Randy's voice

[luvthelighthouse]

I've been listening to OTB, to gear up for Survivor. Then I continued to listen to the early albums. You know, every time I do this, I think, wow, Randy has an amazing voice! It's so beautiful! I can't even describe what it is that I enjoy so much, but it's very distinct and smooth. Whenever I listen to TIE on my iPod, blasting in my ear, I hear him in the background and am continually blown away.

Just wanted to give some love to Randy and those amazing vocals he contributed! :thumbsup:

[sodascouts]

Randy's voice has a purity and vulnerability to it that is very effective in songs like "Take It to the Limit" and "Is It True" - also, it can have an edge to it such as in one of my favorite Randy songs, "Too Many Hands." He's an ideal harmonizer because he's able to blend well with the lead singer and not overtake him, but still be distinctly audible. He was a great asset to the band and it's a shame he kind of fell off the radar.

[Brooke]

I agree, Randy has a gorgeous voice. Just loved it in those early years/songs.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I would agree about Randy having a gorgeous voice. As a matter of fact, this thread reminded me of a thread that I meant to start a long time ago, but never did. So what are your favorite Eagles songs where Randy sings the lead vocals? I hope I didn't forget any, but here's mine:

1. Take It To the Limit
2. Try and Love Again
3. Certain Kind of Fool
4. Midnight Flyer
5. Saturday Night (co-lead with Don)
6. Most of Us Are Sad
7. Too Many Hands
8. Is It True?
9. Take the Devil
10. Tryin'

There are also the songs where Randy sings a prominent harmony, but I didn't include them in my list. Might have to do that separately. :wink:

[sodascouts]

1. Take It to the Limit (surprise, surprise lol)
2. Too Many Hands
3. Saturday Night
4. Midnight Flyer
5. Most of Us Are Sad
6. Try and Love Again
7. Certain Kind of Fool
8. Is It True?
9. Tryin'
10. Take the Devil

(I think that about covers his whole catalog with the Eagles!)

If I included Seven Bridges Road, that would be right under TITTL, but I wasn't sure if that counted since everyone shared the lead.

[Brooke]

here's mine:

1. Take It To the Limit
2. Try and Love Again
3. Certain Kind of Fool
4. Midnight Flyer
5. Saturday Night (co-lead with Don)
6. Most of Us Are Sad
7. Too Many Hands
8. Is It True?
9. Take the Devil
10. Tryin'


These would be my favorites with the exception of Midnight Flyer. It would be last. Just don't care much for that song-too much banjo for me there.

[TimothyBFan]

Take It To The Limit (big surprise from me also)
Certain Kind Of Fool
Take The Devil
Midnight Flyer (despite the banjo)
To Many Hands

[Freypower]

How is Saturday Night a co-lead with Don? Randy only sings the 'she said tell me, oh tell me' part.

He also didn't sing on the recorded version of Seven Bridges Road.

In terms of preference:

1. Take It To The Limit
2. Try & Love Again
3. Certain Kind Of Fool
4. Too Many Hands
5. Most Of Us Are Sad
6. Is It True
7. Take The Devil
8. Tryin'
9. Midnight Flyer

[sodascouts]

How is Saturday Night a co-lead with Don? Randy only sings the 'she said tell me, oh tell me' part.

I see your point, but Don sings lead on only a few lines of Ol' 55, and we still call it a co-lead.

He also didn't sing on the recorded version of Seven Bridges Road.

True. Well, that settles it then - it doesn't count!

[Freypower]

Don sings the entire bridge of Ol' 55, After The Thrill Is Gone and Teenage Jail, and those are co-leads. Randy only sings one line in Saturday Night, a couple of times, so I would not call that a co-lead, and I'm quite surprised that others think it is. To each their own, I guess, but if you're calling Saturday Night a co-lead you may as well say so is On The Border.

[chaim]

I've always loved Randy's voice and I've loved his vocal performance in every song I've heard him sing. If I still had to choose one "ultimate Randy song", for me it would perhaps be "Take to the devil". The instrumentation in the verses is so bare that Randy's vocal is really "naked" at the forefront. Really sends shivers down the spine. But most of all, it's a jolly darn good song!

[Lisa]

Randy Meisner added so many great vocal harmonies to so many songs that you hear (on the radio) all the time. (That is, in addition to all of the Eagles songs you've mentioned where he sings, or alternates, the lead)! His bass playing still always has his own unmatchable style.

[Kinrow]

They lost somemthing special when Randy left the band. Also, if you go listen to the album "Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band Live, you hear Randy doing backup for Rick and the two of their vocals was...wow!

[Eve]

Randy definitely has the touch on "Take it to the Limit". Glenn sang it at the concert tonight in Seattle and I found myself wishing it was the 70's and Randy was doing it. Although when that song came out, I think I was like 14 and pushing it with the parents to get out of school early to be dropped off at the Portland coliseum to see The Who.

[pueblo47]

I really never quite understood why they didn't let Timothy take over the Randy songs since he was taking his place in the band.

[Brooke]

p47, I remember thinking the same thing back in the early 2000's when I heard Glenn do TITTL. Glenn does a fine job, but thought it a more fitting song for Timothy with his high register.

But, maybe Timothy didn't want to do Randy's songs, too. They were friends and all. :shrug:

[whitcap]

I really never quite understood why they didn't let Timothy take over the Randy songs since he was taking his place in the band.

This is from an interview done around the time of HFO

Schmit: I told them I can't do "Take It to the Limit."

Frey: Not because it isn't a good song but because that's sort of Randy Meisner's territory and he (Schmit) doesn't want to step on it.

[TimothyBFan]

Thanks WC--I was trying to find that only to come back here and see you had! I knew I had seen that somewhere. I can see why that would of been uncomfortable for Timothy. Especially since it was the 2nd time he had replaced Randy in a band.

[Eve]

I was on my treadmill this afternoon. The plug for my iPod is twitchy, one speaker sometimes won't work. During "Take it Easy" it did it and Glenn's voice was gone and it was all Randy..."Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona..." Fabulous!

[whitcap]

Hmm... I've done that with a few songs but not with Take it Easy. I'll need to try that some time. Have y'all heard Randy's version of Take it Easy?

[Eve]

Hmm... I've done that with a few songs but not with Take it Easy. I'll need to try that some time. Have y'all heard Randy's version of Take it Easy?

Love it!

[sodascouts]

I find it cool to listen to the harmony parts isolated, too, especially in songs like Seven Bridges Road. I've always been really interested in harmony structure - part of the reason why I love the Eagles so much, I think.

If you wanna hear Randy do lead on Take It Easy, check this live version from 2000 out:

http://www.randymeisneronline.com/multimedia/MP3/TakeItEasyWalecki2000.mp3

[Prettymaid]

When the harmonic blend is done as well as the Eagles do it I have trouble picking our who's doing what part. Being a Joe fan I'd love to be able to hear his vocal harmonies, but I can't. :-(

[TimothyBFan]

When the harmonic blend is done as well as the Eagles do it I have trouble picking our who's doing what part. Being a Joe fan I'd love to be able to hear his vocal harmonies, but I can't. :-(

I was thinking the exact same thing!! Well, about another member actually...but you get what I mean!

[Prettymaid]

Timothy is probably a little easier to pick out because you pretty much know he's singing the highest part.

[whitcap]

I just rewatched the Holland DVD and during How Long Randy can be heard over Don's lead part. That's the only instance I was able to find but I haven't rewatched Seattle or Houston yet.

[Eve]

There is a video on You-tube of Randy singing Take it to the Limit. Apparently it keeps getting pulled? There is another up now and a comment was made that Frey keeps getting it yanked. There is some Glenn hate on You-tube...

[sodascouts]

Ignorant comments like that are a dime a dozen on YouTube. It's probably some 15-year-old absolutely POSITIVE that OF COURSE it MUST be that big meanie Glen Fry personally demanding that YouTube pull any video of Randy singing lead on "Take It to the Limit" out of petty jealousy, when in actuality the Eagles' music publishers regularly purge Eagles videos from YouTube (as any of our YouTube threads will attest - the hammer has really been coming down hard in the last year or so). At least, they try to purge the videos. They never get 'em all.

Don't even get me started on their ham-fisted "search and destroy" YouTube campaign! We have a whole thread (http://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2129) dedicated to it.

[whitcap]

I don't even read youtube comments anymore because so many of them are negative and ignorant.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I don't even read youtube comments anymore because so many of them are negative and ignorant.

ITA - a complete waste of my time.

[Eve]

I don't even read youtube comments anymore because so many of them are negative and ignorant.


Ah but it can be entertainment on a rainy day. But I am not a huge Glenn fan, so they make me chuckle.

[sodascouts]

I just hate the fact that people who don't know better, and who don't view YouTube comments with skepticism, will just assume that guy knows what he's talking about and get all outraged for no reason.

[Freypower]

Ah but it can be entertainment on a rainy day. But I am not a huge Glenn fan, so they make me chuckle.

Well, I am glad that you found such comments 'entertaining'. To each their own, I suppose.

[Shadowland07]

Is there any way to isolate the vocal tracks or guitar tracks? I'd love to hear all their parts individually.