The Long Run/Tryin' To Live My Life Without You

I've been thinking about this since the Albums Survivor. Someone made a comment that was denigrating The Long Run album at least partially because the title track supposedly takes too much from Otis Clay's "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You". Which was really upsetting to me, as I think that is personally not a valid excuse to diss the song, and certainly not the whole album! I can't help but to feel it was uneducated.

So, I did some searching for posts about it on the forum and I want to quote two of my own. The other parties comment/username will be kept anonymous, to protect the guilty (or innocent!). :grin:

Here's two comments of my own, one in a Survivor thread for the Long Run album, and one for all the Eagles' studio albums.

Here they are:

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Regarding The Long Run, personally my love for it has grown over the last couple years. The inspiration from Otis Clay doesn't bother me. Glenn even said on Live that this is our tribute to Memphis.

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I think The Long Run sums up the Eagles and DH/GF relationship from that time and beyond and I think it shouldn't be looked down upon just because it takes influence from "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You". It's not an exact copy, and I feel that personally, it's not valid enough of a reason for me to not like it, at least IMO.

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Personally, I feel that they are similar, but I personally don't hear a ripoff here. As a musician I can probably relate to the theory behind it more than some, not saying that makes my opinion any more valuable, but I do feel like I have a good ear for these kinds of things. I clearly see why George Harrison was sued. "My Sweet Lord" truly is "She's So Fine" with new words. Nothing more. I love George, but c'mon man! I also see why Miranda Lambert had to add Steve Earle to the songwriters on "Kerosene". "I Feel Alright" is a clear heavy influence on that song. But, I don't hear "Hotel California" in "We Used To Know", or any real case between "Stairway To Heaven" and "Taurus". Nor do I hear any lawsuit between "Dani California" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance". I do hear "Modern Love" and "Footloose" as being too close, and always wondered how Loggins got away with that. In the Live At Daryl's House episode, he even tells the band to play the intro just like "Modern Love". No fighting that, there! But The Long Run and Otis Clay's song - no.

I still feel that the similarity between TLR and Otis Clay's song is no reason to not like the song or vote it off from Survivor based purely on that, and even moreso to demote the entire album! I think that is a rather weak argument with as many holes as a big slice of swiss cheese. I could completely dig into it further, upon request. But I think these songs are no more similar than the way Motown and Memphis/Stax used to copy each other. I mean the studio bands would even reuse a lot of the same licks - and would have to make a conscious effort not to do so. As time went on, they got better about not reusing old ideas.

Here's your homework: go listen to "I Can't Help Myself" by The Four Tops, listen to the instrumentation. Now, go and listen to "Time Is Tight" by Booker T and the MGs. And while you're at it, "I Can't Turn You Loose" by Otis Redding. Hear any similarity? I bet you do! Now, for clarification the MGs and Redding used the same studio band, so while Time Is Tight is an instrumental at a slower tempo, they did share musicians. But The Four Tops? Heck no! I could make other comparisons. But I think that is a blatantly obvious comparison, so much so that if you were a music attorney, you see a real potential case win there!

So why should we bash an Eagles classic, that they admitted was a TRIBUTE to Memphis, when Memphis and Motown, the two RNB capitals of the states, were doing it to each other? Personally I still love "I Can't Help Myself" just as much as "I Can't Turn You Loose". So please, at least come up with another reason for disliking "The Long Run". Any reason other than that! Because IMO, while you have the right to vote or feel that way, it just seems like someone is grasping for straws for a reason to vote off a song - or just not like the song at all as music. There has to be another real reason you don't like it, or you vote at random.

Personally, while the tracks do sound familiar - there is a key difference in them. "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You" has 4 chords in it. And it does make for a twist on it. TLR has three chords. Also, I feel the only real similarity is Tim's bassline, which is different enough to me to say it's not a problem. It is a funky bassline. And they WERE trying to pay tribute to Memphis RNB and soul music. Let sleeping dogs lie for once!

Oh, and please go take a real listen to The Long Run. Repeat it if you need. Perhaps play it once a day for a week. Heck - wear it out! :lol: Because, as an Eagles song, it's worthy of far more respect than that.

Off my soapbox for now...:wave:

Walshfan88, I love the Long Run. There is a similarity, but as you said there is no reason not to like it. It rocks! There are many songs out there that sound similar. As you said Glenn does state it as a tribute to that Memphis sound. You made valid points throughout. One that always drove me nuts was John Fogerty accused of plagiarizing himself with “Run through the Jungle” and “Old Man down the Road”. Ugh.

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Originally Posted by KingWalsh

Walshfan88, I love the Long Run. There is a similarity, but as you said there is no reason not to like it. It rocks! There are many songs out there that sound similar. As you said Glenn does state it as a tribute to that Memphis sound. You made valid points throughout. One that always drove me nuts was John Fogerty accused of plagiarizing himself with “Run through the Jungle” and “Old Man down the Road”. Ugh.

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Haha oh I know. It gets ridiculous.

And actually, after I posted this yesterday it came out that Led Zeppelin won the lawsuit with Spirit. I would have never heard of that song had it not been the lawsuit. They got their 15 minutes of fame out of it.

Ya totally (15 min of fame). I saw that too.

I agree that the "Long Run" is a fantastic song and while people are entitled to have their own reasons for disliking it, that one surprises me!

I'm another one that loves The Long Run. One thing I've learned from music fans over the years is that some of them have some very strange reasons for liking or disliking certain songs. Like Soda, I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Whether or not someone likes a song or not is very subjective - we all have different tastes. But, whether a song is good or not is somewhat more objective. So, I just have to roll my eyes when I hear things like 'I hate that song - it is the worst song ever recorded'. Or in this case, I don't like 'abc' song because it sounds like 'xyz' song, which I love. :shrug:

Agreed Soda and Dreamer!