My Top 1000 Songs #268: Meadows
You never forget your first concert! I've written previously about the awkward time my parents took me to see Joe Walsh for my 15th birthday (both in my book and here.) That was the first time I heard Walsh's "Meadows," off his 1973 LP The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get.
I'm a fair ways beyond 15 now, but still have enduring love for the song. It's driven by a great riff, the sort of thing I loved playing along with on my guitar. It's also Walsh's finest moment as a songwriter; while he thrives as a power-chord rocker, it's a sweetly melodic track, with some evocative lyrics and a nice little piano break in the middle. So, sure, some of my enjoyment of the song is the unavoidable nostalgia of that night at Poplar Creek (the sadly defunct suburban Chicago outdoor venue), but it holds up as a terrific tune that doesn't have the same classic-rock-overplay-baggage of some his other tracks.
Live in 1975:
The riff from this fine tune was evidently in the air in that most magical year of 1973. (Deep Purple's "Woman From Tokyo")
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