Dreamy Birthdays

mrdreamjeans's birthday is today! Happy Birthday Neil.

My Amazon DVD Reviews: The History of The Eagles

A Quintessential American Band
5 Out Of 5 Stars

Love them or hate them, The Eagles are a band that ran up a string of hits through the seventies that defined much of the decade. They've been accused of being narcissistic, overtly mellow, egotistical, and other things not all that complimentary. "The History Of The Eagles" spells all this out in detail, which makes it almost indispensable for fans of the bands or for folks who wonder how a seventies band made it though the music industry.

While the band was centered around the songwriting axis of Glenn Frey and Don Henley, every band member, past and present, gets a say. It's a warts and all approach, often unflattering but frequently compelling. Managers, producers, album cover artists and fellow musicians (Bob Seger, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and more) get their say. The music drives the narrative, sticking closely to the evolution of tha band as they release their consecutive albums, up to the acrimonious split around 1980.

However, the movie is broken into two parts, and the second half details the members as they seek separate careers and the reunion that takes place 14 years later. Again, the footage is not always flattering to the band (Don Felder gets so frustrated that he walks out of one of his segments), but the Eagles get, As Henley puts it, "that rarest of things in America, a second act." This covers the period from "Hell Freezes Over" to the independently released "Long Road Out Of Eden." The whole deal clocks in at 3hrs and 15 mins, making the documentary as exhaustive as can be.

Loaded with plenty of vintage (those seventies haircuts!) and never before seen clips to add to the attitude of the movie. And as you watch these men, now elder statesmen of classic rock, make their case for the importance of the Eagles, you get the feeling that attitude (along with plenty of the big three, sex and drugs and rock and roll) fueled the Eagles through the run that continues to this day. Some will find it bloated and unwatchable, the rest of us, with memories of where the Eagles were in our lives, will find this invaluable.

     
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My Amazon Reviews: 20/20 "20/20 - Look Out"

Perfect Vison
4 Out Of 5 Stars

20/20 were one of those millions of pop bands that was springing up around the same time as Motels, Plimsouls, The Knack and the whole high-energy scene. This two-fer finally re-invites the folks who didn't get the Oglio version a few years back (and was fetching outrageous prices) to hear one of the best of the Los Angeles bands from that era all over again. Adding a pair of B-Sides from the "Look Out" period, and this is essentially every song 20/20 released during their tenure on Portrait/Epic records.

The calling card of their first album remains the nervous wind-up of "Yellow Pills," which picked up plenty of airplay on Alternative Rockers like KROQ and still makes Power Pop compilations today. Ron Flynt and Steve Allen were Tulsa transplants that had worked themselves into a formidable songwriting team, which leaves such undiscovered gems like "Ride The Lightning" or "Cheri" overshadowed by the more famous songs. But 20/20 had the same worldview as fellow Okies Dwight Twilley and Phil Seymour in that a Midwestern sound filled with energy and a love of British pop could carry a good song a long distance. Add a new-wave synth or two and you were getting some power-pop brilliance.

According to the liner notes, "20/20" was recorded in a matter of weeks. The followup, "Look Out," took over a year. It also marked some changes for the band, with original drummer Mike Gallo out and Joel Turrisi in, the sound was also shifting. The energy was still there but a more American outlook was entering. The harmonies were even tighter and the lyrical content was taking on a darker tone. I was fortunate enough to interview Steve Allen when the album was released and he pointed out that the death of John Lennon and world turmoil informed the mood of the album.

Produced by Richard Polodor (who was helming some great bands in this period), there was no mistaking that the band had tightened up. "Nuclear Boy" and "Beat City" were vibrant looks at the world, while "Mobile Unit 245" and "The Night I Heard a Scream" looked towards life's tragic moments. While the nervous energy that fueled the first album was tempered, the songs were way more gripping and (like "American Dream") more experimental. They'd matured rapidly into their power-pop shoes. I still think it's a better album than the debut, though there are some who will disagree.

Together, however, "20/20-Look Out" would please any fan of Shoes, Motels, Plimsouls and bands of their ilk. From the label Real Gone Music, who recently issued the Shoes anthology, these guys took care to master the disc well and get liner notes from Steve Allen, Ron Flynt and Chris Silagyi, along with some cool blast from the past artwork and pictures. Now if only The Producers' two Portrait albums could get the same treatment, I'd be in Power Pop heaven.

     

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