An appreciation of The Eagles

In light of my being so entirely pumped to see them in January (finally finally finally!!) , I thought I'd do another appreciation music post. The Eagles are a band that's just pretty much always been around most of my musical life. My father turned me on to them. After he and my mother divorced, my brother and I would spend weekends at his place, and he'd have "Hotel California" or one of their earlier albums playing so it was very comforting music to me. Easy to listen to.

Top notch writing and musicianship. Just some of the harmonies these guys can get out there! So here we go, a little "sampler" if you will, of my favorite Eagles tunes of the moment.

Hotel California





"Relax, said the night man. We are programmed to receive. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave". My favorite Eagles song. Always will be, I think. The guitar work of Don Felder (I miss seeing him in the band!) and Joe Walsh on this!

Love Will Keep Us Alive

Timothy B. Schmit's voice on this one! From "Hell Freezes Over". I love the words, too.

"Don't you worry, sometimes you've just gotta let it ride. The world is changing right before your eyes. Now I've found you, there's no more emptiness inside. When we're hungry, love will keep us alive."

Desperado

"Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger. Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home. And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'. Your prison is walking through this world all alone". And this beautiful nugget never even cracked the Top 40?! How is that possible?

Witchy Woman

Sentimental favorite. I remember after school rollerskating parties in the school gymnasium some Fridays, and this one was always played. Linked is a clip from the early 70s with the original band lineup. Bernie Leadon!!!

"She held me spellbound in the night, dancing shadows and firelight. Crazy laughter in another room, and she drove herself to madness with a silver spoon."

Life In The Fast Lane

Nice rocker! "He was a hard-headed man he was brutally handsome. And she was terminally pretty. She held him up and he held her for ransom in the heart of the cold, cold city. He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude, they said he was ruthless said he was crude. They had one thing in common, they were good in bed. She said faster, faster, the lights are turning red."

I Can't Tell You Why

Another of Timothy B. Schmit's sweet vocal leads. Nice little guitar solo here, too. "Look at us baby, up all night tearing our love apart. Aren't we the same two people who lived through years in the dark? Ahh... Every time I try to walk away something makes me turn around and stay and I can't tell you why."

Tequila Sunrise

It's the melody and the lyrics that make me like this one so much. "Its another tequila sunrise, starin' slowly across the sky, they said goodbye.He was just a hired hand workin' on the dreams he planned to try. The days go by."

Take It To The Limit

You can always just hum or sing along to this one, it's an easy key, and I find the sound and melody quite calming. "All alone at the end of the of the evening, and the bright lights have faded to blue. I was thinking 'bout a woman who might have loved me and I never knew..."

One Of These Nights

Classic. Simply classic. "I've been searching for the daughter of the devil himself, I've been searching for an angel in white. I've been waiting for a woman who's a little of both, and I can feel her but she's nowhere in sight."

Hole In The World

Written as a response to the events of September 11, 2001. This one showcases the beautiful and classic five part harmonies the Eagles are known for, and the song just gives me goosebumps.

"There's a hole in the world tonight. There's a cloud of fear and sorrow. There's a hole in the world tonight. Don't let there be a hole in the world tomorrow.
They say that anger is just love disappointed. They say that love is just a state of mind. But all this fighting over who will be anointed. Oh how can people be so blind..."



I could go on and on here, but I'll leave one more. It's the one I hear a lot at work lately and it makes me smile, because it's the Eagles, and they're back, sounding just as fantastic as ever....

Busy Being Fabulous

"And you were just too busy being fabulous, too busy to think about us. I don't know what you were dreaming of, somehow you forgot about love. And you were just too busy being fabulous, uh-huh." And! How Long is another off Long Road Out Of Eden that's fabulous in its own right! You can buy the CD on the website:

Official Band Web Site

I can't WAIT to hear many of these songs LIVE!!! *dances*