The Show Must go On.. Sad About Felder? "Get Over It."
Unlike many bands in the last forty years that are clearly challenged when key members come and go, the Eagles have been one of the very few to be resilient. Gone are the days with Bernie Leadon's banjo playing, Randy Meisner's country rock drives with his bass and Don Felder with some of the most well known guitar licks ever played.
Success or failure appears to be largely driven by turnover happening with or without the lead singer. Journey was permanently set back when ousting Steve Perry, Van Halen returned with David Lee Roth to finish 2007 with the 5th largest grossing tour worldwide with $56M in ticket sales. For the Eagles, as long as Henley, Fry and less Schmidt and Walsh stay cohesive, the vocal sounds which drive the success of this band will live on until they choose to stop playing together.
The most recent fall out: Don Felder. Bottom line, it just does not matter. Loyalist will disagree but they are wrong both vocally and musically and in the words of the Eagles directly "Get Over It.".
With a new Grammy award in 2008 for How Long on the new Long Road Out of Eden (and well deserved), the Eagles have proven once again that immense attention to detail in the studio can pay big dividends. The Eagle's Nokia Center show in Los Angeles would be impossible to review without much mention to the new two CD music release of Long Road out of Eden. In that as much as half of there set was playing these new songs, this concert review is as much a CD review. Here is why:
I can go on and tell you how great Hotel California is or One of These Nights, but if you are reading this, you are already a fan of the Eagles and there is little to say; the vocal and musical performance of the classic hits where and are always flawless. That is the foundation of the Eagles. This is the corner stone of their success. Pushing perfection in the studio and on stage makes it truly difficult to find flaw. In that I am technically trained, I can pick out the flaws; I rarely find them at Eagles shows. There music is not as complicated as a B side musical number from Rush or some complicated key changing masterpiece from Steely Dan, but songs are played approaching perfection. The only other performer that I have seen with this level of attention to performance detail would be Bob James (famous for the Theme to Taxi). Saw Mr. James at the Catalina Jazz Festival in the early 1990's. Absolute perfection.
The new music from Long Road Out of Eden took some getting used to. There is really no song in this collection in which you would listen to a single time and go "wow, that is the one that is going to be a #1 hit." There is also not a big stretch in musical arrangements as well from the last 30+ years. Consider this new effort a quintessential collection of new California classic rock songs; it is really what I wanted and what most Eagles fans want. Jimmy Buffet has not had a big hit in 20 years but it did not stop jimmy Buffet grossing more than $35M last year in ticket sales.
The band has a true challenge. How do you position yourself in today's market to ensure long term success and to drive interest in a younger generation? If you put out music like Dave Matthews Band it is probably not going to work and it would drive criticism. If you try and change you sound to much, you fear loosing one of the longest and most prolific followings in all of rock and roll. Where can you play today if you are the Eagles? Country music has a home; they drove it home.
What the group did was create a collection of music that Don Henley wanted to sing, music in which Glenn Frey wanted to sing, and the same with Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmidt. The two disk 20 song playlist is clearly eclectic and has little flow from song to song. If you have followed their solo careers, you can tell literally from the first two or three bars which member is going to sing which song. If you look closely at the CD insert, you will also see that each member used their own personal publishing company for their own songs. And why not? What a great way to get along in the new minimum. Hold your own publishing rights, sing your own songs, play on each other's tunes and call it an Eagles album. It should never go unsaid that Mr. Azoff and the members of this band do not consider marketing and sales as it relates to their products. They do, it shows, and it is brilliant.
So, back to the concert review.
Of all of the new songs in which the band performed, I was most taken with Waiting in the Weeds. Sure, How Long is going to be the front runner from a popularity stand point. It takes listeners right back to Already Gone off the On the Border Album. Good pace, straight forward classic rock, and likely to be covered by every bar cover band for the next 20 years. But Waiting in the Weeds takes the listener somewhere else. A story about a man who loved a woman who he would never get. No big bang, no glory, just someone left with fading adolescent anguish over a life long love that would never be. The lyrics are exceptional but musically, this is a stand out.
Those of you who have played the second side (younger readers, don't turn your CD over, this is in reference to records - those large black disk things your parents have on the shelf) of Hotel California; somewhere between Pretty Maids all in a Row, Try and Love Again and The Last Resort. If you have a CD, this would now be the last 4-6 songs in that collection. It fits the category of the song you can not get out of your head; the sit back on a rain filled day and listen to over and over. Sort of like the entire Bruce Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town album. Kudos to Mr. Henley for not withholding this gem for his next solo album.
Other positive mention of this collection is Henley's Busy Being Fabulous. If you have a few minutes, the video of this is great. You can find it just about everywhere online. A simple direct classic Eagles tune that will live on.
Mr. Frey has a few positive points of his own. I know in the past 15 years or so, Glenn Frey has been playing and investing time with more new age music. This was featured at intermission, rolling into the first song of the second set at the 1999 millennium concert (rolling into Seven Bridges Road). I would have to say that Glenn has been influenced in his more later years by bands like Lee Ritinour and the Yellow Jackets. If you are a jazz fan and like Lee Ritinour, get the older 80's album Banded Together or the Yellow Jackets Samurai Samba album. Pretty sure Glenn has these listening to his newer sounding music.
You are Not Alone is a solid effort on Glenn's part. It was also nice of him to share this with the band and not hold it back for a future solo album one day as well. This is another tune in this collection that will get stuck in your head for a few days after listening to it. Additional points for No More Cloudy Days. Not his best effort but Glenn has a lot to live up to; his own portfolio; very high standards being in a band that has sold as many records as they have.
Both Frey and Henley performed these songs during the live show. I know of many fans that would prefer them to "Elton John" their entire show and stick with the known songs. Performers with such as deep collection of hits always run the risk of letting down a fan in that their favorite song may not be played. I saw Genesis in the 1980's and was disappointed they did not play Man on the Corner. I get it. But, you also have to give them a break. New material keeps the chops fresh and the shows interesting to them. Here is an idea. If you want to make sure you favorite song by the Eagles will always be played, change your favorite song to Hotel California and not Pretty Maids all in a Row. I promise you, you will never be let down.
I was a little disappointed on Timothy B. Schmitt's and Joe Walsh's contribution. The songs are fine (B+) but I always feel their talents are overshadowed a bit (hard not to be if Henley and Frey are your partners). If we could record everything that Joe Walsh does now and in the future on old recording equipment circa 1976-1978, I think it would sound better. Something about his music being over processed in today's digital studio, forcing Eagles studio perfection, etc. removes that edgy, not sure if every note was played perfectly or in time (which is cool), classic feel.
I was at the real first show after they got back together (that would have been NOT exactly the Eagles but a benefit concerts for the Tiger Woods Foundation at Universal Studios in LA), at the first official show of the official Hell Freezes Over Tour (Irvine), the millennium night show (12/31/99) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the most recent new Nokia Center show in Los Angeles.
There is no group that exists today that can compare to the stunning and haunting melodies of the members of the Eagles. There is a reason why many a Grammy nod has gone their way for Best Vocal Performance by a Due or Group. The title of the award says it all. Best Vocal Performance. So, bottom line, you know what you are going to get; a concert in which, if you are fan of harmony, you will hear a show that is always at the very highest level possible in listening.
I have been a bit hard on the band over the years for not brining back Randy Meisner for the millennium concert and getting so wrapped up with Don Felder, for whatever reason, to have him no longer play with the band. But, in that I have had many partners in business over the years and have a list of individuals I would never work with again, I really get this now that I am older. My suggestion to you as well:
Get Over It.
I did, made my peace, and back loving the shows again.
Here is my suggestion. For members of the fan community that are older and do not have as much time to listen to a CD 100 times before a show so we can get used to new material like we did when we were younger, do it anyway. It is hard to appreciate new material if you have not made it part of your emotional soundtrack. Buy the new record and get comfortable with the material before you see the show. You may find that your new favorite Eagles song will be played.
If you have not seen them in a while. Get good seats. Most of us long time Eagles fans do not have time to get out as much any more. If you are going to go to the show, do it right. Get good seats (shameless plug for our advertisers at www.concerttickets.com who are largely ticket brokers).
David Johnson
Founder, Writer
ConcertTickets.com, Inc.
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EAGLES CONCERT TICKETS CONTEST -
So, for the die hard fans of the Eagles, if you can prove you are more of a fan than I am of this band, I will provide the winner tickets to a show in 2009. This contest is subjective, my opinion, and I will select one from all stories if it tops mine below. Cut off date of 12/31/08. Submit with link to form at the bottom of this section.
In 1980 I was 13 and just started to get into music and started to pay attention of the names of the artist who where playing and singing the songs I like so much. Back then it was called rock; today it's classic rock.
I was just starting in school band (junior high/middle school) playing saxophone and went into a music store to buy some reeds for my new sax. Anyway, on a rack in the store I saw the album covers of some records I had and noticed the sheet music was available. I looked around the rack and saw a book called Eagles Complete. Those of you who play know this is gigantic several hundred page book of all of their music through 1980. I looked through it and recognized many of the songs. Sure, I knew that Hotel California was by them but was surprised to learn I knew of about 20 songs in the book. Well, I got my mom to buy it for me but as I was just learning to play saxophone which was really was not the right instrument to play with a song book based around piano and guitar. Sitting in my back yard in the West end of the San Fernando Valley playing the notes to Hotel California as a beginning saxophonist, I am sure I thrilled my neighbors.
I sat down at the piano and found the easiest song to play which was the intro to Desperado. Over the next three years learning music theory at school and investing most of my teen years learning piano, I learned every song in this book and bought every album. I knew every key of every song, who wrote which song, learned most of all harmony parts. I learned how to play piano competently from an Eagles sheet music book.
It was around the same time I started to learn what concerts were. My father's company had season tickets to all events at the Forum in Los Angeles. Needless to say, from 1981 to about 1984 I saw about 100 shows. But, by this time the Eagles had broken up and it really bothered me personally that I would never see them. We are all typically a bit more emotional at this time in our lives but, even to this day, I can recall a profound sense of loss in not being able to see the band in which I had invested thousands of hours learning how to play their music. Note, it was not a one book show, I had many books by this time of many different bands and performers; but the focus was on the big blue book.
Around 1981, I hand wrote a letting to Front Line Management right after the break up explaining in detail my sadness of the situation. Thinking of this now, it must have been entertaining to the staff. I am pretty sure it was directed to Irv Azoff. A 13 year old hand written note. It is the biggest break up of the most successful band in America and I am writing notes to their management team expressing my dissatisfaction.
Anyway, I got a response from a woman named Jody Ludnine. Probably spelled wrong and I am sure she no longer works there (Allison Azoff probably took her job at some point) but what she sent me was really cool. She wrote me a note acknowledging my situation and sent me the press kits of Don Henley and Glenn Fry's new solo album releases. I thought I had something so unique and so special beyond what most fans would ever have. It had glossy's, bio's, histories, article reprints, all on I Can't Stand Still and No Fun Allowed stationary.
It's now 2008, I am a forty year old internationally recognized wireless data expert, sold multiple business, been a guest on CNN, last company I started had over 500,000 software users, training to over 30,000 wireless reps, feature article writer from Mission Critical Magazine, etc.; I still have those press kits and still remember the name of Jody Ludnine. What a cool thing she did. If any of you know where she might be today (probably now in her sixties, I would love to take her out to dinner. If you know her, have her email me. Would have been like a receptionist for Frontline Management in the early 1980's.
When I was 15, my father would take me to Lakers games sometimes. Just about 10 rows down from where our seats were was the end of the bench in where Glenn Fry had season tickets. He would show up sometimes in a pink tuxedo. Our seats were really cool, they were next to the season tickets of REO Speedwagon (Kevin's seats). Anyway, I saw a steady stream of people going up to Glenn, shaking his hand, etc. But, it looked like he was annoyed at times. I really did not want to bother him. But I would stand about 15 feet away and listen to him say thank you over and over to many of fan. I guess I was just a little uncomfortable in wanting to make the introduction and thought it was a little classless. Honestly, what would I say. I learned how to play piano with his music? I had all of his albums? What would be the point. I would just sound like every other idiot that was bothering him at the game. And doing so at 14-15 years old.
He did however, pick up passively that I was there some of the time. Maybe I was perceived as a 15 year old stocker or there was some respect in that I had never actually bothered him.
One game was different.
I took my girlfriend at the time to a game. She knew how much I liked the Eagles and she was interested in meeting him. I really did not want to do it but, hey the hot 15 girl wants to meet Glenn, well, what could I do.
We approached him after several other folks during a quarter break. I was nervous. Glenn looked at me, said "hey buddy, what's up," slapped my hand and asked me who my date was. He acted like we were friends and just blew away my girlfriend. The reality was that my girl new the history at the Lakers games but both of us were pretty blown away that he would make an effort to be a wing man for an unknown 15 year old kid he never met. Pretty cool of him I would have to say. I think he went to most of the games with Don Felder; but all the long haired bearded rock guys kind of looked the same to me then.
You still think you are more of an Eagles fan?? You have to surpass this one:
It was time to leave for college. Home life was not the best and I decided that the first college to accept me out of state (grew up in Woodland Hills, CA) I was going to attend. I was accepted to the University of Arizona first, then Colorado and Arizona State University. So, I become a Wildcat and headed for Tucson.
Six years at this point now playing sax and piano (just shredding all of my adolescent anxiety into playing), I planned and joined the University of Arizona Marching Band and Pep band (always glad to hear from fellow Wildcats as my blood does run both cardinal and navy). I was up for a music scholarship and went into audition. I played through the requirements on my saxophone and did not make the scholarship I set out for. But, they had some dual instrument thing back then to pay for tuition as a grant/scholarship for students out of state. They mentioned this and asked if I played any other instrument. I said I was self taught on the piano and they asked me to play for them.
With my limited portfolio I choose to play New Kid in Town for them. I got the grant to pay for school; at least for my first year. So, the Eagles were instrumental in me receiving free tuition in College.
Anyway, the grant stated that I had to be in two ensembles a semester. Of course I picked marching band and pep band. And what a great time to be in the pep band. Lute Olsen's 2-6th year. I even got to go the Final Four, watched Steve Kerr, Sean Elliot and others play year after year; just incredible. I got called into the Director of Music's office. He said that although I technically filled the requirement of two ensembles, it did not go to the spirit they wanted me to participate in. Lost the grant for year two but I did stay in marching band and pep band. Funny that the rules of the scholarship descriptions of what ensembles were changed after my first semester. The other issue was they wanted me to practice a lot. Once music became business oriented, I did not want the scholarship anyway. Started to feel like I was in the studio having a tooth pulled like the making of the Long Run album was claimed to be. I did catch Don Henley in Tucson for some Sanctuary fund raiser in 1985 on campus. That was my first live performance of anyone in the Eagles after well over 100 concerts in my teens.
So, at this point, I owe the Eagles for better sex with my girlfriend, and at that time, money for college.
As a Psychology major, I found myself working in mental heath for several years in the early 1990s. This was a facility made famous while I was there by People Magazine publishing the fact that folks like Drew Barrymore and others (BTW - her class act today is no act; truly a stand out person at 13 years old and even more so today). One of the counselors their was a man named Dallas Taylor. He was the original drummer for Crosby, Stills and Nash, played at Woodstock and virtually lost it all to drugs. Dallas today is a professional interventionist for drug rehabilitation based in Los Angeles.
Dallas' health was failing due to liver failure (that is the code word for drinking too much in your youth). Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young planned a benefit concert for Dallas to raise money for his surgery. In that Dallas worked in a different department than I did, I did not know him that well. The entire hospital rallied around Dallas and everyone was passively asked to donate money for him.
I decided that I would endorse over my overtime check to him that week; whatever it was. For some reason I ended up doing a fair amount of overtime. At $7.20 an hour I passed over a $100.00 check to him after tax.
I was told by the director of nursing (still annoyed that this was none of her business) that this was a larger donation to Dallas than even the MDs that worked at the facility. It really was not about the money at the time. Dallas was a decent person to me while I worked there and thought of him passing away really bothered me.
Anyway, the day of the concert came. I showed up to work and they stated that I was asked to attend. I had no idea and had no expectations to have even been asked. The clause of course was I had to bus 15 adolescent drug using kids in rehab to a concert, at night, with virtually no additional help and supervision. I still got to go to the show, and the kids were actually well behaved, but it could have been really bad.
This was a venue in Santa Monica with only about 2000 seats. I sat down and found myself sitting next to Steve Perry from Journey on my right, Sly and the Family Stone in front of me and Louis Gossett Jr. on my left (Glad Louis was not in front; the guy is like 6 foot 40 inches tall). I told Steve that Journey was the first concert I had every attended. Mentioned to Mr. Gossett Jr. he was great in the movie Officer and a Gentleman. The show starts and the bill ends up being Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young playing together and separately, Jackson Browne (my old favorite song Running on Empty, I was totally jazzed) and then Don Henley. 2000 seat arena, managing 15 adolescence on drugs, sitting center about 4th row. Bottom line; fuck the kids; Don Henley is here!! Most of the music that night was all acoustic. And, without percussion, you could really hear the core brilliance of the music. Even Steve Perry was impressed.
What was interesting about all performances was that no percussion was allowed. The only person who drummed was Dallas at the end for two songs, playing once again with Crosby, Stills and Nash. It was sad as the thought was this could be potentially his last time ever playing on stage and with these individuals.
I was able to go back stage but by that time Don Henley had left. He left right after his set. Missed him by that much...
A few years later, Tiger Woods was having a fund raiser at the Universal City Walk. They did not say the Eagles were playing but the bill said Don Henley, Glenn Fry and Joe Walsh. Close enough for me after 13 years of waiting! It was obvious that if they could get back on the stage together for the fund raiser, they were headed for a reunion tour.I paid for these outrageously expensive tickets so I could attend an after party where they were auctioning off a round of Golf with Glenn Frey. Glenn was running the auction and it was a chance to meet him. With such inundation of people, shaking his had just seamed shallow. I sat, listened, laughed and watch a round of golf with Glenn go for $90K. Mind you this was before the US Dollar was devalued by 40% against the Euro. That's a ton of cash to play Golf. More like $200K in today's inflationary adjusted devalued dollars. I love the Eagles but not sure if I love them at the $200K level. Might need to settle for Jimmy Buffet for $40K or something like that.
I went to a Golf Pro Am Tournament by my house a few years ago in Calabasas, CA where Glenn was playing but again did not want to bother him. I guess I should have all of these times; he would likely know me by now.
Anyway, here is your Eagles fan challenge. I have not only memorized most of their songs, I can tell you what key there were written in, how long the songs played, how fast in seconds the songs play in, can sing all harmony parts, taught myself how to play piano from their music, got better sex from my girlfriend due to Glenn, won a music scholarship in college playing an Eagles song on the piano, etc. And, forced my wife to learn all of their music before I would ask here to marry me.
Let me know about your Eagles fan story. If it tops mine, I will take all that qualify into consideration. If it is better than mine, I will pick the best and send you out tickets to their next show. But mind you, this is 100% subjective so don't be packing your bags.
Use this form:
http://www.concerttickets.com/contact_us.shtml
Close date will be 12/31/08 - tickets will be for some show in 2009 if they are still performing.
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