I have decided "New Kid in Town" is Glenns best work

[WalshFan88]

I agree with both of you, Austin & UTW, but I would add Somebody & How Long from LROOE to Glenn's list of rockers. I know you don't like LROOE much Austin, but those are just as worthy of a mention as the others. I'm so glad we got those & I'm so glad I actually saw him sing Somebody three times.

We have to be grateful for the solo work for the variety of vocal styles as UTW said. But we also have to be grateful for LROOE & that he came to his senses & sang more than one/two songs on it.

It's hard for me to view How Long as a rock song as the twangy guitar sound that starts it and goes throughout is very country. But it IS an upbeat tune and could be considered a rocking tune, so yes I think it should be considered. It's my fav off of that album. Somebody to me is more of a rocker, and I forgot about it.

[GlennLover]

Well – I am truly a hardcore because I’ve never heard a Frey vocal that I didn’t love. Okay, there is maybe one – Such a Lovely Child. I’ve always said one of the things that appeals most to me about Glenn’s voice is that it is so versatile. AFAIC, his voice is equally effective whether he is singing a silky smooth ballad or a rough rowdy rocker. As evidence, my two favorite vocals are probably New Kid In Town and Heartache Tonight, although I find it extremely hard to choose because he has so many exceptional vocals throughout his entire career. Starting with Take It Easy to You Belong To the City to How Long to After Hours and everything in between – it’s all just pure perfection for me.

I absolutely agree on all points, Dreamer!

[chaim]

A good decision. It is one of the greatest pieces of music by anyone ever.

[sodascouts]

I also love the versatility of his voice and thought that he shouldn't limit himself to the romantic numbers, although I love those. Wild, rocking Glenn appeals to me as much as soft, smooth Glenn.

[WalshFan88]

I also love the versatility of his voice and thought that he shouldn't limit himself to the romantic numbers, although I love those. Wild, rocking Glenn appeals to me as much as soft, smooth Glenn.

Agreed.

[Jonny Come Lately]

It's hard for me to view How Long as a rock song as the twangy guitar sound that starts it and goes throughout is very country. But it IS an upbeat tune and could be considered a rocking tune, so yes I think it should be considered. It's my fav off of that album. Somebody to me is more of a rocker, and I forgot about it.

The way I see it How Long is one of those songs that today, or back in 2007, could definitely be seen as a country song, but in the 1970s it would have been considered a rock song. I personally think it's less traditionally country than virtually everything on Cass County, for instance. I tend to think of it as a rocker myself, although I listen to classic rock more than I do modern country. Personally, I think what has happened is that the genre boundaries have shifted in the intervening period - country has claimed sounds that used to belong to the rock genre (and elsewhere I believe there is music that is often seen as rock now that would have been considered pop had it been around in the 1970s), and the Eagles, with their influence on numerous country artists, were a very important part of that.

[WalshFan88]

The way I see it How Long is one of those songs that today, or back in 2007, could definitely be seen as a country song, but in the 1970s it would have been considered a rock song. I personally think it's less traditionally country than virtually everything on Cass County, for instance. I tend to think of it as a rocker myself, although I listen to classic rock more than I do modern country. Personally, I think what has happened is that the genre boundaries have shifted in the intervening period - country has claimed sounds that used to belong to the rock genre (and elsewhere I believe there is music that is often seen as rock now that would have been considered pop had it been around in the 1970s), and the Eagles, with their influence on numerous country artists, were a very important part of that.

I think How Long is an upbeat tune but to me that Telecaster twangy sound bills it for me as a country song just because of that. I've seen the old clip of them doing it back then, and it was a bit more rock n' roll.. I think when it's stripped down I consider it more of a rock song. But Stu's country licks in the song on LROOE messes with my head.

I love modern country that sounds like rock, so I definitely agree with you that the genre's have cross-pollinated in 2016. I also give a lot of credit to the Eagles. Country artists like Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean are far more rock than country. The lines are a bit blurred. I like more upbeat rockin' songs so I'm more of a modern country fan than a classic country fan. I like the above mentioned artists and a whole heap of others. To me modern country is closer to classic rock than modern rock is to classic rock. I find it funny, actually. I think the later 70s Eagles when they started doing things in more rock format was highly influential to today's country artists and songwriters. The fact you could put country lyrics and country instruments on a upbeat rock n' roll song was very influential I think.

I think when LROOE dropped in 2007 it sounded a lot more like a contemporary country record for the time as far as How Long and BBF go, and then you have polar opposites on songs like the title track or some of the Henley darker songs on the album.

[scottside]

I think that "How Long" was purposely recorded with more of a country sound for LROOE. Back in 1973 when they were playing it live, it was all electric guitars and pretty much straight ahead rock. When I first heard the studio version in 2007, as much as I loved it, I found it to a bit more country than I would've preferred, but it grew on me immediately and now I love it both ways.

[WalshFan88]

I think that "How Long" was purposely recorded with more of a country sound for LROOE. Back in 1973 when they were playing it live, it was all electric guitars and pretty much straight ahead rock. When I first the studio version in 2007, as much as I loved it, I found it to a bit more country than I would've preferred, but it grew on me immediately and now I love it both ways.

Agreed, ss.

[Jonny Come Lately]

I think you're right about the differences between the 1973 and 2007 takes of How Long, ss. The guitar on the former is definitely less twangy, and more akin in tone to the rockers on the first two albums. I love both versions - I have both on my iPod, and the LROOE version is my most played song from that album. Returning to the original topic, I really do like Glenn's vocal on the third verse of the studio take, especially the way he sings on the lines 'everybody is out there on the loose' and on 'what you get is not quite what you choose', the latter in particular. I enjoy Randy's vocals on the original too, but I really like the way Glenn re-interpreted that part of the song.