The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get

{{Infobox album

| name = The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get

| type = Studio Album

| artist = Joe Walsh

| cover = Joe Walsh - The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get.jpg

| border = yes

| alt =

| released = June 18, 1973Martin C. Strong, The Great Rock Discography, Random House, Inc., New York NY, 1998, p. 900

| recorded = During late {{start date|1972|df=y}} – early {{start date|1973|df=y}}

| venue =

| studio =

| genre =

| length = {{duration|m=35|s=44}}

| label = ABC-Dunhill

| producer =

| prev_title = Barnstorm

| prev_year = 1972

| next_title = So What

| next_year = 1974

| misc = {{Singles

| name = The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get

| type = Studio

| single1 = Rocky Mountain Way

| single1date = July 1973

| single2 = Meadows

| single2date = December 1973

}}

The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get is the second solo studio album by American rock guitarist and singer Joe Walsh, released in 1973 by ABC-Dunhill Records in the United States and the United Kingdom, and was also released in Germany. It proved to be his commercial breakthrough, largely on the strength of the Top 40 hit single, "Rocky Mountain Way", which helped propel the album into the Top 10.

On this album, Walsh shares the vocals and songwriting with the other three members of Barnstorm: drummer/multi-instrumentalist Joe Vitale, bassist Kenny Passarelli, and new member, keyboardist Rocke Grace. As a result, a variety of styles are explored on this album; there are elements of blues, jazz, folk, pop, and even Caribbean music. However, the album is only credited to Walsh as a solo artist, not to Barnstorm,{{cite web |url=http://www.classicrockreview.com/2018/06/1973-joe-walsh-the-smoker-you-drink/ |title=The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get |author=Classic Rock Review |date=18 June 2018 |accessdate=May 8, 2019}} which led to the band's demise.{{cite book|author=Adams, Deanna R.|title=Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection|publisher=Kent State University Press|year=2002|isbn=0-87338-691-4}} After the success of this album, Walsh continued making albums as a solo artist.

Cover artwork

The cover art for the album features a First World War era British Sopwith Snipe fighter plane, with fanciful coloration.

Critical reception

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |first=Ben |last=Davies |title= The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get > Review |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id= r21451 |pure_url=yes}} |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=July 9, 2011}}

}}

Writing retrospectively for AllMusic, critic Ben Davies wrote of the album "Walsh's ability to swing wildly from one end of the rock scale to the other is unparalleled and makes for an album to suit many tastes... [it] features some of the most remembered Joe Walsh tracks, but it's not just these that make the album a success. Each of the nine tracks is a song to be proud of. This is a superb album by anyone's standards."

Release history

In addition to the usual two channel stereo version this album was also released in a four channel quadraphonic edition on LP and 8-track tape in 1974. The quad LP is encoded using the QS Regular Matrix system. Audio Fidelity issued a limited 24-karat gold edition CD in 2009. This was followed in 2011 by a version in Japan with a miniature replica of the original sleeve in the SHM-CD format.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/UICY-94063|title = The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get [Cardboard Sleeve (Mini LP)] [SHM-CD] [Limited Release] Joe Walsh CD Album|website = CDJapan}}

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Joe Walsh, except where noted.

{{Track listing

| headline = Side A

| title1 = Rocky Mountain Way

| length1 = 5:15

| writer1 = {{hlist|Joe Walsh|Joe Vitale|Kenny Passarelli|Rocke Grace}}

| title2 = Bookends

| length2 = 2:45

| writer2 = Vitale

| title3 = Wolf

| length3 = 3:09

| title4 = Midnight Moodies

| length4 = 3:39

| writer4 = Grace

| title5 = Happy Ways

| length5 = 2:40

| writer5 = {{hlist|Passarelli|Bernard Zoloth}}

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side B

| title6 = Meadows

| length6 = 4:36

| title7 = Dreams

| length7 = 5:50

| title8 = Days Gone By

| length8 = 5:54

| writer8 = Vitale

| title9 = Daydream (Prayer)

| length9 = 1:56

| total_length = 35:44

}}

Different versions of the album have various spellings for two of the tracks. "(Day Dream) Prayer" is spelled "Daydream (Prayer)" on the CD versions, and "Book Ends" is spelled as "Bookends" on some other releases.

Personnel

Barnstorm

Joe Walsh – guitars, keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals, lead vocals (on 1, 3, 6, 7, 9)
Kenny Passarelli – bass guitar, guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (on 5)
Joe Vitale – drums, percussion, piano, keyboards, flute, backing vocals, lead vocals (on 2, 8)
Rocke Grace – keyboards, backing vocals

Session musicians

Joe Lala – percussion
Venetta Fields – backing vocals
Clydie King – backing vocals

Production and artwork

Joe Walsh – record producer
Bill Szymczyk – record producer, engineering, mixing
Mike D. Stone of the Record Plant - engineering
Ron Albert (incorrectly spelled on the album as Ronnie Alpert) – engineering
Al Blazek – engineering
Jimmy Wachtel – album design
Bob Jenkins – photography

Charts

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;"
Chart (1973) ! Peak position
{{album chart\|Canada\|2\|artist=Joe Walsh\|album=The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get\|chartid=4930\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Billboard200\|6\|artist=Joe Walsh\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;"

Chart (1973)

! Peak
position

{{album chart|Canada|2|artist=Joe Walsh|album=The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get|chartid=4930|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}

{{album chart|Billboard200|6|artist=Joe Walsh|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Joe Walsh|title=The Smoke You Drick, The Player You Get

|award=Silver|type=album|relyear=1973|certyear=1975|id=7313-2878-2}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Joe Walsh|title=The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1973|certyear=1973}}