Celebration of "The Long Run"!

[EaglesKiwi]

My brother called my last night and I mentioned to him that it's been 33 yrs since this album was released. He was 12 at the time and I reminded him of how he used to dance around the living room to TLR and HT, playing air guitar or holding something to use as a microphone. I'm not sure he appreciated me resurrecting that memory. So now I've got to go through mom's pictures and find one of him dancing to it and torment him with it. It's my job as a sister.

I'm sure you'll uphold that responsibility admirably...

[Brooke]

Now that's a true sister! Love it!

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Regarding the song "The Long Run", I'm one that happens to love it - I personally think the music, vocals, lyrics, and Memphis blues arrangement are all fantastic and very catchy. And if the guys want to proclaim it as their theme song, then that is certainly their prerogative. I particulary like what Glenn and Don had to say about the song here ...

THE LONG RUN

GLENN: We'd had the idea for about six or seven years. The title of the song was apropos, and it seemed to be a good title for the album -- let's see who'll last. I think it was a lot about longevity, and it was also about me just lovin' Tyrone Davis' record "Turning Point." We had done some slicker production like the Philly sound, but "Long Run" was more like a tribute to Memphis with the slide guitars playing the parts of the horns.

DON: It was a long and difficult album. Everything was catching up to us. Too much pressure, too much worry, too much traveling, too many controlled substances, too much paranoia and infighting. I missed having a normal life. Glenn and I were starting to grow distant. Everything was pulling apart -- and we were writing about longevity. [thoughtful pause] Yeah, well, even if we weren't living it, we were always able to idealize it in a song about the way we'd like to be -- the way we'd like to be perceived. That song may have been a message to our critics. It may have been a message from Glenn to me or me to Glenn. It could be taken all kinds of different ways. Could be a message to a girl -- a long-departed lover. But, again, it was built on that foundation of Glenn's rhythm guitar playing [sings part]. Always that foundation. So, here we are some 25 years later -- 32 years total -- still going strong. The Long Run, indeed.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Way to go, VA - can't drop the ball on your sisterly duties!

And, as I've said before, I am also a fan of keeping the solo songs in the setlist and agree with VA that the band is doing something right. If that logic leads to stagnancy, maybe that's not a bad thing. As VA said, this is a band that has had a core group of songs in their setlist for over 30 years and, sorry folks, but that ain't likely to change. They occasionally change the setlist around some, and I expect they will continue to do so for their next tour, but that core group of songs will and should remain, IMHO. As we repeatedly say, the majority of casual fans who are in the audience for each show love that stagnancy.

[sodascouts]

Yeah, and they also sell tickets and please crowds playing shortened setlists with reduced Glenn vocals...

No, I don't think stagnancy is a good thing for the Eagles, not when they're going down that kind of path.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

I have absolutely no doubt that if Glenn wanted to sing more lead vocals he would be. While I'm not at all happy about the shortened setlist and especially the reduced number of his lead vocals, I'll bow to his greater expertise in figuring it all out...while sending positive thoughts his way as they determine the setlist for next year, and hope that he suddenly wants to sing more lead vocals.

[Freypower]

Yeah, and they also sell tickets and please crowds playing shortened setlists with reduced Glenn vocals...

No, I don't think stagnancy is a good thing for the Eagles, not when they're going down that kind of path.

Hear, hear.

As for The Long Run, it may be a theme song & all of that, but that doesn't mean I have to think the song is great. Sorry. Yes, it's a minority opinion which is held only by myself & Topkat, apparently.

[zeldabjr]

I remember that the only thing that really shocked me when I saw the album was that Glenn had cut his hair! I was devastated--well until I noticed the new guy.

had to bring this forward...it's from 10/09...and it's priceless Willie

[zeldabjr]

I have always liked so many of the songs on this album...and I never thought about it as being "dark"...I don't analyze songs that deeply...it's more of a gut thing to me...either it hits me or it doesn't...I don't love every song on it...but then again there are very very few of those albums...I remember thinking how hard it was going to be for them to follow up HC...and that people were bound to be disappointed in whatever they put out next...and I remember a lot of negative comments about it, but I love it overall!

[Tiffanny Twisted]

had to bring this forward...it's from 10/09...and it's priceless Willie

that is too funny