I realize it's not standard practice to cover greatest hits albums around here, but when it comes to Joe Walsh, that's really all anyone needs, and this one does the trick perfectly.

To my knowledge, the main Walsh collections on the market are the double-disc Look What I Did and an early hits collection that doesn't really do the guy justice. After all, this is the clown prince of rock, the one who catapulted the Eagles into the stratosphere and enjoyed every minute of his musical career.

This 15-song collection covers Walsh's career from the James Gang days up to his last hit, 1991's "Ordinary Average Guy." There is nothing missing here except the minor fan favorite "County Fair," but unless you really like that song, you won't notice it. All the major and minor hits are here.

And any classic rock or Eagles fan knows these tracks -- "Rocky Mountain Way," the autobiographical "Life's Been Good," the Eagle-pastiche "Help Me Through The Night," the funky "All Night Long" and the moody "Turn to Stone."

From the James Gang days we get "Funk #49," the Grand Funk-ish "The Bomber" and "Walk Away," the group's best song (on a side note, if you ever run across Walsh's live album You Can't Argue With A Sick Mind, pick it up. It's incredible).

The remaining tracks are solid Walsh tunes, proving that he had an ear for melody and hooks, but could also balance rock chops with a sense of humor. Tracks like "Meadows" and "Mother Says" aren't essential, but round out the picture here, while Walsh's later career is represented by "The Confessor," "A Life of Illusion" and the aforementioned "Ordinary Average Guy," which is just what the title says. These are the only weak spots on the album.

Overall, Greatest Hits - Little Did He Know... is a solid greatest hits package, and the only disc casual Walsh fans will ever need.

Rating: B+

User Rating: B+

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