The Eagles
The Eagles |
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Formed 1971, Los Angeles, Calif.
Bred in Los Angeles' fertile country-rock community, the Eagles came together first as the backing band for Linda Ronstadt's Silk Purse album in 1970; individually, the musicians had already played with the Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco, Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band and Bob Seger. But it was the Eagles sound--smooth harmonies and polished, twangy arrangements--that defined Southern California rock during the 70s. By the time they rolled out the seminal Hotel California album, Henley and Frey had become astute social commentators--despite a bit of cynicism that lent a nasty edge to some of their songs. Always too serious, the Eagles succumbed to the pressures of success and called it quits in 1981. But after 13 years of solo recordings they reunited for an MTV concert that yielded the top-selling Hell Freezes Over album and a phenomenally successful world tour (with $100+ tickets). It still appears unlikely they'll record another full album of new music again, however.
Source: MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide
Personnel
| Don Felder, guitar and vocals (1974-present) | |
| Glenn Frey, vocals, guitar and keyboards (1971-present) | |
| Don Henley, vocals and drums (1971-present) | |
| Bernie Leadon, guitar, banjo, mandolin and vocals (1971-76) | |
| Randy Meisner, bass and vocals (1971-77) | |
| Timothy B. Schmit, bass and vocals (1977-present) | |
| Joe Walsh, guitar and vocals (1976-present) |
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THE EAGLESOrder from: |
1. Take It
Easy |
Their least commercially successful record still retains qualities that make it one of their best. Their classic reading of Jackson Browne and Glen Frey's 'Take It Easy' never drags, and Henley's sex-charged vocal on 'Witchy Woman' still sounds convincing. Other delights are Leadon and Gene Clark's 'Train Leaves Here This Morning' and Jack Tempchin's memorable 'Peaceful Easy Feeling'. This was rock/country, as opposed to Poco and the Burritos' country/rock. Nothing would be as simple and uncomplicated for the Eagles ever again, and this album retains a great charm and innocence that soon disappeared from their career. A truly stunning debut album. |
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DESPERADOOrder from: |
1.
Doolin-Dalton |
The Eagles: Glenn Frey (guitar, piano, vocals); Bernie Leadon (guitar, banjo, mandolin, vocals); Randy Meisner (bass, vocals); Don Henley (drums, vocals). Drawing from their previous experience as hired musicians, the Eagles quickly became one of America's leading country rock attractions. DESPERADO, their second release, was an ambitious concept album wherein the outlaw was used as a metaphor for the rock performer. Recorded in London under the aegis of Glyn Johns, the set was marked by the quartet's highly measured playing and distinctive harmonies. Described at their inception as the "new Buffalo Springfield", the Eagles certainly drew on Californian musical heritage, but on this album they proclaimed an original identity. Desperado is their most complete, and for many, their best album. It deserves at least equal billing with HOTEL CALIFORNIA. |
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ON THE BORDEROrder from: |
1. Already
Gone |
The Eagles: Bernie Leadon (vocals, guitar, banjo, steel guitar); Glenn Frey (vocals, guitar, piano); Randy Meisner (vocals, bass); Don Henley (vocals, drums); Don Felder (electric guitar). Recorded at the Record Plant, Los Angeles, California; Olympic Studios, London, England. |
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ONE OF THESE NIGHTSOrder from: |
1. One Of
These Nights |
This marked the transition from a nifty country rock band to a rock combo with the potential for world domination. The music was a tad sweeter and less ironic, a morsel rockier with Top 40 friendliness. Tracks such as 'Take It To The Limit' and 'Lyin' Eyes' have been played far too much on the radio. They need to be rested in place of Bernie Leadon's unusual instrumental, 'Journey Of The Sorcerer' (used as the theme to BBC Television's Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy), or the other great Leadon song, 'I Wish You Peace'. Financially, the Eagles never looked back after this, but the critical snipers were out in force. |
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EAGLES - THEIR GREATEST HITS 1971-1975Order from: |
1. Take It
Easy |
The Eagles: Glenn Frey (guitar, vocals, piano), Bernie Leadon (guitar, vocals, banjo), Don Felder (guitar, vocals), Randy Meisner (bass, vocals), Don Henley (drums, vocals). Producers: Glyn Johns (tracks 1-2, 5, 7, 9-10); Bill Szymczyk (tracks 3-4, 6, 8). Engineers: Glyn Johns, Bill Szymczyk, Allen Blazek. All songs written or co-written by members of The Eagles except "Already Gone" (J. Tempchin/R. Stradlund) and "Peaceful, Easy Feeling" (J. Tempchin). The Eagles are, without a doubt, one of the most influential American bands of all time. Direct from L.A., these musicians brought together various influences and melded them into a sound that established a new musical direction in both rock and country. The songs on this "best of" compilation cover the Eagles' early years (pre-HOTEL CALIFORNIA) and they pack a wallop. From the spooky, Native American-influenced "Witchy Woman" to the mournful folk-rock gem "Desperado," the collection is almost a primer on how to write a country-rock song. Whether it's the opening guitars driving the beat of "Take It Easy" or the lilting melody of "Best Of My Love," the Eagles' tight harmonies, smooth lead vocals and masterful musicianship enable THEIR GREATEST HITS to play like a jukebox in country-rock heaven. The songs are also stylistically diverse: The Grammy-winning "Lyin' Eyes" is pure Eagles pop; "One Of These Nights," with its slippery bass line, is a Steely Dan-like rock-jazz track; "Tequila Sunrise" has a steel guitar and Latin beat subtle enough to lull any hangover. The songs' themes range from anger to bliss, with longing in the forefront and an outlaw sensibility in the shadows. Not too traditional to turn off rock and folk fans, and not so slick that country aficionados would bolt, the Eagles' repertoire is solid, memorable and expertly produced. Lyrically ("...don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy...") and musically, these are songs that have become a vital part of the musical lexicon. |
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HOTEL CALIFORNIAOrder from: |
1. Hotel
California |
Recorded at Criteria Studios, Miami, Florida and the Record Plant, Los Angeles, California from March to October 1976. A steady growth suddenly mushroomed into a monster as the Eagles, along with Fleetwood Mac, epitomized AOR in the early 70s. This record is supposedly a concept album but most of the purchasers merely enjoyed the accessible songs while driving down to the coast in their Volkswagen Caravanettes with 2.4 children. Joe Walsh was added to give gutsy guitar in the wake of the country flavour of Bernie Leaden, while Randy Meisner grew in stature as a writer with 'Try And Love Again' and 'New Kid In Town'. The title track still bites as Henley's voice blends with Walsh's epic solo. |
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THE LONG RUNOrder from: |
1. Long Run,
The |
The Eagles: Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit (vocals), Glenn Frey (guitar, synthesizer, vocals), Don Felder (guitar, organ), Joe Walsh (slide guitar, vocals). Recorded at Bayshore Recording Studio, Coconut Grove, Florida. THE LONG RUN, the Eagles' long-awaited follow-up to their hugely successful HOTEL CALIFORNIA, was the celebrated group's final studio album. By the time THE LONG RUN was released in early 1979, the laid-back West Coast rock scene that The Eagles had dominated throughout the decade had pretty much run its course. Many of the biggest rock groups of the era -- including The Eagles--were incorporating new influences into their music and toughening up their sound. While similar in feel to HOTEL CALIFORNIA, THE LONG RUN is a far more diverse album that features an immaculately crafted set of songs ranging from the soulful pop of the Don Henley-sung title track and "I Can' t Tell You Why" to tough, country-influenced rocker "Heartache Tonight" and the epic, dynamic "In The City." Even though Don Henley, Glen Frey and Joe Walsh would all go on to lead successful solo careers in the ensuing years, they would rarely better the polished pop on THE LONG RUN. |
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LIVEOrder from: |
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Disc: 1
Disc: 2
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The Eagles: Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Don Felder (vocals, guitar); Timothy B. Schmidt (vocals, bass); Don Henley (vocals, drums). Additional personnel: The Monstertones (vocals); Jage Jackson (guitar, percussion); Phil Kenzie (saxophone); Joe Vitale (piano, organ, drums, percussion); Vince Melamed (electric piano); J.D. Souther. Engineers include: Allan Blazek, Billy Youdelman, Buddy Thornton. The Eagles were riding high on the success of their 1979 album THE LONG RUN when they released this two-LP live set (faithfully reproduced on two short CDs). They were also about to break up, making EAGLES LIVE their unintended swan song. Unintentional or not, EAGLES LIVE makes a nice wrap to the Eagles' not-so-long but incredibly strong run, featuring nearly studio-perfect renderings of the ballads ("Desperado") and country rockers ("New Kid in Town") on which they made their name, and of the tougher rockers they drifted toward later in their career (such as "The Long Run," which Glenn Frey introduces as "our tribute to Memphis, Tennessee"). EAGLES LIVE also includes a harmony-filled cover of Steve Young's lovely "Seven Bridges Road," which turned out to be the Eagles' last pre-reunion hit, and a couple of Joe Walsh solo turns (including "All Night Long," from the 1980 movie URBAN COWBOY). Most of the album was recorded in July 1980; a few tunes from October 1976 are thrown in for good measure. All of it was recorded in California, as an Eagles album should be. |
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GREATEST HITS VOL. IIOrder from: |
1.
Hotel California |
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HELL FREEZES OVEROrder from: |
1. Get Over
It |
The Eagles: Don Felder (guitar, vocals); Glenn Frey (guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals); Joe Walsh (guitar, organ, vocals); Timothy B. Schmit (bass, vocals); Don Henley (drums, percussion, vocals). Additional personnel: Jay Oliver (keyboards); Timothy Drury (keyboards, vocals); John Corey (keyboards, guitar, vocals); Gary Grimm, Stan Lynch, Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Scott Crago (percussion, drums). Producers: Eagles, Elliot Scheiner, Rob Jacobs (tracks 1-3, 5-15); Eagles, Stan Lynch, Rob Jacobs (track 4). Engineers: Rob Jacobs (tracks 1-4), Elliot Scheiner (tracks 5-15). Recorded at Warner Burbank Studios, Burbank, California; The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, California; Sounds Interchange, Toronto, Canada. Includes liner notes by Sal Manna. All songs written or co-written by members of The Eagles except "Love Will Keep Us Alive" (Pete Vale/Jim Capaldi/Paul Carrack). HELL FREEZES OVER features four new studio tracks along with live material from the Eagles' return concert on MTV. "Love Will Keep Us Alive" was nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, and "Hotel California" was nominated for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. HELL FREEZES OVER was nominated for Best Pop Album. In a disappointing year of virtual reality performances, the Eagles' highly touted tour of America was a triumphant affirmation of enduring pop values, from a band that literally wrote the stylistic book on the singer-songwriter/rock'n'roll synthesis during the '70s. And as a band member jokes in a droll intro to their live set, "For the record, we never broke up, we just took a 14 year vacation." So now we have one of the most anticipated reunions in rock history. Certainly the internal pressures which tore the band apart haven't been papered over, judging from post-tour statements. From the outgrowth of all that creative tension is a remarkably tight live set, and a four-song prologue of new Eagles material, all as fresh and melodious as the originals. Not surprisingly, the strongest of the new tunes, "Get Over It" and "Learn To Be Still," come from collaborations involving Don Henley. The latter a dark folkish ballad offering reassurance in the face of life's small, bitter defeats, the former a four-on-the-floor, chicken fried rocker which decries the self-victimization of Americans. And their live rendition of classic tunes really hold up: all are brimming over with elements of country, R&B and blues, sedate, funky grooves, seamless five-part harmonies and sweet soaring guitar solos and duets--all the sounds and flourishes which add up to the Eagles trademark California rock. |
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The Story Of The
Eagles: The Long Run |
| The long-defunct, Southern California band regrouped for an album, an expensive tour (expensive for ticket buyers, that is), and this televised special, which features the Eagles in performance. Laid-back but sharp and even stirring during a longish acoustic set, the guys quickly get past the nostalgia element and sound truly viable. They even make it look easy: the sight of Joe Walsh wearing glasses and sitting in almost perfect repose as he effortlessly colors old hits "Tequila Sunrise" and new material such as "Learn to Be Still" may make you wonder why you ever stashed that guitar in the attic. But the band eventually gets off their stools and rocks out on "Hotel California" and other Eagles standards. All in all, it's an enjoyable and mellowing show. |
| The long-defunct, Southern California band regrouped for an album, an expensive tour (expensive for ticket buyers, that is), and this televised special, which features the Eagles in performance. Laid-back but sharp and even stirring during a longish acoustic set, the guys quickly get past the nostalgia element and sound truly viable. They even make it look easy: the sight of Joe Walsh wearing glasses and sitting in almost perfect repose as he effortlessly colors old hits "Tequila Sunrise" and new material such as "Learn to Be Still" may make you wonder why you ever stashed that guitar in the attic. But the band eventually gets off their stools and rocks out on "Hotel California" and other Eagles standards. All in all, it's an enjoyable and mellowing show. |
