Originally Posted by
WalshFan88
TBH, edwardd19, he brings it on himself. He's got no one else to blame.
Any pain he got from the Eagles was something he brought on himself. It wasn't mean old Glenn. Glenn was in the right. No one likes someone who brings everyone down with their snide comments or constant whining OR malcontent nature. The straw that broke the camels back was when he asked for the same money as Glenn, got told no and he said ok. But then to make everything miserable, he kept being passive aggressive about it, and finally Glenn and probably DH had enough and Glenn told him to get lost. Don Felder is not innocent, at all. He was responsible for his demise in the band. He helped to break them up in 1980, Glenn wasn't about to let him ruin it again in 2000. Don Felder is a brilliant guitarist. But he, IMO, is an unsavory character and I get tired of his need to constantly shamelessly exaggerate his importance.
As far as the comment about success, I think that is debatable. I think his main achievement was coming up with the guitar intro for Hotel California, and giving it to Don and Glenn to write a song with. And yes, it's their biggest song. But he, while starting the process, wasn't responsible entirely for the whole song. I think that Glenn and Don are largely responsible for the bands success and lasting music. There was a hierarchy to the Eagles and while everyone works as a team and you need the other guys, not everyone gets to be quarterback. Not everyone gets to be coach. And that's ok. But Don Felder didn't think so. Bye!
I don't doubt Glenn could be cold and perhaps mean at times, but not to the extent Felder and his fans would like you to believe. And to be frank, Glenn's personality type would certainly clash with that of Don Felder, who was passive aggressive and would whine incessantly about being told no by someone who was more dominant. But Glenn wasn't this evil guy. And certainly he did get tired of Felder as time went on. But if Felder would have just assumed his role of a guitar player and not complained about not singing (which he cannot do) or having equal money and power in the band, then I'm sure he'd still be in the band. There is an interview on YouTube of Glenn in the 80s talking about Felder, praising him, and saying that he was an integral member in the second half of the 70s. He wasn't out to get him. Neither was Henley.
I used to think Don Felder was wronged, got a raw deal, and that he was the innocent man he claimed to be. Then, I woke up and realized that almost anyone would have a hard time working with Felder, especially if you were his superior. And I realized that Glenn wasn't as bad as he says, and that he wasn't the victim that he proclaimed so loudly to be. If he had owned up to his mistakes, apologized to Glenn and Don, and not wrote a nasty book trashing Don and Glenn - who knows, he may have been asked back at some point but that would have been giving him a third chance. And to me, a second chance is plenty, IMO.
My opinion of Felder will change when Felder owns up to his mistakes and cuts back on the silent arrogance and quits claiming that he "wrote" Hotel California. Then I will cut him a break. I don't see it happening!