History of the Eagles

[Long Run]

If you get a chance, pick up the History of the Eagles that was originally on Showtime and is available on DVD. Great footage and storytelling, at least until they get to the "modern" era.

[MajGenl.Meade]

I'm so sick of those Roman epics though.

[Lord Jim]

Well thanks for the tip Long Run, but we've got enough movies and TV shows that we watch without adding a multi-part documentary about a perennially mediocre Philadelphia football team to the list....

I imagine The Eagles Episode III: The Mike McCormick Years must be especially riveting, but I think I'll pass...

[Joe Guy]

Err.... Hey Jim!

He's talking about the Eagles band.

Oh.... you were joking?

[Lord Jim]

Joe are you doing a Rick impersonation?

[Joe Guy]

Sorry I'm slow sometimes ermost of the time but you already knew that

[Gob]

If you get a chance, pick up the History of the Eagles that was originally on Showtime and is available on DVD. Great footage and storytelling, at least until they get to the "modern" era.

Long Run; have you read this?

http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Hell-Life- ... 0470289066

Even though I'm far from a fan of the band, it's a great read.

[Long Run]

Thanks, Gob. But why read when you can watch? Maybe as a last resort I'll pick it up when I am able to take it easy.

[Sean]

I've not long finished reading that book. Felder comes across as a whiny little bitch. I'd like to read the story from Frey's point of view as a comparison... That doco was superb though, well worth a watch.

[dgs49]

I thought that was a great documentary and gave good insights into the people and the processes involved.

Although I am not a music person, my own unsophisticated opinion is that, musically, the Eagles are head and shoulders above most of the other iconic bands of the 60's and 70's. The Beach Boys had some timeless tracks, but for volume of great work, no group even approaches them.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Obviously you've not heard of King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Genesis (before the drummer took over), Fink Ployd, Buffalo Springfield, Black Sabbath, er, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, my fingers got tired - anyone else?

[Gob]

Black Lace, Smokie, Mud, The Glitter band, all head and shoulders over the Eagles.

[Lord Jim]

I've only heard of one of the groups in Strop's list, (must be some obscure Welsh bands) but to Meade's list I would add Blue Oyster Cult, Cream, The Grateful Dead, Santana, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Jethro Tull just off the top of my head...

I'm not one of these music snobs who's going to dis The Eagles; I like a lot of their music and associate much of it with good times; but this statement:

for volume of great work, no group even approaches them.

Is just bizarre...

[Rick]

Van Halen

[Sean]

Be careful Rick, if you say that name three times whilst looking in a mirror 'he' will appear...

As to Eagles, I'm a fan. Yes, there have been better bands but when it comes to weaving guitar and vocal parts they are out there on their own. Not only that but in Bernie Leadon they had a multi-instrumentalist that only Brian Jones and Prince can be compared to and they replaced him with Joe Walsh... one of the great entertainers and an amazing guitarist.

[Gob]

As to Eagles, I'm a fan.

No hope for you really is there?

[dgs49]

FWIW: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_be ... ic_artists

Not that record sales necessarily correlates to quality/artistry.

I base my opinion on what shows up on my radar screen, which is a tiny fraction of what people who give a shit are actually listening to.

[Long Run]

Long Run; have you read this?

http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Hell-Life- ... 0470289066

Even though I'm far from a fan of the band, it's a great read.

Thanks, Gob. It was a good read. Interestingly, Felder's story of becoming a musician from a dirt poor background is more interesting than the Eagles stuff.

Also, before I saw the rockumentary (sounds Scooby-Doo-ish) and read the book, I thought I would like Glenn Frey and Don Felder and not like Don Henley or Timothy B. Schmitt, simply based on their stage presences. Turns out the only really likeable guys in the band are Timothy B. Schmitt and the guy he replaced, Randy Meissner. Frey and Felder both have major parts of their stories that reveal them to be pretty big jerks (though even jerks can have their good points). Henley is a "malcontent" (as Geffner says) but his unease was the driving force in his perfectionism that gave the Eagles their ultra-clean and ultra-popular sound (some would argue they would have benefited from a more organic sounds), so he is a little easier to like understanding that. Joe Walsh is a character, likeable in some ways but definitely a prima donna whose pranks always mean some regular guy is having to clean up after him, so hard to say he is a good guy.