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Thread: Bringing back solo songs (a request)

  1. #11
    Moderator Ive always been a dreamer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bringing back solo songs (a request)

    FP, I don't think it heresy to expression your opinion about the HotE show; however, my guess is yours is definitely the minority opinion around here. I, for one, definitely agree with GA opinion.

    But, now it's my chance to be the minority opinion here because, although I did love the HotE set list, I'm also one that doesn't mind the solo songs. As much as some folks would like to dispose of Joe's solo songs, I personally don't believe it will ever happen. Like it or not, those songs are a permanent fixture in Eagles shows because the majority of fans attending the shows love them. If they do, in fact, revamp the set list going forward, I won't mind one or two of Don's or Glenn's solo songs either.

    "People don't run out of dreams: People just run out of time ..."
    Glenn Frey 11/06/1948 - 01/18/2016

  2. #12
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    Default Re: Bringing back solo songs (a request)

    Joe was brought into the Eagles to improve their live show.

    Glenn said the Walsh tracks took the show up a notch, to a level the Eagles catalogue couldn't reach. Even before Hotel California was released, Turn To Stone, Funk #49 and Rocky Mountain Way were in the Eagles set list, replacing Bernie's, Train Leaves Here This Morning, Blackberry Blossom and Journey Of The Sorcerer. Maybe Chug All Night too. I don't think the Eagles have performed Chug All Night with Joe in the line up.

    Walk Away was added to the set list for the Hotel California tour, Life's Been Good was part of the Eagles set list before Joe played it solo.

    We're now approaching Joe's 40th birthday, within the band (December 20th 2015). I think Joe still takes the live show up a notch but I don't think the inclusion of his solo tracks is as important. When Joe joined, the average age of the Eagles and their audience would be 20s/30s, it's now double that. They don't really need to rock any more. You can play quiet songs without being drowned out by the audience. You can see what's happening on stage with the big screens.

    I think the Eagles could play a set list without Joe's solo songs but I think he'd need another Eagles track or two to perform. Pretty Maids All In A Row, In The City, Last Good Time In Town and Guilty Of The Crime leaves him a little short imho.

  3. #13
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    Default Re: Bringing back solo songs (a request)

    This is weird. I've just proof read through my own post and thought I don't entirely agree with it.

    I heard Joe introduce Life's Been Good at a solo show earlier this week with (paraphrasing) "Youngsters in the audience may not know this track but your parents loved it!"

    I chuckled but I got annoyed. It's bollocks. Bands moan about their music being pigeon holed when they themselves are some of the worst culprits.

    If somebody hears Don's Waiting Tables today and The Eagles, Lying Eyes, for the first time, next month, in their view, Lying Eyes would be the newer track. The truth is of no consequence.

    Is Doolin Dalton an old track because it was released in 1973 or a new track because most fans heard it for the first time in 2013. In the internet age, everything is available all the time, nobody cares what happened 40 years ago. It doesn't matter where the tracks come from, only how good they are.

    If the Eagles do reconvene in the future, I hope they ignore the nostalgia ticket, which must be starting to blow over by now, and have a crack at the, premium stage performers, market.

  4. #14
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    Default Re: Bringing back solo songs (a request)

    To a great extent I'm talking about something outside my experience. The only Eagles shows I've attended were HotE and I haven't seen any solo shows.

    One of the big attractions of the HotE shows for me was the inclusion of Bernie and so many songs from earlier in their career. I'd have been happy if they'd included even more from Desperado - Bitter Creek and Outlaw Man. I wanted to hear the Eagles, not the solo work.

    My sister isn't such an Eagles fan and by the end of the first half, she was getting restless but she loved the second half. I agree that the change of tempo was welcome and that Joe and his songs added an energy that was needed. With such a long show, you need the variety.

    I've listened to bootlegs of early shows, from 1972 to 1974 and they weren't lacking in energy even before Joe joined. Songs such as Outlaw Man, Tryin', Chug All Night and Out of Control got a good audience response. The problem with adding those back in is that the workload mostly lands on Glenn. Including Joe's rockers shares the load.
    Looking at shows from the HFO and Farewell 1 era, the problem with the solo songs from Don and Glenn is that they don't involve other band members as much as I'd like. Often, it's the backing musicians or even orchestra who are highlighted. If I'm at an Eagles show, I don't want to hear Don Henley's solo material and I'd guess many feel the same about Glenn's. My other issue, is that it would be the solo hits that would be included, making it even more of a "greatest hits" show.

    If I ever get the chance to see a solo show, I'm interested in the deeper cuts even more than the hits. That's probably true for an Eagles show, too.

    Anyway, it's an interesting topic.

  5. #15
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    Default Re: Bringing back solo songs (a request)

    I have mixed feelings about all of this. Both of you make very good points which I agree with to varying degrees.

    My problem on the last tour was me more than the band. I found that the earlier songs did not engage me, even though I hadn't seen them live, and then Joe's songs bored me. UTW, you say the songs you mention give Glenn a greater workload. Well, that's what he needs. In HOTE, for me, when he wasn't singing lead he didn't seem to do very much. He was the most subdued & underused I have ever seen him, and after the joys of AH (which spoiled me, I know) I found that hard to take.

    As for the tired old arguments about Joe's songs taking it up a notch & adding energy, etc, I know all that and now it seems an excuse, not a reason.

    It is entirely possible for solo songs to be played where the band IS involved. I was lucky enough to see Smuggler's Blues & YBTTC on the HFO tour & the whole band was involved, as they were in Dirty Laundry. That was not the case, of course, for most of the Henley dominated songs like HOTM and also for Sunset Grill & ASWTDID in F1. Well, they don't have to play those. They could play more uptempo songs. Which ones? Who knows. BOS would be an obvious choice, as would THIO which I have never seen them play. I doubt they will do this. Therefore as I said they should consider returning to LROOE. They didn't give it enough of a chance after the end of the tour which featured it.

  6. #16
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    Default Re: Bringing back solo songs (a request)

    I'm with the "save the solo stuff for the solo concerts" crowd. The problem is that Joe has such a dearth of Eagles material where he sings lead that for him to be prominent during a show, solo / James Gang songs must be included. I was quite pleased that Glenn and Don did not trot out solo hits, much as I love them. I don't come to an Eagles show to hear New York Minute.

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    Default Re: Bringing back solo songs (a request)

    I really enjoyed the Eagles performing New York Minute and the other Henley hits, even Sunset Grill with live horns. The one occasion I saw Henley live, he didn't do The Heart Of The Matter. You Belong To The City and The Heat Is On were real treats too.

    I'm pretty sure that without the solo hits there would never have been a three hour show.

    I don't know how Glenn is feeling right now. His writing partner has found another and is thriving and happy. There's a song in there, somewhere.

    The Eagles are in danger of becoming Henley's sideshow. I want the Eagles to go down shooting. It's Glenn's call.

  8. #18
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    Default Re: Bringing back solo songs (a request)

    Quote Originally Posted by Funk 50 View Post
    I'm pretty sure that without the solo hits there would never have been a three hour show.
    My thoughts, exactly. The deletion of all of the solo songs may have cut the show by at least an hour or more.


    Quote Originally Posted by Funk 50 View Post
    Eagles are in danger of becoming Henley's sideshow. I want the Eagles to go down shooting. It's Glenn's call.
    Actually, they are in danger of becoming extinct. At this point in their senior lives, I don't care what they sing on stage, as long as they show up!
    "You thought you would be satisfied, but you never will learn to be still."

  9. #19
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    Default Re: Bringing back solo songs (a request)

    Quote Originally Posted by Funk 50 View Post
    I really enjoyed the Eagles performing New York Minute and the other Henley hits, even Sunset Grill with live horns. The one occasion I saw Henley live, he didn't do The Heart Of The Matter. You Belong To The City and The Heat Is On were real treats too.

    I'm pretty sure that without the solo hits there would never have been a three hour show.

    I don't know how Glenn is feeling right now. His writing partner has found another and is thriving and happy. There's a song in there, somewhere.

    The Eagles are in danger of becoming Henley's sideshow. I want the Eagles to go down shooting. It's Glenn's call.
    I will address your second point first, although perhaps this should really be in the 'what's next' thread.

    Henley has not suddenly found another writing partner. He has been writing with Lynch since EOTI. He has been working on this album for years, so I think we can safely say it is not just a sudden burst of creativity. And he has finally put out this album so what else is he going to do but promote it? Good luck to him. How does that make the Eagles his 'sideshow' any more than AH made it Glenn's or AM made it Joe's?

    Your speculation on 'how Glenn is feeling' is more problematic. I have no doubt that he wishes Don well with CC, just as I'm sure Don wished him well with AH. He would be used to the fact that for whatever reason, Don's albums are always more heavily promoted & Don does more extensive tours (I still think he blundered badly with the short tour he did for AH). But my other feeling is that Frey fans had our fun, now it's Henley fans' turn!

    I have to say though that for ME, he didn't appear all that enthusiastic during the HOTE shows in Australia, and yet others have not claimed this, so I am in no position to make any calls on whether that was in fact the case. I find his current silence somewhat unnerving, but I also expected it. I have been finding some comfort elsewhere, to quote a line from Gone With The Wind. It is up to him what he does. I would like to hope that he may consider recording another solo album of original material.

    Trying to return to the topic for me the Eagles have gone as far as they can go as a live act. That's the only reason why I thought perhaps they could bring back some Glenn & Don solo songs to add variety. The fact is that I enjoyed the previous tours I saw, which featured those songs, more than HOTE, where the over-emphasis on Joe's songs finally seemed to me to glaringly expose their limited catalogue.

    I'm sorry for the rant but I suppose this has addressed a couple of sore points with me.

  10. #20
    Stuck on the Border WalshFan88's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bringing back solo songs (a request)

    After reading that Henley interview I posted in the press thread, I do worry about the band calling it quits in the future.

    My thought is the band will stop long before the quality decreases even by one percent. If they can't do it at 100 percent (in their minds) anymore, they will stop, the perfectionists they are. They wouldn't tolerate doing a 95 percent perfect show. Unfortunately for us, that means they aren't doing it anymore but I feel that when Glenn and/or Don feel it's too hard, or they can't do it at the level they did or want to, they will call it quits. But I don't see them going out and doing it over and over night after night not being able to reach their high standards of performance. There is also the boredom factor. I don't think the band fighting thing is much of an issue anymore but if it was, that's another element. Maybe they'll stick to occasional shows or 1 hour show three night residencies in Vegas or whatever, but the full world tour and 3 hour concert thing is probably in the rear view mirror at this point from what I gather.

    Who knows, they'll probably be a new tour announced tomorrow. lol

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