The Silver Dagger Intro (and other variations of TIE)

Who here likes the old "Silver Dagger" ballad intro to TIE? Personally, I'm not a fan but I know there are probably some that are.

I was watching the Central Park live TIE video, and I got to thinking about something I read in Felder's book which is that Glenn playing "Old Black" or an electric guitar on TIE was his idea. That it would make it more rockin', which it does, and I've seen the Central Park video many times, but it never dawned on me - Glenn started doing that before Felder even joined the band! Never dawned on me. We've all seen the DKRC clip of him playing it on electric or the HOTE concert video from 76 of him playing it on his Gibson ES-330 (that later showed up in the How Long music video!). But Glenn started playing it electrically at least some of the time before Felder even joined! I also noticed that he didn't play it on 12 string back then when it was done acoustically, that came about around the time of HFO. If someone can point to him using it on TIE in the 70s, please share a link or the name of the bootleg/concert. But I think the 12-string really makes that opening strum intro really pop, especially in a live situation. Jangle city. I do it on 12-string too.

Personally - I liked it when Glenn played acoustic (gasp!) - BUT allowed Joe to form his own outro solo. Play Bernie's country solo, sure, but then really rock out with a blistering rock solo on the end but played cleaner like a country song. You could hear the start of what became the classic HFO solo Joe played on TIE starting around the time of the concert that is on the HOTE disc. It was like the draft version, lol. At some point it seems they asked Joe to "play it exact" again, and just play the classic BL solo, or maybe a real abbreviated outro piece. And now with Vince Gill doing it (ugh), it's back to just like the record - clean.

If anyone wants to mention the version/live clip of their favorite performance, go ahead. Also we could discuss the lyric changes "Or find a place to make your stand/play your hand" or the "just a little hard to find", etc. Personally I love the "shake it, make it take it easy" from the HOTE disc concert from the HC tour. I put that in the song when my band covers it or at Ausfest. Everyone laughs. The first time I did that the other lead guitarist just thought I was being funny, until I explained to him it was something Glenn did. Kinda like when I had to explain the "3rd verse" to Honky Tonk Women by the Stones the first time I sang it. There's no wonder why that verse didn't make the record. A little too taboo for that time period, even though it's still kinda that way now. I love singing it and watching the reactions. You can tell a lot, lol!

HFO is STILL my favorite version of Take It Easy. And I do prefer "Here's how it all started" over the Silver Dagger intro. lol One of the only things I like about the MTV DVD is that performance.

I believe, judging from my own experiences, that Glenn always played "Take It Easy" on electric all through the 70s, mostly on Old Black, but not exclusively. I think he started using an acoustic (6-string when I saw him) in the 80s when he did his solo shows because he would combine it with "Lyin' Eyes" as a medley. I think he stuck with the acoustic from that point on. I may have a minority opinion here, but my favorite version of "Take It Easy" is from California Jam when Jackson Browne filled in for Don Felder whose wife was having a baby. That's one hell of a scorching version and Bernie really did rock out the ending which was extended. I think I prefer Glenn playing electric on it overall.

As for "Silver Dagger," I've always loved those Eagles harmonies and they really shine on songs like this and "Seven Bridges Road."

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Originally Posted by scottside

I believe, judging from my own experiences, that Glenn always played "Take It Easy" on electric all through the 70s, mostly on Old Black, but not exclusively. I think he started using an acoustic (6-string when I saw him) in the 80s when he did his solo shows because he would combine it with "Lyin' Eyes" as a medley. I think he stuck with the acoustic from that point on. I may have a minority opinion here, but my favorite version of "Take It Easy" is from California Jam when Jackson Browne filled in for Don Felder whose wife was having a baby. That's one hell of a scorching version and Bernie really did rock out the ending which was extended. I think I prefer Glenn playing electric on it overall.

As for "Silver Dagger," I've always loved those Eagles harmonies and they really shine on songs like this and "Seven Bridges Road."

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I love the Cal Jam too. Probably my favorite performance of Already Gone, FWIW.

I think I remember seeing Glenn play a 6 string acoustic for TIE on the BBC special from 71/72. Other than that the Central Park, DKRC, Cal Jam, etc shows are all on Old Black. Around the time of the Hotel California tour, he started playing it on his sunburst Gibson ES-330, which later was featured on the How Long video. The Gibson 330 was basically their answer to Epiphone's Casino which was wildly popular due to John Lennon using one on the rooftop Beatles concert on Get Back. Both were semi hollow double cutaway electric guitars with two low output dogear P-90 single coil pickups. Very bright, teethy kind of sound. Very jangly and clear. The P-90s in Glenn's Old Black Les Paul Junior were much hotter output and had a darker more "crunchy" distorted sound. You could push the 330 to distortion, but only with loud volume and ear piercing treble. It's awesome for that clean jangle though. Many years later Gibson would actually buy Epiphone and use it for it's budget brand and they never had the same quality but those 60s Epiphones are ace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT8WGpUaRoo

Here's Glenn playing it on a 6 string acoustic, the same one I remember him playing on the BBC special. They are all sitting down. For the BBC special they were standing. Unfortunately I can't find a clip of that on YouTube (thanks Don!).

But live at concert, it seems he'd play it on Old Black. So I'm not sure why Felder feels he was responsible for that, but ok lol.

I love the Silver Dagger intro best. Love those harmonies!

As far as the guitars, I don't have a clue! Acoustic or electric, either is good with me!

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Originally Posted by WalshFan88

I love the Cal Jam too. Probably my favorite performance of Already Gone, FWIW.

I think I remember seeing Glenn play a 6 string acoustic for TIE on the BBC special from 71/72. Other than that the Central Park, DKRC, Cal Jam, etc shows are all on Old Black. Around the time of the Hotel California tour, he started playing it on his sunburst Gibson ES-330, which later was featured on the How Long video. The Gibson 330 was basically their answer to Epiphone's Casino which was wildly popular due to John Lennon using one on the rooftop Beatles concert on Get Back. Both were semi hollow double cutaway electric guitars with two low output dogear P-90 single coil pickups. Very bright, teethy kind of sound. Very jangly and clear. The P-90s in Glenn's Old Black Les Paul Junior were much hotter output and had a darker more "crunchy" distorted sound. You could push the 330 to distortion, but only with loud volume and ear piercing treble. It's awesome for that clean jangle though. Many years later Gibson would actually buy Epiphone and use it for it's budget brand and they never had the same quality but those 60s Epiphones are ace.

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yes, you're right about that BBC special where Glenn plays TIE on acoustic...I had forgotten all about that. I think I have a bootleg of another show from the very early 70s where he also played acoustic, but I can't remember where that was from. I just recall that the sound quality was pretty poor.

California Jam is my absolute favorite version of AG also. I do miss Felder's part of the solo, but Glenn did a great job carrying what he usually does plus a little more in that performance and considering that there was only the four of them (Jackson sat that one out), it really does rock.

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Originally Posted by scottside

yes, you're right about that BBC special where Glenn plays TIE on acoustic...I had forgotten all about that. I think I have a bootleg of another show from the very early 70s where he also played acoustic, but I can't remember where that was from. I just recall that the sound quality was pretty poor.

California Jam is my absolute favorite version of AG also. I do miss Felder's part of the solo, but Glenn did a great job carrying what he usually does plus a little more in that performance and considering that there was only the four of them (Jackson sat that one out), it really does rock.

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Yeah I love Glenn getting to stretch out more. He more than carried his own. He's still an underrated player IMO. If Don Felder is underrated (which at least by most people not just guitarists, he is), then Glenn Frey was super duper underrated. He could play just fine. Much like he gave most of the vocals away as time progressed to Don Henley (much to my own chagrin), he did the same with his guitar parts and played less and less solos when Walsh joined. He didn't have to play as many as when it was just him and Bernie because Bernie couldn't really pull off that reckless rock and roll lead guitar style. Glenn really played some excellent solos, not just being the groups rhythm guitarist. He just let that part go, other than we did get the brilliant ICTYW solo on The Long Run album, which sadly even in guitar circles still gets attributed to Felder, despite Don Felder even sheepishly admitting it wasn't his when asked. I love Don - but he's technical and a bit too perfected to have ever crafted that solo. It had to have been Glenn or Joe. Felder was the technician who could be accurate as hell and always had a polish to his parts. Joe was more of the reckless abandon rock and roll player but probably a bit more complex than Glenn. But Glenn could flat out rock and when it comes down to it, I do prefer the more bluesy improv style. Not to forget his arranging and rhythm guitar that held the band together. Glenn had his sound no matter if it was acoustic or electric. But in Felder's defense, his precision is what made the One Of These Nights solo so great. Joe's most complex solo he ever played wasn't even on a James Gang, Eagles, Barnstorm, or solo record. IMO his most challenging solo was on Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry". Steve Lukather is a technician type guitarist and very precise, but in comparison to Joe's solo, his solo seemed more bluesy and "loose"! It really threw me to find out Joe played the first solo and Luke the second solo. I would have sworn it was the other way around. That first solo has a really complex part that really is hard to believe Walsh did that. It's a tough one.

I also love the Silver Dagger intro to Take It Easy. As far as the song, I honestly love any version of it, so I don't know if I can pick a favorite. Having said that, I do especially love all of the live versions with the extended electric solos.

I have to agree with Brooke and Dreamer, I love the intro of Silver Dagger to Take It Easy. I also love all versions of the song. However, I have to say my favorite is the Capital Center version. I do prefer it with Glenn playing "Old Black". I think it makes the song "rock" more.
And Austin, thanks for all the guitar info ! I have always felt that Glenn never gave himself enough credit for his ability on the guitar. And, I agree, I think Calif. Jam is the best version of Already Gone. They rocked on that song !

Yeah I figured most would like it.

As it's been said before, I'm just not a harmonies or vocals guy and I'm not into the outlaw/desperado/cowboy/troubadour thing so the chains and all that doesn't resonate with me. :hilarious:

For me HFO can't be beat, but Capital Center is a great one, the Seattle show was a great one, and California Jam is hard to argue with. But I do prefer it without the Silver Dagger intro. And while I do like the electric outro solos, I kinda do prefer the sound that an acoustic provides behind the electrics. To me it fits the song better than 3 electrics but I still like the electric versions, especially Capital Center. I think the best performance on HFO is hands down Take It Easy. I've watched that clip of them doing it and watched it on the DVD so much that I can almost play it in my head. I love the "and here's how it all started!".

To me Take It Easy was already more of a soft rock song despite Bernie's Telecaster solo, even with the acoustics. I like it a lot, despite being a classic and hard rock fan and not so much a country rock fan.