 |
| The original and best lineup - these are the boys who recorded Desperado Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner, Don Henley, Glenn Frey |
My Eagles story is that it was 1973, I was a 16 year old hippy living in a squat in Hemel Hempstead, and I was at the home of the senior Hemel hippy, Trisha, who was strumming some cool songs on her acoustic guitar. She had learned them from a travelling hippy who had passed through Hemel. He had told her they were Eagles songs, and she had immediately gone out and bought all the Eagles albums she could find: two. I was equally entranced and did the same thing. I was not alone. I am not sure if it was due to that unknown travelling hippy, or some other source, but certainly in 1973, it seemed that every one I knew was playing the second of those two albums, Desperado, and continued to do so for some years. It is one of my favourite albums. It is a classic.
The band were relatively little known at that stage. It was later with the addition of Joe Walsh on guitar, and a move toward the mainstream and radio friendly adult orientated rock, that the band became famous and successful. Their fourth album, One Of These Nights, was a number one hit, along with the single "One Of These Nights". So successful did the band become that their Greatest Hits album released in 1976, instantly became the best selling album in the world, overtaken by Michael Jackson's Thriller from 2009 to 2018, but now back in place. Their album Hotel California (1976) is their most popular and critically acclaimed studio album, but - for me - Desperado is their best work, and I fail to understand why others don't see it the way I do. Ho hum.
The Eagles formed in 1971 when Glenn Frey (guitar), Don Henley (drums), Bernie Leadon (guitar) and Randy Meisner (bass), all musicians with experience, were recruited by Linda Ronstadt as backing musicians, and then stayed together.
The band members:
 |
| Bernie Leadon |
Leadon was born in 1947. He joined the San Diego, California based bluegrass group the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers in 1963 when aged around 16 or 17. They released one album that same year, Bluegrass Favourites which included "Shady Grove", "Crown Junction Breakdown", "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane", "Rueben's Train", and "Katy's Kline".
Glenn Frey
Joe Walsh
Debut album. This sets up the basic country rock sound of the Eagles, a laid back chugging sound with wistful male vocal harmonies, combined with American soft rock, taking influences from CSN&Y (Deja Vu - 1970), the Byrds (Sweetheart of The Rodeo - 1968), the Band (The Band - 1969), Creedence Clearwater Revival (Cosmo's Factory - 1970), and The Doobie Brothers (Toulouse Street - 1972) . They have a whiff of the early Seventies hippy country rock, but there is a clear eye on pristine commercial pop, which they combine with American soft rock coloured by Americana. It's the combination of these elements that creates the appeal. That, and the professionalism of experienced and very talented musicians who all could sing and harmonise beautifully, and all of whom could write attractive, compelling songs.
There are some great songs here - the opening three tracks set out not just the band's potential, but that they have arrived fully formed. The first two, "Take It Easy" and "Witchy Woman", are among the band's most popular songs.
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
This extraordinarily popular greatest hits album mostly covers the period when the band were only moderately successful, and by and large were little known outside America, and even within America were not a huge success until their 1975 album One of These Nights. So this is three years and four albums worth of mostly moderately successful songs. This is the band before Hotel California. Before Joe Walsh. It does cover their most popular songs from the early period, and is a pleasant album. Not quite sure why it has become so successful, but these things tend to have a habit of gathering snow as they roll downhill once pushed. The bigger it gets the bigger it gets!
With the release of the single "Hotel California" the band became world famous. Something about that song captured and held people's attention, and still holds it over thirty years later. People read into the lyrics whatever they want, and each person comes up with something personal that tells them something about the state of America (or California). It's spooky and mysterious, and the music helps create that mood, with Walsh's sparkling electric guitar dominating the whole song and giving it astonishing life against the languid rhythm section.
Wikipedia
The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number one singles and six number one albums, six Grammy Awards, and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s in North America. Founding members Glenn Frey (guitars, vocals), Don Henley (drums, vocals), Bernie Leadon (guitars, vocals) and Randy Meisner (bass guitar, vocals), were recruited by Linda Ronstadt as band members, some touring with her, and all playing on her third solo album, before venturing out on their own on David Geffen's new Asylum Records label.
Their debut, Eagles (1972), spawned two top 20 singles in the US and Canada: "Take It Easy" and "Witchy Woman". The next year's follow up, Desperado, only peaked at number 41 in the US, although "Desperado" became a popular track. In 1974, guitarist Don Felder joined, and On the Border produced the top 40 hit "Already Gone" and the Eagles' first number one song in the US and Canada, "Best of My Love", which made the top 15 in Australia, their first hit overseas. In 1975, guitarist and vocalist Joe Walsh replaced Leadon, and the album One of These Nights became their first number one album in the US and top 10 album in many countries. It included the US number one hit "One of These Nights", which was their first top 10 hit outside of North America, and US top five songs "Lyin' Eyes" and "Take It to the Limit". Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) (1976) is the best-selling album in the United States, with 38 million sold, and primed the public for late 1976 release of Hotel California, which would sell more than 26 million copies in the U.S., (ranking 3rd all time for US sales), and more than 42 million copies worldwide. The album yielded two number one singles in the US and Canada, "New Kid in Town" and "Hotel California", the latter of which became their only top 10 hit in the United Kingdom, while also reaching the top 10 in New Zealand and many European countries, including number two in France.
Meisner was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit in 1977, and the Eagles released their last studio album for nearly 28 years in 1979 with The Long Run, which spawned the North American number one song "Heartache Tonight", which became their biggest hit in Australia (number 13), and the North American top 10 hits "The Long Run" and "I Can't Tell You Why". The Eagles broke up in 1980 but reunited in 1994 for the album Hell Freezes Over, a mix of live and new studio tracks, and toured consistently. In 2007, the Eagles released Long Road Out of Eden, their sixth number one album in the US, and in 2008 launched the Long Road Out of Eden Tour. In 2013, they began the extended History of the Eagles Tour in conjunction with the documentary release, History of the Eagles. Following Frey's death in January 2016, the Eagles re-formed in 2017, with Glenn's son Deacon Frey and Vince Gill sharing lead vocals for Frey's songs.
The Eagles are one of the world's best-selling bands, having sold more than 200 million records, including 100 million sold in U.S alone. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and were ranked number 75 on Rolling Stone's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
The Eagles were unquestionably the biggest mainstream American rock band to emerge in the 1970s. Not only did they sell more records and concert tickets than their peers -- Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) and Hotel California are two of the biggest-selling albums of all time -- but they captured the shifting zeitgeist of the '70s, riding the country-rock hippie hangover at the end of the '60s until it reached the slick, expensive, and expansive pop/rock of Southern California in the late '70s. Co-leaders Don Henley and Glenn Frey didn't seem like brothers, but rather partners who made a pact to lead a coolly professional outfit designed to maximize their impact. This was not a group of teenage friends who played local dances together. Every one of the original members -- Henley, Frey, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner -- had headed toward LA with different bands and once those groups fell apart, they stuck around town, playing whatever gig that happened to show up. For all four, one of those gigs was supporting Linda Ronstadt in 1971. The chemistry was evident on-stage and in the studio, so the quartet decided to form a band, releasing their debut in 1972. Hits came swiftly but stardom didn't settle in until the latter half of the decade, after 1975's One of These Nights became a smash. Soon afterward, Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) turned their early years into canon and then came 1976's Hotel California, a record that defined all manner of '70s excess. By that point, the band's lineup had shifted -- Leadon and Meisner were out, as was Leadon's replacement Don Felder; guitarist Joe Walsh and bassist Timothy B Schmit were in -- and the group turned out to be ill-equipped to handle their mega-stardom. One more record, 1979's The Long Run, appeared before the band split, with Henley and Frey achieving considerable solo success during the '80s. Rumors of reunions never abated, not even when Henley quipped that hell would freeze over before the Eagles would play again and, eventually, an album materialized in 1993, when the Hotel California-era band adopted the MTV Unplugged format for their own needs on an album naturally called Hell Freezes Over. From that point on, Eagles tours were regular events -- sometimes they were ambitious endeavors, sometimes they were a gig or two, the one thing in common being their success -- and although the group continued to thrive on the existence of its back catalog, they recorded a brand-new double-album called Long Road Out of Eden, a record that once again put the Eagles on the top of the charts in 2007.
The Eagles, American band that cultivated country rock as the reigning style and sensibility of white youth in the United States during the 1970s. Los Angeles-based professional pop musicians, the Eagles recorded with Linda Ronstadt before the 1972 release of their eponymous debut album. Clearly, from the band’s earliest laid-back grooves on hits like “Take It Easy” to the title song of their 1973 Desperado album—the “Ave Maria” of 1970s rock—to the later studio intricacies of One of These Nights (1975), Henley’s band felt a mission to portray emotional ups and downs in personal ways. However, the Eagles were content to do so within the boundaries of certain musical forms and music industry conventions, pushing and expanding them gently or aggressively at different junctures along the way. This willingness to play by the rules may have been as responsible for the success of their resolutely formal, exceptionally dramatic songs as was the Eagles’ hankering for the fiddles and dusty ambiences of the country rock movement they polished for popular consumption. Before the Eagles recorded, country rock was a local alternative in late 1960s Los Angeles. After they recorded, it became the soundtrack for the lives of millions of 1970s rock kids who, keen on the present yet suspicious of glam rock and disco, donned suede jackets and faded jeans to flirt with the California dream restyled as traditional Americana. The band’s Hotel California (1976) was, in this respect, their masterpiece. With the craft of songwriting as central to their approach as it is to that of any country singer, the Eagles’ music had begun as well-detailed melodies delivered by Henley and Frey with some nasality. The arrangements, with percussion far more forward than anything Nashville producers would have brooked, started out in a starkly rock mode with rustic accents. By the time they began work on Hotel California, they were joined by ex-James Gang guitarist Walsh, who combined technical expertise with native rambunctiousness. His contribution, mixed with an increasingly assured blend of country directness and Hollywood studio calculation, made for an unmatched country rock–pop fusion that started with One of These Nights and reached its apex with The Long Run (1979). Hotel California, coming at the midpoint of the band’s later period, captured the style at its most relaxed and forceful. Afterward, as punk and new wave repeated country rock’s journey from underground to mainstream, the Eagles’ music subsided.
Albums
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| Eagles (1972) |
Debut album. This sets up the basic country rock sound of the Eagles, a laid back chugging sound with wistful male vocal harmonies, combined with American soft rock, taking influences from CSN&Y (Deja Vu - 1970), the Byrds (Sweetheart of The Rodeo - 1968), the Band (The Band - 1969), Creedence Clearwater Revival (Cosmo's Factory - 1970), and The Doobie Brothers (Toulouse Street - 1972) . They have a whiff of the early Seventies hippy country rock, but there is a clear eye on pristine commercial pop, which they combine with American soft rock coloured by Americana. It's the combination of these elements that creates the appeal. That, and the professionalism of experienced and very talented musicians who all could sing and harmonise beautifully, and all of whom could write attractive, compelling songs.
There are some great songs here - the opening three tracks set out not just the band's potential, but that they have arrived fully formed. The first two, "Take It Easy" and "Witchy Woman", are among the band's most popular songs.
| Released | June 1, 1972 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | February 1972 |
| Studio | Olympic Studios, London; "Nightingale" recorded at Wally Heider Recording, Hollywood, Los Angeles[1] |
| Genre | |
| Length | 37:19 |
| Label | Asylum |
| Producer | Glyn Johns |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Take It Easy" | Frey | 3:34 | |
| 2. | "Witchy Woman" | Henley | 4:10 | |
| 3. | "Chug All Night" | Frey | Frey | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Most of Us Are Sad" | Frey | Randy Meisner | 3:38 |
| 5. | "Nightingale" | Browne | Henley | 4:08 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Train Leaves Here This Morning" |
| Leadon | 4:13 |
| 2. | "Take the Devil" | Meisner | Meisner | 4:04 |
| 3. | "Earlybird" |
| Leadon | 3:03 |
| 4. | "Peaceful Easy Feeling" | Jack Tempchin | Frey | 4:20 |
| 5. | "Tryin'" | Meisner | Meisner | 2:54 |
- Glenn Frey – vocals, guitars, slide guitar
- Don Henley – vocals, drums
- Bernie Leadon – vocals, guitars, banjo
- Randy Meisner – vocals, bass guitar
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 6
This for me is the band's ultimate album. It's a cohesive whole with most of the band's best songs. And it's one of the best albums ever made. Not as popular as Hotel California, as the band were not famous at this point, and they didn't have an international best selling single to promote the album, so it tends to get overlooked by fans and critics, but give it a spin, and become seduced by the album's touching themes of rebellion and isolation as they explore the American fascination with the outlaw cowboy mythology.
Wikipedia
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| Desperado (1973) |
This for me is the band's ultimate album. It's a cohesive whole with most of the band's best songs. And it's one of the best albums ever made. Not as popular as Hotel California, as the band were not famous at this point, and they didn't have an international best selling single to promote the album, so it tends to get overlooked by fans and critics, but give it a spin, and become seduced by the album's touching themes of rebellion and isolation as they explore the American fascination with the outlaw cowboy mythology.
| Released | April 17, 1973[1] |
|---|---|
| Recorded | 1973 |
| Studio | Island Studios, London, England[2] |
| Genre | |
| Length | 35:40[1] |
| Label | Asylum |
| Producer | Glyn Johns[2] |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Doolin-Dalton" | Don Henley and Glenn Frey | 3:26 | |
| 2. | "Twenty-One" | Bernie Leadon | Bernie Leadon | 2:11 |
| 3. | "Out of Control" |
| Frey | 3:04 |
| 4. | "Tequila Sunrise" |
| Frey | 2:52 |
| 5. | "Desperado" |
| Henley | 3:36 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Certain Kind of Fool" |
| Randy Meisner | 3:02 |
| 2. | "Doolin-Dalton" (Instrumental) |
| instrumental | 0:48 |
| 3. | "Outlaw Man" | David Blue | Frey | 3:34 |
| 4. | "Saturday Night" |
| Henley with Meisner | 3:20 |
| 5. | "Bitter Creek" | Leadon | Leadon | 5:00 |
| 6. | "Doolin-Dalton"/"Desperado" (Reprise) |
| Henley | 4:50 |
- Glenn Frey – acoustic and electric guitars, vocals; keyboards, harmonica
- Don Henley – drums, vocals; acoustic guitar
- Bernie Leadon – electric and acoustic guitars, vocals; banjo, mandolin, dobro
- Randy Meisner – bass guitar, vocals
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 10
After the glorious Desperado, the band engage is some rather run of the mill songs. There is some of the feel of Desperado in songs like "Already Gone", but without the context that Desperado had, and without the support of surrounding songs, they sound like attempts to keep the feeling going, but without the heart and soul that makes Desperado and its individual songs stand out. Would "Already Gone" work on Desperado? Possibly. Does it work here? No.
Wikipedia
 |
| On The Border (1974) |
After the glorious Desperado, the band engage is some rather run of the mill songs. There is some of the feel of Desperado in songs like "Already Gone", but without the context that Desperado had, and without the support of surrounding songs, they sound like attempts to keep the feeling going, but without the heart and soul that makes Desperado and its individual songs stand out. Would "Already Gone" work on Desperado? Possibly. Does it work here? No.
| Released | March 22, 1974 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles Olympic Studios, London |
| Genre | |
| Length | 40:29 |
| Label | Asylum |
| Producer | Bill Szymczyk, Glyn Johns |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Already Gone" |
| Glenn Frey | 4:15 |
| 2. | "You Never Cry Like a Lover" | Don Henley | 4:00 | |
| 3. | "Midnight Flyer" | Paul Craft | Randy Meisner | 3:55 |
| 4. | "My Man" | Bernie Leadon | Bernie Leadon | 3:29 |
| 5. | "On the Border" |
| Henley with Frey, Meisner, and Leadon | 4:23 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "James Dean" |
| Frey | 3:38 |
| 2. | "Ol' '55" | Tom Waits | Frey and Henley | 4:21 |
| 3. | "Is It True?" | Randy Meisner | Meisner | 3:14 |
| 4. | "Good Day in Hell" |
| Frey and Henley | 4:25 |
| 5. | "Best of My Love" |
| Henley | 4:34 |
- Glenn Frey – vocals; acoustic rhythm guitar; electric rhythm guitar; lead guitar; slide guitar; piano
- Don Henley – vocals, drums
- Bernie Leadon – vocals; lead, acoustic and rhythm guitars; banjo; pedal steel
- Randy Meisner – vocals, bass guitar
- Don Felder – lead guitar on “Already Gone” and slide guitar on “Good Day in Hell” (credited as "late arrival")
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 4
An album with some decent songs, "One Of These Nights", "Lyin' Eyes", and "Take It To The Limit", which were all released very successfully as singles. It also has instrumental, "Journey of the Sorcerer", which was used as the theme music to the BBC series, Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. It's all quite smooth and professional and sort of pleasantly bland. The success of the singles, coupled with the inoffensive pleasantness of the rest of the album, propelled the album to number one in America, and set the band on course to become one of the most popular and successful musical acts in the world.
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| One Of These Nights (1975) |
An album with some decent songs, "One Of These Nights", "Lyin' Eyes", and "Take It To The Limit", which were all released very successfully as singles. It also has instrumental, "Journey of the Sorcerer", which was used as the theme music to the BBC series, Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. It's all quite smooth and professional and sort of pleasantly bland. The success of the singles, coupled with the inoffensive pleasantness of the rest of the album, propelled the album to number one in America, and set the band on course to become one of the most popular and successful musical acts in the world.
Bernie Leadon left after the 121 concert 1975/76 tour of the album. He would be replaced by Joe Walsh for the next album.
"Lyin' Eyes", and "Take It To The Limit" are decent songs, and could sit comfortably on the Desperado album, as they have the same sound and feel. But the rest of the songs, including the Bee Gees sounding "One Of These Nights", which is the best of the remainder, are rather flat, just a little too pop oriented, a little too slick and polished. As the best songs are contained on the band's next album, the stunningly successful Greatest Hits, there isn't really any need for anyone other than Eagles completists to get this album.
| Released | June 10, 1975 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | 1974–1975 |
| Studio | Criteria Studios, Miami; Record Plant, Los Angeles |
| Genre | |
| Length | 43:15 |
| Label | Asylum |
| Producer | Bill Szymczyk |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One of These Nights" | Don Henley | 4:51 | |
| 2. | "Too Many Hands" | Randy Meisner | 4:43 | |
| 3. | "Hollywood Waltz" |
| Henley | 4:04 |
| 4. | "Journey of the Sorcerer" | B. Leadon | instrumental | 6:40 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lyin' Eyes" |
| Glenn Frey | 6:22 |
| 2. | "Take It to the Limit" |
| Meisner | 4:49 |
| 3. | "Visions" |
| Felder with the band | 3:58 |
| 4. | "After the Thrill Is Gone" |
| Frey and Henley | 3:56 |
| 5. | "I Wish You Peace" |
| Leadon | 3:45 |
- Glenn Frey – vocals, guitars, piano, electric piano, harmonium
- Don Henley – vocals, drums, percussion, tabla
- Bernie Leadon – vocals, guitars, banjo, mandolin, pedal steel
- Randy Meisner – vocals, bass guitar
- Don Felder – vocals, guitars, slide guitar
AllMusic:
Score: 4
 |
| Their Greatest Hits (1976) |
This extraordinarily popular greatest hits album mostly covers the period when the band were only moderately successful, and by and large were little known outside America, and even within America were not a huge success until their 1975 album One of These Nights. So this is three years and four albums worth of mostly moderately successful songs. This is the band before Hotel California. Before Joe Walsh. It does cover their most popular songs from the early period, and is a pleasant album. Not quite sure why it has become so successful, but these things tend to have a habit of gathering snow as they roll downhill once pushed. The bigger it gets the bigger it gets!
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Take It Easy" (Eagles, 1972) | Frey | 3:29 | |
| 2. | "Witchy Woman" (Eagles) | Henley | 4:10 | |
| 3. | "Lyin' Eyes" (One of These Nights, 1975) |
| Frey | 6:21 |
| 4. | "Already Gone" (On the Border, 1974) |
| Frey | 4:13 |
| 5. | "Desperado" (Desperado, 1973) |
| Henley | 3:33 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One of These Nights" (These Nights) |
| Henley | 4:51 |
| 2. | "Tequila Sunrise" (Desperado) |
| Frey | 2:52 |
| 3. | "Take It to the Limit" (These Nights) |
| Meisner | 4:48 |
| 4. | "Peaceful Easy Feeling" (Eagles) | Jack Tempchin | Frey | 4:16 |
| 5. | "Best of My Love" (On the Border) |
| Henley | 4:35 |
AllMusic:
Score: 6
 |
| The Hotel Eagles Don Felder, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner |
 |
| Hotel California (1976) |
With the release of the single "Hotel California" the band became world famous. Something about that song captured and held people's attention, and still holds it over thirty years later. People read into the lyrics whatever they want, and each person comes up with something personal that tells them something about the state of America (or California). It's spooky and mysterious, and the music helps create that mood, with Walsh's sparkling electric guitar dominating the whole song and giving it astonishing life against the languid rhythm section.
| Released | December 8, 1976[1] |
|---|---|
| Recorded | March – October 1976 |
| Studio | Criteria Studios, Miami, FL and Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles, CA |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 43:28 |
| Label | Asylum |
| Producer | Bill Szymczyk |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hotel California" | Henley | 6:30 | |
| 2. | "New Kid in Town" |
| Frey | 5:04 |
| 3. | "Life in the Fast Lane" |
| Henley | 4:46 |
| 4. | "Wasted Time" |
| Henley | 4:55 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wasted Time" (Reprise) |
| instrumental | 1:22 |
| 2. | "Victim of Love" |
| Henley | 4:11 |
| 3. | "Pretty Maids All in a Row" |
| Joe Walsh | 4:05 |
| 4. | "Try and Love Again" | Randy Meisner | Randy Meisner | 5:10 |
| 5. | "The Last Resort" |
| Henley | 7:25 |
- Don Felder – guitars, backing vocals, pedal steel (on The Last Resort)
- Glenn Frey – guitars, backing vocals, keyboards, lead vocals
- Don Henley – drums, percussion, lead vocals, backing vocals, synthesizer
- Randy Meisner – bass, backing vocals, lead vocals, guitarrón
- Joe Walsh – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 6
A new bass guitarist, so the original members are down to three. And a new album that lacks ambition. It recognisably Eagles, and there's even a couple of decent tracks, the title track and the curiously New Wave/Elvis Costello sounding "The Greeks Want No Freaks"; and one track that is good enough to have been included on Desperado, "Heartache Tonight". But, really, by 1979 the band should be moving on from the their best song behind one that sounds like it could have been recorded six years earlier. "Heartache Tonight" was, of course, a successful single.
Wikipedia
 |
| The Long Run (1979) |
A new bass guitarist, so the original members are down to three. And a new album that lacks ambition. It recognisably Eagles, and there's even a couple of decent tracks, the title track and the curiously New Wave/Elvis Costello sounding "The Greeks Want No Freaks"; and one track that is good enough to have been included on Desperado, "Heartache Tonight". But, really, by 1979 the band should be moving on from the their best song behind one that sounds like it could have been recorded six years earlier. "Heartache Tonight" was, of course, a successful single.
| Released | September 24, 1979 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | March 1978 – September 1979 |
| Studio | Various |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 42:50 |
| Label | Asylum |
| Producer | Bill Szymczyk |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Long Run" | Don Henley | 3:42 | |
| 2. | "I Can't Tell You Why" |
| Timothy B. Schmit | 4:56 |
| 3. | "In the City" | Joe Walsh | 3:46 | |
| 4. | "The Disco Strangler" |
| Henley | 2:46 |
| 5. | "King of Hollywood" |
| Henley and Frey | 6:27 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heartache Tonight" | Frey | 4:27 | |
| 2. | "Those Shoes" |
| Henley | 4:57 |
| 3. | "Teenage Jail" |
| Henley and Frey | 3:44 |
| 4. | "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" |
| Henley | 2:21 |
| 5. | "The Sad Café" |
| Henley | 5:35 |
- Don Felder – guitars, organ, backing vocals
- Glenn Frey – guitars, keyboards, vocals
- Don Henley – drums, percussion, vocals
- Timothy B. Schmit – bass guitar, vocals
- Joe Walsh – guitars, keyboards, vocals
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 4 1/2
A useful summary of the band's most popular songs. It's kind of a greatest hits package (including Joe Walsh's biggest hit), and the performance is professional and clean with a bit of (limited) audience response rather than a proper live album like Bob Marley's Live! It's kind of a souvenir of an Eagles concert, and an indicator of what you can expect if you attend one. But it lacks "feel" and energy. The band broke up at the end of the tour, and the musicians, minus Frey, only completed editing the album to meet record company obligations.
Wikipedia
 |
| Eagles Live (1980) |
A useful summary of the band's most popular songs. It's kind of a greatest hits package (including Joe Walsh's biggest hit), and the performance is professional and clean with a bit of (limited) audience response rather than a proper live album like Bob Marley's Live! It's kind of a souvenir of an Eagles concert, and an indicator of what you can expect if you attend one. But it lacks "feel" and energy. The band broke up at the end of the tour, and the musicians, minus Frey, only completed editing the album to meet record company obligations.
| Released | November 7, 1980 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | October 20, 1976 – July 31, 1980 |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 77:10 |
| Label | Asylum |
| Producer | Bill Szymczyk |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hotel California" (1980) | Don Henley | 6:55 | |
| 2. | "Heartache Tonight" (1980) | Glenn Frey | 4:35 | |
| 3. | "I Can't Tell You Why" (1980) |
| Timothy B. Schmit | 5:24 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Long Run" (1980) |
| Henley | 5:35 |
| 2. | "New Kid in Town" (1976) |
| Frey | 5:45 |
| 3. | "Life's Been Good" (1980) | Joe Walsh | Joe Walsh | 9:38 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Seven Bridges Road" (1980 | Steve Young | The band | 3:54 |
| 2. | "Wasted Time" (1976) |
| Henley | 5:40 |
| 3. | "Take It to the Limit" (1976) |
| Randy Meisner | 5:20 |
| 4. | "Doolin-Dalton (Reprise II)" (1976) |
| instrumental | 0:44 |
| 5. | "Desperado" (1976) |
| Henley | 4:04 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Saturday Night" (1980) |
| Henley | 3:55 |
| 2. | "All Night Long" (1980) | Walsh | Walsh | 5:40 |
| 3. | "Life in the Fast Lane" (1980) |
| Henley | 5:10 |
| 4. | "Take It Easy" (1980) |
| Frey | 5:20 |
- Don Felder – guitars, harmony and backing vocals
- Glenn Frey – rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Don Henley – drums, percussion, vocals
- Randy Meisner (1976) / Timothy B. Schmit (1980) – bass, vocals
- Joe Walsh – guitars, keyboards, vocals
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 4
This picks up from where Their Greatest Hits (1976) left off. It is inevitably a more modest album as the band's creative peak was their earlier period before they swapped Bernie Leadon for Joe Walsh. This is more soft rock than folk or country rock. Some OK songs, but it's not going to be an album I'm likely to play again after listening to it for this review. Eagles Live is a better greatest hits album than this.
Wikipedia
 |
| Greatest Hits Vol 2 (1982) |
This picks up from where Their Greatest Hits (1976) left off. It is inevitably a more modest album as the band's creative peak was their earlier period before they swapped Bernie Leadon for Joe Walsh. This is more soft rock than folk or country rock. Some OK songs, but it's not going to be an album I'm likely to play again after listening to it for this review. Eagles Live is a better greatest hits album than this.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hotel California" (from Hotel California, 1976) | Don Henley | 6:29 | |
| 2. | "Heartache Tonight" (from The Long Run, 1979) |
| Glenn Frey | 4:25 |
| 3. | "Seven Bridges Road" (from Eagles Live, 1980) | Steve Young | Henley, Frey, Don Felder, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit | 2:58 |
| 4. | "Victim of Love" (from Hotel California) |
| Henley | 4:10 |
| 5. | "The Sad Café" (from The Long Run) |
| Henley | 5:32 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Life in the Fast Lane" (from Hotel California) |
| Henley | 4:45 |
| 2. | "I Can't Tell You Why" (from The Long Run) |
| Schmit | 4:54 |
| 3. | "New Kid in Town" (from Hotel California) |
| Frey | 5:04 |
| 4. | "The Long Run" (from The Long Run) |
| Henley | 3:42 |
| 5. | "After the Thrill Is Gone" (from One of These Nights, 1975) |
| Frey with Henley | 3:56 |
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 4
When asked if the band would ever reform, Don Henley said "only when hell freezes over", so when they reformed in 1994, it seemed appropriate to title their reunion album Hell Freezes Over. The band could only scrape together four new songs, so they bulked out the rest of the album with live material of their hits, plus a live version of a Henley track from his solo album. The new songs are indifferent, soft rock, plus a country song. This is not a good album. What was the point?
Wikipedia
 |
| Hell Freezes Over (1994) |
When asked if the band would ever reform, Don Henley said "only when hell freezes over", so when they reformed in 1994, it seemed appropriate to title their reunion album Hell Freezes Over. The band could only scrape together four new songs, so they bulked out the rest of the album with live material of their hits, plus a live version of a Henley track from his solo album. The new songs are indifferent, soft rock, plus a country song. This is not a good album. What was the point?
| Released | November 8, 1994 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | April 25–26, 1994 |
| Venue | Warner Bros. Studio |
| Studio | The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, and Sounds Interchange, Toronto (Studio tracks) Burbank Studios, California (Live tracks) |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 72:36 |
| Label |
|
| Producer |
|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Get Over It" (New song) | Don Henley, Glenn Frey | Henley | 3:31 |
| 2. | "Love Will Keep Us Alive" (New song) | Vale, Capaldi, Carrack | Schmit | 4:03 |
| 3. | "The Girl from Yesterday" (New song) | Frey, Jack Tempchin | Frey | 3:23 |
| 4. | "Learn to Be Still" (New song) | Henley, Stan Lynch | Henley | 4:28 |
| 5. | "Tequila Sunrise" (Originally from Desperado, 1973) | Henley, Frey | Frey | 3:28 |
| 6. | "Hotel California" (Originally from Hotel California, 1976) | Don Felder, Henley, Frey | Henley | 7:12 |
| 7. | "Wasted Time" (Originally from Hotel California) | Henley, Frey | Henley | 5:19 |
| 8. | "Pretty Maids All in a Row" (Originally from Hotel California) | Joe Walsh, Joe Vitale | Walsh | 4:26 |
| 9. | "I Can't Tell You Why" (Originally from The Long Run, 1979) | Henley, Frey, Schmit | Schmit | 5:11 |
| 10. | "New York Minute" (Originally from Don Henley's The End of the Innocence, 1989) | Henley, Kortchmar, Winding | Henley | 6:37 |
| 11. | "The Last Resort" (Originally from Hotel California) | Henley, Frey | Henley | 7:24 |
| 12. | "Take It Easy" (Originally from Eagles, 1972) | Jackson Browne, Frey | Frey | 4:36 |
| 13. | "In the City" (Originally from The Long Run) | Walsh, Barry De Vorzon | Walsh | 4:07 |
| 14. | "Life in the Fast Lane" (Originally from Hotel California) | Henley, Frey, Walsh | Henley | 6:01 |
| 15. | "Desperado" (Originally from Desperado) | Henley, Frey | Henley | 4:17 |
- Don Henley – drums, acoustic guitar, percussion, vocals
- Timothy B. Schmit – bass guitar, vocals
- Glenn Frey – electric and acoustic guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals
- Don Felder – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, vocals
- Joe Walsh – electric, acoustic, and slide guitar, organ, vocals
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 3
A mixed bag of tracks compiled from their past albums, one live side, and three unreleased tracks (two of which consist of random doodlings nobody would want to listen to twice, if they bothered to listen all the way through first time - "Random Victims" is self-indulgent crap). Not sure what the purpose is. For those who already have the albums, this is a large bag for those three unreleased tracks and a live selection. It's not a great album. Well done to anyone who gets through it all without drifting off at least once.
Wikipedia
 |
| Selected Works 1972-1999 (2000) |
A mixed bag of tracks compiled from their past albums, one live side, and three unreleased tracks (two of which consist of random doodlings nobody would want to listen to twice, if they bothered to listen all the way through first time - "Random Victims" is self-indulgent crap). Not sure what the purpose is. For those who already have the albums, this is a large bag for those three unreleased tracks and a live selection. It's not a great album. Well done to anyone who gets through it all without drifting off at least once.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Origin | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Take It Easy" | Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey | Eagles, 1972 | 3:31 |
| 2. | "Hollywood Waltz" | Bernie Leadon, Frey, Don Henley, Tom Leadon | One of These Nights, 1975 | 4:01 |
| 3. | "Already Gone" | Jack Tempchin, Robb Strandlund | On the Border, 1974 | 4:15 |
| 4. | "Doolin-Dalton" | Browne, Frey, Henley, J.D. Souther | Desperado, 1973 | 3:26 |
| 5. | "Midnight Flyer" | Paul Craft | On the Border | 3:58 |
| 6. | "Tequila Sunrise" | Henley, Frey | Desperado | 2:52 |
| 7. | "Witchy Woman" | Henley, Leadon | Eagles | 4:11 |
| 8. | "Train Leaves Here This Morning" | Gene Clark, Leadon | Eagles | 4:07 |
| 9. | "Outlaw Man" | David Blue | Desperado | 3:29 |
| 10. | "Peaceful Easy Feeling" | Tempchin | Eagles | 4:16 |
| 11. | "James Dean" | Browne, Frey, Souther, Henley | On the Border | 3:36 |
| 12. | "Saturday Night" | Frey, Henley, Leadon, Randy Meisner | Desperado | 3:19 |
| 13. | "On the Border" | Henley, Leadon, Frey | On the Border | 4:28 |
| Total length: | 49:28 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Origin | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wasted Time (Reprise)" | Henley, Frey, Jim Ed Norman | Hotel California, 1976 | 1:21 |
| 2. | "Wasted Time" | Henley, Frey | Hotel California | 4:55 |
| 3. | "I Can't Tell You Why" | Timothy B. Schmit, Henley, Frey | The Long Run, 1979 | 4:53 |
| 4. | "Lyin' Eyes" | Henley, Frey | One of These Nights | 6:21 |
| 5. | "Pretty Maids All in a Row" | Joe Walsh, Joe Vitale | Hotel California | 3:58 |
| 6. | "Desperado" | Henley, Frey | Desperado | 3:33 |
| 7. | "Try and Love Again" | Meisner | Hotel California | 5:10 |
| 8. | "The Best of My Love" | Henley, Frey, Souther | On the Border | 4:34 |
| 9. | "New Kid in Town" | Souther, Henley, Frey | Hotel California | 5:03 |
| 10. | "Love Will Keep Us Alive" | Pete Vale, Jim Capaldi, Paul Carrack | Hell Freezes Over, 1994 | 4:02 |
| 11. | "The Sad Café" | Henley, Frey, Walsh, Souther | The Long Run | 5:33 |
| 12. | "Take It to the Limit" | Meisner, Henley, Frey | One of These Nights | 4:47 |
| 13. | "After the Thrill Is Gone" | Henley, Frey | One of These Nights | 4:49 |
| Total length: | 58:59 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Origin | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One of These Nights (Intro)" | Henley, Frey | One of These Nights | 1:59 |
| 2. | "One of These Nights" | Henley, Frey | One of These Nights | 4:49 |
| 3. | "Disco Strangler" | Don Felder, Frey, Henley | The Long Run | 2:45 |
| 4. | "Heartache Tonight" | Henley, Frey, Bob Seger, Souther | The Long Run | 4:25 |
| 5. | "Hotel California" | Felder, Henley, Frey | Hotel California | 6:29 |
| 6. | "Born to Boogie" | Hank Williams Jr. | Previously unreleased outtake from The Long Run sessions | 2:16 |
| 7. | "In the City" | Walsh, Barry De Vorzon | The Long Run | 3:44 |
| 8. | "Get Over It" | Henley, Frey | Hell Freezes Over | 3:29 |
| 9. | "King of Hollywood" | Frey, Henley | The Long Run | 6:25 |
| 10. | "Too Many Hands" | Felder, Meisner | One of These Nights | 4:40 |
| 11. | "Life in the Fast Lane" | Walsh, Henley, Frey | Hotel California | 4:44 |
| 12. | "The Long Run" | Henley, Frey | The Long Run | 3:41 |
| 13. | "Long Run Leftovers" | Walsh, Henley, Frey, Felder, Schmit | Previously unreleased | 3:02 |
| 14. | "The Last Resort" | Henley, Frey | Hotel California | 7:29 |
| 15. | "Random Victims, Part 3" | Walsh, Henley, Frey, Felder, Meisner, Schmit | Previously unreleased | 9:42 |
| Total length: | 1:09:39 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hotel California" | Felder, Frey, Henley | Henley | 6:57 |
| 2. | "Victim of Love" | Felder, Frey, Henley, Souther | Henley | 5:01 |
| 3. | "Peaceful Easy Feeling" | Tempchin | Frey | 5:23 |
| 4. | "Please Come Home for Christmas" | Charles Brown, Gene Redd | Henley | 3:52 |
| 5. | "Ol' '55" | Tom Waits | Frey and Henley | 5:20 |
| 6. | "Take it to the Limit" | Frey, Henley, Meisner | Frey | 4:02 |
| 7. | "Those Shoes" | Felder, Frey, Henley | Henley | 6:12 |
| 8. | "Funky New Year" | Frey, Henley | Henley | 3:45 |
| 9. | "Dirty Laundry" | Henley, Danny Kortchmar | Henley | 5:54 |
| 10. | "Funk 49" | Jim Fox, Dale Peters, Walsh | Walsh | 3:47 |
| 11. | "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" | Kortchmar | Henley | 5:20 |
| 12. | "The Best of My Love" | Frey, Henley, Souther | Henley | 5:06 |
| Total length: | 1:00:39 | |||
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 3
A useful overview, but it gets less interesting as it goes along.
Wikipedia
 |
| The Very Best Of / The Complete Greatest Hits (2003) |
A useful overview, but it gets less interesting as it goes along.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Take It Easy" | Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey | 3:29 |
| 2. | "Witchy Woman" | Don Henley, Bernie Leadon | 4:10 |
| 3. | "Peaceful Easy Feeling" | Jack Tempchin | 4:16 |
| 4. | "Desperado" | Henley, Frey | 3:33 |
| 5. | "Tequila Sunrise" | Henley, Frey | 2:52 |
| 6. | "Doolin-Dalton" | Browne, Frey, Henley, J.D. Souther | 3:26 |
| 7. | "Already Gone" | Tempchin, Robb Strandlund | 4:13 |
| 8. | "Best of My Love" | Henley, Frey, Souther | 4:35 |
| 9. | "James Dean" | Browne, Frey, Souther, Henley | 3:36 |
| 10. | "Ol' '55" | Tom Waits | 4:22 |
| 11. | "Midnight Flyer" | Paul Craft | 3:58 |
| 12. | "On the Border" | Henley, Leadon, Frey | 4:28 |
| 13. | "Lyin' Eyes" | Henley, Frey | 6:21 |
| 14. | "One of These Nights" | Henley, Frey | 4:51 |
| 15. | "Take It to the Limit" | Randy Meisner, Henley, Frey | 4:48 |
| 16. | "After the Thrill Is Gone" | Henley, Frey | 3:56 |
| 17. | "Hotel California" | Don Felder, Henley, Frey | 6:30 |
| Total length: | 1:13:24 | ||
- Tracks 1–3 from Eagles (1972)
- Tracks 4–6 from Desperado (1973)
- Tracks 7–12 from On the Border (1974)
- Tracks 13–16 from One of These Nights (1975)
- Track 17 from Hotel California (1976)
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Life in the Fast Lane" | Joe Walsh, Henley, Frey | 4:46 |
| 2. | "Wasted Time" | Henley, Frey | 4:55 |
| 3. | "Victim of Love" | Felder, Souther, Henley, Frey | 4:11 |
| 4. | "The Last Resort" | Henley, Frey | 7:25 |
| 5. | "New Kid in Town" | Souther, Henley, Frey | 5:04 |
| 6. | "Please Come Home for Christmas" | Charlie Brown, Gene Redd | 2:58 |
| 7. | "Heartache Tonight" | Henley, Frey, Bob Seger, Souther | 4:26 |
| 8. | "The Sad Café" | Henley, Frey, Walsh, Souther | 5:35 |
| 9. | "I Can't Tell You Why" | Timothy B. Schmit, Henley, Frey | 4:56 |
| 10. | "The Long Run" | Henley, Frey | 3:42 |
| 11. | "In the City" | Walsh, Barry De Vorzon | 3:46 |
| 12. | "Those Shoes" | Felder, Henley, Frey | 4:56 |
| 13. | "Seven Bridges Road" (Live) | Steve Young | 3:02 |
| 14. | "Love Will Keep Us Alive" | Pete Vale, Jim Capaldi, Paul Carrack | 4:00 |
| 15. | "Get Over It" | Henley, Frey | 3:29 |
| 16. | "Hole in the World" | Henley, Frey | 4:19 |
| Total length: | 1:11:30 | ||
- Tracks 1–5 from Hotel California (1976)
- Track 6 was a non-album single (1978)
- Tracks 7–12 from The Long Run (1979)
- Track 13 from Eagles Live (1980)
- Tracks 14 and 15 from Hell Freezes Over (1994)
- Track 16 is a new track (2003)
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 4
The opening track, "No More Walks In The Wood", is mainly vocal, with minimal musical support, echoing the concert favourite "Seven Bridges Road". "How Long" is an upbeat country rocker, followed by a mainstream country rock / American soft rock ballad, "Busy Being Fabulous", and so far this all feels like Eagles music, but older, less interesting and resonate; it starts wandering by "What Do I Do...", which an indifferent, soppy ballad, almost saved by Eagles vocal harmony, but drowned by too much orchestration, and never quite recovers. With the best will in the world, this is not an Eagles album, it's a mostly indifferent easy listening pop album that goes for the easy heart tugs rather than the deeper resonance. Listenable, yes; rewarding and memorable, no.
Wikipedia
Score: 4
 |
| Long Road Out Of Eden (2007) |
The opening track, "No More Walks In The Wood", is mainly vocal, with minimal musical support, echoing the concert favourite "Seven Bridges Road". "How Long" is an upbeat country rocker, followed by a mainstream country rock / American soft rock ballad, "Busy Being Fabulous", and so far this all feels like Eagles music, but older, less interesting and resonate; it starts wandering by "What Do I Do...", which an indifferent, soppy ballad, almost saved by Eagles vocal harmony, but drowned by too much orchestration, and never quite recovers. With the best will in the world, this is not an Eagles album, it's a mostly indifferent easy listening pop album that goes for the easy heart tugs rather than the deeper resonance. Listenable, yes; rewarding and memorable, no.
| Released | October 30, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | 2001–2007 |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 90:46 97:57 (Deluxe Collector's/Standard UK Edition) |
| Label | Eagles Recording Company II, Lost Highway, Polydor |
| Producer | Eagles, Steuart Smith, Richard F.W. Davis, Scott Crago, Bill Szymczyk |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "No More Walks in the Wood" | The band | 2:00 | |
| 2. | "How Long" | J. D. Souther | Frey with Henley | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Busy Being Fabulous" |
| Henley | 4:20 |
| 4. | "What Do I Do with My Heart" |
| Frey with Henley | 3:54 |
| 5. | "Guilty of the Crime" | Walsh | 3:43 | |
| 6. | "I Don't Want to Hear Any More" | Paul Carrack | Schmit | 4:21 |
| 7. | "Waiting in the Weeds" |
| Henley | 7:46 |
| 8. | "No More Cloudy Days" | Frey | Frey | 4:03 |
| 9. | "Fast Company" |
| Henley | 4:00 |
| 10. | "Do Something" |
| Schmit with Henley | 5:12 |
| 11. | "You Are Not Alone" | Frey | Frey | 2:24 |
| Total length: | 44:59 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Long Road Out of Eden" |
| Henley | 10:17 |
| 2. | "I Dreamed There Was No War" | Frey | Instrumental | 1:37 |
| 3. | "Somebody" | Frey | 4:09 | |
| 4. | "Frail Grasp on the Big Picture" |
| Henley | 5:46 |
| 5. | "Last Good Time in Town" |
| Walsh | 7:07 |
| 6. | "I Love to Watch a Woman Dance" | Larry John McNally | Frey | 3:16 |
| 7. | "Business as Usual" |
| Henley | 5:31 |
| 8. | "Center of the Universe" |
| Henley | 3:42 |
| 9. | "It's Your World Now" |
| Frey | 4:22 |
| Total length: | 45:47 | |||
- Glenn Frey – guitars, keyboards, vocals, bass guitar
- Don Henley – drums, vocals, percussion, guitars
- Joe Walsh – guitars, keyboards, vocals
- Timothy B. Schmit – bass guitar, vocals
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 4
We had tickets to see the Eagles at Wembley in 2020. Had the hotel booked and everything. Then Covid happened and the world turned upside down. The band rescheduled for 2021, and we booked a new hotel, and planned the whole weekend. And right at the last minute the band pulled out. No notice, no explanation. They toured America, and even held a concert on the same date as when they should have been in London. Shrug. So be it. This is a useful record of what we missed. It would clearly have been a pleasant, though not memorable evening. We saw Prince of Egypt instead. That was a pleasant, though not memorable evening. So be it.
 |
| Live From The Forum MMXVIII (2020) |
We had tickets to see the Eagles at Wembley in 2020. Had the hotel booked and everything. Then Covid happened and the world turned upside down. The band rescheduled for 2021, and we booked a new hotel, and planned the whole weekend. And right at the last minute the band pulled out. No notice, no explanation. They toured America, and even held a concert on the same date as when they should have been in London. Shrug. So be it. This is a useful record of what we missed. It would clearly have been a pleasant, though not memorable evening. We saw Prince of Egypt instead. That was a pleasant, though not memorable evening. So be it.
Actually, this is a very warm, loving album. The more I listen, the more I like it. Their best live album, albeit with only Don Henley left of the originals who made Desperado, and Henley and Walsh left of those who made Hotel California. Vince Gill and Glenn Frey's son Deacon replace Frey who died in 2016. Schmidt, who joined in 1979 is also present.
Wikipedia
| Released | October 16, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | September 12, 14 –15, 2018 |
| Venue | The Forum, Inglewood, California |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 2:17:33 |
| Label | Rhino |
CD1
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Seven Bridges Road" | Steve Young | 3:33 | |
| 2. | "Joe Walsh: "How ya doin?"" | 0.33 | ||
| 3. | "Take It Easy" | Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey | Deacon Frey | 4:14 |
| 4. | "One of These Nights" | Don Henley, Frey | Henley | 4:23 |
| 5. | "Don Henley: "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen"" | 2.12 | ||
| 6. | "Take It to the Limit" | Henley, Frey, Randy Meisner | Vince Gill | 4:21 |
| 7. | "Tequila Sunrise" | Henley, Frey | Gill | 3:05 |
| 8. | "In the City" | Joe Walsh, Barry De Vorzon | Walsh | 5:45 |
| 9. | "Timothy B. Schmit: "Hey, everybody, that’s Joe Walsh"" | 0.48 | ||
| 10. | "I Can't Tell You Why" | Henley, Frey, Timothy B. Schmit | Schmit | 5:08 |
| 11. | "New Kid in Town" | Henley, Frey, J. D. Souther | Gill | 5:11 |
| 12. | "Don Henley: "Just want to thank all of you…"" | 1.25 | ||
| 13. | "How Long" | Souther | Deacon Frey, Henley | 3:21 |
| 14. | "Deacon Frey: "Hello, everybody…"" | 0.36 | ||
| 15. | "Peaceful Easy Feeling" | Jack Tempchin | Deacon Frey | 4:29 |
| 16. | "Ol' '55" | Tom Waits | Gill | 4:18 |
| 17. | "Lyin' Eyes" | Henley, Frey | Gill | 6:30 |
| 18. | "Love Will Keep Us Alive" | Jim Capaldi, Paul Carrack, Peter Vale | Schmit | 4:13 |
| 19. | "Vince Gill: "How's everybody doing?"" | 0.36 | ||
| 20. | "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away" | Vince Gill, Pete Wasner | Gill | 5:18 |
| 21. | "Those Shoes" | Henley, Frey, Don Felder | Henley | 5:07 |
| Total length: | 1:15:06 | |||
CD2
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Already Gone" | Robb Strandlund, Tempchin | Deacon Frey | 4:23 |
| 2. | "Walk Away" | Walsh | Walsh | 3.58 |
| 3. | "Joe Walsh: "Is everybody OK?" | 1:54 | ||
| 4. | "Life's Been Good" | Walsh | Walsh | 8:04 |
| 5. | "The Boys of Summer" | Henley, Mike Campbell | Henley | 5.15 |
| 6. | "Heartache Tonight" | Henley, Frey, Bob Seger, Souther | Gill | 4:28 |
| 7. | "Funk #49" | Walsh, Jimmy Fox, Dale Peters | Walsh | 4:44 |
| 8. | "Life in the Fast Lane" | Henley, Frey, Walsh | Henley | 5:55 |
| 9. | "Hotel California" | Henley, Frey, Felder | Henley | 8.27 |
| 10. | "Rocky Mountain Way" | Walsh, Roche Grace, Kenny Passarelli, Joe Vitale | Walsh | 6:29 |
| 11. | "Desperado" | Henley, Frey | Henley | 4:10 |
| 12. | "The Long Run" | Henley, Frey | Henley | 4.40 |
| Total length: | 1:02:27 | |||
- Don Henley – vocals, drums, guitar, percussion
- Joe Walsh – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Timothy B. Schmit – bass guitar, vocals
- Deacon Frey - vocals, guitar
- Vince Gill - vocals, guitar
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 4
Studio albums
Studio albums
- Eagles (1972)
- Desperado (1973)
- On the Border (1974)
- One of These Nights (1975)
- Hotel California (1976)
- The Long Run (1979)
- Long Road Out of Eden (2007)
Conclusion
The Eagles are a pleasant American music band, very popular in America, though less so elsewhere (their best selling Their Greatest Hits album has sold around 44 million units, of which only around 4 million units have sold outside the USA). They had a global success with the single "Hotel California" (though it only reached No 1 in America), which resulted in decent global sales for the supporting album, though - as with Their Greatest Hits, the overwhelming bulk of sales has been in the US. Outside of North America, the band are little known apart from the single "Hotel California". There is a lot of popular and critical focus on the Hotel California album, but much of that attention might be due to the success of the title track, as, outside of a handful of tracks, it's not a great album - indeed, it's not even the best Eagles album. The best Eagles album is Desperado, though this is probably the album given least attention by fans and critics. The band's best and most popular songs (apart from "Hotel California") tend to be those recorded before the Hotel California album. Throughout their career the band have mostly worked in the area of country rock / American soft rock, rarely straying far from the sound they created for their debut album. The album Desperado was a fortuitous moment when, for the only time in their career, they created an album with a single theme and sound, and it resonates deeply, vibrating in the soul of those who pay it attention. A moment of magic which may appear now and again in individual songs, but never again in such quality or quantity. A rare and beautiful and sadly under rated album.
Summary
Voice/Musicianship (15%)Solid and professional through the band. [12]
Image/Star quality (5%)Yes. They are huge. [5]
Lyrics/Music (20%)Great songs. Great writing ability. Good music and lyrics. A rare quality. [18]
Impact/Influence (10%)Followers rather than leaders, and they were of the moment. They have lasted though. [5]
Popularity (5%)Phew! [5]
Emotional appeal (5%)Of course. [5]
Authenticity (15%)They were always pushing for the sales I feel. However, I like the authenticity of their sound. [8]
Art (5%)Kind of. [2]
Classic albums/songs (5%)Two albums and two songs. [5]
Originality/Innovation (5%)Not really. [1]
Legacy (10%)Professional band. Very popular. Good music. I doubt if they'll be easily forgotten. [5]
Total: 71/100
Top songs
Hotel California ***** **
Hotel California ***** **
Desperado *****
Take It To The Limit ***** *
Take It Easy ***** *
One Of These Nights *****
Lyin' Eyes *****
Peaceful Easy Feeling *****
Life In The Fast Lane *****
Tequila Sunrise ****
New Kid In Town **
I Can't Tell You Why **
Already Gone **
Heartache Tonight **
Best Of My Love **
Pretty Maids All In A Row *
The Long Run *
Doolin-Dalton *
Seven Bridges Road *
Witchy Woman *
The Last Resort *
Wasted Time *
Already Gone *
James Dean
Heartache Tonight
The Greeks Want No Freaks
After The Thrill Is Gone
The King of Hollywood
Try And Love Again
How Long
Sources
* Ranker
* ReturnOfRock Top 20
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