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I am curious - what are your favorite Eagles songs where Bernie sings the lead vocals or plays the lead instrumental (in the case of JOTS)? Here's mine:
1. My Man
2. Twenty One
3. Train Leaves Here This Morning
4. Bitter Creek
5. I Wish You Peace
6. Journey of the Sorcerer
7. Earlybird
Good idea for a topic!
1. My Man
2. Twenty-One
3. Bitter Creek
4. Train Leaves Here This Morning
5. Earlybird
6. I Wish You Peace
7. Journey of the Sorcerer
Mine would be the same as yours, Soda, except that I'd have Bitter Creek at number 2.
1. My Man
2. Train Leaves Here This Morning
3. Bitter Creek
4. Twenty-One
As for the others I can't rank them as I basically don't like them very much. I can tolerate Sorcerer if I'm in the right mood. Earlybird is too 'twee' and I'm afraid the least said about I Wish You Peace the better.
I'm one of those who doesn't mind I Wish You Peace. Sure, it's not the best thing the Eagles ever put out, but the tune is pleasant enough. I also like the sentiment.
If I'm in the right mood, I can really enjoy JOTS. It's just that I'm not in the mood for it very often.
Earlybird is a bit cutesy for my tastes, but Bernie's musicianship really shines in it - especially on live versions.
I love the BBC live version of Earlybird, especially the instrumental bit at the end. It's fab to listen to, not just for Bernie's banjo and Glenn's beautiful guitar work, but for the bass. You can hear it all the way through, and it just makes the song. Brilliant bass playing - go listen ....
Gosh RG - if I didn't know better, I'd think you had a thing for basses! :wink:
Again, I really don't totally dislike any of the songs. But I do think the top four are significantly better than the bottom three. There doesn't seem to be much disagreement among us here about that so far.
I can pick out the bass line on all the Eagles songs, no-one elses. It's like my ears are tuned to Randy. Can't do it for any other band. Weird, huh? :wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ive always been a dreamer
The bass line in Earlybird really does help it move along in live versions. I also enjoy Randy's bass line in One of These Nights.
Lyin' Eyes is good too (bass line, that is) and Midnight Flyer. Ooh, ooh, and my most favourite for bass is Outlaw Man, so fast and sexy.
I love the bass in both OOTN and Outlaw Man. I really don't remember the bass in Lyin' Eyes - I guess I usually focus in on the voice too much. I'll have to go back and listen again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Randy's Girl
Oh, I forgot Outlaw Man. That has a fabulous bass line!
I prefer I Wish You Peace
I was amazed a few years age when I read that the theme tune to 'Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy' was by the Eagles. I just couldn't make the link between that music (part of JOTS), and the Eagles' music that I knew at the time. ('Hitchhikers' was a cult radio programme in the late 70s. http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/hitchhikers/guide/index.shtml)
Now, I quite like the way it fits into the mood of One Of These Nights. I can't say the same for IWYP - it just seems to be an anticlimax. If it had to be included, it would have been better placed buried in the middle somewhere.
My pick of Bernie songs:
1. My Man
2. Train Leaves Here This Morning (I love the BBC version of this)
3. Bitter Creek
4. Twenty One
5. Journey Of The Sorcerer
6. Early Bird
7. I Wish You Peace
I feel that "I Wish You Peace" is a pleasant enough song and I don't think it's as bad as is commonly argued. It's just not a favorite of mine and I feel it is not Bernie's best work.
A few months ago there was a thread asking Borderers to rank Randy's Eagles songs in order of preference. I was reminded of this topic and thought it would be a good idea to start a similar thread for Bernie's songs (I'll post a link to the thread for Randy's songs).
https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/...ead.php?t=6225
Although Bernie wrote music for several songs that he didn't sing lead on (most famously Witchy Woman, but also Saturday Night, On The Border and Hollywood Waltz), I don't think these should be counted as his songs, so this leaves seven songs - his six lead vocals plus JOTS, which I very definitely think should count as a Bernie song. In chronological order these are:
Train Leaves Here This Morning
Earlybird
Twenty-One
Bitter Creek
My Man
Journey of the Sorcerer
I Wish You Peace
I'll post my list later. I personally find it easier to do this for Bernie's songs than for Randy's, as I know my favourite and least favourites by him whereas with Randy I am not so sure off the top of my head, although hopefully I'll get around to doing my list for his songs too.
Train Leaves Here This Morning
Twenty-One
(ST)
My Man
Earlybird
Bitter Creek
(GP)
I Wish You Peace
Journey of the Sorcerer
subject to change at any time
I can't put them in order at the moment, but what an impressive list! None of those songs could ever be big hits, but most of them are fantastic. I'm glad all Eagles music isn't immediate "hit music".
Does anyone know what Bernie's contribution was to Earlybird - and what was Randy's?
Bernie did a radio interview with John Cowan for WSM in 2013. Before posting the link, I wrote: "He covers a lot of Eagles stuff and some I haven't heard/read before such as how Earlybird came to be written." Unfortunately, the link no longer works, I didn't transcribe and I remember very little.Quote:
Originally Posted by chaim
They were in London and Glyn Johns wanted a more even distribution of songs so he sent Bernie and Randy off to write something and they came up with "Earlybird". I don't think Bernie went into who did what.
I wanted to put them into order, but I agree with the above comment. These aren't hit songs, but they are all deep album tracks.
I really like Bitter Creek and Journey of the Sorcerer. But then I really like My Man too.
So, maybe this order:
(Bitter Creek = Journey of the Sorcerer = My Man)
(Early Bird = Twenty-One = I Wish You Peace)
But even with that fudging, there isn't much difference between the first group and the second one.
Hi solo albums appear to be the same too. Excellent songs on both albums from what I've heard (all of Natural Progressions, some songs from Mirror - not yet the ones with the swearing.)
In order of my preference:
Train Leaves Here This Morning
Twenty-One
Bitter Creek
My Man
I Wish You Peace
Earlybird
Journey of the Sorcerer
What's this about Bernie using naughty words on an album(s)?
I like Earlybird and Journey and Peace, in that order.
I haven't heard it myself, but according to Amazon reviews the track "Vile and Profane Man" lives up to its title.Quote:
Originally Posted by NightMistBlue
Edit: Lyrics here. I've heard much worse: http://www.bernieleadononline.com/so...profaneman.htm
EDIT: I've gone through all the lyrics of the album. I don't think that there's really swearing. There is some taking the name of thy lord in vain, and a mention of "breaking wind" etc. I'd hate to think what the authors of the Amazon reviews would thought if they listened to certain other songs I could name.
You can listen to (& Dl) Bernie's solo tracks, including Vile And Profane Man here: http://umorina.info/track/Bernie%20Leadon
Bernie's Eagles tracks in order of preference;
1: Journey of the Sorcerer
2: I Wish You Peace
3: My Man
4: Twenty-One
5: Earlybird
6: Bitter Creek
7: Train Leaves Here This Morning
I like Bernie's 48sec instrumental bluegrass version of Doolin-Dalton too.
Although Henley sings lead vocal on them, I'd credit Hollywood Waltz and Witchy Woman to Bernie too. Not sure about Saturday Night but it's another definitely an early Eagles favourite. Not keen on On The Border no matter who'd claim the lions share of the credit for it.
Thanks. Not sure it's kosher with all the Russian text, but at least I can try before I buy. Buy the CD from the USA, not the mp3s from Russia.Quote:
Originally Posted by Funk 50
The lyrics for "Vile and Profane Man" are different on the actual song than in the lyrics I posted a link to above. Specifically when the lyrics above say "Well that's just very unfortunate" the song actually drops an f-bomb. It could be just those lyrics which has shocked the gentle reviewers on Amazon, but perhaps other songs are different in reality than the online lyrics.
You just click the green box with the word Скачать in it. The mp3 downloads (free) in EnglishQuote:
Originally Posted by Annoying Twit
When Bernie released his Mirror CD in 2004, it came out in a regular edition plus a VERY expensive, signed and numbered audiophile Special Edition, only available at his website. A year or two later Bernie admitted he still had the majority of those Special Edition CD/LPs in storage.
I wonder how much he's charging for them now? ... if he still has them...
1. Bitter Creek
2. My Man
3. Journey of the Sorceror
4. Train Leaves Here This Morning
5. I Wish You Peace
6. Early Bird
7. Twenty One
Bitter Creek is one of my favourite Eagles songs. I love the guitar, Bernie's lead vocals and those extended backing vocals, the lyrics "All that money. No more running. I can't wait to see the old man's face when I win the race".
Here is my list:
1. My Man
2. Bitter Creek
3. Train Leaves Here This Morning
4. Journey Of The Sorcerer
5. Earlybird
6. Twenty One
7. I Wish You Peace
My Man has been one of my favourite Eagles songs ever since I've first heard it. It made an immediate connection for me. I love how personal a tribute it is, which somehow means it resonates even more when I think about it for musicians other than Gram Parsons (including, sadly, Glenn). Bitter Creek is a close second though. I think UtW described it very well, I'd add that the atmosphere is unique and Bernie's guitar solo at the end is terrific an doesn't get the attention it deserves, although that's not unusual for acoustic guitar solos which are rarely talked about as often as electric ones.
I'm quite a big fan of Train, which I think is a true country rock classic. I love the understated feel and I think the mid section with the harmony vocals and Bernie's guitar is very good indeed. I also like the Dillard & Clark version and the song, although I don't play it anywhere near as often as the Eagles take! Journey of the Sorcerer is underrated, I can understand why not everyone digs stuff like this and it's a bit out of place on One Of These Nights, but it's an exceptionally inventive and original song. I certainly can't think of any other 'cosmic cowboy' banjo-led instrumentals off the top of my head! My favourite section is the final passage where the banjo builds and builds with the orchestra and what I think is Felder's guitar.
There wasn't a lot between Earlybird and Twenty One, both of which are good showcases for Bernie's banjo. As musical pieces I like them about equally, and I enjoy them both live too, but I think Twenty One has better lyrics. I really enjoy Earlybird though! It doesn't have 'great' lyrics, but it does have 'likeable' lyrics. The harmonies are brilliant and it always makes me happy when I hear it. I'm afraid I Wish You Peace doesn't do much for me though, it's pleasant but doesn't grab me and I find it is definitely weaker than his other songs. Having said this, his guitar solo is nice, but it's overshadowed by the strings which I find a bit sappy on this song.
On the whole I agree with Toni, none of these songs were potential hits but I think nearly all of them are very good. They also show what an excellent musician he was, as an instrumental shines on all of these songs (especially Bitter Creek and JOTS).
Yeah, I guess I should put the real lyrics he sings. My bad. I don't know what I was thinking when I put that 10 years ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by Annoying Twit
ETA: I changed it.
We actually have an old thread for rating Bernie's songs dating back to 2007 so I went ahead and merged the two. I looked at my list and absolutely nothing has changed - I still rate Bernie's songs exactly as I did nearly 10 years ago.
OMG, dreamer! Did you just change your sig? Or have I just not noticed before? I can't remember you ever changing it and I always loved it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ive always been a dreamer
Brooke - I changed my sig at the same time I switched to my current avatar. You probably didn't notice because I didn't change the picture.
Wow, had no idea there had been an earlier thread on the same subject! Thanks for merging the two topics. Just noticed too that I created the new thread almost nine years to the day after the last post in the old one, funny coincidence there.
:headscratch: :lol: That's just me!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ive always been a dreamer
So many interesting topics... Bringing it back on track with my favorite Bernie songs.
1) Bitter Creek
2) Train Leaves Here This Morning
3) Twenty-One (it's so cheerful, go banjo!)
4) My Man
5) Earlybird
6) Journey of the Sorcerer (would be the ultimate hymn for a dreamy, fairlylike something in an amusement park do ya feel me?)
7) I Wish You Peace
1. Journey of the Sorcerer
2. My Man
3. Train Leaves Here this Morning
4. I Wish You Peace
5. Bitter Creek
6. Early Bird
7. 21
Are there any videos of Bernie playing the banjo in any of the early songs?
That would be really cool to see.
Marshmaster
Yep - there are. Here is the link to the video thread in this forum:
https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/...thread.php?t=5
And also, there are some downloads on our sister site BernieLeadonOnline:
http://bernieleadononline.com/downlo...alivevideo.htm
Marshmaster, here's a video mini-montage, which features a bit of Bernie's banjo playing. There's also good early footage from the 1973 BBC concert on the Totally Fuzzy website which I'm hesitant to link b/c it's more than 1/2 an hour long.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VKSUiOROSvc