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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: KevShmev on May 10, 2018, 09:03:38 PM
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Instead of listing just songs by the Eagles, I thought I would throw in some prominent solo songs by various members of the band, for fun.
You can vote for up to 7.
I went with:
The Boys of Summer
Hotel California
The Last Resort
Tequila Sunrise
In the City
Lyin' Eyes
Sunset Grill
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The Eagles, sorry.... Eagles are another one of those bands that tend to do really well for me on the evening drive home in the summer when the sun is setting, the summer isn't quite yet stifling, and the colors of the sun take on a different feel, and the wind is blowing through the open windows of my pickup, so for me, I chose
Take it Easy
Tequila Sunrise
Already Gone
Hotel California
Life in the Fast Lane
In the City
Boys of Summer- The Atari's did a cover of this song like 14 years ago and I really liked that one too. Fun fact, Pat Benatar was in the studio next door to Don when they were recording Boys of Summer and she was recording Love is a Battlefield. Don heard what she was doing and loved the sound she was using for the song and asked if he could use it for his song, hers was uptempo and his is a bit slower I think. This according to Pat's husband and guitarist. This song is great for those late summer drives.
After looking at Glenn Frey's selection here, controversial question (maybe, I'm just not sure the answer here) could he really go out on his own like Joe Walsh and Don can and could? I honestly don't think I could name a Glenn Frey solo song. Not that Don does that well nowadays, he's a curmudgeonly asshole nowadays, but still had bigger hits than Glenn (I think)
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To answer your question first, I saw the Eagles on the "Hell Freezes Over" tour, and they are a great band - meaning, as a band they are tight and play the songs perfectly - but when Glenn did his songs, the proceedings screeched to a halt. "Smuggler's Blues" is on my top five most despised songs of all time by any artist ever.
I voted for:
- four of the five Henley songs - no Dirty Laundry for me
- Joe Walsh "Life's Been Good"
- The Eagles "The Long Run"
- The Eagles "In The City"
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Love Joe Walsh and Eagles. Struggled with this a bit. The Last Resort is probably my favorite, especially the version from Hell Freezes Over.
Eagles - The Last Resort
Eagles - Hotel California
Eagles - In the City
Eagles - Tequila Sunrise
Eagles - Already Gone
Joe Walsh - Rocky Mountain Way
Don Henley - New York Minute (Hell Freezes Over version)
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Desperado
One Of These Nights
New York Minute
Hotel California
Last Resort
I Can't Tell You Why
I'd like to add Pretty Maids All In A Row as well, an often overlooked song on Hotel California and one of my absolute favs by the Eagles. Joe's guitar work on there is just beautiful.
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Don Henley - The Boys of Summer
Don Henley - The End of the Innocence
Eagles - Hotel California
Eagles - One of These Nights
Eagles - Lyin' Eyes
Eagles - Hotel California
Eagles - I Can't Tell You Why
No New Kid in Town?
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Not a big Eagles fan. I like a few of the hits. Used to have one of the greatest hits albums, but I thought half of them sucked. I voted for:
Dirty Laundry (this is really mostly a nostalgia selection because it was on a "mix tape" that my best friend had back in late 1982 that we listed to a LOT)
Boys of Summer (this song and the other Henley songs run together a bit for me -- I could have switched this out with NY Minute or End of the Innocence)
Take It Easy (most of the Eagles songs I'm familiar with fall on the wrong side of "too much country," but this song hangs on the edge of the good side of the line)
Already Gone
Hotel California
Life in the Fast Lane
I vaguely recall at some point someone told me I would dig Seven Bridges Road, and I vaguely recall listening to it and thinking it was cool, but I can't remember it well enough now to give it a vote).
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The Eagles, sorry.... Eagles are another one of those bands that tend to do really well for me on the evening drive home in the summer when the sun is setting, the summer isn't quite yet stifling, and the colors of the sun take on a different feel, and the wind is blowing through the open windows of my pickup, so for me, I chose...
??? ???
To answer your question first, I saw the Eagles on the "Hell Freezes Over" tour, and they are a great band - meaning, as a band they are tight and play the songs perfectly - but when Glenn did his songs, the proceedings screeched to a halt. "Smuggler's Blues" is on my top five most despised songs of all time by any artist ever.
I love Smugger's Blues (it almost got my last vote here), but nothing else Frey ever did on his own stuck with me. You Belong to the City? Vomit.
The Last Resort is probably my favorite, especially the version from Hell Freezes Over.
Hell yeah to this version. The studio version is good, but that live version is great.
No New Kid in Town?
I can't include everything.
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In the History of Eagles documentary they had that bit about how they hate when people refer to the band as The Eagles when it’s Eagles. Sorry, I always thought that part was funny, maybe not as memorable for others.
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Ah, gotcha.
Also, to address this questions...
After looking at Glenn Frey's selection here, controversial question (maybe, I'm just not sure the answer here) could he really go out on his own like Joe Walsh and Don can and could? I honestly don't think I could name a Glenn Frey solo song. Not that Don does that well nowadays, he's a curmudgeonly asshole nowadays, but still had bigger hits than Glenn (I think)
Oddly, The Heat Is On and You Belong to the City charted higher on the U.S. pop charts than any solo song Henley ever had, but I suspect that most people, if you asked them who had the better solo career, would say Henley.
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In the Stairway to Heaven category, if I never heard Hotel California again I could probably still lead a long, fulfilling life. And I'll never go out of my way to do so, but every time I do hear it, I love it. I really liked Desperado back when I was big in to classic rock too, it spoke to me and I found it very moving. The rest of their material is like the bland staple in your pantry for classic rock radio. It's not terribly great, but you can't go too long without one of their songs.
Nothing of any of their solo work really stands out to me. Life's Been Good is a cool song, that's about it.
...they hate when people refer to the band as The Eagles when it’s Eagles.
I thought at least among classic rock fans this was common knowledge. And isn't the band Scorpions just Scorpions too?
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I'll never get tired of Hotel California, but a lot of the songs by this band definitely fall under the "nice song, but I don't care if I ever hear it again" category.
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I think they're very under appreciated. I mean, they had massive commercial success, but I've heard a lot of people say exactly what you guys are saying here: "cool, nice, but nothing special".
I think they did some VERY special songs. Not gonna talk about Hotel California, but songs like Long Road Out Of Eden, I Can't Tell You Why, Wasted Time, Last Resort (the freakin lyrics!!), Journey Of The Sorcerer (6 minute instrumental), and Pretty Maids All In A Row (mentioned that already) are wonderful songs. I could go on for a while.
They are very well composed and played and most of them have astonishing (pun not intended ;) ) vocal arrangements! That's what you get when you have 4 musicians in a band that would function perfectly as lead singers.
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Ah, gotcha.
Also, to address this questions...
After looking at Glenn Frey's selection here, controversial question (maybe, I'm just not sure the answer here) could he really go out on his own like Joe Walsh and Don can and could? I honestly don't think I could name a Glenn Frey solo song. Not that Don does that well nowadays, he's a curmudgeonly asshole nowadays, but still had bigger hits than Glenn (I think)
Oddly, The Heat Is On and You Belong to the City charted higher on the U.S. pop charts than any solo song Henley ever had, but I suspect that most people, if you asked them who had the better solo career, would say Henley.
I don't dispute that fact, but to me, that reinforces the point. Frey's solo stuff always seemed like "product" to me. He was on the "Miami Vice" bandwagon, for sure, and I think some of that smarminess is what I don't like (and yes, I know that one of my prog-rock gods was in that same boat). Henley was just as slick at times, but he had/has a sort of prickly edge to his stuff that gave it a little weight.
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Severe lack of The Confessor and Turn To Stone by Joe Walsh.
Dirty Laundry//Smuggler's Blues//Life's Been Good//Already Gone//One of These Nights//Victim of Love//Seven Bridges Road
(Is anyone else having issues with Enter not registering?)
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Ah, gotcha.
Also, to address this questions...
After looking at Glenn Frey's selection here, controversial question (maybe, I'm just not sure the answer here) could he really go out on his own like Joe Walsh and Don can and could? I honestly don't think I could name a Glenn Frey solo song. Not that Don does that well nowadays, he's a curmudgeonly asshole nowadays, but still had bigger hits than Glenn (I think)
Oddly, The Heat Is On and You Belong to the City charted higher on the U.S. pop charts than any solo song Henley ever had, but I suspect that most people, if you asked them who had the better solo career, would say Henley.
I don't dispute that fact, but to me, that reinforces the point. Frey's solo stuff always seemed like "product" to me. He was on the "Miami Vice" bandwagon, for sure, and I think some of that smarminess is what I don't like (and yes, I know that one of my prog-rock gods was in that same boat). Henley was just as slick at times, but he had/has a sort of prickly edge to his stuff that gave it a little weight.
What does smarminess mean?
@Debra: Not having any problems... ???
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I wasn't sure where else to post this...
But I listened to Long Road Out of Eden yesterday, and the title track on that album might be the best song to ever come out of The Eagles.
For the sake of the poll, I went with
- New York Minute
- The End of the Innocence
- Take it Easy
- Desperado
- Life in the Fast Lane
- Victim of Love
- The Last Resort
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Who the hell would pick Life's Been Good? That's the worst song ever made! ???
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Who the hell would pick Life's Been Good? That's the worst song ever made! ???
I love that song, frankly.
And Fritzinger, sorry for missing your question: "smarminess" is sort of... smug, or falsely earnest. Mike Love is also "smarmy"; he's shown throughout the years that he's all about "product", but he doesn't hesitate to hitch his wagon to Brian Wilson's artistic star.
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I use "smarmy" to describe people all the time. Half the time probably incorrectly. Don't care. I figure half the people I talk to don't know what it means anyway.
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The Boys Of Summer literally transports me back to 1984 and gives me goosebumps. It’s my all time favorite Eagles franchise (including Eagles proper) song.
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Don Henley - The Boys of Summer
Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good
Eagles - One of These Nights
Eagles - Hotel California
Eagles - Life in the Fast Lane
Eagles - The Long Run
Eagles - I Can't Tell You Why
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Speaking of Eagles; Don Felder appeared on Sammy Hagar's "Rock and Roll Roadtrip" show and did a solo version of "Hotel California" on an electric double neck guitar, and it was pretty cool.
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I loathe the Eagles, but Sunset Grill is a fantastic song, and side 2 of Don Henley's Building the Perfect Beast is a great side of music.
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I loathe the Eagles, but Sunset Grill is a fantastic song, and side 2 of Don Henley's Building the Perfect Beast is a great side of music.
(http://www.quickmeme.com/img/e5/e5759e3f92e99ca25f4bb49a1ec0f62cf001c74a7941720244b1596e06bf372b.jpg)
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Boys of Summer
Life's Been Good
Take It Easy
Desperado
The Last Resort
I Can't Tell You Why
Seven Bridges Road
Eagles are awesome. No bad songs or bad albums, just some that are better than others.
I liked Glenn Frey's solo stuff.
Kind of surprised the Joe Walsh choices included Life of Illusion over other songs like Funk # 49 or Walk Away. But that's cool, they are all good.
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I didn’t want to start a new thread on this, so sorry for resurrecting this one. BUT anyway, Don Henley just testified that he has a team of 60 people working 6 days a week to take down YouTube content that has Eagles or Henley content. I mean heaven forbid someone wanted to listen to one of his songs or watch a video on how it’s played? The guy’s probably worth 200 million. What an unbelievable asshole. I never liked the Eagles anyway but this makes me hate them more.
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It's amazing how old people cannot see it as a promotional tool.
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I voted:
Boys of Summer (great song)
The End of the Innocence (best song on this list because Bruce Hornsby is awesome)
Desperado (the only Eagles song I like)
I had no idea Joe Walsh was in Eagles, but all those songs by him suck and so do the rest of the Eagles songs I’ve heard. :-P I do kind of like Henley as a solo guy a little though.
Also, aside from The End of the Innocence, the best Henley-involved song is Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough with Patty Smyth.
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I didn’t want to start a new thread on this, so sorry for resurrecting this one. BUT anyway, Don Henley just testified that he has a team of 60 people working 6 days a week to take down YouTube content that has Eagles or Henley content. I mean heaven forbid someone wanted to listen to one of his songs or watch a video on how it’s played? The guy’s probably worth 200 million. What an unbelievable asshole. I never liked the Eagles anyway but this makes me hate them more.
So I imagine you saw the same Rick Beato rant about this that I did. I sort of get where Rick is coming from, but he came across as really whiny and entitled in that video and it really rubbed me wrong. I love Beato’s videos and I’ve learned a lot from them, but the fact that he “spends a whole day” (LOL) putting together a top 20 video with snippets of music he doesn’t own the rights to doesn’t make him sympathetic when the rights holder inevitably shuts it down. I wonder if he’s ever tried just asking for permission first rather than just assuming he has a right to use people’s music (even if it is like 9 seconds).
As for Henley’s testimony, I generally still feel that it’s his art and he should control it, even if I agree that YouTube is great publicity and they should probably be focusing on monetizing whatever uploads are out there rather than shutting them down altogether. He probably is just throwing money down the drain paying people to take stuff down.
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HOF, I am with you 1000% percent. I too like Beato, think he's talented and insightful, but his arguments - very much akin to "Henley's worth way more than $200 mil, he'll live!" - are off. It's not really about Henley, and it's not really about Beato.
The point is, it takes resources to fight this stuff. And most artists AREN'T Henley, and don't have the wherewithall to put six people full time on this. Marillion. Even Dream Theater. It also takes resources to, once you identify a "use" that potentially infringes, to assess each and every one of them. It's cost time efficient to just take it down. And what he's not accounting for is that it's prudent to fight these - all of them - if you want to fight ONE of them. You don't lose your copyright if you don't defend it across the board, but it might factor into the damage calculations, so if there is a massive violation, you may not be in a position to reap the benefits of that. And finally, "dick" or "no dick", it's the owner of the copyright's perogative. That's the beauty of a copyright, trademark or patent; you get the right to deny others the right to profit off your work. It's also their right, their perogative, to make the financial calculations of risk/reward.
Beato's only real recourse here is to say "wow, I would have decided differently, but oh well.".
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Since this was bumped I noticed that I never voted on here.
The Boys of Summer
Life’s Been Good
Desperado
Already Gone
Lyin’ Eyes
Hotel California
The Last Resort
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This is my new favorite version of any Eagles song, thanks to Randy and the group slaying Take it to the Limit live.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwB90_8XErQ
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The Boys Of Summer literally transports me back to 1984 and gives me goosebumps. It’s my all time favorite Eagles franchise (including Eagles proper) song.
:omg: Bring a sports almanac back with you and make some money while you're there!
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HOF, I am with you 1000% percent. I too like Beato, think he's talented and insightful, but his arguments - very much akin to "Henley's worth way more than $200 mil, he'll live!" - are off. It's not really about Henley, and it's not really about Beato.
The point is, it takes resources to fight this stuff. And most artists AREN'T Henley, and don't have the wherewithall to put six people full time on this. Marillion. Even Dream Theater. It also takes resources to, once you identify a "use" that potentially infringes, to assess each and every one of them. It's cost time efficient to just take it down. And what he's not accounting for is that it's prudent to fight these - all of them - if you want to fight ONE of them. You don't lose your copyright if you don't defend it across the board, but it might factor into the damage calculations, so if there is a massive violation, you may not be in a position to reap the benefits of that. And finally, "dick" or "no dick", it's the owner of the copyright's perogative. That's the beauty of a copyright, trademark or patent; you get the right to deny others the right to profit off your work. It's also their right, their perogative, to make the financial calculations of risk/reward.
Beato's only real recourse here is to say "wow, I would have decided differently, but oh well.".
On the other hand, a lot of these videos would be legal under Fair Use, but YouTube takes them down based on the request, regardless of legality.
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The Boys Of Summer literally transports me back to 1984 and gives me goosebumps. It’s my all time favorite Eagles franchise (including Eagles proper) song.
I was in college, working the midnight shift at a local 24-hour restaurant, and somehow became known as the music guru. People would ask me questions about music trivia, and since there was a lot less of it in 1984, I generally had the answer.
What is the significance of a "dead head sticker" on a Cadillac? What is a "dead head sticker"? It was the 80's, and the 70's weren't that long ago, but they were in fact gone, and the kids I worked with didn't know about the Dead Heads. So I had to explain it to them. Ten years ago, there were hippies who'd follow The Grateful Dead around. Some of those same people wear suits and drive Cadillacs now. That very concept was novel. Today, it's nothing. Our generation is the ruling class. But in 1984, wow, mind-boggling.
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I had a "Maiden sticker on a piece of shit"!
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Kev, what about an Eagles Top 50 (or 25)?
Although there may not be as large an audience here for something like that.
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The Boys Of Summer literally transports me back to 1984 and gives me goosebumps. It’s my all time favorite Eagles franchise (including Eagles proper) song.
I was in college, working the midnight shift at a local 24-hour restaurant, and somehow became known as the music guru. People would ask me questions about music trivia, and since there was a lot less of it in 1984, I generally had the answer.
What is the significance of a "dead head sticker" on a Cadillac? What is a "dead head sticker"? It was the 80's, and the 70's weren't that long ago, but they were in fact gone, and the kids I worked with didn't know about the Dead Heads. So I had to explain it to them. Ten years ago, there were hippies who'd follow The Grateful Dead around. Some of those same people wear suits and drive Cadillacs now. That very concept was novel. Today, it's nothing. Our generation is the ruling class. But in 1984, wow, mind-boggling.
I've written about this before (maybe even in this thread). To me it was a metaphor for the loss of the idealism of the '70s. No Deadhead worth their salt in 1974 would be caught dead in a Cadillac. And as you wrote, the Deadheads of the '70s grew up, cut their hair and were now part of the "Establishment", but with one foot in the past. Kind of like me, with my short hair, glasses on my head, on a Zoom call at work, big shot attorney, with an Iron Maiden shirt underneath my blue Oxford button down.
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Yeah, I'm not sure why it took me so long figure out, but a few years ago I realized that I could wear band T-shirts under my button downs instead of plain white Tees. I don't wear ties to work anymore (yay for business casual!) but even with the collar open, it's basically a little bit of color showing at the neckline. No one knows that it's Rush or Bowie or Chicago under there. Well... I do, and that's what matters. :)
It's kinda like going grocery shopping these days. They play The Who, Kansas, Heart, basically a decent Classic Rock playlist. Not Muzak versions, the real thing. And of course it makes perfect sense. The moms and dads these days listen to that, and the people who decide what plays in the store listen to it.
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Kev, what about an Eagles Top 50 (or 25)?
Although there may not be as large an audience here for something like that.
Just the Eagles or Eagles plus anything any of them did elsewhere? I think the latter could be interesting.
Also, I am here for any and all praise of The Boys of Summer. One of my 10 favorites songs ever. :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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Kev, what about an Eagles Top 50 (or 25)?
Although there may not be as large an audience here for something like that.
Just the Eagles or Eagles plus anything any of them did elsewhere? I think the latter could be interesting.
Whichever way you want to run it, I'm here for it.
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Yeah, Boys of Summer is awesome. That “Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac” line is outstanding.
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I'm no Henley fan - I think he's a pretentious dick, if I'm letting my "StadlerTM" guard down - but it's not just that line, it's the whole fucking song. That's a top ten all time lyric in my book.
I'm at that age; 55, and there's a lot of looking back. Innocence and Danger really, REALLY resonated with me for that exact reason. I just went online to re-read them (I've done that before) and I felt real ache reading the chorus. I used to think that no matter what you did, what you said, you can always fix it. While my life is very very good over all, two lost parents, a bad work experience, and one failed marriage have taught me that maybe there's some wisdom in "don't look back, you can never look back".
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I share your opinion of Henley as a person, but he's certainly a fantastic writer.
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Yep, Henley and Frey are/were both monster dickheads, but they both have some good songs, with the Eagles and on their own.
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MY favorite Eagles song wasn't even on the list! :facepalm:
TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT
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MY favorite Eagles song wasn't even on the list! :facepalm:
TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT
Not my #1, but I had to look at the list 3 times before realizing it wasn't just me overlooking its absence.
I could do a Eagles +solo release countdown, but other than Boys of Summer and maybe Life's Been Good, it will be all Eagles.
I am not a huge fan of the band's material (though as a classic rock fan much of their music is ingrained in my psyche), but I recognize that was an incredible assemblage of songwriters they had. And vocalists!
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Yep, Henley and Frey are/were both monster dickheads, but they both have some good songs, with the Eagles and on their own.
I said "Henley". :) I'm not sure I can name an artist - maybe Jackson Browne - I dislike more both personally and musically than Glenn Frey. He's Don Henley without the songs. :) :)
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Yep, Henley and Frey are/were both monster dickheads, but they both have some good songs, with the Eagles and on their own.
I said "Henley". :) I'm not sure I can name an artist - maybe Jackson Browne - I dislike more both personally and musically than Glenn Frey. He's Don Henley without the songs. :) :)
So, what you're saying is, you don't belong to the city? ;)
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What makes Don Henley such a dick?
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Yep, Henley and Frey are/were both monster dickheads, but they both have some good songs, with the Eagles and on their own.
I said "Henley". :) I'm not sure I can name an artist - maybe Jackson Browne - I dislike more both personally and musically than Glenn Frey. He's Don Henley without the songs. :) :)
I will disagree about the songs. He's got them.
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Yep, Henley and Frey are/were both monster dickheads, but they both have some good songs, with the Eagles and on their own.
I said "Henley". :) I'm not sure I can name an artist - maybe Jackson Browne - I dislike more both personally and musically than Glenn Frey. He's Don Henley without the songs. :) :)
So, what you're saying is, you don't belong to the city? ;)
No, but the heat is on. Hef certainly disagrees with me.
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Yep, Henley and Frey are/were both monster dickheads, but they both have some good songs, with the Eagles and on their own.
I said "Henley". :) I'm not sure I can name an artist - maybe Jackson Browne - I dislike more both personally and musically than Glenn Frey. He's Don Henley without the songs. :) :)
I will disagree about the songs. He's got them.
So.... I feel like the Eagles egos got the better of them. The early work was a lot of collaboration, a lot of meshing, a lot of "greater than the sum of the parts". As they got more famous and more arrogant, I think the combativeness sort of took over. You had the Henley songs, the Walsh songs, the Frey songs, and it was always sort of obvious what was the what. I was never a huge Eagles fan, but that greatest hits got a lot of play at college, and whatever affinity I had was sort of lost when it became a vehicle for their solo stuff. I liked the Henley stuff, because I generally like his voice, I LOVE the Walsh stuff, because I like his view of the world, but I thought the Frey stuff emasculated the band. It was too Kenny Loggins for me (another guy I'm not a fan of).
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That explains it.
I like Kenny Loggins. :lol
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What makes Don Henley such a dick?
For me, it's that he strikes me as a pompous hypocrite. He's all over the preaching when it suits him - I think he desperately wanted to be par of that Sting/Gabriel/REM/U2 sanctimony in the late 80s early 90s - but he's all over the money when the shit hits the fan.
This isn't all of it, but I kind of think this sums it up (cut and pasted from Wikipedia):
In a 2009 interview, The Plain Dealer music critic John Soeder asked Henley if he regretted writing the lines "So I called up the captain / 'Please bring me my wine' / He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969'" because wines are fermented while spirits are distilled. Henley responded:
Thanks for the tutorial and, no, you're not the first to bring this to my attention—and you're not the first to completely misinterpret the lyric and miss the metaphor. Believe me, I've consumed enough alcoholic beverages in my time to know how they are made and what the proper nomenclature is. But that line in the song has little or nothing to do with alcoholic beverages. It's a sociopolitical statement. My only regret would be having to explain it in detail to you, which would defeat the purpose of using literary devices in songwriting and lower the discussion to some silly and irrelevant argument about chemical processes.
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That explains it.
I like Kenny Loggins. :lol
This is a Danger Zone.
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What makes Don Henley such a dick?
For me, it's that he strikes me as a pompous hypocrite. He's all over the preaching when it suits him - I think he desperately wanted to be par of that Sting/Gabriel/REM/U2 sanctimony in the late 80s early 90s - but he's all over the money when the shit hits the fan.
This isn't all of it, but I kind of think this sums it up (cut and pasted from Wikipedia):
In a 2009 interview, The Plain Dealer music critic John Soeder asked Henley if he regretted writing the lines "So I called up the captain / 'Please bring me my wine' / He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969'" because wines are fermented while spirits are distilled. Henley responded:
Thanks for the tutorial and, no, you're not the first to bring this to my attention—and you're not the first to completely misinterpret the lyric and miss the metaphor. Believe me, I've consumed enough alcoholic beverages in my time to know how they are made and what the proper nomenclature is. But that line in the song has little or nothing to do with alcoholic beverages. It's a sociopolitical statement. My only regret would be having to explain it in detail to you, which would defeat the purpose of using literary devices in songwriting and lower the discussion to some silly and irrelevant argument about chemical processes.
Nothing about that makes him sound like a dick.
I always thought the lyric referenced the Satanic Bible, released in 1969, and the “spirit” and “wine” referred to Jesus. I mean, isn’t Anton LeVay standing in the balcony on the inside cover art?
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What makes Don Henley such a dick?
For me, it's that he strikes me as a pompous hypocrite. He's all over the preaching when it suits him - I think he desperately wanted to be par of that Sting/Gabriel/REM/U2 sanctimony in the late 80s early 90s - but he's all over the money when the shit hits the fan.
This isn't all of it, but I kind of think this sums it up (cut and pasted from Wikipedia):
In a 2009 interview, The Plain Dealer music critic John Soeder asked Henley if he regretted writing the lines "So I called up the captain / 'Please bring me my wine' / He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969'" because wines are fermented while spirits are distilled. Henley responded:
Thanks for the tutorial and, no, you're not the first to bring this to my attention—and you're not the first to completely misinterpret the lyric and miss the metaphor. Believe me, I've consumed enough alcoholic beverages in my time to know how they are made and what the proper nomenclature is. But that line in the song has little or nothing to do with alcoholic beverages. It's a sociopolitical statement. My only regret would be having to explain it in detail to you, which would defeat the purpose of using literary devices in songwriting and lower the discussion to some silly and irrelevant argument about chemical processes.
Nothing about that makes him sound like a dick.
I always thought the lyric referenced the Satanic Bible, released in 1969, and the “spirit” and “wine” referred to Jesus. I mean, isn’t Anton LeVay standing in the balcony on the inside cover art?
Nothing about any Eagles lyrics has anything to do with LaVey or the Satanic Bible. And no, he isn't standing in the balcony.
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See I think that does make him out to be a dick. He couldn't be humble and answer the question? Nope, he had to take quasi-intellectual shots at the dude asking the question. Granted, maybe it was a joke at the time and maybe the interviewer asked for it, but that to me is a haughty, "I'm superior" answer.
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See I think that does make him out to be a dick. He couldn't be humble and answer the question? Nope, he had to take quasi-intellectual shots at the dude asking the question. Granted, maybe it was a joke at the time and maybe the interviewer asked for it, but that to me is a haughty, "I'm superior" answer.
You're right, it makes him out to be a dick.
But in fairness, that's only because he is a dick.
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What makes Don Henley such a dick?
For me, it's that he strikes me as a pompous hypocrite. He's all over the preaching when it suits him - I think he desperately wanted to be par of that Sting/Gabriel/REM/U2 sanctimony in the late 80s early 90s - but he's all over the money when the shit hits the fan.
This isn't all of it, but I kind of think this sums it up (cut and pasted from Wikipedia):
In a 2009 interview, The Plain Dealer music critic John Soeder asked Henley if he regretted writing the lines "So I called up the captain / 'Please bring me my wine' / He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969'" because wines are fermented while spirits are distilled. Henley responded:
Thanks for the tutorial and, no, you're not the first to bring this to my attention—and you're not the first to completely misinterpret the lyric and miss the metaphor. Believe me, I've consumed enough alcoholic beverages in my time to know how they are made and what the proper nomenclature is. But that line in the song has little or nothing to do with alcoholic beverages. It's a sociopolitical statement. My only regret would be having to explain it in detail to you, which would defeat the purpose of using literary devices in songwriting and lower the discussion to some silly and irrelevant argument about chemical processes.
Nothing about that makes him sound like a dick.
I always thought the lyric referenced the Satanic Bible, released in 1969, and the “spirit” and “wine” referred to Jesus. I mean, isn’t Anton LeVay standing in the balcony on the inside cover art?
Nothing about any Eagles lyrics has anything to do with LaVey or the Satanic Bible. And no, he isn't standing in the balcony.
I went to google image the inner album art, but this image does it for me...
(https://extrachill.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/hotel-california-satanic.jpeg)
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I don't mind that Henley quote actually, but that is because I have zero regard for critics, so if one was trying to question the art of an artist, it's not Henley's fault if the critic was too dense to get it. Yeah, he was a dick about it, but most professional critics deserved to have banana peels thrown at them.
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Ha ha, good point! I think he was being a dick too, but I have no sympathy for most music critics. So... fair play?
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What makes Don Henley such a dick?
For me, it's that he strikes me as a pompous hypocrite. He's all over the preaching when it suits him - I think he desperately wanted to be par of that Sting/Gabriel/REM/U2 sanctimony in the late 80s early 90s - but he's all over the money when the shit hits the fan.
This isn't all of it, but I kind of think this sums it up (cut and pasted from Wikipedia):
In a 2009 interview, The Plain Dealer music critic John Soeder asked Henley if he regretted writing the lines "So I called up the captain / 'Please bring me my wine' / He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969'" because wines are fermented while spirits are distilled. Henley responded:
Thanks for the tutorial and, no, you're not the first to bring this to my attention—and you're not the first to completely misinterpret the lyric and miss the metaphor. Believe me, I've consumed enough alcoholic beverages in my time to know how they are made and what the proper nomenclature is. But that line in the song has little or nothing to do with alcoholic beverages. It's a sociopolitical statement. My only regret would be having to explain it in detail to you, which would defeat the purpose of using literary devices in songwriting and lower the discussion to some silly and irrelevant argument about chemical processes.
Nothing about that makes him sound like a dick.
I always thought the lyric referenced the Satanic Bible, released in 1969, and the “spirit” and “wine” referred to Jesus. I mean, isn’t Anton LeVay standing in the balcony on the inside cover art?
Nothing about any Eagles lyrics has anything to do with LaVey or the Satanic Bible. And no, he isn't standing in the balcony.
I went to google image the inner album art, but this image does it for me...
(https://extrachill.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/hotel-california-satanic.jpeg)
Well, if it's on the internet, it must be true!
Is The Eagles song ‘Hotel California’ about Satanism? (https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hotel-california/)
However, by far the most common theme to surface in Hotel California rumors is one that links the song to devil worship. The lyrics (which speak of trying to "kill the Beast" and not having had "that spirit here since 1969") form the bedrock of the various Satan-related theories, but the belief is also fed by the album design. The inner cover is a photograph of people in a courtyard of a Spanish-looking inn. In a balcony above them looms a shadowy figure with arms spread. Many who look at that photo see Anton LaVey, leader of the Church of Satan, and interpret the spread arms as his welcoming the populace below into Satan's trap. That the people in the picture seem unaware of the gleefully evil figure standing above them only adds to the implicit horror of the scene — the innocents below are oblivious to their having wandered into the house of the Devil.
It's wonderful imagery. But it doesn't hold up. The shadowy figure was a woman hired for the photo shoot.
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I didn’t get this from the internet. This has been common knowledge to me since the mid 80’s.
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I didn’t get this from the internet. This has been common knowledge to me since the mid 80’s.
Well, it's not true, so substitute whatever you want for "the internet".
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I've never heard any of this before. But I also had no idea who Anton LaVey was till I saw his name in this thread.
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I've never heard any of this before. But I also had no idea who Anton LaVey was till I saw his name in this thread.
He was an interesting dude.
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I love when bands incorporate a little banter between members between songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0DJFdAuKGg&t=110s
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I didn’t get this from the internet. This has been common knowledge to me since the mid 80’s.
Well, it's not true, so substitute whatever you want for "the internet".
Wait.. the next thing you’re going to tell me is that Paul is NOT dead?
So what you’re telling me is that those lyrics do not serve as metaphors for Christ?
If not, what do they mean?
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I think it's about the decadence and loss of values in Los Angeles specifically and America generally. Henley has been on record pretty consistently about this song.
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Henley and Frey - 2 of the biggest douchebags in music. But, they've written some of the best rock songs ever.
Don Henley - The Boys Of Summer
The Eagles - The Last Resort (my favorite Eagles tune)
The Eagles - Hotel California (no matter how overplayed it is, I'll never turn it off)
The Eagles - Take It Easy
The Eagles - Witchy Woman
The Eagles - One Of These Nights
The Eagles - Life In The Fast Lane
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I think it's about the decadence and loss of values in Los Angeles specifically and America generally. Henley has been on record pretty consistently about this song.
Yep.
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This thread inspired me to hit their catalog. I knew all the radio hits like the back of my hand, had some familiarity with other tracks, but there were some songs I bet I've never heard before. I have little interest in 70s rock these days, and when it was all I listened to the Eagles were never a favorite, but found myself enjoying these albums more than I expected to in 2023. Not something I'm going to revisit but it made for some pleasant listening these last couple days.
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I get on an Eagles kick once every other year or so.
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My wife is a big Eagles fan. I like a lot of their songs, many of which have made it to the big playlist in the car. The other day, "On the Border" came up, one of my favorites, and she asked if we could skip it. She doesn't like that song.
What?? But that's one of their more rocking tunes! Oh, that's right; rocking doesn't matter as much to Mrs. Orbert. She prefers the mellower side of Eagles.
But the song "On the Border"rocks. That beat.
You in some trouble, boy
♫ We know where you've been! ♪♫
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I'm sorry to be negative, but I hear Boys of Summer, or Hotel California, and think, wow, I have to give these guys another shot! There MUST be some other gems in there, right? They didn't get that big out of dumb luck, right?
Eh.
My mom had a two-CD greatest hits set that I swiped, and man. FOR ME, they just MIGHT have gotten lucky (though I like the Joe Walsh stuff, I like "The Long Run" and I like "Already Gone". But something like "Take It Easy" is everything I dislike about Glenn Frey (and Jackson Browne, for that matter, who cowrote the song, and that southern, So-Cal soft rock in general).
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My wife is a big Eagles fan. I like a lot of their songs, many of which have made it to the big playlist in the car. The other day, "On the Border" came up, one of my favorites, and she asked if we could skip it. She doesn't like that song.
What?? But that's one of their more rocking tunes! Oh, that's right; rocking doesn't matter as much to Mrs. Orbert. She prefers the mellower side of Eagles.
But the song "On the Border"rocks. That beat.
You in some trouble, boy
♫ We know where you've been! ♪♫
Absolutley one of my favorite Eagles songs.
something like "Take It Easy" is everything I dislike about Glenn Frey (and Jackson Browne, for that matter, who cowrote the song, and that southern, So-Cal soft rock in general).
Goddammit Stadler
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I'm sorry to be negative, but I hear Boys of Summer, or Hotel California, and think, wow, I have to give these guys another shot! There MUST be some other gems in there, right? They didn't get that big out of dumb luck, right?
Eh.
My mom had a two-CD greatest hits set that I swiped, and man. FOR ME, they just MIGHT have gotten lucky (though I like the Joe Walsh stuff, I like "The Long Run" and I like "Already Gone". But something like "Take It Easy" is everything I dislike about Glenn Frey (and Jackson Browne, for that matter, who cowrote the song, and that southern, So-Cal soft rock in general).
For me Hotel California is one of those nail on chalkboard songs I don’t really want to hear again. Desperado, however, I’ve always really liked and wondered if there was more of that in there somewhere. But as I said elsewhere in this thread, I dislike most of what I’ve heard from Eagles and their individual members aside from some Henley songs that I really do like.
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Oh, and kudos to Kev for getting their name right. It's "Eagles", not "The Eagles", according to Glenn Frey, who was pretty adamant about that for some reason.
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For me Hotel California is one of those nail on chalkboard songs I don’t really want to hear again. Desperado, however, I’ve always really liked and wondered if there was more of that in there somewhere. But as I said elsewhere in this thread, I dislike most of what I’ve heard from Eagles and their individual members aside from some Henley songs that I really do like.
Listen to the whole Desperado album. It's a concept album about the Old West and gunfighters.
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Did not see an officials Eagles thread, and didn't want to start a new one. I have seen a bunch of videos in my YT feed proclaiming that Don Henley has been using pre-recorded vocals at concerts for years. Is this a huge deal? Do we care? Is this part of a bigger issue we need to be aware of?
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I care. Not a lot, because I'm not a huge Eagles fan, but they have some good songs and always put on a good show. To be honest, I've always marvelled at how well they can reproduce those great harmonies live. I guess that's much easier if you're using pre-recorded vocals. So fuck them. My wife is a huge Eagles fan, and I'm glad I never got talked into going to see them in concert.
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The bigger picture, as I see it, is the growing acceptance of pre-recorded vocals and instrumental tracks during a live performance. Some say that the most important thing is that everything sounds good, and it's not always possible to do that with the personnel on stage. In that case, do different songs, hire extra guns to play those parts, or something. But making everything sound good is not more important than the purity of the performance. I don't want to hear anything coming out of the mains that isn't coming from someone on stage, period. I've been playing live music for over 50 years, and I guess that makes me old school, old fashioned, old fogey, whatever. Get the fuck out of here with that pre-recorded shit. It ain't live if you have to press Play to make it happen.
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Did not see an officials Eagles thread, and didn't want to start a new one. I have seen a bunch of videos in my YT feed proclaiming that Don Henley has been using pre-recorded vocals at concerts for years. Is this a huge deal? Do we care? Is this part of a bigger issue we need to be aware of?
Yes, it's a huge deal, if true.
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Are we talking about pre-recorded backing vocals, or lead vocals? Because I think lots of bands have used pre-recorded backing vocals to fill out the sound or parts that can't be easily reproduced live.
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I care. A lot. So much so that I probably won't go to see a band (*cough* Motley) if I am aware of this beforehand.
But, and this is a big one, I also am fully aware that I am in the vast minority.
Anecdotally, I am the only 'musician' I know among my friends and family. Let's say that's 50 people total, I can guarantee you that if I were to bring this topic up in the middle of our next reunion/get-together, I will get nothing but shoulder shrugs.
My older sister LOVES Motley Crue. She asked me to go to see them last year, and I flat out said 'no.' When I explained my issues with the band live (pre-recorded tracks, an awful lead singer, a bass player who allegedly doesn't have his amp on), my sister was like, "but, the songs are soooo good!"
And that's when it hit me: we are all getting something different out of music, and for my sister (and millions of others), the show was more important than the performance. She wanted a night out, and by hook or by crook, she was going to get it.
So, I will happily sit here on my little island and listen to my albums all the way through, refuse to sign up for a facebook account, and continue to try to call people (as opposed to texting) because I prefer talking to typing.
Me and the other 2% of the population will have a huge issue with Henley, and everyone else will be at the show (probably recording it with their cell phone! :mehlin)
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Are we talking about pre-recorded backing vocals, or lead vocals? Because I think lots of bands have used pre-recorded backing vocals to fill out the sound or parts that can't be easily reproduced live.
Some bands do that, but they don't normally have people on stage lip-synching to those pre-recorded background vocals, pretending to sing them. THAT is what is being talked about here, in a band where the vocals are a major part of the draw.
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Some bands do that, but they don't normally have people on stage lip-synching to those pre-recorded background vocals, pretending to sing them. THAT is what is being talked about here, in a band where the vocals are a major part of the draw.
Cool Chris didn't actually describe what was being done. Just said he's been using backing tracks. Also didn't say if it was with Eagles or just Henley solo or what. Anyone have a link to a specific video with specific accusations?
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Anyone have a link to a specific video with specific accusations?
There's this one..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h9nn40ktpA
Here the Wings Of Pegasus guy does a side by side analysis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ6DbH-X-L0
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I really like the album ‘On The Border’. This was a transitional album for Eagles with the addition of Don Felder. Good mix of ballads and rockin songs.
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I don’t know that I’m quite as black-and-white as Orbert is, but I do tend to side with wanting as much as possible to be from the stage. I mean heck, even Rush piped in some of the sampling and keyboard material because it was just too much for one man to play. But at least they were honest about it. Geddy always referred to “Jack Secret”, so they were always completely honest about it, and I felt like they had the same attitude that most of the fans had.
It’s the dishonesty I have a problem with. I think that if an artist is going to be using a lot of pre-recorded things they should be upfront about it and honest with the fans and the people in attendance.
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There's this one..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h9nn40ktpA
Here the Wings Of Pegasus guy does a side by side analysis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ6DbH-X-L0
Wings of Pegasus was where I first saw it. I like that guy but he gets too far in to the weeds with stuff that is way over my head and out of my interest level so I stopped watching him.
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So it looks like the accusation is that Henley is lip syncing some or all of his lead vocals. That sort of thing does bother me, and I would probably be annoyed to see a concert where it was happening and it wasn’t like just covering up somebody performing in some other way. But also Don Henley is like 85 and has sounded horse since the 80s, so I guess we shouldn't be too surprised he’s gone this route.
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Independent of the notion of lip-synching or not - I'm personally of the opinion that I want to see the people PLAY, and if they augment with players that aren't on stage for logistics reasons, I can accept that, but I want to hear them sing and play - there's also the part that goes to the person. Don Henley is, by many accounts, a dick, and he's usually the first to call out other people. So I wouldn't be going to see Henley anyway, and then to find out he's not even really singing, well... he's not that good a drummer and instrumentalist, so why would I see him? At least with Paul Stanley (assuming he was really lip-synching) you can see Gene Simmons and the rest of the extravaganza that is Kiss.
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At least with Paul Stanley (assuming he was really lip-synching) you can see Gene Simmons and the rest of the extravaganza that is Kiss.
Assuming?? Are you serious?
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It's too soon. I'm still in denial.
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It's too soon. I'm still in denial.
Well, maybe the um..avatars will actually be singing. :lol
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Well, maybe the um..avatars will actually be singing. :lol
:lol
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Piping in backing vocals is not too concerning to me. Of course I would prefer if everything I hear was played live but....
Piping in lead vocals though.... that is way beyond the line
On another note. I see I have voted but not commented before.
I am a casual fan of Eagles. I like some and love some. However I absolutely adore some of Don Henley's solo work.
One of my all time favorit songs is by him and to my dismay I see it has only got 12 votes.
Where is the love for New York Minute? Can't be just me who adore it totally, can it?