I watched the History of the Eagles doco last weekend. I’m not a big Eagles fan. But they were so omnipresent in the 70s when I was growing up that it was hard not to have them be a big part of the musical scene. And they did have some great songs.
It was interesting what a train wreck they could be as a band though. They seemed to have a bit of that Beatle dynamic of two strong leaders (Frey and Henley) with a third (Felder) wanting to do more. Both Frey and Henley seemed to be very strong personalities (to be honest Frey came across as a bit of of dick; Henley seemed quieter and more serious) really controlling the output of the band. The audio of Frey and Felder abusing each other on stage at the concert that broke them up was just amazing.
I hadn’t realised that Glyn Johns produced their first two albums but the relationship ended unhappily after Desperado wasn’t the success they hoped. Desperado itself was a brave move. Doing a cowboy concept album as a follow up to a hit first album.
There was a funny anecdote of Jackson Browne being in a basement room where they were living, endlessly reworking Doctor My Eyes to his satisfaction in between cups of tea.
I wasn’t aware quite what a wacko Joe Walsh is. In a fun, Keith Richards sort of way. He certainly brought a light hearted personality to the group. As well as heaps of drugs and alcohol. No wonder he and Ringo got along so well.
It’s a long documentary at over three hours. It’s split into two parts. The first two-thirds is the band up to their split in 1980. The last part from their reformation.
I’d recommend it for anyone with more tan a passing interest in the band and the 70s music scene.
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Topic: History of the Eagles (Read 1414 times)