Ordinary Average Guy is the ninth solo studio album, and its title-track single (second on the playlist), by American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Walsh. The album was released in mid 1991. It was Walsh's first album of entirely new music since Got Any Gum? in 1987, and his first solo album to be issued internationally by Epic following a four-year alliance with Warner Bros. Records in the United States and Canada. The album features Ringo Starr, Survivor's lead vocalist Jimi Jamison, and the drummer Joe Vitale from Walsh's former band Barnstorm. Vitale also sings the lead vocals on the final track of the album, "School Days".
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Writing for AllMusic, critic Vincent Jeffries wrote of the album "This collection of nostalgia, decent balladry, and quirky anthems probably reinforced any notions of Joe Walsh's creative decline... this reflective, sometimes half-hearted effort belies a weariness that's both sad and difficult to appreciate as this master goes through the motions."[1]
Track listing
All songs by Joe Walsh, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Two Sides to Every Story" | Rick Rosas, Walsh | 3:24 |
| 2. | "Ordinary Average Guy" | 4:12 | |
| 3. | "The Gamma Goochee" | John Mangiagli | 2:49 |
| 4. | "All of a Sudden" | Jimi Jamison, Walsh | 4:56 |
| 5. | "Alphabetical Order" | Joe Vitale, Walsh | 4:58 |
| 6. | "Look at Us Now" | Jamison, Walsh | 4:55 |
| 7. | "I'm Actin' Different" | 4:31 | |
| 8. | "Up All Night" | Vitale, Walsh | 3:54 |
| 9. | "You Might Need Somebody" | Nan O'Byrne, Tom Snow | 4:30 |
| 10. | "Where I Grew up (Prelude to School Days)" | 2:37 | |
| 11. | "School Days" | Vitale | 5:18 |
Personnel
- Joe Walsh – guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Waddy Wachtel – guitar
- Rick Rosas – bass guitar
- George "Chocolate" Perry – bass guitar
- Chad Cromwell – drums, percussion
- Joe Vitale – keyboards, drums, percussion, bass guitar, vocals
- Paul Shaffer – piano, keyboards
- Wally Cullis – drums, percussion
- Larry Otis – saxophone
- Ringo Starr – backing vocals
- Al Paris – backing vocals
- Kelley Hurt – backing vocals
- Jimi Jamison – backing vocals
- Jeff Rogers – backing vocals
- Smokey Wendell – manager
Others
- Gary Belz
- Kevin Buell
- Michael Caplan
- Mark Chernoff
- David Fishof
- Ken Frank
- Wally Franson
- Bruce Garfield
- Richard 'Kush" Griffith
- Herbs
- Mark Herman
- Kenneth L. Kraus[[2]]
- Steve Lawrence
- Lucy Walsh
- Turley Richards
- Alan Rogan
- Ed Sanford
Production
- Producers: Joe Walsh, Joe Vitale
- Executive producer: Scott Maclellan
- Engineers: Jim Nipar, Dave Reynolds, Bill Szymczyk
- Assistant engineers: Tim Ray, Jim Stabile, Johnny Walls
- Mixing: Dave Reynolds
- Mixing assistants: Tim Ray, Johnny Walls
- Mastering: Vladimir Meller
- Art direction: David Coleman
- Photography: Patrick Cullie, Alan Messer
Charts
Album - Billboard (United States)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Billboard 200 | 112 |
Singles - Billboard (United States)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "All of a Sudden" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 13 |
| "Ordinary Average Guy" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 |
See also
- List of albums released in 1991
- Joe Walsh discography
References
- ^ a b Jeffries, Vincent. "Ordinary Average Guy > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
- ^ "Kenneth L. Kraus on When Does an Artist Need a Lawyer". Youtube.com.