AMG Review of Rocky Mountain Way

Ben Davies
All Music Guide

Rocky Mountain Way features only a few tracks which had not previously been released on Joe Walsh best-ofs. "Country Fair," a rather dull and protracted affair taken from the 1973 album So What, is a strange addition to the lineup, especially in light of the fact that neither "Mother Says," "Bookends," or "Here We Go" (three of the man's finest tracks) are featured. Most of the material on this release is undeniably enjoyable, however. The superb titular track opens the album and immediately catches the listeners' attention through its rocking intro. Similarly, "Turn to Stone," "Meadows," "Wolf," and others are just as irresistible. Nonetheless, considering both the amount of classic Walsh songs not featured on Rocky Mountain Way and the many other more extensive and better chosen best-ofs available, this release is rather pointless.