Editing But Seriously, Folks...

{{For|the Full House episode|But Seriously, Folks (Full House)}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = But Seriously, Folks...
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Joe Walsh]]
| cover      = Joe Walsh - But Seriously Folks.jpg
| border     = yes
| alt        =
| released   = May 16, 1978
| recorded   =
| studio     = Bayshore (Coconut Grove, Florida)
| genre      = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[hard rock]], [[soft rock]]
| length     = 35:22
| label      = [[Asylum Records|Asylum]]
| producer   =
* [[Joe Walsh]]
* [[Bill Szymczyk]]
| prev_title = [[You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind]]
| prev_year  = 1976
| next_title = [[The Best of Joe Walsh]]
| next_year  = 1978
}}
'''''But Seriously, Folks...''''' is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist [[Joe Walsh]]. The album was released in mid-1978, on the [[Asylum Records|Asylum]] label. It included the satirical song "[[Life's Been Good]]". The original 8:04 (8:57 on CD releases with a speech at the end) album version of this track was edited down to 4:35 for the single release, and this became Walsh's biggest solo hit, peaking at No. 12 on the ''[[Billboard Hot 100]]''.

The album also featured the other four members of [[Eagles (band)|Eagles]] – which Walsh had joined two years earlier – as well as singer-keyboardist [[Jay Ferguson (American musician)|Jay Ferguson]], a former member of the groups [[Spirit (band)|Spirit]] and [[Jo Jo Gunne]] (who co-wrote one track on the album), drummer [[Joe Vitale (musician)|Joe Vitale]] from Walsh's former band [[Barnstorm (band)|Barnstorm]], and bassist [[Willie Weeks]].

==Critical reception==
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="AM">{{cite web |first=Al |last=Campbell |title= ''But Seriously, Folks...'' > Review |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id= r21461 |pure_url=yes}} |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |accessdate=July 9, 2011}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|Christgau's Record Guide]]''
| rev2score = C+<ref name="CG">{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]|publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]]|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: W|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=W&bk=70|accessdate=March 21, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}</ref>
}}
In a contemporary review for ''[[The Village Voice]]'', [[Robert Christgau]] wrote that, although Walsh has "a gift for tuneful guitar schlock", most of the album's songs fall "far short of the irreverent shuck-and-jive" of "[[Life's Been Good]]".<ref name="Christgau">{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=September 4, 1978|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv9-78.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|location=New York|accessdate=April 29, 2013}}</ref> In a retrospective review, [[AllMusic]]'s Al Campbell said that the album is "Joe Walsh's most insightful and melodic", and "captures a reflective song cycle along the same thematic lines of ''[[Pet Sounds]]'', only for the '70s".<ref name="AM" />

''[[Cash Box]]'' said that the single "Over and Over" "has several distinctive rhythmic breaks, organ backing, swirling guitar work, slip and slide beat and good double-tracked vocals" and praised Walsh's [[slide guitar]] solo.<ref name=cb>{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=October 21, 1978|page=28|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2022-01-01|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1978/CB-1978-10-21.pdf}}</ref>

==Track listing==
All songs written and composed by Joe Walsh, with additional writers noted.
{{Track listing
| title1   = Over and Over
| length1  = 4:53
| title2   = Second Hand Store
| writer2  = Mike Murphy
| length2  = 3:35
| title3   = Indian Summer
| length3  = 3:03
| title4   = At the Station
| writer4  = [[Joe Vitale (musician)|Joe Vitale]]
| length4  = 5:08
| title5   = Tomorrow
| length5  = 3:39
| title6   = Inner Tube
| length6  = 1:25
| title7   = Theme from Boat Weirdos
| writer7  = Vitale, [[Jay Ferguson (American musician)|Jay Ferguson]], [[Willie Weeks]], [[Bill Szymczyk]]
| length7  = 4:43
| title8   = [[Life's Been Good]]
| note8    = Life's Been Good ends at 8:04 and is followed by an untitled [[hidden track]] that runs for 42 seconds
| length8  = 8:56
| total_length = 35:22
}}

==Personnel==
'''Musicians'''
* Joe Walsh – vocals, synthesizers, guitars
* [[Jay Ferguson (American musician)|Jay Ferguson]] – keyboards
* [[Joe Vitale (musician)|Joe Vitale]] – synthesizers, drums, percussion, [[flute]], backing vocals (1-4, 7, 8)
* Joey Murcia – 2nd guitar
* [[Willie Weeks]] – bass

'''Guest musicians'''
* [[Don Felder]] – [[pedal steel guitar]] (2), guitar (4)
* [[Bill Szymczyk]] – [[tambourine]] (4), backing vocals (8)
* Jody Boyer – backing vocals (2, 3, 8)
* [[Glenn Frey]] – background vocal arrangements and backing vocals (5)
* [[Don Henley]] – backing vocals (5)
* [[Timothy B. Schmit]] – backing vocals (5)

'''Production'''
* Bill Szymczyk – producer, engineer, digital remastering
* Ed Mashal – engineer 
* [[Ted Jensen]] – mastering 
* [[Jimmy Wachtel]] – album design, cover photography, sleeve photography 
* Michael Curtis – design assistant 
* Mark Foltz – design assistant 
* Jage Jackson – design assistant 
* Lorrie Sullivan – sleeve photography
* Recorded at Bayshore Studios (Coconut Grove, Florida)
* Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Chart (1978)
! Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"|Australian Albums ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=[[St Ives, New South Wales]]|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=332}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 31
|-
{{album chart|Canada|9|artist=Joe Walsh|album=But Seriously, Folks|chartid=4671a|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{album chart|Netherlands|46|artist=Joe Walsh|album=But Seriously, Folks|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|10|artist=Joe Walsh|album=But Seriously, Folks|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{album chart|UK2|16|date=19780730|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|8|artist=Joe Walsh|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}
|}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Joe Walsh|title=But Seriously, Folks|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1978|certyear=1978}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Joe Walsh|title=But Seriously Folks|award=Silver|type=album|relyear=1978|certyear=1978|id=1136-2878-2}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Joe Walsh|title=But Seriously, Folks|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1978|certyear=1978}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Joe Walsh}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Joe Walsh albums]]
[[Category:1978 albums]]
[[Category:Asylum Records albums]]
[[Category:Elektra Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Bill Szymczyk]]
[[Category:Albums with cover art by Jimmy Wachtel]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Joe Walsh]]