I have two “Greatest Hits” albums (were there more?), and I’ve been known to listen to them incessantly. I also have a tribute album of Eagles tunes covered by various other artists, some of which topped the charts in their own rights (re: Travis Tritt and “Take it Easy”). I swear I wore a groove in the magnetic head on my cassette player in my truck in high school and college playing their tapes. The interesting thing is, I’m not from the Eagles “generation,” that would be my older brother, as he went through his teens in the 70’s and I went through mine in the 80’s.
I’ve also found lots of other early-30-somethings like myself that have discovered the Eagles, some of them pretty recently. What did the Eagles do to transcend the age thing? I personally believe their stuff is without peer, but is this a more-or-less universal opinion? How influential was (is) their music on other artists/genres (although they have been on rock/pop/AND country)?
Can’t speak for anyone else, but I can provide a dissenting opinion: I’m in my early thirties as well, and the Eagles are, hands-down, my all-time least favorite band. (Yes, worse than The Shaggs.) I liked them for a brief period in high school when I was into “classic rock” for a while, but now I find them irritatingly pompous and cloyingly safe; to me they emobody everything that people make fun of when they make fun of the suburbs. Not to bust on your taste, of course; that’s just my take.
As far as their influence goes, I’ll leave that to those more knowledgeable about music history and such. That whole “California Rock” genre seems to have come and gone; maybe they were more influential in country than in rock?
I’m 25 and I love the Eagles. I think I got into them from my parents. Well yeah, because they’d play them in the car. It’s one of the very few things the whole family can agree on to listen to in a car, actually.
I dig the Eagles. I don’t find them rebelious or ground-breaking or anything, but good, solid music on the whole.
I’ve got a buddy going up to see them in Montreal tonight (Monday).
Also, the Eagles’ vocals are everything the Beach Boys’ vocals should have been (I’m a decent fan of the Beach Boys, but their vocal harmonies were at times painfully off. The Eagles follow in their tradition, IMO, but do it with more musical talent, though perhaps less innovation).
Ick. The Eagles took country rock and blandified it into FM pabulum for the masses. If you like the genre, listen to The Byrds, The Allman Brothers, Neil Young, Crosby Stills and Nash {and Young} Gram Parsons {especially The Flying Burrito Brothers}, hell, even Lynyrd Skynrd and CCR. If you want something more contemporary, try Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Wilco and even later Replacements. Hell, listen to Flock Of Seagulls: anyone but those pedestrian hacks The Eagles. Oh yeah, and wine isn’t a spirit.
What’s the best reason I have for liking the Eagles? The beautiful, close harmony on the opening to Seven Bridges Road which still sends chills up my spine.
I concur. I hate to be a “hater,” but I just can’t stand the Eagles. They took everything cool about rock music AND country music and turned it into the most boring, bland, vanilla, SAFE crap. Neither genre has been quite the same since. I find their vocal harmonies “whiny” (especially compared to the Beach Boys, who I do like), and their songs perfectly suited for smug suburban yuppies and soccer moms who think they’re being all crazy and edgy by listening to that rock and roll. I definitely agree with Case Sensitive’s suggestions for artists who would appeal to Eagles fans, but are more interesting to listen to.
I grew up listening to the Eagles but am one of the fans who turned against them.
I think this is partly because I began to feel, around the time Hotel California came out, that they were taking themselves way too seriously.
I still like their old stuff (and yes, their harmonizing), but it’s more of a thing where I will enjoy it if it comes on the radio.
FWIW
Always liked, (and still do) both Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmidt, who were later members of the band. Those guys were/are excellent musicians who did not forget to loosen up and have a little bit of fun.
Poco did some nice country-rock stuff too back in the day. Always liked Rose of Cimarron. Emmy Lou Harris does a nice version of it.
BTW
Jackson Browne wrote “Take It Easy.” He is another old rocker whose star may have faded a bit now, but his songs still hold up well. He just came off as a good guy.
I deeply respect and appreciate their craft - songwriting, instrumental work, vocal and harmony work, etc. - but am not a particularly big fan of their art. Their songs stick with me more as an artifact of an era in my life than anything else. The issues I have with them are well stated in previous posts.
With one exception: Joe Walsh’s slide guitar solo in Victim of Love. It doesn’t get much better than that.
I luuurrrvvve the Eagles. I went to one of their concerts (little, tiny venue) when I was about five. How FREAKIN’ cool is that? That was twenty five years ago. I still think they’re great.
The Eagles is one of the few bands I’ll pay large amounts of cash to see. Two years ago I got 4th row tickets for their Farewell I Tour. It was incredible. My husband, who’s not into music at all, remarked afterward that they sounded better live than they did on their studio albums. That to me distinguishes a good band from a great band. 90% of the bands out there can create a decent song or two in the studio but cannot begin to approach that same sound when they play live.
I have always loved the Eagles. They were the introduction to Southern Rock to me. I was 15 in 1973 - a very influential age! I love their harmonies.
Stuff like Ol’ 55, and Seven Bridges Road - oh my! And I can still remember the day I heard Victim of Love for the first time. I was riding in the car with my friend Pat, heading down S. Post Oak, going to K-Mart. I couldn’t believe it was my beloved Eagles, rocking out!
Sadly, I’ve never seen them live. But if they ever come down here again, I’m gonna pay through the nose for the privilege.
My favorite American band, ever. There have been plenty of acts who were (and are )bland, boring, and safe, but the Eagles aren’t among them, IMO. I think Don Henley and Glenn Frey are the American Lennon and McCartney.
Another big fan of the Eagles. I don’t care if they occasionally slide into MOR-ville, or take themselves too seriously. They still made some of the greatest music of the 1970s.
I remember a college party, which started at 5 AM. We made big plastic garbage cans full of Tequila Sunrises, and just sat around being mellow while playing “Tequila Sunrise” over and over again. It was silly, but it’s a favorite memory.
And the Eagles are great musicians. In fact, they’ve been faulted by critics because they are so tight that their concerts sound exactly like their albums.
I have the “Hell Freezes Over” concert DVD in 5.1 DTS sound, and putting that on and just relaxing while the music washes over you is a very mellow and enjoyable experience.
No, they aren’t the Beatles, the Stones, or even the Allmans or Lynyrd Skynyrd. They don’t rock as hard, and their music isn’t as innovative. What it is is extremely well crafted, well performed, well written, catchy music. It’s timeless.