Joe Walsh, a legendary guitarist and member of both James Gang and the Eagles, has always been a huge fan of Jimmy Page, the guitarist and producer of Led Zeppelin. Their friendship began when Walsh was part of the opening act for Led Zeppelin's early American tours, and it has endured over the decades. Walsh's opinion on Jimmy Page is one of admiration and respect, and he has been vocal about it in various interviews. In this article, we will explore Walsh's perspective on Page, his influence on rock music, and the impact of their friendship on each other's careers. Walsh's admiration for Page stems from his early days as a guitarist, when he was inspired by Page's work with The Yardbirds. Walsh was a fan of The Yardbirds and saw them whenever he could, and he was particularly impressed by Page's use of the Telecaster. However, Walsh recognized that the Telecaster was not the right instrument for Led Zeppelin, and he helped Page find a solution. Walsh gave Page his Gibson Les Paul, which became the signature instrument for Led Zeppelin's sound. This act of generosity had a profound impact on Page's career, and he has always been grateful to Walsh for his help. Walsh's opinion on Page is one of respect and admiration, and he has been vocal about it in various interviews. In an interview with Wrong Notes Podcast, Walsh recalled how he helped Page find the right guitar for Led Zeppelin. He said, 'Jimmy said, 'Look, The Yardbirds is great and I played on so many records... But he said, 'This Telecaster ain't cutting it for Led Zeppelin. And I don't know what to do.' Now, Les Pauls virtually didn't exist in England at the time. They hadn't hit popularity yet. They were pretty easy to find because they hadn't been discovered - and they didn't cost very much.' Walsh continued, 'After the fact, when that became the guitar for rock 'n' roll, the rest is history. But he said, 'I got to get a double-coil situation. I've looked for Les Paul, there aren't any in England. Do you know any way you could help me get one? Because Led Zeppelin ain't making it with a Telecaster.' And I happen to have two. I found one in the basement of a family-owned music store, I think in Athens, OH, where Ohio University is. It was just in the basement. I just walked in another garage, and it was all boxes. I said, 'What do you got downstairs?' And there was a Les Paul!' Walsh's generosity and support for Page had a profound impact on Led Zeppelin's sound, and it is clear that Page has always been grateful for Walsh's help. In an interview with Corus Radio, Page recalled how much Walsh insisted he buy the guitar at the time. He said, 'Joe says there's magic in guitars and I think he's right, especially those guitars, because they all sounded very different from each other. It wasn't (those) kind of guitars that are really consistent scientifically engineered. In those days there weren't so much. So you could find a guitar that really had a character, that was user friendly.' Page's admiration for Walsh is evident in his social media posts, where he often recalls important moments from his career and memories of seeing artists he admires perform live. He has written about going to see Walsh play and how important the guitar Walsh gave him was. Page said, 'I played the Les Paul on 'Whole Lotta Love' and 'What Is and What Should Never Be' and that decided it for me. It was definitely going to be the Les Paul from then on. I always wanted to make a change for each album sonically. That was my first decision for 'Led Zeppelin II'. Like I had built Led Zeppelin around the Fender Telecaster, I built the second album around the sonic texture of the Les Paul Standard. Neither Joe Walsh nor I realized at the time just what an important thing he had done by coming along with that Les Paul.' Walsh's opinion on Page is one of admiration and respect, and it is clear that their friendship has had a profound impact on both of their careers. Walsh's generosity and support for Page have helped to shape the sound of rock music, and his influence on Page is evident in the iconic guitar tones of Led Zeppelin. Walsh's opinion on Page is one of the many reasons why he is considered one of the most influential guitarists in rock history. In conclusion, Joe Walsh's opinion on Jimmy Page is one of admiration and respect, and it is clear that their friendship has had a profound impact on both of their careers. Walsh's generosity and support for Page have helped to shape the sound of rock music, and his influence on Page is evident in the iconic guitar tones of Led Zeppelin. Walsh's opinion on Page is one of the many reasons why he is considered one of the most influential guitarists in rock history.
