Who wants to fight about the Eagles?

[Tonetele]

Yeah they should lighten up while they still can, we will never be here again.

 

[Synchro]

Not really. Since the advent of the internet we've become more like Americans.

That does it! One more insult like that and the next shipment of tea is going straight into the harbor.

I quite like the Eagles, by the way.

They didn’t sing “We’re An American Band”, but they sure lived it. I’ve never been to the UK, but it is my understanding that US Country & Western has a loyal following there. The Eagles were a Country band for the youth market, basically a Rock band that played Country. They were far from the first Country Rock band but they definitely packaged Country Rock for a broad audience.

 

[mmannaxx]

This thread is, I suppose, about fighting........

But I don't go to see a band play precisely the same thing, in the same way, multiples of times. Precision run amok, if you ask me.

At least if there's an audience fight, there's something to talk about. If every single Eagles concert is a perfect copy of the one before and after it, what is left to talk about? All the fun has been drained out of it. I think that's why Schmit looks so joyless. When he was with Poco, he seemed to be really excited on stage. Furay was difficult but he infected the other guys on stage with joy, I felt.

One more thing: Joe and Timmy are just workers. This is not "their" music. I think they deserve none of the blame, at all.

Well, I don’t equate Tim and Joe with LIV golfers but they are certainly enjoying some steady income. I saw Poco way back when Tim and Richie were still in the band and they were phenomenal, but they were almost a cult band in the sense that they had rabid fans that adored their music. The Eagles have many more fans with much bigger hits but not necessarily better music. There is a lot of great “art” that goes un- or under appreciated by the masses, that’s just the way it is. And there is lots of middling (in my estimation) stuff that has a ton of fans and support. For example the Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett, Pink Floyd, etc, have legions of fans but personally their music does nothing for me. Glad they have fans and can make a living off of it. it certainly is a rarity for an artist to make a decent living off what they do.

 

[Synchro]

Well, I don’t equate Tim and Joe with LIV golfers but they are certainly enjoying some steady income. I saw Poco way back when Tim and Richie were still in the band and they were phenomenal, but they were almost a cult band in the sense that they had rabid fans that adored their music. The Eagles have many more fans with much bigger hits but not necessarily better music. There is a lot of great “art” that goes un- or under appreciated by the masses, that’s just the way it is. And there is lots of middling (in my estimation) stuff that has a ton of fans and support. For example the Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett, Pink Floyd, etc, have legions of fans but personally their music does nothing for me. Glad they have fans and can make a living off of it. it certainly is a rarity for an artist to make a decent living off what they do.

I always felt that Poco was under appreciated. I came of age in Denver, and Country Rock was very popular there, so I heard a lot of their music, but sadly, their success in the wider market was short lived.

 

[2HBStrat]

I always felt that Poco was under appreciated. I came of age in Denver, and Country Rock was very popular there, so I heard a lot of their music, but sadly, their success in the wider market was short lived.

Poco was great. So were The Flying Burrito Brothers, Brinsley Schwartz, Heads, Hands and Feet and others. But the Eagles were able to turn that country rock thing into a commercial success than none of the others could. Better songs that appealed to more people?

 

[soul-o]

I think Foreigner might beat that. They’re nothing but a tribute band now. I think they may occasionally have one founding member on rare nights.

I opened up for Foreigner a few years ago and the non- original members absolutely kicked ass with all those hits. I had a really nice conversation with Mick Jones backstage while they were doing it. Then he changed into an all white outfit and went up for “I Wanna Know What Love Is” at the end of the show and the crowd went nuts.

 

[Synchro]

Poco was great. So were The Flying Burrito Brothers, Brinsley Schwartz, Heads, Hands and Feet and others. But the Eagles were able to turn that country rock thing into a commercial success than none of the others could. Better songs that appealed to more people?

They were very good at what they did. There’s more to music than just skilled playing, and a big part of it is finding what appeals to the audience.

I can only speak from my own perspective, a quiet kid living in a Denver suburb, but Take It Easy and Peaceful Easy Feeling were perfect for that time and place. Again, speaking only for myself (although I believe it would be true of at least some of my peer group), we were nice kids that just wanted to live quietly, have some fun with our friends, maybe hop up a car or buy a good guitar, but we didn‘t relate to the protest songs of the late ‘60s. We didn’t like everything we saw, but the words “take it easy” were a fitting description of how we tried to live. The titles of those two songs, Take It Easy and Peaceful Easy Feeling, were exactly right for our worldview, and the follow-ons of Desperado and Tequila Sunrise fit perfectly. We liked Witch Woman, too; it was a great little Rocker, but the laid back stuff sounded like it had been written just for us. Even as I write this, I am reliving the sensations of the summer of ‘72.

And I believe that was the power of the Eagles. Somehow, the Eagles were ahead of the curve and came along with the very right songs, at the very right time. Then, against all logic, they morphed into more of a mainstream Rock band, a few years later, and became a powerhouse. Already Gone, Best Of My Love, One Of These Nights, a faint back to Country with Lyin’ Eyes, and then Hotel freakin’ California (the album), with New Kid In Town, Hotel California, Life In The Fast Lane and Last Resort. One thing that amazes me, is that even though the emphasis shifted to Rock, they still remained true to their Country Rock roots. Then, after burning out in 1980, they came back together after 14 years and built a second career that lasts to this day.

In some ways, I think that the Eagles have reached the end of the road. Losing Frey was pretty hard to come back from, and the Eagles are quickly becoming the Ship of Theseus.

 

[somebodyelseuk]

Do you all ever get our TV series or movies remade over there and folks say "wow, the US version was better..." ?

Occasionally and no. To be honest, I can only remember remakes of 'Who's The Boss' and 'Law And Order'.
'Who's The Boss' was garbage in the first place, so the remake was never going to set standards.
'Law And Order' on the other hand is a classic, still showing over here. The remake is pretty good, too. The writers did a good job of adjusting it to fit the UK judicial system.

That does it! One more insult like that and the next shipment of tea is going straight into the harbor.

They didn’t sing “We’re An American Band”, but they sure lived it. I’ve never been to the UK, but it is my understanding that US Country & Western has a loyal following there. The Eagles were a Country band for the youth market, basically a Rock band that played Country. They were far from the first Country Rock band but they definitely packaged Country Rock for a broad audience.

I spent a few weeks working near Detroit back in '01. The tea they served at the hotel tasted like the harbour.

As for the Eagles... it's all just music to me. I either like it or I don't.
Might surprise you, but there are people over here who 'live' Americana... Probably not explaining very well, but I knew a guy way back in the '80s, only a couple of years older than me, who dressed the part of a '50s American teenager. He loved the 50s Rock N Roll, and the Stray Cats and Matchbox, and a few years later he had himself a late '50s sea foam green Cadillac convertible.
There's a similar following for C+W.

 

[tele pickin']

i tought they were already gone….

 

[Flyboy]

Your beer looked at my beer...and so it starts.

Aye....

 

[Skyhook]

And I was told that the UK was classy.

Brawl Breaks Out At Eagles Concert During “Take It Easy” - NewsBreak

Fans were decidedly NOT taking it easy when a physical fight broke out in the crowd during an Eagles concert in London’s Hyde Park on Sunday. The Eagles were headlining London’s annual British Summertime...

share.newsbreak.com

Now those guys did not Get Over It...

 

[sswoverl]

I bet it wouldn't be hard to get Don Felder started!

 

[boris bubbanov]

That Felder thing bothers me. He may have not handled it as well as he could have, but he was a full member of the band, and not a sideman. More to the point, he was the reason that the band went from being a Country Rock band with a small, but loyal audience into being a juggernaut with a huge, but loyal audience. I see both sides, but kicking him out of the band was not the solution. Smith is a fine player, but Felder’s contribution was unique to himself.

Huh.

You just convinced me that Don Felder is a bum. (Kidding)

I hate it when bands go from being small, not terribly well known bands, to becoming Juggernauts at Huge Arenas where you can't see much of anything. Yecch.

No, seriously, I don't think Felder is much at fault for how the band metastasized.

I'd actually love to see all the living alums of Eagles (lineups prior to Glenn's death) get together (including Randy if he is well enough) and play some of the songs they would like to play. I admire, in some cases greatly admire, the ability and the showmanship of everyone excepting Henley and Frey and most of all, just don't play any Eagles hits. Play something good, instead.

 

[Synchro]

As for the Eagles... it's all just music to me. I either like it or I don't.
Might surprise you, but there are people over here who 'live' Americana... Probably not explaining very well, but I knew a guy way back in the '80s, only a couple of years older than me, who dressed the part of a '50s American teenager. He loved the 50s Rock N Roll, and the Stray Cats and Matchbox, and a few years later he had himself a late '50s sea foam green Cadillac convertible.
There's a similar following for C+W.

I find that interesting, because I lived from the late fifties onward, and never saw an Americana/Rockabilly scene. Fashions were different, but the rolled up blue jeans thing is something I never remember seeing, with the exception of parents that might have bought slightly over-length jeans for growing children. People tended to dress neatly, like Ron Howard in Happy Days.

Middle class families usually drove four door Chevies, Fords or Plymouths. I grew up in a very prosperous town, but convertibles were fairly rare, and bright colors the exception.

Huh.

You just convinced me that Don Felder is a bum. (Kidding)

I hate it when bands go from being small, not terribly well known bands, to becoming Juggernauts at Huge Arenas where you can't see much of anything. Yecch.

No, seriously, I don't think Felder is much at fault for how the band metastasized.

I'd actually love to see all the living alums of Eagles (lineups prior to Glenn's death) get together (including Randy if he is well enough) and play some of the songs they would like to play. I admire, in some cases greatly admire, the ability and the showmanship of everyone excepting Henley and Frey and most of all, just don't play any Eagles hits. Play something good, instead.

The Felder situation, IMO, definitely had two sides. I see Felder’s point; he was a full member of the band. But I also see the point that his career slowed drastically, when the Eagles broke up, in 1980.

However, I also think that it was inevitable. I can’t see Henley and Frey backing down, and I can’t see Felder stepping back. Sometimes, there is a situation which works, but then that situation is lost. Anyone that has ever been in a band knows that there are all sorts of pressures which can cause a band to break apart. Sometimes, it’s just a disagreement over one song. So I have no problem believing that the Eagles had to change lineups. As painful as it was to observe, I think that what happened may have been the most equitable solution.

 

[teletail]

Only if you try to make me go see them.

 

[Skully]

That Felder thing bothers me. He may have not handled it as well as he could have, but he was a full member of the band, and not a sideman. More to the point, he was the reason that the band went from being a Country Rock band with a small, but loyal audience into being a juggernaut with a huge, but loyal audience. I see both sides, but kicking him out of the band was not the solution. Smith is a fine player, but Felder’s contribution was unique to himself.

How do you figure Felder was responsible for turning the Eagles into a juggernaut? Was it his songwriting? His lead vocals? His vision? No.

Well, I don’t equate Tim and Joe with LIV golfers but they are certainly enjoying some steady income. I saw Poco way back when Tim and Richie were still in the band and they were phenomenal, but they were almost a cult band in the sense that they had rabid fans that adored their music. The Eagles have many more fans with much bigger hits but not necessarily better music. There is a lot of great “art” that goes un- or under appreciated by the masses, that’s just the way it is. And there is lots of middling (in my estimation) stuff that has a ton of fans and support. For example the Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett, Pink Floyd, etc, have legions of fans but personally their music does nothing for me. Glad they have fans and can make a living off of it. it certainly is a rarity for an artist to make a decent living off what they do.

Does Poco have a "Hotel California" or a "Life in the Fast Lane"? A "Take It Easy" or a "Take It to the Limit"? They didn't have the songwriting or the scope.

 

[Synchro]

How do you figure Felder was responsible for turning the Eagles into a juggernaut? Was it his songwriting? His lead vocals? His vision? No.

He certainly took the guitar work to another level. I distinctly remember when I first heard his playing during the On The Border era and I knew something had changed. Even Frey has stated that Felder played a significant role in the development of the band from Country Rock, to a more Rock oriented sound.

Does Poco have a "Hotel California" or a "Life in the Fast Lane"? A "Take It Easy" or a "Take It to the Limit"? They didn't have the songwriting or the scope.

Poco was not the Eagles, and the Eagles were not Poco. Obviously, Poco never had the chart success of the Eagles, but they were certainly not failures, musically. In the mid ‘70s, at least in Colorado, Poco was quite well known and got a fair amount of airplay.

I’ll gladly concede that Poco did not have the scope that the Eagles had. They were a Country Rock band and their chief appeal was to that market. The Eagles started out that way, and in fact one of the reasons that Bernie Leadon left was that he wished to remain in that world. I see the Eagles as a band with a distinct phase change, which happened during the recording of On The Border. They brought in Felder because they needed something beyond what they already had, to boost them to a different level.

Poco never took that step, and they remained in the lower energy world of Country Rock. They were fairly mellow, but that played well and fit the time.

However, I greatly admire their songwriting. I don’t think that they were hit oriented, but they wrote some pretty decent songs.

 

[Mindthebull]

So many times I hear people go on about the duo of Frey and Henley who held it together for all those years. I know this will get some hate on here but honestly they were pretty mediocre songwriters with great voices and happened to be great businessmen. Their best work was always the result of collaborations with other people that they couldn’t seem to hold together. It’s really almost like two completely different bands. And it’s surprising when you look thru the early catalogue how many of the “greatest” hits were written by other people or ideas brought to them by other people. And then later on notice how songs by key members (Meisner and Felder) ended up as co credits. Earliest stuff written by JD souther, leadon, Jackson Brown, Jack Tempchin. Generalizing will get me into trouble here but I think they are overrated when people talk about them as a songwriting team.

And I think that’s why people hate the eagles so much. It’s not that they’re bad, just overrated and overplayed.

 

[TokyoPortrait]

Hi.

What I want to know, were there any sharks involved?





Pax/
Dean

 

[beyer160]

I know this will get some hate on here but honestly they were pretty mediocre songwriters with great voices

That's the conclusion Glynn Johns came to, when he only decided to work with them when he heard them sing harmony and realized that was their selling point.