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He grew to become the Eagles’ unquestioned chief following Glenn Frey’s loss of life, however Don Henley acquired off to a decidedly sluggish begin as a songwriter. He solely had one co-credited composition on their 1972 debut.
Issues had been completely different by the flip of the ’80s. He helped the Eagles to their first and second chart toppers with 1974’s “Better of My Love” and 1975’s “Certainly one of These Nights.” Then he fronted hit-song title tracks for 2 consecutive albums: “Lodge California” was a platinum-selling No. 1 smash in 1977, whereas “The Lengthy Run” reached the High 10 in 1979.
In between, he sang and co-wrote 18 extra Eagles songs. Whereas rating them, we put apart cowl songs, dwell variations, box-set extras, reprises or repeated instrumental parts from the period. So, terrific vocal performances on Eagles updates of Jackson Browne’s “Nightingale” and Tom Waits’ “Ol’ ’55” will not seem. Neither will “Visions,” which showcased Don Felder as principal singer.
Sadly, the underside of the record is dominated by songs from the album that ended the ’70s – and, at the very least for some time anyway, the band:
22. “The Disco Strangler”
From: The Lengthy Run (1979)
Co-credited to Frey, Henley and Don Felder, “The Disco Strangler” is Henley at his most dour – however now that includes a disco bass line! This time, Henley employs a gravelly tenor to skewer individuals who would dare exit to have an excellent time, however the painfully apparent theme can solely settle into an unmusical ever-revolving riff. “The Disco Strangler” may need pushed Eagles followers to their very own murderous deeds had it not mercifully began to fade at in regards to the 2:30 mark.
21. “Teenage Jail”
From: The Lengthy Run (1979)
Irritating musically, unfocused lyrically and that includes a squiggly synthesizer solo(!) from Frey, this in some way ended up because the B-side to his galloping chart-topper “Heartache Tonight.” That is the definition of Eagles yin and Eagles yang. It is nonetheless troublesome to imagine that J.D. Souther — the easygoing country-rocker who helped compose signature Eagles songs like “Better of My Love,” “Sufferer of Love” and “New Child in City” — was concerned with such a plodding throwaway.
20. “The Greeks Do not Need No Freaks”
From: The Lengthy Run (1979)
Clearly exhausted, each creatively and spiritually, Henley did what many individuals do: He acquired nostalgic. On this case, it was for the faculty fraternity-party circuit in Austin, the place Henley’s pre-Eagles band Shiloh used to play on weekends earlier than he discovered fame. However an excessive amount of had modified within the interim. So, “The Greeks Do not Need No Freaks” shares the model – however not the angle, wit, gumption, looseness or humor – of the outdated ’60s frat-rock band ? and the Mysterians.
19. “On the Border”
From: On the Border (1974)
On the Border arrived through the Eagles’ transition from roots to rock, personified by the mid-sessions exit of early producer Glyn Johns. (He oversaw solely “You By no means Cry Like a Lover” and “Better of My Love,” although the latter grew to become the primary of 5 Eagles chart-toppers.) The title observe illustrated the problem they initially had in toughening up. A slipshod try at dunking on not too long ago resigned President Richard Nixon, “On the Border” is not as sharp because it must be lyrically – or musically. Had been they really attempting for a Temptations vibe?
18. “You By no means Cry Like a Lover”
From: On the Border (1974)
If there was ever a doubt, Don Henley reminds us that he is method too good for his lady. (He’d return to this theme on “Busy Being Fabulous” from 2007’s Lengthy Highway Out of Eden, amongst others.)
17. “Hollywood Waltz”
From: Certainly one of These Nights (1975)
Henley and the Eagles had been steaming towards a brand new rock-focused method, however this Bernie Leadon co-write confirmed they hadn’t but utterly discarded the band’s dusty-booted authentic sound — and to nice impact. Leadon’s in every single place on this observe, plucking away on the mandolin when he is not including a ruminative pedal-steel whine.
16. “King of Hollywood”
From: The Lengthy Run (1979)
There is a welcome echo of Walter Becker right here, each within the low-voiced foreboding and the observe’s Los Angeles environs – however with out the perverse humorousness, after all. All of it devolves into one other nice guitar exercise.
15. “Doolin-Dalton”
From: Desperado (1973)
“Doolin-Dalton” was a fantastic scene-setter. Possibly too nice. The Eagles ended up taking the iffy Previous West topic too far, whereas returning to this tune’s musical theme an completely unneeded variety of instances – together with each an instrumental model and an album-closing reprise.
14. “After the Thrill Is Gone”
From: Certainly one of These Nights (1975)
Taking a rueful look again on the wreckage a misplaced relationship was already turning into outdated hat for Frey and Henley, even this early on, and that is doubtless why “After the Thrill Is Gone” hasn’t gained wider consideration. This tucked-away gem is made full by Don Felder’s solo, which provides a contact of simmering anger.
13. “Sufferer of Love”
From: Lodge California (1976)
“Sufferer of Love” begins with a stuttering, snarling guitar, then Henley paints a dim portrait of this determined seek for late-night companionship amid a sequence of nasty Felder retorts. The guitarist additionally earned a co-writing credit score on the observe.
12. “Wasted Time”
From: Lodge California (1976)
Henley co-wrote and sang it, however “Wasted Time” actually speaks to Frey’s ardour for R&B music – on this case, ’70s-era Philly soul. They added some distinctly un-country rock-like strings, after which Frey – who as soon as described Henley as “our Teddy Pendergrass” – left his longtime bandmate to his personal vocal units. “You are not going to search out that observe on a Crosby, Stills & Nash document or Seaside Boys document,” Frey added. “Don’s singing talents stretched so a lot of our boundaries. He might sing the telephone guide. It did not matter.”
11. “These Sneakers”
From: The Lengthy Run (1979)
The musical relationship between Felder and Joe Walsh, as each foils and mates, helped outline the group’s sound within the late ’70s. Collectively, they offer this Henley-sung observe a steely menace. Felder co-wrote “These Sneakers” and impressively mixes it up with Walsh throughout one of many decade’s most memorable talk-box road fights – and that is saying one thing.
10. “Saturday Evening”
From: Desperado (1973)
A real band composition, “Saturday Evening” grew out of a stray thought Meisner had about rising up. “I used to be sitting there one night time, and I got here up with the road ‘What ever occurred to Saturday night time?'” Meisner later remembered. “After I was youthful, I might be out partying and with women and having enjoyable. And that is what it was about: No matter occurred to it? And the reply was, ‘You are older now.'” This second of introspection, delicately led alongside by Leadon’s mandolin, grounds an album that attempted to get slowed down in its Massive Idea.
9. “Witchy Girl”
From: Eagles (1972)
Henley’s solely songwriting credit score on the Eagles’ first album arrived courtesy of a half-finished tune Leadon had been engaged on since his days with the Flying Burrito Brothers. Leadon “came visiting sooner or later and began enjoying this unusual, minor-key riff that sounded form of like a Hollywood film model of Indian music — you understand, the type of stuff they play when the Indians journey up on the ridge whereas the wagon prepare passes beneath,” Henley later instructed Cameron Crowe. “It had a haunting high quality, and I assumed it was fascinating, so we put a tough model of it down on a cassette tape.” Frey accomplished issues with one other standout guitar solo.
8. “The Final Resort”
From: Lodge California (1976)
Henley would explicitly tie “The Final Resort” to his rising activism over environmental points, and there may be definitely loads of righteous anger straight regarding our poor stewardship. However, in context, this all the time felt like one thing greater than one other of his political screeds. An album outlined by empty dissolution as an alternative ends the one method it might: with a lonesome determine, surrounded by wreckage of his personal making.
7. “Desperado”
From: Desperado (1973)
The title tune for this Previous West-themed challenge had been rattling round in Henley’s head since at the very least 1968, however Frey was the primary proponent of the bigger rockers-as-cowboy-outlaws idea. The target, it appeared, was to make a grand assertion in order that the Eagles may be taken extra severely. They learn books about tumbleweed antiheroes like Invoice Dalton, plugged in some interludes after which up to date “Desperado” to make all of it match. Initially, nonetheless, the tune had what would have been a very tragic astrological bent. Frey remembered Henley’s authentic lyric as, “Leo, my God, why do not you come to your senses?” Glad the Eagles did.
6. “Life within the Quick Lane”
From: Lodge California (1976)
Walsh was playing around with this riff in a free rehearsal second when the others took discover. Henley requested, “What the hell is that? We have got to determine to make a tune out of that.” Then, a while later, Frey was barreling down the Santa Monica freeway with a drug supplier he referred to as “the Depend.” “I used to be using shotgun in a Corvette on the way in which to a poker sport. The following factor I knew we’re going about 90 miles an hour,” Frey later remembered. “I say, ‘Hey, man, what are you doing?’ And he checked out me and he grinned, and he goes, ‘Life within the quick lane!'” Launched as the ultimate single from Lodge California, the ensuing single shot to No. 11.
5. “The Unhappy Cafe”
From: The Lengthy Run (1979)
Regardless of reloading with Timothy B. Schmit for The Lengthy Run, a malaise had clearly crept in. This LP was dotted with halfhearted efforts earlier than the Eagles lastly righted issues with the album-closing “The Unhappy Cafe.” In some ways, this cinematic observe units a template for Don Henley’s subsequent solo profession, as he provides a darkly ruminative examination of affection misplaced. However it would not have been such a becoming finale with out Felder’s elegiac, completely virtuosic activate guitar.
4. “The Lengthy Run”
From: The Lengthy Run (1979)
The Eagles had scaled the mountain high, reaching an era-defining plateau with Lodge California. There was, actually, nowhere to go however down. Nonetheless, because the title observe from the band’s remaining classic-era album makes clear, they supposed to go down swinging. “Disco had exploded, and punk was on the rise,” Henley instructed Rolling Stone. “We had been starting to see press articles about how we had been passe. These type of jabs had been a part of the inspiration for the tune The Lengthy Run: Who’s gonna make it? We’ll discover out in the long term.'” In fact, the group promptly imploded. However their legacy solely grew, finally main the Eagles again for an inconceivable ’90s-era reunion.
3. “Better of My Love”
From: On the Border (1974)
That is remembered immediately because the Eagles’ breakthrough single, however there was a little bit of controversy concerned with reaching that objective. Appears the band’s label shortened the tune for airplay — with out clearing something beforehand. “Better of My Love” grew to become the primary chart-topper for the Eagles however not earlier than going from 4:34 on 1974’s On the Border to three:25 on the AM radio edit. That so infuriated everybody that the band got here up with an ingenious plan, hacking a chunk out of a forty five single lined in gold paint then presenting it to the bosses on the Asylum Information places of work. Message obtained.
2. “Certainly one of These Nights”
From: Certainly one of These Nights (1975)
The objective was to interrupt the ballad template, stirring in modern R&B sounds and a sneaky lyric that pulls no punches. Every thing was coming collectively for Frey and Henley, who had been shortly rising because the group’s finest songwriters. Nonetheless, newcomer Don Felder performed an enormous position in serving to the Eagles shed their country-rock pretensions. He organized the unforgettable bass and guitar signature for “Certainly one of These Nights,” and his searing solo then neatly underscores this No. 1 tune’s bitter sense of missed alternatives.
1. “Lodge California”
From: Lodge California (1976)
Seems this tune’s off-the-cuff brilliance wasn’t so off-the-cuff, in any case. The concluding twin-guitar solo on “Lodge California” has moved into classic-rock lore, representing essentially the most well-known in a sequence of fiery collaborations between Felder and not too long ago put in new member Joe Walsh. However it wasn’t improvised in any respect. As an alternative, the finished Eagles tune mirrors — virtually notice for notice, at Henley’s insistence — the unique instrumental demo that Felder created in his Los Angeles dwelling. A name to Felder’s housekeeper led to a frantic search by way of all of his cassettes. She then put the discovered tape right into a boombox and performed it by way of the telephone so Walsh and Felder might study the unique twin solos.
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