Joe Walsh’s career was slowing down when this came out. It was Walsh’s first album of entirely new music since Got Any Gum?
In 1990, Walsh reunited with former Barnstorm drummer Joe Vitale to co-produce Ordinary Average Guy. This album also features vocal and writing contributions by former Survivor lead vocalist Jimi Jamison as well as backing vocals by Ringo Starr.
This wasn’t Walsh’s best release by a long shot but the song was enjoyable. The song was written by Joe Walsh and Joe Vitale.
Walsh wrote this about his mid-life crisis. It deals with escaping the fame and fortune associated with the life of a rock star. This is a parody of Walsh’s previous release, “Life’s been Good to Me,” which is about rock star excess.
The song was off of Ordinary Average Guy and it peaked at #112 in the Billboard Album Charts in 1991. The song peaked at #3 in the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks.
Ordinary Average Guy
I’m just an ordinary average guy
My friends all are boring
And so am I
We’re just ordinary average guys
We all lead ordinary average lives
With average kids
And average wives
We all go bowling at the bowling lanes
Drink a few beers
Bowl a few frames
We’re just ordinary average guys
Ordinary average guys
And every Saturday we work in the yard
Pick up the dog doo
Hope that it’s hard (woof woof)
Take out the garbage and clean out the garage
My friend’s got a Chrysler
I’ve got a Dodge
We’re just ordinary average guys
Ordinary average guys
Ordinary average guy(3x)
Ordinary average average guys
Ordinary average guy(3x)
Ordinary average average average guys
Ordinary average guy(3x)
Ordinary average….
…
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Great track! I didn’t realize it was from the 90s… I would have been off by close to a decade if I guessed, thinking it not long after the Eagles. But a fun track and one of my faves by Joe.
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I got this mixed up with Spage Aged Whiz Kids…that was the one after the breakup. I’m right with you.
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This is the perfect contrast to Life’s been Good to Me, with a Chrysler and a Dodge replacing the Maserati that does 185.
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This was before he joined the Eagles full-time?
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You mean the second time? This was 1991 right before they regrouped. I thought it was earlier.
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Probably. I’m hazy on a lot of stuff…
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I’m with you John.
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Catchy little number. I always wanted to meet him. He seemed like a likeable guy because of this likeable song. I also thought it was older than the 90s…Good sense of humor too!
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If you ever get to catch him in a interview…do… He has a great sense of humor.
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While it’s not “Funk #49”, “Rocky Mountain Way” or “Life’s Been Good,” I agree it’s a pretty enjoyable tune. I like the groove and sound.
Joe Walsh is a great guitarist and definitely was a great addition to the Eagles. The extended closing solo he did with Don Felder on “Hotel California” remains one of the ultimate rock guitar solos in my book.
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I like the guitar playing he did with Don…the interplay was great.
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He got sober in NZ somewhere around this time.
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Is this when the Eagles told him to sober up or not play? I think they did that. I guess it would have been around the time.
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He had an epiphany while visiting a marae in NZ in the late 1980s.
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Not a bad track. I like solo Joe all the way to current day.
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Yea I really like his solo music a lot.. he doesn’t take himself seriously
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In the liner notes of the CD, Joe indicates: “The Ordinary Average Guys Are:” and then he lists 39 people, from himself, to Ringo, to Frank Zappa. Does anybody know what the story is behind this list? Frank Zappa, an ordinary average guy?”
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Yea Frank was anyone BUT an ordinary average guy!
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Heard this song at a play I went to. It was perfect.
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