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I saw an AP article about it in last nights Worcester paper.  Sounds like it should be good, the article mentioned things like Bernie Leadon pouring a beer on Frey's head as he quit the band,  and Don Felder nearly coming to blows with Frey onstage as he quit the band.  Frey sounds like a piece of work.

I have to disagree with your impressions of the early work.  I got a copy of 'On the Border' for Christmas the year it came out.  I remember loving every tune on it, and many of them still stand the test of time.   My favorite Tom Waits cover of all time is on it.

Ol' 55...yeah, that's a great tune, Slim.

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Seen in a review of the documentary today:

"If you are a fervent detester of the band -- one of the most polarizing in rock -- nothing in this documentary will change your mind, so move along and take it easy."

Then: "If you fell under the sway of the Eagles' beguiling country rock hybrid, brimming with pristine harmonies and eminently singable melodies, you'll want to settle in for the long run."

It's 3-hours worth of viewing -- a lotta documenting; strikes me as something only a diehard fan would have the patience to watch.    Thanks for the heads up.   

 

My main problem with The Eagles is that I seem to like far less of their music than I dislike.  I don't hate them or anything like that.  I just think there are several, more interesting purveyors of the form, both then and now.

They also helped birth a generation of pop/light country music that has crowded out a lot of good, more genuine country. (a 'negative influence', if you will)

I like Joe Walsh but still prefer his James Gang/solo stuff to his Eagles stuff.  I have solo records by Felder and Henley, too, but in this case I think the whole is lesser than the sum of its parts.

 

@ yoga: I didn't know they were "one of the most polarizing in rock"....

 

I think we had a thread a while back about whether how you felt about an artist personally could affect how you felt about them as an artist.

Well, in the last few years I've read 3 books that were either directly or indirectly about the Eagles.  And a clear, thoroughly corroborated picture emerges of Henley and Frey as a couple of self-centred, pompous, mean, obnoxious, greedy JERKS.

Nonetheless I think highly of a lot of the Eagles' music and I thought they put on a great show when I saw them a few years ago.

 

I'm with El Duderino on this one:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-vwPuiILBc

....and with Mojo Nixon too:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm-o7_VVAoU

 

This is the sound of my brain.

Then I said, this is the sound of my brain on Don Henley!

Then I said, 1 2 3 4...

He's a tortured artist
Used to be in the Eagles
Now he whines
Like a wounded beagle
Poet of despair!
Pumped up with hot air!
He's serious, pretentious
And I just don't care
Don Henley must die!
Don't let him get back together
With Glenn Frey!
Don Henley must die!

Turn on the TV
And what did I see?
This bloated hairy thing
Winning a Grammy
Best Rock Vocalist?
Compared to what?
But your pseudo-serious
Crafty Satanic blot
Don Henley must die!
Put a sharp stick in his eye!
Don Henley must die!
Yea yea yea

Quit playin' that crap
You're out of the band

I'm only kidding
Can't you tell?
I love his sensitive music
Idiot poetry, swell
You and your kind
Are killing rock and roll
It's not because you are O L D
It's cause you ain't got no soul!
Don't be afraid of fun
Loosen up your ponytail!
Be wild, young, free and dumb
Get your head out of your tail
Don Henley must die!
Don't let him get back together
With Glenn Frey!

Don Henley must die!
Put him in the electric chair
Watch him fry!
Don Henley must die
Don Henley must die
No Eagles reunion
The same goes for you, Sting!

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I saw the doc.

first, I think Hotel Calfornia is one of the greatest American Rock songs ever.  Secondly, I hate the Eagles.

i was surprised that Frey/Felder broke up the band.  I had assumed Henley and Walsh was the cause of the break up.

i can see how Felder felt disrespected.  Frey's comments came across like he was trying to minimize Felder's contribution to the band. but IMHO, Felder was key to the Bands success.  It was hs guitar playing that made them the rock band Henley and Frey wanted them to be.  And it was his guitar licks that lead to Hotel California.

In response to SonicsMonksLyresVicars' comment:

Henley actually got up on the stage with Mojo Nixon at club in Texas and sang the song.Nixon said Henley had steel balls. I always thought of them as a singles band.I always considered Hotel California a classic album.I have all their original albums but I haven't listened to them in years.They along with the stones are responsible for the outrageous ticket prices.I don't have showtime but I'm sure they'll be a dvd.I know the documentary debuted at Sundance.

In response to bombah's comment:

Henley did that?  Now that is cool.  I don't completely hate the Eagles, just think it's boring MOR soft rock.

Also love the last line "The same goes for you, Sting!"

I think the Eagles are one of those bands you take on a song by song basis.

I have always thought that Desperado was their best album.  I think that is a really brilliant album.  The fact that it bombed commercially probably had a lot to do with the direction they took after that.

Did anybody listen to their 'comeback' double album of a few years ago?  It was listenable was mostly forgettable, which I guess is the way a lot of people describe the band.

There is one song on it, 'Waiting in the Weeds', which I thought was pretty powerful, although the lyrics oddly make it a sequel to Henley's 'Boys of Summer'.

I might have to listen to Desperado later today. I did purchase Long Road Out Of Eden. It went to #1 on the charts.Got a lot of play on classic rock radio.Album should have been pared down to about 12 songs. The album sounded like it was recorded in the 80's. I recall I purchased the cd on their website.I still call  cd's albums.I know he's perceived as a jerk but,Henley's always been my favorite.Miles ahead of Frey.I read Felder's book a few years ago I don't know whether to feel sorry for him or pity him.In short when I think of The Eagles I think of carefree days as a youth.

In response to bombah's comment:

There's no comparison between Henley and Frey as songwriters.  Henley is a talented songwriter, Frey is marginal at best.  I'll give him 'Smuggler's Blues', that's about it.

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Henley had a very good solo career.I think it was addition by subtraction.Plus he surrounded himself with different musicians and songwriters especially Danny Kortchmar,Mike Campbell from the Heartbreakers come to mind.Whenever I hear Smuggler's Blues I always think of Miami Vice.

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Don't know if this was brought but Felder gave guitar lessons to little Tommy Petty as he calls him.In a recent interview he said Petty was a great songwriter but not much of a guitar player.Campbell I agree very underrated guitarist.

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You can also throw Stephen Stills into the local connection. Leadon moved to florida and made friends with Felder. If you are interested checkout the website songfacts.com.Felder interview and Mike Campbell both featured