Nice picture of sand! MMmmmm...sand.One of the keys to Marketing is knowing your audience. In the 70's, The Eagles figured out the public wanted to hear Country and Rock mashed together like Peanut Butter and Chocolate to make two great tastes that taste great together. It was a recipe that led to two of the best selling albums of all time and made millions fantasize about being Desperados or driving flat bed Fords with seven women on their mind.
Following their disillusion in the early 80's, the group went into solo work. Their solo work bore little resemblance to the Eagles in that there was no more Country music influence. The 80's demanded electronic drums, synthesizers and saxophones. And instead of looking for Tequila Sunrises, Don Henley and Glenn Frey belonged to the city where the heat was on.
Ever the canny businessmen, when the solo hits dried up the Eagles reformed for what's been a 13 year reunion / farewell tour culminating in their first new album since 1979, Long Road Out of Eden. Sold exclusively at Wal Mart because the Eagles figured out their fans really want to buy their music while picking up laundry detergent and car batteries.
It's a moot yet fun point to make that the Eagles are more artiface than art, but I still enjoy their harmonies and inoffensive Country Rock sound. I got Long Road Out of Eden for Christmas so let's get down to business.
Long Road is a double disc set six years in the making. It functions as a loosely structured concept album like Hotel California did, still bemoaning the decay of western civilization. In a way it's like Pink Floyd's The Wall in that the first album is about isolation while the second album is about breaking out. Fortunately, as curmudgeonly as Don Henley gets in his old age he lacks the bile of Roger Waters. Could you imagine the Eagles singing Roger Water lyrics? I would love to hear them sing "You can't have any pudding if you don't beat your meat!" That would be...interesting.
Got off track there, the first disc starts off with old school Eagles a capella harmonizing about-I think it's about a Bear crapping in the woods or something. Whatever, it sounds good. The next song and first single is "How Long". Easily the best thing they've released since "The Long Run", "How Long' is a kicky piece of Country rock reminiscent of their early work. And how clever is that to have your first album in 28 years have a song called "How Long" as the single?
The rest of the disc goes into a pleasant state of mellowness that tackle familiar Eagles themes of jadedness ("Busy Being Fabulous"), lovelorn ("What Do I Do With My Heart") or with Timothy B Schmidt on board really lovelorn ("I Don't Want To Hear Anymore"). "Waiting In The Weeds" brings back some of the earthy Countryness and sounds great. Joe Walsh delivers a dose of friendly blues on "Guilty Of The Crime". The Adult Contemporary hit "No More Cloudy Days" also has a pleasant feel.
After the amusing "Do Something" (this song is so laid back it's funny when they croon "Doooo Soommethinggg") the first side ends with "You Are Not Alone" to set up the second disc.
The second disc starts with the apocalyptic title track obviously meant to be the successor to "Hotel California". The bands political side comes out with them dreaming of no war and Henley shouting down the establishment on "Frail Grasp of the Big Picture". The second uptempo track shows up with the 80's influenced rock of "Somebody". And Joe Walsh turns into Steely Dan for "Last Good Time In Town".
By the end of the second disc, the Eagles assure us that they're not the Center of the Universe and that it's our World now. As far as double albums go, this one's well structured and plays to the bands strengths. From the Countryish beginnings, the romantic middle section and political third act Long Road Out Of Eden reads like a summary of the band's career. A hello from an old friend and a goodbye. Long Road Out Of Eden isn't the greatest album of all time, but it is a fine addition to their storied career. If you don't mind being lectured about being a materialistic sell out by a bunch of materialistic sell outs. I still like 'em anyway.
Someone' put together a slide show to "Waiting In The Weeds", so I thought it would be cool to include it here. After "How Long", it's my favorite song on the new disc.
Following their disillusion in the early 80's, the group went into solo work. Their solo work bore little resemblance to the Eagles in that there was no more Country music influence. The 80's demanded electronic drums, synthesizers and saxophones. And instead of looking for Tequila Sunrises, Don Henley and Glenn Frey belonged to the city where the heat was on.
Ever the canny businessmen, when the solo hits dried up the Eagles reformed for what's been a 13 year reunion / farewell tour culminating in their first new album since 1979, Long Road Out of Eden. Sold exclusively at Wal Mart because the Eagles figured out their fans really want to buy their music while picking up laundry detergent and car batteries.
It's a moot yet fun point to make that the Eagles are more artiface than art, but I still enjoy their harmonies and inoffensive Country Rock sound. I got Long Road Out of Eden for Christmas so let's get down to business.
Long Road is a double disc set six years in the making. It functions as a loosely structured concept album like Hotel California did, still bemoaning the decay of western civilization. In a way it's like Pink Floyd's The Wall in that the first album is about isolation while the second album is about breaking out. Fortunately, as curmudgeonly as Don Henley gets in his old age he lacks the bile of Roger Waters. Could you imagine the Eagles singing Roger Water lyrics? I would love to hear them sing "You can't have any pudding if you don't beat your meat!" That would be...interesting.
Got off track there, the first disc starts off with old school Eagles a capella harmonizing about-I think it's about a Bear crapping in the woods or something. Whatever, it sounds good. The next song and first single is "How Long". Easily the best thing they've released since "The Long Run", "How Long' is a kicky piece of Country rock reminiscent of their early work. And how clever is that to have your first album in 28 years have a song called "How Long" as the single?
The rest of the disc goes into a pleasant state of mellowness that tackle familiar Eagles themes of jadedness ("Busy Being Fabulous"), lovelorn ("What Do I Do With My Heart") or with Timothy B Schmidt on board really lovelorn ("I Don't Want To Hear Anymore"). "Waiting In The Weeds" brings back some of the earthy Countryness and sounds great. Joe Walsh delivers a dose of friendly blues on "Guilty Of The Crime". The Adult Contemporary hit "No More Cloudy Days" also has a pleasant feel.
After the amusing "Do Something" (this song is so laid back it's funny when they croon "Doooo Soommethinggg") the first side ends with "You Are Not Alone" to set up the second disc.
The second disc starts with the apocalyptic title track obviously meant to be the successor to "Hotel California". The bands political side comes out with them dreaming of no war and Henley shouting down the establishment on "Frail Grasp of the Big Picture". The second uptempo track shows up with the 80's influenced rock of "Somebody". And Joe Walsh turns into Steely Dan for "Last Good Time In Town".
By the end of the second disc, the Eagles assure us that they're not the Center of the Universe and that it's our World now. As far as double albums go, this one's well structured and plays to the bands strengths. From the Countryish beginnings, the romantic middle section and political third act Long Road Out Of Eden reads like a summary of the band's career. A hello from an old friend and a goodbye. Long Road Out Of Eden isn't the greatest album of all time, but it is a fine addition to their storied career. If you don't mind being lectured about being a materialistic sell out by a bunch of materialistic sell outs. I still like 'em anyway.
Someone' put together a slide show to "Waiting In The Weeds", so I thought it would be cool to include it here. After "How Long", it's my favorite song on the new disc.
The Eagles - "Waiting in the Weeds"
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