FP-
Totally agree with you. The music is great, but without Don's voice and the amazing imagery in the first stanza of HC that immediately draws you in to the song, it's just a flamenco-y intro.
I too think that Felder makes himself look bad by saying all this stuff. It's sad. Of course, I can't relate to how he feels artistically about these things, but, to me anyway, Glenn and Don are responsible for him making more money than your average musician will see in a lifetime, no matter how good a guitar player he is.
I know they sound like they were hard to deal with at times, but let's get real. They are the reason the band was so successful. I don't understand this ongoing bitterness. I read his book and it made me uncomfortable for him. Like some jilted lover writing a tell-all.
It's a great song, but IMHO, it's not their best. And while the whole album appears to have been built around the theme that was that song, can we ever really say that they wouldn't have come up with something else great, without that riff. Not the same of course, but that was an exceptionally great time for them as songwriters.
But what do I know?