I was on vacation for a week so I am behind on my posts so I am going to try and make up for it this month a bit.
So that brings me to The Confessor
by Joe Walsh. When I turned 13 in 1985 I got my first boom box. It was a little Toshiba with a cassette player and a radio. Even years later, when I had other radios, that little Toshiba always sounded great. But I digress. Once I got the radio I immediately started recording songs from the radio. That year was full of 80's songs that I would rather forget, but one of the popular songs on the rock station was The Confessor. I had heard Joe Walsh from my dad playing Funk #49 in bands for years. This song however was something special from the time it starts. Building keyboards and background sounds, then the acoustic comes in for a few bars and BAM, the guitar up stroke riff. Awesome stuff. The sound is a cross between blues guitar and a spaghetti western shootout theme. The phased drums add a nice touch to the overall sound. Granted this song would be very difficult to reproduce live, but doesn't matter, this song rocks. But to me the lyrics are the best part of the song, so here they are:
by Joe Walsh. When I turned 13 in 1985 I got my first boom box. It was a little Toshiba with a cassette player and a radio. Even years later, when I had other radios, that little Toshiba always sounded great. But I digress. Once I got the radio I immediately started recording songs from the radio. That year was full of 80's songs that I would rather forget, but one of the popular songs on the rock station was The Confessor. I had heard Joe Walsh from my dad playing Funk #49 in bands for years. This song however was something special from the time it starts. Building keyboards and background sounds, then the acoustic comes in for a few bars and BAM, the guitar up stroke riff. Awesome stuff. The sound is a cross between blues guitar and a spaghetti western shootout theme. The phased drums add a nice touch to the overall sound. Granted this song would be very difficult to reproduce live, but doesn't matter, this song rocks. But to me the lyrics are the best part of the song, so here they are: If you look at your reflection in the bottom of a well what you see is only on the surface
If you try to see the meaning hidden underneath the measure of the depth can be deceiving
The bottom has a rocky reputation
You can feel it in the distance the deeper down you stare
From up above it's hard to see, but you know when you're there
On the bottom words are shallow - on the surface talk is cheap
You can only judge the distance by the company you keep
In the eyes of the Confessor
In the eyes of the Confessor there's no place you can hide
You can't hide from the eyes
Don't you even try
In the eyes of the Confessor you can't tell a lie
You cannot tell a lie
Strip you down to size
Naked as the day that you were born
Naked as the day that you were born
Take all the trauma, drama, karma, guilt, and doubt, and shame
"What if's" and "if only's"; the shackles and the chains
Violence and aggression; the pettiness and scorn
The jealousy and hatred; the tempest and discord
And give it up!
If you try to see the meaning hidden underneath the measure of the depth can be deceiving
The bottom has a rocky reputation
You can feel it in the distance the deeper down you stare
From up above it's hard to see, but you know when you're there
On the bottom words are shallow - on the surface talk is cheap
You can only judge the distance by the company you keep
In the eyes of the Confessor
In the eyes of the Confessor there's no place you can hide
You can't hide from the eyes
Don't you even try
In the eyes of the Confessor you can't tell a lie
You cannot tell a lie
Strip you down to size
Naked as the day that you were born
Naked as the day that you were born
Take all the trauma, drama, karma, guilt, and doubt, and shame
"What if's" and "if only's"; the shackles and the chains
Violence and aggression; the pettiness and scorn
The jealousy and hatred; the tempest and discord
And give it up!
Great lyrics to a great song.
Do you have a memory for this song? Please share it!
One of few albums from Joe Walsh I don't have(yet)...Nevertheless, I do have a copy of this tune on one of my radio tapes I made back in the day. Great tune!
ReplyDeletedrewzepmeister, I posted this song specifically because I loved it from the very first time I heard way back when. As a side note, the other song I recorded that day was Axel F. so I associate this memory with both songs but I obviously had to post The Confessor :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of Joe Walsh I think of the Caribou Ranch in Nederland, CO where Walsh recorded a couple of his albums (Barnestorming and the one after it). Walsh was the first artist to record an album there. Producer, Jimmy Guercio, had just purchased the ranch and had only started to put in the studio. He let Walsh have first crack at the studio before he even moved in. Chicago recorded their 6th-11th albums there. The album cover for Supertramp's Even In the Quietest Moments was inspired by the scenery at the ranch, the lyric "Been high in the Rockies under the evergreens" from Billy Joel's NY State of Mind is a reference to the ranch as well, Elton John recorded a couple albums there, as did the Beach Boys, but it was Walsh that initially "broke in" the studio.
ReplyDeletePerplexio, sorry it took so long to respond, I was on vacation and then had to rebuild my computer at work. I am glad you brought up the studio it was recorded in. I recently read the liner notes for the Best of Supertramp CD I got for my wife and it mentioned the studio that Even In the Quietest Moments was recorded in. I did not know that Joe Walsh was the first there. I love those types of rock tidbits. Thanks again.
ReplyDelete