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Thread: Eagles songwriting

  1. #21
    Border Desperado WS82Classics's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eagles songwriting

    Hmm. I would never have thought "Too Many Hands" was about the environment. Always assumed it was about some popular dancer at the London Fog or the Whiskey a-Go Go and the lecherous men who took to her, something like that. There's certainly many perspectives from which to view a song...

    As to Meisner and his future plans, I had heard some talk right after Glenn died about his possibly putting out new music. Like with the memoir that was mentioned earlier, it will have to take a distant back seat for some time, and for good reason.
    All carrot, no stick.

    "He's just another power junkie, just another silk scarf monkey. You'd know it if you saw his stuff. The man just isn't big enough."--Glenn Frey/Don Henley

    "You think you know me, but you haven't got a clue."--John Lennon/Paul McCartney


  2. #22
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    Default Re: Eagles songwriting

    Quote Originally Posted by thelastresort View Post
    I don't want to derail this thread, but I always find it odd how much Felder attests that he had so many great ideas for songs and laid down all these demo tapes and how Glenn and Don H had such a stranglehold on what made the cut, then only releases two solo albums in 35 years...
    I'm not sure how much "so many" is, but Road to Forever has something like 16 tracks on it, all material that was co-written by him. That's like 2 albums worth of songs. For Airborne, he solo penned 6 out of 8 tracks, lyrics and music. Plus he wrote songs for 5 different movie soundtracks: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Heavy Metal, Secret Admirer, The Sluggers Wife, and Nice Dreams. He also created the music for "Galaxy High", an animated tv show. This is in addition to the session work he did for other musicians, like the Bee Gees.

    In his book, Don F discusses his desire to spend time with his family after being on the road so much with the Eagles. That's why he turned offers to tour with other musicians, like Don H who was still single (although he was caring for a sick girlfriend). I think he was more prolific than he is given credit for.

    Btw, here's a sample from the Galaxy High intro, which shows a different side of Don Felder, lyric-wise: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ISdr6wf68Kk

  3. #23
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    Default Re: Eagles songwriting

    I'm going to apologise for being rather superficial with my coverage of the songwriting so far. I'm hoping that those of you who love the writing of the individuals will jump in and say why. How have they developed over the years? What different writing partners have they had?

    With Don Felder, we can see that he was fairly prolific in the early 80s but then he seemed to stop and only seems to have started to write again since 2001. Of course, this may be wrong and he may have been writing throughout and just not released any of it. I know he said that he wanted to stay home with his family, but he also built himself a home studio so could have worked from home. How much has his writing changed? If I compare "Girls in Black" with "Bad Girls", he doesn't seem to have come very far but some of his other songs look more promising. How about musically? Does he have good melody, good hooks, interesting guitar riffs?

  4. #24
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    Default Re: Eagles songwriting

    While I have never listened to "Bad Girls," I can easily imagine it being far superior to "Girls in Black.

    Felder seemed to regress lyrically through the years(to say nothing of vocally). His apex was the songs he wrote/co-wrote with other Eagles. "Too Many Hands," "Visions," "Victim of Love," "The Disco Strangler," and "Those Shoes" all constitute great songs, and "Visions" was probably the best Felder ever sang in a recorded performance.

    "Airborne" doesn't feature, based on the sound samples I've heard(an ignorant way to judge, I know, but I'm not yet brave enough to plop down any fundage for the album), the most impressive of material, but it is almost certainly many miles above the recent album.
    All carrot, no stick.

    "He's just another power junkie, just another silk scarf monkey. You'd know it if you saw his stuff. The man just isn't big enough."--Glenn Frey/Don Henley

    "You think you know me, but you haven't got a clue."--John Lennon/Paul McCartney


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    Default Re: Eagles songwriting

    Someone has uploaded Airborne onto youtube. Soda has transcribed the lyrics for all the songs by all of the Eagles past and present if you look under the discographies on the main site.

    http://www.donfelderonline.com/solo/...e/badgirls.htm

    Bad girls, lookin' so good
    Love it when they walk that way
    They'll keep you up, they'll keep you up all night long
    Just to play those little games they play


    http://www.donfelderonline.com/solo/...rlsinblack.htm

    I love those girls in black
    I love those girls in black
    Lord, you know I love, I love those girls in black

    The latter is comparable with this gem (sarcasm alert) from Frey-Tempchin:

    She's a sexy girl (sexy girl, sexy girl)
    She's a very sexy girl, mmhmm
    She's a sexy girl (sexy girl, sexy girl)
    She's a very sexy girl

    Last edited by UndertheWire; 09-21-2016 at 12:28 PM.

  6. #26
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    Default Re: Eagles songwriting

    The quality of the songwriting on Hotel California makes it quite a shock to go back through their earlier albums and discover how undeveloped their song writing skills were on their first few albums and how quickly they became outstanding songwriters. The songwriting on the first album is above average at best. Nightingale is a JB cast off. It's the vocal arrangements that stand out.

    Glenn and Don quickly developed the ability to pick a good song and how to take a potentially good song idea and work it into a great track. The Eagles had the mind set, resources and work ethic to make the "Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration" adage apply to their music career.

    It's often said that you need to capture a song in the first few takes before the magic starts to dissipate. Considering the Eagles recorded Hotel California three times before they were happy with it shows, that if you dedicate enough time and effort, in the creative process, and have paid your dues, learning your craft, a song can spread it's magic forever.
    As Leonardo da Vinci said "Art is never finished, only abandoned"

    Felder says he started writing the title track of his Return To Forever album in the mid 70s. It may have been on that same cassette that included the origins of Hotel California. If it's been around that long, he obviously sees something in it that I'm not hearing. The whole album is a disappointment compared to Airborne but he was probably expecting to present the Airborne tracks to Glenn and Don as potential Eagles tracks. Tough audience!

  7. #27
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    Default Re: Eagles songwriting

    Next up for a quick summary is Joe Walsh. I'm hoping all the Walsh fans will step up.

    Within the Eagles:
    Pretty Maids All in a Row (with Joe Vitale)
    Life in the Fast Lane (with Henley-Frey)
    In the City (with Barry de Vorzan)
    The Sad Cafe (with Henley, Frey and Souther)
    Last Good Time in Town (with JD Souther)

    and of course, the Eagles played quite a few of Joe's songs from his James Gang, Barnstorm and solo careers.

    My impression is that Joe has written a lot. Lyrically, the funny ones are most memorable. With others, it's the music and riffs that I think of.

  8. #28
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    Default Re: Eagles songwriting

    Henley co-wrote "Falling Down" with Walsh on his "So What?" album, the earliest known Walsh/Eagles collaboration. Frey, Henley, and Meisner also contributed vocals to "Turn to Stone" and "Help Me Through the Night." Additionally, various members of the Eagles contributed to Walsh's solo recordings in the late 70's and early 80's.

    Off the top of my head, Felder co-wrote and contributed duelling guitars on "Rivers(of the Hidden Funk)," which was a Long Run-era composition. Schmit also sang backup vocals on the parent album, "There Goes the Neighbourhood." Another Felder co-write(featuring him on guitars and backing vocals) from around the time of "Long Run" is "Told You So," from the "You Bought it--You Name it" album. Henley and Schmit did backing vocals on "Here We are Now."

    Schmit was a co-writer on "I Can't Tell You Why" and also co-wrote on "Do Something" and "Long Road Out of Eden." Henley, Walsh, and JD Souther also had significant involvement with Schmit's "Playin' it Cool" album, and Walsh played guitar on "I'll Always Let You in" from the "Feed the Fire" album.
    All carrot, no stick.

    "He's just another power junkie, just another silk scarf monkey. You'd know it if you saw his stuff. The man just isn't big enough."--Glenn Frey/Don Henley

    "You think you know me, but you haven't got a clue."--John Lennon/Paul McCartney


  9. #29
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    Default Re: Eagles songwriting

    As much as I love the more mainstream and perhaps slightly less serious items in Joe's discography, I genuinely wish he'd stuck at the album Barnstorm sound a little more. At age 24 he penned the likes of Birdcall Morning, One and One and the superb Midnight Visitor singlehandedly and the whole album has some wonderful moments: Giant Bohemoth is an absolute monster () and I love the use of Morse Code and flute (hats of to Mr. Vitale for that), and the harmonica at the end of Comin' Down kills me every time I hear it. Add to that Turn to Stone and you've got pretty much the perfect album. Whilst TTS was probably a heads up of that was to come in later years I just wish he'd explored the vast array of styles he portrayed here instead of heading into more generic rock and roll so soon. As I said I love Rocky Mountain Way, Life's Been Good and the more delicate likes of Help Me Thru the Night, but I still always wonder what might have been had he stuck on the Barnstorm road...

  10. #30
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    Default Re: Eagles songwriting

    I forgot Mother Says in my post above. I feel ashamed of myself! Another belter of a song, and whilst perhaps again like Turn to Stone more like the Joe that became really famous it still fits in very well with the feel of the album.

    Just listening to One and One / Giant Bohemoth now - absolutely superb.

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