A few observations about Eagles shows.

[Topkat]

Last night on VH1 Classic there was a Stones concert from 2006, called Shine A Light. If any of you get a chance to see this,....watch it. To me this was the perfect example of how the Stones took their songs from the 60's & expanded them & made them more interesting. Old songs like Brown Sugar & Satisfaction were extended with some great guitar work by Ron Wood & Keith Richards, while Mick did his moves & danced like a wild man. Mick sang "Don't You Wanna Live with Me" with guest Christina Aguilera. The songs sounded the same, but had a lot more flavor by the added guitar work, & people were dancing in the audience, but mostly not singing, because the songs were improvised enough that they couldn't follow it word for word. Other guests were Buddy Guy & Jack White.

I would love the Eagles to expand their songs like that & they certainly have the talent to do so. Would love to have Joe Walsh throw some riffs in to change it up a little. Just my opinion. I want a live show to sound a little different than the recorded version.

I also loved that version of PEF, made it a little different & interesting, but still basicly the same

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Soda, I love that version of PEF too. I also love the HFO version of Take It Easy with the extended guitar solo. But, again, I like it because it stays true to the song. I like the HFO acoustic version of Hotel Calfornia okay, but not as well as PEF and TIE. Part of the reason I don't like it as well is because the beginning is unrecognizable. I remember how the audience listens to the opening chords for a minute or two, and then, how they suddenly erupt in applause at the first recognizable chords.

[WalshFan88]

I also love the HFO TIE with extended solo. Because it was just more soloing and not changing it much. The PEF version was good too but it's about as far from the original as I can like. Any further and I probably wouldn't have liked it as well. Some songs are ok to do a little changing, some songs it's sacrilegious in my opinion to do so. HC is one of those songs of the latter type.

[Freypower]

Soda, I love that version of PEF too. I also love the HFO version of Take It Easy with the extended guitar solo. But, again, I like it because it stays true to the song. I like the HFO acoustic version of Hotel Calfornia okay, but not as well as PEF and TIE. Part of the reason I don't like it as well is because the beginning is unrecognizable. I remember how the audience listens to the opening chords for a minute or two, and then, how they suddenly erupt in applause at the first recognizable chords.

Well, 'unrecognisable' yes, I suppose so; but that beautiful Spanish guitar feel gives it a new dimension and gives some meaning to the history of the state as told in the song, in my opinion. I think it's great.

Oh well. I can only speak for myself. When I saw Glenn last August the most exhilarating part of it was that he was doing something new. The uncertainty, wondering what he would do next, was just fantastic.

Also I would have thought that at least for most musicians, the opportunity to play live and breathe fresh air into their old songs is something they and their fans would welcome, but it appears the vast majority of Eagles fans don't want that.

[EaglesKiwi]

Soda, I love that version of PEF too. I also love the HFO version of Take It Easy with the extended guitar solo. But, again, I like it because it stays true to the song. I like the HFO acoustic version of Hotel Calfornia okay, but not as well as PEF and TIE. Part of the reason I don't like it as well is because the beginning is unrecognizable. I remember how the audience listens to the opening chords for a minute or two, and then, how they suddenly erupt in applause at the first recognizable chords.

For me that was one of the highlights of the whole video - the suspense, and then elation of the audience.

[Prettymaid]

I agree EK. I like it when bands do an unrecognizable intro to a well known song, and I'm sure they do it just for that reason - the element of surprise. Isn't there a guitar intro to Heartache Tonight on F1?

[Scarlet Sun]

Here's the kind of change I like in a live show - it stays fairly true to the original, but gives us a cool twist as well. It's the 1994 arrangement of Peaceful Easy Feeling that I mentioned earlier.

that's very nice

[Freypower]

I agree EK. I like it when bands do an unrecognizable intro to a well known song, and I'm sure they do it just for that reason - the element of surprise. Isn't there a guitar intro to Heartache Tonight on F1?

That bluesy guitar intro to HT on the F1 DVD is the way the song has been played ever since & I think it gives the song a new dimension.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

It's true the intros to Hotel California and Heartache Tonight (and Funk #49) that the band uses in the live shows are all unrecognizable to the general public. The difference is that after the intros, the live version of these songs are pretty true to the originals, so I actually like those intros. In the case of the other renditions of Hotel California that were being discussed here though, the arrangements are pretty different from the original.

[Mrs Frey]

Here's the kind of change I like in a live show - it stays fairly true to the original, but gives us a cool twist as well. It's the 1994 arrangement of Peaceful Easy Feeling that I mentioned earlier.

I'm completely in agreement with you here, Soda - and this version of PEF is magnificent! Glenn sings like an angel, and the harmonies are stunning! I can imagine that when the song was first written, that Glenn would have played it like that, finger-picking on the acoustic guitar. Wow, just listening to this really gave me a much-needed lift!