Eagles Song Survivor: The Long Run

[WalshFan88]

Ok, judge. The jury has reached a decision.

And I vote for:

Heartache Tonight for the win!

I don't want to diminish The Long Run. In fact I feel bad for not picking it. I feel it's a far better song than some give it credit for and it's my second favorite on the album if not tied, but I have to pick something, so HT it is. I think The Long Run sums up the Eagles and DH/GF relationship from that time and beyond and I think it shouldn't be looked down upon just because it takes influence from "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You". It's not an exact copy, and I feel that personally, it's not valid enough of a reason for me to not like it, at least IMO. I feel it has really stood the test of time well and is a top 3 track on the album.

Now, why Heartache Tonight when I've campaigned so hard for the title track above and before now? Well...

I just prefer the harder edged sound and Glenn's gritty vocal and the fact that it really is my favorite Glenn vocal outside of AG and TIE. It just has that sound that maybe he isn't as known for compared to the smoother voice but is great. I think it has a very raw sound. Then there is the guitars. Joe's slide solo is fantastic and I think it really adds a lot to it. I was not happy with the HOTE version of it, but it was still good.

It was the hardest decision for me in all of the Survivors I've done honestly as I'm so passionate about both songs. But I feel I've made the right choice.

[Desperada]

Heartache Tonight to Win!

[L101]

The Long Run for the win !!

HT is definitely not my favourite song and I don't particularly like the vocals on it though I do like the HOTE version of it - I seem to be in the minority here on this though .....

TLR to me is a great Eagles song and I love how they sing it live - I think it's one of the standout songs on the album and is a worthy survivor finalist !

[UndertheWire]

I vote Heartache Tonight for the win.

I only got as far as a rough ranking of the songs and the way the game played out, I never had a tough decision. The hardest was whether to pick The Long Run or In the City to try to save King of Hollywood.

As for strategy, in the first three rounds, I looked ahead. I knew that DS was going without my help and I could be sure that the other two weak tracks would follow, so I did what I could to protect King of Hollywood.

Favourite:
King of Hollywood

Like
I Can't Tell You Why
Heartache Tonight
The Sad Cafe

Indifferent
The Long Run
In the City
Those Shoes

Not great
Teenage Jail
The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks

Horrible
The Disco Strangler

[DivineDon]

It has to be THE LONG RUN to win for me!!!

'The Long Run' signifies the enduring quality of the band itself - they may have been bent at times but they were never broken

'Heartache Tonight' is a catchy singalong with no real substance.

Save
Save

[Brooke]

I vote for

HEARTACHE TONIGHT

for the WIN!

Love love love this song! It's always been my favorite from this album! I enjoy The Long Run too though and think it's a great song, but this rocker from Glenn is too awesome!

[Delilah]

I vote "Heartache Tonight" for the win! It's rockin', it's rollin', it's rollickin' and it's original!

[rcknalwys]

Heartache Tonight for the win. It's just downright fun.

[Glennsallnighter]

Absolutely no question here - I vote for one of the best 'Feel good' songs that the Eagles ever released, and I just love the way that Glenn rocked it out.

HEARTACHE TONIGHT for the win!! Just love that song

[Jonny Come Lately]

Okay, judging by the comments here I think this wasn't as easy for me as it was for some of you. I love both of these songs, and they were both in my top 5 when I ranked the tracks from the album. So it's a close call, but...

I vote for Heartache Tonight for the win!

As others have said, this song rocks! I love the mix of guitar styles with Don F's rock and roll chords together with Joe's terrific slide work, especially on the solos, and then of course it has Glenn's fantastic lead vocal. The lyrics admittedly are not as poetic as The Sad Café, and unlike King Of Hollywood it doesn't have a story to tell, but as Glenn said, they weren't meant to be deep. It doesn't pretend to match the lyrical scope of the Hotel California era singles, it's great in its own right. I think the main objective of the song was to be a great rock and roll shuffle, and they totally succeeded in that - IMO it was the most fun song they'd done since On The Border era.

In a way though, I think the song tells you quite a bit about the band's state of mind. Glenn's vocal and Joe's slide work in particular seem to capture the pent-up frustration that the guys must have been feeling during the protracted recording sessions, and lines like 'somebody's gonna hurt someone...' foreshadow the events of Long Night at Wrong Beach. Also, the sense of desperation of the people around them at that time is very much present. Although the song is immense fun, there's still a sense of menace, and I think that puts it up an extra notch, especially in the context of the album.

The Long Run is a worthy runner up though - as I said earlier, I really like the lyrics, the guitars, the groove... it's just an all round strong song I feel.