Eagles Obscurity

[NightMistBlue]

Maybe there's not enough money in the UK market to motivate the Eagles? One cynical wag who wrote for Creem magazine back in the 80s said being big in Britain is the financial equivalent of being big in Montana (a sparsely-populated western state).

But most artists still promote themselves in the UK, obviously. The only band I know of to consciously say "aw, who cares" is Van Halen.

[UndertheWire]

I've read that it was easier to break a band in the UK because it was a geographically small market with centralised press. Guns 'n' Roses and Tom Petty benefited from that. However, there's a reason why all the British rock bands headed to the US to make their fortunes. Or reasons: a population with more disposable income to spend on records and concerts and less tax to pay on the profits.

Montana isn't a good comparison because the UK is anything but sparsely populated, but I see the point about it being a small market. The population is about a fifth of the USA but the cost of doing business is probably a lot higher. And then there's the problem of extracting your profits.

[Funk 50]

I don't think Montana has produced any bands to match The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, U2, Coldplay etc etc. The Eagles didn't relocate to Montana to make their first record. (I'm sure Montana is a wonderful place )

I don't know how, why or what it is, the argument that it's geographically, a nationwide market, looks a sound one, but the UK is a world leader when it comes to pop/rock music.

[DivineDon]

I don't think Montana has produced any bands to match The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, U2, Coldplay etc etc. The Eagles didn't relocate to Montana to make their first record. (I'm sure Montana is a wonderful place )

I don't know how, why or what it is, the argument that it's geographically, a nationwide market, looks a sound one, but the UK is a world leader when it comes to pop/rock music.

Just to clarify U2 are Irish not a UK band.

[OutlawManNJ]

Over time as the world accumulates News, history and Culture pop or otherwise, there is only so much of it that can be played, taught in school, read and remembered etc.... only the "strong survive". Beatles for example...Mozart....meanwhile big acts in their time are slowly forgotten in time. NOt sure where the Eagles fall...I think they have enough radio friendly songs to live on for a while.

How many huge acts in the 50s and 60s that sold millions and today are barely remembered...Ray Coniff just to throw out 1 example (my uncle is a huge fan, Coniff sold millions of records...but I bet 1 in 50,000 people today have no idea who he is.

[NightMistBlue]

. . . the UK is a world leader when it comes to pop/rock music.

I couldn't agree with you more, believe me. Nobody does it better than the Brits (generally speaking!). Remember, we were speculating about why the Eagles - unlike the vast majority of bands of their stature - didn't seem to over-exert themselves to woo the British record buying public.

[Freypower]

I still fail to see what difference it makes & why anyone should think that now they don't exist they suddenly need to remind the UK of who they are. Who they WERE. It's a bit late for that.

They should have released DVDs of their last two tours, for the world, not just the UK, and perhaps their chances of being remembered would have improved.

I don't agree that there will be any special 40th anniversary release of Hotel California. I don't believe there are any extras. They put out the Capital Centre show with HOTE & they probably think that's enough. They don't need the money & the UK critics will never change thier opinions.

It is Glenn the solo artist who needs to be remembered, not the Eagles. And I can't see that happening either.

[Brooke]

I wish they would put out dvds of their last two tours. I doubt they would do one for LROOE now since they have done the HotE tour. HotE would overshadow that, but it's not too late for one for HotE tour.

I wonder why they don't want to be remembered? That's the way it seems.

[sodascouts]

I think that putting out a documentary detailing the entirety of their career indicates that they want to be remembered better than yet another concert DVD (although of course I wanted one of those, too).

Honestly, though, even if they have never put out one DVD set, these guys still have an incredible legacy of music that will ensure they'll be remembered for quite a while.

All things must fade in time, but when you've sold as many records as they have, you don't disappear too quickly. Something tells me they'll outlast the likes of the Scissor Sisters, a band I've never even heard of.

[Funk 50]

I think the Eagles have already outlasted The Scissor Sisters although I think they're in hibernation rather than split.

The UK Top 60 was albums rather than acts. I was surprised that no Eagles albums made the top 60, I'd be even more surprised if the Eagles weren't a top 60 act.

If the remaining Eagles struggle to sell-out live venues and they miss playing to the huge audiences they've been playing since 1994, surely they are going to reunite for some Eagles shows.