As the mercurial Joe Walsh moved through myriad musical identities, Vitale was always behind him, keeping step with anything and everything Walsh threw his way. Vitale’s 1975 solo effort is essentially a studio collaboration between Walsh and Vitale, with contributions from Phil Keagy and Rick Derringer. Walsh clearly had a big influence on Vitale’s vision, and Roller Coaster Weekend is very much in the same vein as So What, the Walsh album that immediately precedes it. Vitale is more than a master drummer — here he plays synthesizer, bass, finger cymbals, flute, piano and vibraphone, in addition to singing in a style reminiscent of his collaborator-employer. Like Walsh, Vitale is bursting with creativity, but he somehow manages to keep a lid on his wild impulses, and synthesize his various ideas into complex but digestible song structures. The album shares kinship with Rush, Wings and Led Zeppelin, but it is ultimately an extension of Walsh’s solo works, and should be received as manna by fans of The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get.