisticated pop suites that reveal Walsh’s kinship with Todd Rundgren and even Brian Wilson.