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Thread: New here and wow

  1. #1
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    Default New here and wow

    Life long fan, saw them 3 times, 1975 Cotton Bowl backing the Stones, late 76 or early 77 in Austin (Walsh's first tour), and finally the Hell Freezes Over tour.

    Just googled for more info on Felder and landed here. I read his book a few years ago and just stumbled on his Howard Stern interview today. I read a few pages in some threads here and was amazed that so many people seem to hate him and or attack his fans. I was actually shocked at some of the responses. It's like praising Felder is an attack on Frey and Henley? Am I missing something? It seems to me that he only wanted his fair share, tried to work it out and was fired by lawyers.

    After watching History of The Eagles on Netflix, I almost wished I hadn't seen it. It took me a while to be able to listen in peace after witnessing the strife between Felder and Frey, Henley and Frey etc. My takeaway is that the rise of Henley was the real issue. Who could even try to keep up with Henley? That said, it was a huge shock to lose Frey so young.

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    Default Re: New here and wow

    Welcome Tom. I'm envious that you were able to see them back in the 70s.

    I think you have to view this site in a wider context. When you consider the kind of comments that appear on youtube, imdb you may understand the dislike of a significant sub-group of "Felder fans" shown here. Although my view is that they are not so much "Felder fans" as "Eagles/Henley/Frey haters". Some people are drawn to a fight and love to attack people more successful than they are. Of course, this is just my opinion.

    With the Felder/Frey situation, I see it as they both wanted what was fair but they had different ideas of what was fair and they were never able to resolve it. In the end, they both won - Felder got his settlement and Frey got to continue with the band without having to deal with Felder.

    I found the documentary fascinating, in part because it showed how they were able to move forward despite personal differences. These stories of the rise and fall of bands/movie stars/sports stars so often end in despair and yet with this band they survived and prospered (at least as far as 2013).

    You have a good point that the rise of Henley seems to have played a big part in the problems as well as their success. It was an area where the documentary trod lightly but Felder talked about in his book and interviews. What's missing is much about how the differences between Henley and Frey were managed after Felder's dismissal.

    I hope you'll join in on some of the other discussions.

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    Default Re: New here and wow

    Quote Originally Posted by UndertheWire View Post
    Welcome Tom. I'm envious that you were able to see them back in the 70s.

    I think you have to view this site in a wider context. When you consider the kind of comments that appear on youtube, imdb you may understand the dislike of a significant sub-group of "Felder fans" shown here. Although my view is that they are not so much "Felder fans" as "Eagles/Henley/Frey haters". Some people are drawn to a fight and love to attack people more successful than they are. Of course, this is just my opinion.

    With the Felder/Frey situation, I see it as they both wanted what was fair but they had different ideas of what was fair and they were never able to resolve it. In the end, they both won - Felder got his settlement and Frey got to continue with the band without having to deal with Felder.

    I found the documentary fascinating, in part because it showed how they were able to move forward despite personal differences. These stories of the rise and fall of bands/movie stars/sports stars so often end in despair and yet with this band they survived and prospered (at least as far as 2013).

    You have a good point that the rise of Henley seems to have played a big part in the problems as well as their success. It was an area where the documentary trod lightly but Felder talked about in his book and interviews. What's missing is much about how the differences between Henley and Frey were managed after Felder's dismissal.

    I hope you'll join in on some of the other discussions.

    Very reasonable response. My theory is that there were 2 eras.

    One was the early drug-fueled skyrocket success period. If you have ever been around a coke addict and I have, you would agree that one is a huge pain, but when everyone around you is, it's amazing none of them killed another one. I think this time was more driven by Frey and his painfully amazing songs, Take it Easy, Tequila Sunrise, Peaceful Easy Feeling and on and on. I can listen to the intro to the later over and over.

    I think a shift happened when Henley came into his own as a writer, arranger, singer, etc. and he began to overshadow not just Frey but everyone else. I think it was Schmidt (spelling?) that said in an interview that one reason they broke up was everyone wanted songs on albums, but had they been smart they would have just gone with Henley's. He became an insufferable perfectionist much like Paul McCartney. The music they produced shows that perfection and is why you still hear Hotel California almost daily.

    I was serious when I said that The History of The Eagles ruined the music for me for a while. I am over it and still listen to them more than almost anyone else. Same for Henley's solo material. Heart of the matter and Last worthless evening can be compared to anyone, anytime for heart, soul, and beauty. I actually played Last Worthless Evening to my wife the night I proposed. We were both somewhat broken people in the relationship department.

    One of my most vivid memories ever, July 1975, Cotton Bowl, Dallas Texas. There were 3 backup bands with the Eagles being last before the Stones. They opened with Take it Easy. You know a band has some confidence when they open with the biggest hit instead of saving it for the encore. That song added to the Stones doing Angie and Wild Horses as the sun went down will forever be a smile on my face no one understands.


    Lastly on haters and trolls. It's almost impossible to discuss anything anymore without someone trolling you and trying to push buttons. Not my intention.

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    Default Re: New here and wow

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom_Nieman View Post
    Just googled for more info on Felder and landed here. I read his book a few years ago and just stumbled on his Howard Stern interview today. I read a few pages in some threads here and was amazed that so many people seem to hate him and or attack his fans. I was actually shocked at some of the responses. It's like praising Felder is an attack on Frey and Henley? Am I missing something? It seems to me that he only wanted his fair share, tried to work it out and was fired by lawyers.
    Hello, Tom, and welcome to the board. I agree with you about Felder. I don't think it's unreasonable for him to inquire about the books, so to speak. That being said, I keep in mind that I wasn't in the band and I don't know what it's like to work with any of these people. I'm sure every single one of these guys, with the possible exception of Timothy, could be a pain in the a$$ at some point or another. That's what happens when you have 4-5 creative, talented musicians with their own ideas of how things should be done. Henley said so himself. Yet, it was that "creative tension" that fueled the songwriting process, as Glenn pointed out.

    Just as there is a sub-group of Felder fans who disparage Henley and Frey, there is a sub-group of Henley and Frey worshippers who believe:
    1. Henley and Frey could do no wrong;
    2. Henley and Frey were the only 2 who matter and the others were just glorified sidemen who were lucky to breathe the same air in their presence;
    3. Henley and Frey created 99% of the music, with .75% credit going to Jack Tempchin, Jackson Browne and JD Souther and .25% credit to the other 5 band members;
    4. The only line-up that matters is the Final 4 b/c this was the one where everyone got along with Henley and Frey and didn't cause them any trouble (never mind that the climate and circumstances were vastly different from what it was in the 70s);
    5. Henley and Frey got along like peaches the entire time with maybe the occasional light-hearted squabble; it was those other 3 ingrates in the band who caused problems.

    Fortunately there are many of us who truly appreciate the contributions of all 7 members who were part of the band at one time or another. I share UTW's envy of you and anyone else who got to see them perform during their 70s heyday. Thank you for your post.

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    Default Re: New here and wow

    Quote Originally Posted by Delilah View Post
    Hello, Tom, and welcome to the board. I agree with you about Felder. I don't think it's unreasonable for him to inquire about the books, so to speak. That being said, I keep in mind that I wasn't in the band and I don't know what it's like to work with any of these people. I'm sure every single one of these guys, with the possible exception of Timothy, could be a pain in the a$$ at some point or another. That's what happens when you have 4-5 creative, talented musicians with their own ideas of how things should be done. Henley said so himself. Yet, it was that "creative tension" that fueled the songwriting process, as Glenn pointed out.

    Just as there is a sub-group of Felder fans who disparage Henley and Frey, there is a sub-group of Henley and Frey worshippers who believe:
    1. Henley and Frey could do no wrong;
    2. Henley and Frey were the only 2 who matter and the others were just glorified sidemen who were lucky to breathe the same air in their presence;
    3. Henley and Frey created 99% of the music, with .75% credit going to Jack Tempchin, Jackson Browne and JD Souther and .25% credit to the other 5 band members;
    4. The only line-up that matters is the Final 4 b/c this was the one where everyone got along with Henley and Frey and didn't cause them any trouble (never mind that the climate and circumstances were vastly different from what it was in the 70s);
    5. Henley and Frey got along like peaches the entire time with maybe the occasional light-hearted squabble; it was those other 3 ingrates in the band who caused problems.

    Fortunately there are many of us who truly appreciate the contributions of all 7 members who were part of the band at one time or another. I share UTW's envy of you and anyone else who got to see them perform during their 70s heyday. Thank you for your post.
    you could not have described the Frey/Henley subgroup(ies?) any better!!!

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    Default Re: New here and wow

    Quote Originally Posted by ambulance girl View Post
    you could not have described the Frey/Henley subgroup(ies?) any better!!!
    There are always different groups. I relate this to the Stones and how Mick Taylor was either discounted or made into godlike status when he quit. He got hosed on songwriting credits and most lifelong fans will say the music was never better than it was when he was there. Jagger and Richards both dissed Bill Wyman. When Wyman left and the new bass player came in, Jagger was quoted that he couldn't tell the difference. Richards mentioned Wyman twice in his book if I recall correctly.

    Anyway, I am not trying to cause any strife, I was just curious. I read a lot of pages in the thread about Felder's book and I was shocked at the attitudes.

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    Default Re: New here and wow

    Quote Originally Posted by Delilah View Post
    Hello, Tom, and welcome to the board. I agree with you about Felder. I don't think it's unreasonable for him to inquire about the books, so to speak. That being said, I keep in mind that I wasn't in the band and I don't know what it's like to work with any of these people. I'm sure every single one of these guys, with the possible exception of Timothy, could be a pain in the a$$ at some point or another. That's what happens when you have 4-5 creative, talented musicians with their own ideas of how things should be done. Henley said so himself. Yet, it was that "creative tension" that fueled the songwriting process, as Glenn pointed out.

    Just as there is a sub-group of Felder fans who disparage Henley and Frey, there is a sub-group of Henley and Frey worshippers who believe:
    1. Henley and Frey could do no wrong;
    2. Henley and Frey were the only 2 who matter and the others were just glorified sidemen who were lucky to breathe the same air in their presence;
    3. Henley and Frey created 99% of the music, with .75% credit going to Jack Tempchin, Jackson Browne and JD Souther and .25% credit to the other 5 band members;
    4. The only line-up that matters is the Final 4 b/c this was the one where everyone got along with Henley and Frey and didn't cause them any trouble (never mind that the climate and circumstances were vastly different from what it was in the 70s);
    5. Henley and Frey got along like peaches the entire time with maybe the occasional light-hearted squabble; it was those other 3 ingrates in the band who caused problems.

    Fortunately there are many of us who truly appreciate the contributions of all 7 members who were part of the band at one time or another. I share UTW's envy of you and anyone else who got to see them perform during their 70s heyday. Thank you for your post.

    I thought you were being somewhat facetious but I just read the first 10 pages or so of the Heaven and Hell thread. Someone said and I am not kidding, an attack on Glenn is like an attack on me. Not an exact quote but wow, just wow.

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    Default Re: New here and wow

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom_Nieman View Post
    I thought you were being somewhat facetious but I just read the first 10 pages or so of the Heaven and Hell thread. Someone said and I am not kidding, an attack on Glenn is like an attack on me. Not an exact quote but wow, just wow.
    Only about another 150 pages to go, then!

    A bit of context (although this was long before I joined). I believe the origins of this board was as a place for fans of Glenn Frey but it was expanded to cover all group members past and present. That makes it unsurprising that in its early days (and the first 10 pages of that thread are 2007-200 the sentiments were very much pro-Frey. You could view it as giving you an unique insight into the impact of that book on Frey-fans. Everyone brings their own bias.

    My impression is that there are few, if any, fans here who fit Deliah's characterisation and certainly no extreme Felder fan is going to last long here. It's quite simple - if you hang around here for any time, I don't see how you can remain ignorant of the contribution of all the band members. What varies is how much we value different members and I can't see a problem with that.

    Just to clarify, the Felder "fans" I was referring to are those that you will see posting on youtube, imdb and even Felder's facebook page, who use it as an opportunity to call Henley and Frey names that are not allowed on this board.

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    Default Re: New here and wow

    Quote Originally Posted by UndertheWire View Post
    Only about another 150 pages to go, then!

    A bit of context (although this was long before I joined). I believe the origins of this board was as a place for fans of Glenn Frey but it was expanded to cover all group members past and present. That makes it unsurprising that in its early days (and the first 10 pages of that thread are 2007-200 the sentiments were very much pro-Frey. You could view it as giving you an unique insight into the impact of that book on Frey-fans. Everyone brings their own bias.

    My impression is that there are few, if any, fans here who fit Deliah's characterisation and certainly no extreme Felder fan is going to last long here. It's quite simple - if you hang around here for any time, I don't see how you can remain ignorant of the contribution of all the band members. What varies is how much we value different members and I can't see a problem with that.

    Just to clarify, the Felder "fans" I was referring to are those that you will see posting on youtube, imdb and even Felder's facebook page, who use it as an opportunity to call Henley and Frey names that are not allowed on this board.
    Indeed. Lots of pages. I originally jumped in mid-thread and later went to the beginning. I like the vBulletin format and have been involved in many forums.

    I am not a Felder fan, Frey Fan... etc. I will say I am a Henley and Walsh fan because they both have an amazing catalog of solo and James Gang material. I am a huge Eagles fan.

    When I saw the History documentary, I came away thinking that Frey is a bully and a blowhard. (No pun but I know blow had a lot to do with it.) It seems that everyone that left did so because of the inability to get along with him. As I said previously his early material, no matter who wrote it, was amazing. His later songs and his solo stuff, not so much. Compare Smugglers Blues with Heart of the Matter. No contest.

    Can't feel sorry for Felder, he walked away with a huge wad of cash that was well deserved. The guy I feel sorry for is Walsh, not that he is hurting but every interview he does, he acts like he is walking on eggshells to avoid pissing off Henley and Frey. I think it is obvious he had to give up the friendship with Felder over the break. (Obviously, these were before Frey died.) I think in the talent department, Walsh is second only to Henley.


    The remaining eagles are pretty much old men now and will live out their days in comfort and wealth. They will leave behind a catalog that I would put in the top 5, maybe top 3.

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    Default Re: New here and wow

    Yeah, to clarify, I was describing a "sub-group" of Henley/Frey fans who comment on YT, Facebook, etc. just to provide some balance for the reference to the "sub-group" of Felder fans who trash Henley and Frey. What I like about this site is that it provides a forum to discuss and recognize all 7 Eagles. No one is left out, and it's ok to be a Felder fan here. Admittedly, based on some of things I've read in older threads, Felder fans may not have always felt that way. But I don't think emotions run as high now as they did when "Heaven and Hell" or the HOTE documentary was first released. Certainly, shades of the sentiments I described in my earlier post can be seen in older threads, but I was really referring to other internet sites.

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