Certainly there has been no survey done, although I think realistically only we hardcores get all worked up over the number of leads. I don't need a statistician to tell me most of the people there just want to hear the hits.
However, I agree that lack of popularity is not the sole reason songs have been dropped. Several songs were dropped because of their difficulty to sing rather than their lack of popularity (admittedly, I have no proof of this, but why else drop NKIT?). Plus, they have so many popular songs that they can't fit them all in, so naturally even some that are popular won't be able to remain in their shortened setlist. Along those lines - please God let the retrospective tour have a longer set! Especially if it's the last major tour!
HD, you have every right to create a setlist consisting only of songs you like best. This is supposed to be fun, not a test to see if you can make a setlist that fits the ideals and preferences of other members whom you should not have to feel obliged to please.
I so want to hear NKIT! I know it's difficult to sing, and if they brought it down a key or two, I could sing along much easier! It's a song I had no problems singing even a few years ago, but lately, even the noise cancelling headphones aren't helping me out. I can't imagine what the neighbors think.
VK
You can't change the world but you can change yourself.
I can sing along with the song just fine until we get to "willing to hold her" - then all bets are off. Maybe I'll hit it right, maybe I won't - it usually depends on if I'm sitting or standing. lol
If it's just a couple notes that give him trouble, maybe he could change it slightly like Don does for "Heart of the Matter" where he doesn't go all the way up on "I'm learning to live without you now."
OK, my list, in chronological order except for the intermission and encores:
Take It Easy
Witchy Woman
Peaceful Easy Feeling
Desperado
Doolin-Dalton with Doolin-Dalton/Desperado Reprise
Outlaw Man
Tequila Sunrise
On the Border
Ol' 55
Best of My Love
Already Gone
James Dean
[Intermission - I Dreamed There Was No War]
Seven Bridges Road
One of These Nights
Lyin' Eyes
After the Thrill Is Gone
Pretty Maids All in a Row
Victim of Love
New Kid in Town
The Long Run
I Can't Tell You Why
In the City
Those Shoes
Love Will Keep Us Alive
Get Over It
Life's Been Good
Somebody
How Long
[Encore 1]
Waiting in the Weeds
Life in the Fast Lane
Heartache Tonight
[Encore 2]
Hotel California
Take It to the Limit
With new music, I wanted "Do Something" and "What Do I Do with My Heart" but they just didn't seem to fit the flow because the Eagles typically like to amp it up right before the encore. The problem is I really want to hear those ballads! I love them! Plus, they've never been played live before, and it would be neat if the Eagles would do songs that haven't ever been done before. I'm not sure what to do about them. This isn't as easy as it looks! Plus, my setlist already is three songs longer than the original LROOE setlist (I justified this with three songs could take the place of "Long Road Out of Eden.")
I also wanted "Out of Control", "Hole in the World," and "No More Cloudy Days" but I sacrificed them to make the numbers more manageable.
I know we've been saying "New Kid in Town" is unrealistic but I feel it could be adjusted to work.
"Seven Bridges Road" might at first appear to be out of order but remember that was recorded earlier, while Randy was still in the band, even though it was first released in 1980.
I put "waiting in the Weeds" in the encore because it has a cyclical theme to it - "waiting for my time to come around again" - and thus fits the overall theme.
I know "Life's Been Good" seems out of place because I said "no solo" but I figured we needed something fast and fun there and honestly, that song is better than Joe's LROOE stuff, specifically "Guilty of the Crime" which would be the other option since LGTIT is too slow. Plus, life HAS been pretty good for these guys, so it goes with the theme, and as it was never released as an Eagles song unless you count Live we don't have to concern ourselves with chronological order there.
No "Desperado" as the last song, please. That is tired. TITTL is a song of immense power and ends on an uplifting note which fits thematically - the Eagles take it to the limit EVERY time.
And FP, please don't get all agitated because Glenn doesn't sing as many leads as Don in the second half. He sings more in the first half. It all evens out.
I had Hole In The World in my list originally and it broke my heart to remove it. That song means so much to me... It and What Do I Do With My Heart are definitely the Eagles songs I think of most often. I don't need to play them because I can hear them so very clearly in my head.
VK
You can't change the world but you can change yourself.
Soda, the only problem I see with it is I still think Take It Easy should be the final song. And I love TITTL, I do, but to me, it is kind of a downer song and I don't want to go home feeling down. It needs to be in the set, but not a closer.
"They will never forget you 'till somebody new comes along"
1948-2016 Gone but not forgotten
According to Eagles Live Seven Bridges Road was recorded on July 28, 1980, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and therefore features Tim, not Randy. Randy features on TITTL, NKIT, Wasted Time & Desperado.
Soda, I am not going to get agitated about the first/second half business any more. I have agonised about it for far too long & I'm sick of it.
I like the majority of your list but I would finish with TIE, not TITTL.
Lol, Fp, we posted at nearly the same time! I'm witcha on TIE!
"They will never forget you 'till somebody new comes along"
1948-2016 Gone but not forgotten
Oh! My bad about the recorded version of "Seven Bridges Road." However, I stand by my placement because they were performing it as early as the mid-70s.
The reason I put TIE at the front is because when you hear those opening chords, you know you're about to have a lot of fun... in this case, that fun is not just the song but the whole concert!