Thing you do NOT like about the Eagles?

[thelastresort]

Their failure to move with the times & embrace the web, social media & the reality that people wanted personal souvenirs of their shows. Their website & Facebook pages were used for announcing shows & linking to their merchandise site.

This is a very good one which I forgot. If you look at the likes of Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Black Sabbath who are all bands of a similar era and similar popularity to the Eagles whom I also happen to 'Like' on Facebook then the contrast between them and the Eagles's presence is gargantuan. Joe does a little bit by himself and Felder isn't too bad (on Twitter at least), but any official Eagles (social) media is as good as dormant, even when they were still active. I know Don H. despises it and I suspect that's why it is the way it is, but when you see Pink Floyd on there as good as every day posting YouTube links to their songs, interviews and 'On this day...' content you really have to think the Eagles missed a huge one here. Yes, their name is still out there because of how good they were, but think of the bridges they could have crossed if they didn't remove Hotel California videos every 30 minutes, or actually gave their fans something to mull over on Facebook. Lynyrd Skynyrd even post fan covers on their official page!

[Freypower]

Well.... perhaps they were taking a well deserved break from touring. No band can continuously tour. It must be grueling to just keep going .They were just coming off a very looong tour.

Also maybe they wanted to add some new material. They must have started working on LROOE at the writing stages at least.

Also, If they were going to fire Don Felder, they needed to replace him, so I would imagine they were considering who that might be??? I never heard of Stuart Smith, so I would imagine they were considering any number of guitar players for the job. It's all speculation and at this point, what does it really matter????

The topic was started, so I responded to it. Touché, I guess, after I said in the Kennedy Centre thread 'what difference does it make'.

The 'they wanted to add some new material' bit is all very well. The point is the inordinate amount of time they spent before they actually DID produce new material.

They didn't fire Felder until February 2001. Are you seriously suggesting they spent the previous FOUR YEARS wondering who they would replace him with?

[Henley Honey]

The only issue I ever had was that they announced their tour dates in drips and drabs. You'd never know if it would be more fortuitous for you to book a show further from your home if it was announced first or if you should hope for another date closer to home. Other than that -- nope. The inner workings of the band were just that. Not for me to chime in on or debate.

[buffyfan145]

I agree on about how there hasn't been more collectors albums/merchandise, DVDs, or other recordings released. I do think that will change as the years go on like how it has for most classic bands and artists. It's usually profitable. I also agree about the Felder situation but it more just always made me sad, and sometimes still does seeing the fans divided.

And this one really isn't about the Eagles but the way some non-Eagles fans absolutely hate them and make fun of us that are fans.

[Topkat]

The topic was started, so I responded to it. Touché, I guess, after I said in the Kennedy Centre thread 'what difference does it make'.

The 'they wanted to add some new material' bit is all very well. The point is the inordinate amount of time they spent before they actually DID produce new material.

They didn't fire Felder until February 2001. Are you seriously suggesting they spent the previous FOUR YEARS wondering who they would replace him with?

Well, they DO or shall I say DID take a VERY long time to produce new material. It was probably difficult to come close to the amazing songs that they already had done... Once a band has huge success & big hits, the pressure to produce something as good is on, so I imagine it was difficult to beat what they already had.

I am not suggesting in any way that they were pondering 4 years about who will replace Felder. Since they fired him in 2001, there must have been plenty of disagreements during that time.

But the fact is they didn't need the money, so whatever they were doing for 4 years, I think much of it was break time & family time. They were probably sick of touring.

[Delilah]

There was a reason why they coudn't get into the studio before 2001; Felder's complaints. This should have been dealt with much sooner. Who knows what would have happened? There was this gap between 1995 & 2001 when although they were back together, they did nothing because of Felder's demands.I find that sad & frustrating.

I find this statement unfair. Who really knows everything going on with the band at the time? There could have personal, family or health issues. Don H must have been working on his solo album during this time; Joe was touring, I believe and working with Ringo. I'm not saying that Don F's concerns about accounting and books didn't factor into the situation but to make him the sole scapegoat is a stretch. After he was fired, the band took years to complete their next album, working with a multitude of musicians and from various locations apart from each other; their producer Bill Symczyk remarked how the same old problems and tensions were re-appearing. All this without Felder around.

[Vector]

Could be anything - something about the band, or an individual.. If I had to pick one, it would be how certain members to the mass audience are perceived, such as Don Felder, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner.

I also think Joe Walsh got more fans because of things outside of music. I can't stand his voice (not bad on "Pretty Maids..."), and never cared for his guitar playing with the Eagles (or solo, or James Gang)..

Maybe I'll think of more later - looking forward to reading stuff from knowledgeable fans

My issues with them is best summed up in this thread.

https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/...ead.php?t=4257

I will add here that I can see where some might not care for Walsh's singing, but I cannot recall anyone who has disliked his guitar playing.

[Funk 50]

First & foremost is the relatively small size of their recorded output. No archival material as NMB said & worst, only one album after their reformation. The over-reliance on touring after the reunion basically meant that they barely attempted to pretend they were recording artists or songwriters as a group.

There was a reason why they coudn't get into the studio before 2001; Felder's complaints. This should have been dealt with much sooner. Who knows what would have happened? There was this gap between 1995 & 2001 when although they were back together, they did nothing because of Felder's demands. I find that sad & frustrating.

Only two live DVDs. There is even less excuse for this than there is for not releasing more albums. That they didn't put out a DVD for the LROOE tour is a huge mark against them. And quite frankly, HOTE is not a satisfactory alternative, in my view. After Glenn died I half expected that they would announce some sort of release; they didn't. Which leads me to...

Their failure to move with the times & embrace the web, social media & the reality that people wanted personal souvenirs of their shows. Their website & Facebook pages were used for announcing shows & linking to their merchandise site.

I do tend to agree with MSF that towards the end the shows had become vehicles for Joe. The Australian shows in 2015 were that way. I think they allowed his personality to become too dominant live.

Going back to the 70s of course, my main objection is the ever decreasing number of Glenn's lead vocals. Tragedy? Yes, in my view. It was one reason why he didn't get the recognition he deserved.

What she said

[UndertheWire]

I think it's unfair to blame the lack of output between 1996 and 2001 on Don Felder. He may have contributed stress but I believe it was primarily Glenn's choice (as always) and he had his own, good reasons. . If you look back at interviews from the 1990s, it appears that the original plan was to reunite for one tour. That tour ended in August 1996 and according to Don Felder, it was Glenn's decision (and I believe Felder).

We don't know Glenn's reasons but I'll note that Taylor would have been about to start school, making it harder to take the family on tour and that Glenn probably became aware of his RA in the 90s (Irving said 15 years but one of Glenn's friends talked of a longer period). Knowing he had a chronic, potentially crippling disease might have given him different priorities.

I agree that it's disappointing that they produced so little new music after 1994 but I can't blame for choosing to live their lives the way they wanted. I do wish they'd check out those archives and maybe relax the quality control just a little. I can't believe there isn't more (those Glyn Johns On the Border recordings?). I'd also like full, clean versions of the performances they used in the documentary.

[Freypower]

I think it's unfair to blame the lack of output between 1996 and 2001 on Don Felder. He may have contributed stress but I believe it was primarily Glenn's choice (as always) and he had his own, good reasons. . If you look back at interviews from the 1990s, it appears that the original plan was to reunite for one tour. That tour ended in August 1996 and according to Don Felder, it was Glenn's decision (and I believe Felder).

We don't know Glenn's reasons but I'll note that Taylor would have been about to start school, making it harder to take the family on tour and that Glenn probably became aware of his RA in the 90s (Irving said 15 years but one of Glenn's friends talked of a longer period). Knowing he had a chronic, potentially crippling disease might have given him different priorities.

I agree that it's disappointing that they produced so little new music after 1994 but I can't blame for choosing to live their lives the way they wanted. I do wish they'd check out those archives and maybe relax the quality control just a little. I can't believe there isn't more (those Glyn Johns On the Border recordings?). I'd also like full, clean versions of the performances they used in the documentary.

OK, fair enough, but the thread is about what we disliked, and I had assumed that the problems with Felder built up over those few years, until they reached a breaking point.

I do concede Delilah's point about the same old problems resurfacing when they did finally try to make an album. This is another element of what was frustrating about them - their inability to sacrifice their various egos & just get on with it. That goes back to what I said about the over reliance on touring.

It's nice to see F50 agree with me unreservedly!