I am supposed to get my book today. I am looking forward to reading it.
What are your thoughts on the book, NKIT?
"Be part of something good--
Leave something good behind."
Here are some quotes from the "Last Encore" book.
Glenn took everything very seriously, sometimes way too seriously. But I knew him well in the many years I worked for him. The good side of Glenn far outweighed the bad, and sometimes with family you just have to take your lumps in stride and move on.We on the crew had always heard that Felder was never happy. There were selfish attitudes and behaviors we got from him towards us that seemed to back up the stories. He wasn't the crews favorite Eagle...I'd never known Timothy to want a change of strings on his bass. But I was responsible for his set-up and spare bass as well. Timothy was easy. The only thing I had to do for Timothy was to make sure his wife off in the wings had a cigarette....when it came to band pranks, Henley could be as much fun as any of the other band members...[Glenn]... would reward you for a job well done, or a show of loyalty. Above all Glenn was a loyal guy and didn't hesitate to reciprocate. But if Glenn didn't like you or you screwed up something for him he'd throw his favorite hockey term at you and you'd be "off the ice" in the penalty box, and you'd have to earn your way back in.Arrogance can be rampant in a rock n roll band. Others, like the Eagles, while they demanded our best, were not like that. They got it and appreciated the work we did. They showed it in many different ways, like the bonus I got for "nice catch", the food and beverages they brought in for rehearsals, the decent hot meals in the contract rider, and the per diem and paychecks we received on time, every time. We felt appreciated by the band members, all but one that is. Overall my time with the Eagles was a pleasure.Of course, "Norton" was Glenn's guy and has a bias, but he also paints a very human picture of the man including flaws.One point of contention between Frey and Felder was that Glenn occasionally came up with parts that his fingers just couldn't play. While Glenn was the consummate creator, Felder was the consummate player. Everyone on the stage conceded the fact that technically "Fingers" Felder was the best musician on stage. But Glenn could come up with great guitar parts his fingers couldn't deliver.
Instead of taking Glenn's suggestions in stride Felder's ego was easily bruised. In his book... he hinted at the fact that he was always hesitant to present songs to Frey and Henley... for fear of being shot down... That might intimidate an insecure person.
Thanks for that, UTW. I finished reading the book, too. Overall, it was a fun, entertaining, and easy read. Not a lot of anything new, but it was an interesting and believable take from an insider. There were a few stories in it that I had never heard before though. One that stands out is his account of how Glenn and Cindy connected at the Livin' Right' video shoot. According to Norton, Glenn wanted a massage, and his regular therapist was out of town. Among other things, Cindy was apparently a skilled massage therapist, so Norton called her and arranged an appointment for Glenn. Apparently, it went well. He also gives some interesting personal accounts about Glenn and Cindy's engagement and wedding.
I was amused about the hockey reference and definitely find that as believable. Glenn once told Soda, PLS, and myself about someone who he said was "in my penalty box for life".
There were a couple of things that I found a bit annoying - first of all, my book was printed in very low quality. Also, throughout the book, Norton talks about him being with the Eagles during their heyday - the 80's. Sorry, dude, but the Eagles of the 80's lasted 6 months. My guess based on other references in the book is that he was with the band during The Long Run tour, and then, after the break up, Glenn kept him on retainer as a personal assistant.
Overall - it is a must read for Eagles, and, especially, Glenn fans.
"People don't run out of dreams: People just run out of time ..."
Glenn Frey 11/06/1948 - 01/18/2016
I was entertained by the idea that Glenn didn't want to be recognised buying underwear.
FF - I enjoyed the book - it was an easy read. As Dreamer and UTW have said, I did not learn a lot of new information. Like Dreamer said, it gave info on Glenn's engagement and wedding to Cindy that I did not know about. I thought it was interesting that the road crew felt Don F. was a complainer and the least liked of all the guys. Dreamer, I have to agree about the 80's heyday, It was the 70's not the 80's - that kind of annoyed me too. I also figured he worked on the Long Run Tour. His ID badge on the cover of the book shows him wearing a "The Long One" t-shirt. UTW - I thought the underwear comment was funny too.
I was also struck by the fact that after Norton sold the business he went 50/50 with Glenn, they seemed to loose contact with each other. Kind of "Out of Sight Out of Mind" . Also, he apparently did not like Irving at all. Also, I did not think Tim was married at that time but only dating his wife. He does not spill any beans on the guys and reveal any real personal info on them.
Norton's time with the Eagles has to have been 1980 or possibly 1979-80 and probably was months rather than years. When his collaborator referred to "mild dementia" in the introduction, I was a little concerned because who wants to read the memoir of someone with memory loss? So I wasn't expecting perfect recall, just some stories and an overall impression and in that respect, it was fine. If he'd done this twenty years ago, it would have been better. What we really need is someone who took copious notes and keeps everything, like Cameron Crowe.
Very true, UTW.
"People don't run out of dreams: People just run out of time ..."
Glenn Frey 11/06/1948 - 01/18/2016