blackleatherbookshelf | Entries tagged with glenn frey

Did you do it for love? Did you do it for money?
3 Out Of 5 Stars

The last Eagles album of their initial run was also their weakest. Coming off the triumph of "Hotel California," the same pitfalls that they sang about on that album now befell the band. Drugs, dissent and an impossible to meet demand kind of doomed "The Long Run" before it was even released, but then the weakness of the bulk of the album didn't help the situation, either. "The Long Run" is the first album since their debut to feature obvious filler, and some of it was even desperate sounding.

The two initial singles, "Heartache Tonight" and the title song did do the band proud. Don Henley employs his jaded sense into "The Long Run," asking his lady friend if she measures up to her expectations, while teasing that "all the debutantes in Houston, baby, couldn't hold a candle to you." Heartache Tonight" is a chant along number from Glenn Frey and rocks out pretty well.

But then you start getting to the questionable material. "In The City" was already a modest solo hit for Joe Walsh, so there was not much point to adding it here in an Eagle-fied version other than to fill up time. "Teenage Jail/The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" are kind of goofy, but they'd gone to great lengths on both "Hotel California" and "One of These Nights" proving that they could fill an album without penning songs that ventured into an approximation of self-parody.

That not withstanding, there are three other songs that keep "The Long Run" from being a total dud. Timothy B Schmidt rises to the occasion with his R'n'B inflected "I Can't Tell You Why" while Don Felder and Walsh do a slinky twin talk-box guitar riff on "Those Shoes." Then there's another masterstroke from Henley, who penned what sounds like it could've been an outtake from "Hotel California," the melancholy "The Sad Cafe." Once again, he ruminates on the loss of Californian innocence and wonders where all the good times have gone. After all, Eagles themselves could have been one of those fledgling bands to use the likes of a "Sad Cafe" to get their start. It's kind of ironic that a song lamenting humble beginnings closed out an album that was the sound of Eagles' imminent collapse.

"The Long Run" was basically that. Once they squeaked this album out, the infamous Long Beach incident took place and the band would stay apart until, as Henely oft put it, "Hell Freezes Over." But "The Long Run" was the end of a band that went out, not with a bang but a whimper.

Current Mood: chipper
Current Location: Philadelphia
Current Music: "Heartache Tonight" Eagles

Eagles Rock
4 Out Of 5 Stars

In the documentary, "History Of The Eagles," band members repeatedly griped that their first two albums, produced by Brit Glyn Johns, were being held back from the band's desire to rock. That lead to the ditching of Johns after two songs for "On The Border," and bringing in Joe Walsh's producer, Bill Szymczyk for the rest. Then came the real magic touch when the band gained Don Felder as an additional guitarist. The chemistry clicked and "On The Border" became Eagles' first album to convincingly rock.

When I say that, I believe that the band may have wanted to think of themselves as rockers, but up to "On The Border," had yet to write a convincing rock song. Say what you want about Glyn Johns, but "Chug All Night" and "Out Of Control" from the first two albums were songs so generic that any bar band in America could've written them. "James Dean" (written by Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey, Don Henley and J.D. Souther) and "Already Gone" (which the band did not write) changed that completely. With the addition of Felder, they had a new twin guitar attack that kicked the songs into a higher gear than before. So yes, Eagles finally got their wish. They rocked.

They rocked for exactly two songs. The rest of "On The Border" still captured the country rock leanings of the first two albums, with Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon turning in a banjo powered bluegrass rocker for "Midnight Flyer" and Leadon's "My Man" (alleged to be written about the late Graham Parsons) is pure country. They also made the interesting choice to cover Tom Waits' "Ol' 55." Then, even with their slagging of Johns, the album's biggest hit and the band's first number one single was countrified ballad "The Best of My Love," one of the two songs John's produced. Then, as a precursor to both "One Of These Nights" and "Hotel California," the title track uses a funky bassline and a political lyric to set itself apart from any prior Eagles' song.

All of this makes "On The Border" a transitional album for the Eagles. The new line-up and producer partnership would yield serious fruit a year later when "One Of These Nights" made its debut. But for now, "On The Border" stepped one up from the "Desperado" concept and made the Eagles feel more like a band than ever before.

Current Mood: creative
Current Location: Philadelphia
Current Music: "Already Gone" Eagles

Guitars and Gunslingers.
4 Out Of 5 Stars

I'm not sure why so many rock bands feel that they absolutely must write a song that equates being in a band to being western outlaws. But from Bon Jovi to Thin Lizzy, they all need to write a cowboy song. So you really have to hand it to Eagles. They skipped the single song part and went for a concept album, "Desperado." On their second full length album, yet. This also marked the beginning of Don Henley's ascent to the front of the band. On "Eagles," the band kind of democratically split the singing and songwriting. For "Desperado," Don Henley took writing or co-writing credit on 8 of 11 songs.

The singing was still split among the members (with Leadon getting on of the better album tracks, "Bitter Creek"). However, the partnership between Henley and Glenn Frey was starting to bear serious fruit, with the two most memorable songs being their co-compositions, "Desperado" and the album's hit, "Tequila Sunrise." Oddly enough, it was Linda Ronstadt's version of the title song that originally got to be well known, although Eagles' now can probably claim that prize. The overall western theme is tied in the title song and another one of the band's work with Jackson Brown, "Doolin' Dalton," which appears in three forms on "Desperado." It leads the album off, then Leadon banjo picks a reprise just before "Outlaw Man," and then a medley reprise with the title track to bring the album to a satisfying close. Also, the harmonies remained one of the band's biggest draws, with songs like "What Ever Happened to Saturday Night" and "Tequila Sunrise."

What was still holding Eagles back was they had yet to show they could convincingly rock. To their credit they've repeatedly blamed producer Glynn Johns for that, but one listen to "Out Of Control" also points out that they still didn't have the material that was up to the task. That hardly matters, as "Desperado" was an early peak for Eagles, and their albums would keep getting stronger. By the time they'd next explore the concept album, they'd be more than ready.

Current Mood: good
Current Location: Philadelphia
Current Music: "Desperado" Eagles

Hatchlings
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Convened as refugees from Linda Ronstadt's backing band, the 1972 "Eagles" was a calling card of the easy going California rock scene. At this point, the Eagles were something of a democratic quartet, with the members each getting shots at lead vocals and writing credits. Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner all came from varying backgrounds and different bands, including Bob Seger (Frey), Flying Burrito Brothers (Leadon) and Poco (Meisner) in addition to Ronstadt, so the dominant musical theme was countrified mellow rock. Having Jackson Browne as a friend and co-writer kind of cemented that deal.

"Eagles" reflects that combination of talents. The calling card first single, "Take It Easy," was the perfect blend. Frey sings it as a breezy song about just relaxing into what comes your way while Leadon adds a banjo solo. "Witchy Woman" highlighted Henley's gruff singing style and was the first of many Eagles songs about wicked women. Then there was the ballad, "Peaceful Easy Feeling," which again was a precursor to many of the Eagles' greater successes. The formula worked for the bulk of the album, with the true wonder of the band being their exquisite vocal harmonies.

However much "Eagles" wanted to be a rock band album, though, the band just wasn't there yet. The most memorable non-single is "Train Leaves Here This Morning," a country ballad sung by Leadon (and one of the few non-hits played on the 40th Anniversary tour). The one attempt at a bona-fide rocker is "Chug All Night," which is generic bar-band stuff. Meisner's "Tryin'" fairs just a bit better. Tack on the dreadfully annoying bird whistle intro on "Earlybird," and you hear a band still finding its footing. They'd make a major leap when releasing "Desperado" (which also began Henley's ascent into the groups main voice) the following year, but "Eagles" remains a decent album of it's time and an interesting introduction to a band that would ultimately evolve into one the biggest bands in history.

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Location: Philadelphia
Current Music: "Take It Easy" Eagles

Great albums, disrespectful packaging
3 Out Of 5 Stars

As indicated by the title "The Studio Albums 1972 - 1979," all six of the Eagles' studio albums are here, and by now, everyone has their opinions of them. As for me, "Hotel California" is an indispensable album, and I have a very soft spot for "On The Border," the first Eagles album I owned. But what you get here is problematic.

The albums are from the 2002 remasters, which is fine. There are no bonus materials, so by now I am assuming that everything recorded from this decade that Don Henley and Glenn Frey want you to hear has been released. The CD's however, are packaged in single-slip cardboard sleeves. That means the gate-folds of, say, "Hotel California" or "The Long Run" are left behind. It also means that the print on the sleeves ranges from small to teensey weensie. There are no historical notes included with this box set. I guess if you want history, you'll have to watch "The History Of The Eagles" on blu-ray or read the copious notes in the two-CD "Very Best Of The Eagles" from 2003.

Also, since the box-set from 2005 could contain "Eagles Live," why not this one? Seems a bit skimpy to me. Still, you're getting the entire studio run of Eagles' albums, of which only "The Long Run" comes anywhere close to being a clinker. If you don't already have the discography or you want to delve past the greatest hits, this set will do as a quickie insta-collection.

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Current Mood: busy
Current Location: Philadelphia
Current Music: "On The Border" Eagles

The Improbable Reunion
3 Out Of 5 Stars

"Just for the record, we never broke up. We just took a fourteen year vacation."

With those words, the Eagles kicked off their first concert in over a decade for an MTV broadcast special titled "Hell Freezes Over." The band took it all in stride, playing a tight set, leaning heavily on their most popular album (5 of 11 live tracks are from "Hotel California"), and adding four new songs to the disc as a bonus. The best of those four, "Get Over It," is the hardest rocking song the band has ever produced. Based on a Chuck Berry riff and Don Henley's annoyance with "a whole lot of people saying don't blame me," it's an epic rant.

But no one is fooled by the new material. It's the classics they came to hear, and Eagles bests are as good as classic rock gets. The band does keep it mostly mellow, with favorites "Tequila Sunrise," "I Can't Tell You Why" and "Wasted Time" all being mid-tempo to downright slowpoke, while it isn't till the end that the electric guitars come out for "Take It Easy" and "Life In The Fast Lane." In fact. there is little straying from the original arrangements. The exception is the Spanish guitar version of "Hotel California," which significantly alters the opening of that song.

But throughout, the Eagles are in fine voice, with the ever so pristine harmonies fully intact. They turn Henley's solo song "New York Minute" into an Eagles song and the longing of the closing "Desperado" sounds as good as it did in 1973. Henley remains the band's dominant voice, singing the bulk of the material and two of the four new songs. That matters little to the audience, who cheer enthusiastically after classic after classic. Pretty much a souvenir of the band's unlikely reunion and subsequent tour, "Hell Freezes Over" is a polished document of that new beginning.

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Current Mood: chipper
Current Location: Philadelphia
Current Music: "Get Over It" 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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Current Mood: determined
Current Location: Philadelphia
Current Music: "Desperado" Eagles

We've Been Up and Down This Highway....
4 Out Of 5 Stars

After the Eagles' first break-up, Don Henley and Glenn Frey went right into solo-ville, and it was apparent who the Lennon and McCartney personalities in the band were. Frey exited straight to sappy love songs and high-energy/low-calorie rock, while Henley's first singles were the socially targeted "Johnny Can't Read" and "Dirty Laundry." While Frey had the first hits, it is Henley's solo albums that have stood the test of time.

When his second solo album, "Building the Perfect Beast," was issued, there was an instant classic with "The Boys Of Summer." Written about those for whom life in the fast lane had become a driveway full of SUV's, it contained a bitter melancholy and the striking lyric "I saw a deadhead sticker on a Cadillac." This was the kind of thoughtful rock that The Eagles occasionally slipped onto their albums, but in a more wizened and weathered point of view. "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" continued that social malaise, but the self-depreciating "Not Enough Love In The World" backtracked when it came to relationships.

"I'm not easy to live with,
I know that it's true.
You're no picnic either, baby.
That's one of the things
I love about you."

Axl Rose, who was at his GnR finest even snarled along on "I Will Not Go Quietly." No saccharine here, folks. The followup album, "The End of the Innocence" is a masterpiece and much darker than "Beast." "New York Minute" follows urban violence while "Sunset Grill" chronicles urban decay from the first person. But the kicker was the title song, with the stately Bruce Hornsby piano line supporting a grown man's look back with longing. Not the usual longing, because the collapse comes from such issues as the lawyers who "dwell on small details since Daddy had to fly." It paints one of the most succinct picture of The Reagan Years in a small cluster of artists who tried. (Another favorite of that period: David + David's "Boomtown.") "Innocence" was such an amazing album that Henley took almost 15 years before he issued "Inside Job."

Which means between "Actual Miles" and this Very Best Of, Henley did exactly one more solo album. Three songs from "Inside Job" make the cut for this collection, including "Taking You Home," which barely missed the top 40. Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows" is carried from "Actual Miles," and once again the album "I Can't Stand Still" gets shortchanged. (Why never "Johnny Can't Read"?) But for a starter set, this "Very Best Of Don Henley" does the job.