I also hate that greeks abrubtly cuts into teenage jail
I also hate that greeks abrubtly cuts into teenage jail
It seems to me that the title of this thread should have a question mark after it since what is the worst Eagles song is purely subjective - there seems to be little agreement among us here to be able to declare it the band's worst song.
I don't hate any Eagles song, but if I had to pick one that I consider the worst, it would have to be highly-repetitive, musically-challenged The Disco Strangler. However, for me personally, Earlybird and Take the Devil rank up there too, although I'm sure not everyone would agree with me.
As far as Teenage Jail, while I agree that this is not the band’s best work, neither do I think it is horrible. I actually like the way the vocals, lyrics, and guitars effectively create a “teenage jail”.
I, like several others here, actually like Greeks. While it won't make my 'Best of' compilation, I think the song is fun and clever and musically, it rocks.
And for me, I Love To Watch a Woman Dance doesn't even come close to making my 'worst' list. I adore it, plain and simple.
"People don't run out of dreams: People just run out of time ..."
Glenn Frey 11/06/1948 - 01/18/2016
It sounds great on vinyl, OutlawManNJ, which was how it was originally meant to be heard. There are a few Eagles intros and outros that should have been cleaned up for the digital releases. Outlaw Man being one of them. imo.
I've actually doctored the Teenage Jail fade out so I no longer get that abrupt ending on random play.
I also, somehow, improved I Love To Watch A Woman Dance by subtly adding 15secs to the track time. I've forgotten exactly how I did it but I hear the original now and I curse myself for playing the wrong version.
I'd rank the mentioned songs as such:
Teenage Jail
Greeks Don't Want No Freaks
I Love To Watch a Woman Dance
The Disco Strangler
TDS is my least favorite. I can listen to it but to me it's not that it was a bad record, I think it was at least somewhat intentional, a pisstake so to speak on their being known for musical perfection.
I actually enjoy Teenage Jail the more I listen to it, I love the haunting riff and Greeks is just a part song. I wouldn't consider ILTWAWD to be in the worst songs list but I honestly prefer Jail and Greeks over it. I prefer it over TDS though.
I think for some reason Funky New Year should be in this list too, lol. I'd put it above TDS and but less than ILTWAWD.
I have always agreed with you on these points, except that I like Take The Devil more than you do. About ILTWAWD, there are a few of us who love it, and we must be content with that.
My own personal least favourites are STILL Visions, I Wish You Peace, Love Will Keep Us Alive, Please Come Home For Christmas & increasingly The Long Run, in which I realise I am alone.
Personal dislikes that come to mind right away for me:
Visions
Earlybird (cannot stand this one)
Chug All Night - but even though it's not a favorite of mine, I love the "I'm wired for sound, are you wired for light?" line as a theatre technician.
As for the tracks on TLR that tend to be disliked (Teenage Jail, Disco Strangler, Greeks)... I used to not like them as much but they grew on me a bit. I have to be in a certain mood for them, I guess.
ILTWAWD wasn't really my thing the first couple listens but it grew on me rapidly in the past couple years. It strangely became very cathartic to listen to post-January 18th.
~ Tori
I've said this before, but I think Greeks was ruined for me the same way some of McCartney's songs were ruined on Magical Mystery tour - including the extra songs on the full LP version: bad sequencing.
Teenage Jail is very atmospheric - you get into this dark mood. The song ends with what in my opinion is a fantastic (and crazy!) solo from Felder. I'm somewhere in a dark world filled with black humor, and then comes this light rock'n'roll riff. I think it's the sequencing that ruins Greeks for me - more than the song itself.
Look at Magical Mystery Tour - the LP version:
Blue Jay Way (very atmospheric)
Your Mother Should Know (very light)
I Am The Walrus (very atmospheric)
Hello Goodbye (very light)
When you're listening to the CD, HG comes right after IATW!!
Strawberry Fields Forever (very atmospheric)
Penny Lane (rather light, although somewhat quirky)
I don't think any of those McCartney songs are bad, and two of them are excellent, but they follow such atmospheric songs that they're bound to sound lame (to my ears).
Interesting chaim - for me, I enjoy the juxtaposition between atmospheric and light songs. I'm just one that happens to like a lot of variety and diversity on an album ... it's what keeps it interesting for me. That's one reason I love the Eagles so much.
"People don't run out of dreams: People just run out of time ..."
Glenn Frey 11/06/1948 - 01/18/2016
Visions as worst song.
Interesting views on Long Road. I agree it really isn't a cohesive package however Waiting in the Weeds, in my humble opinion, is Henley's finest work.
I'm not crazy about Visions either. It & Disco Strangler are the only Eagles songs that didn't make it to my iPod.