Which Eagles or Solo Albums would you like to ALSO have an acoustic version of?

[Annoying Twit]

Which Eagles or Solo albums would you like an acoustic version of? E.g. acoustic guitars, pianos, mandolins where appropriate, string bass, etc.

I'm not suggesting that these albums should be more acoustic, but that this hypothetical acoustic album would be in addition to the electric album so that you could listen to whichever one you chose to depending on your mood.

[Freypower]

I think perhaps the Hotel California album without all the strings would be something I would like - rather like Let It Be Naked where McCartney removed all Phil Spector's over the top production. So you wouldn't have Wasted Time (Reprise) played by strings - it would be played on an acoustic guitar.

Strange Weather is my favourite Glenn Frey album & an acoustic version of that might work, including the instrumental tracks (Agua Tranquillo aside, which is already acoustic). Magnificent though the soaring majesty of POMPOY is, imagine a stripped down intimate version. If such a thing existed, even demo tracks, I'd love that. Songs like He Took Advantage & I've Got Mine would have their hidden 'bluesy' aspect emphasised.

[MortSahlFan]

One of These Nights -- just to see how it would sound!

[Jonny Come Lately]

I think I'd agree with One Of These Nights. I think this is partly because I feel it is their most production heavy album and has fewer raw or hard rocking songs than their other records. I think Too Many Hands could actually sound really cool acoustic and it would have been really interesting to see what they would have done with the title track (maybe closer to Glenn's original piano version?). I think Hollywood Waltz and especially I Wish You Peace would benefit from having less production, I think I'd like the latter better without the strings in particular. Lyin' Eyes is already pretty near acoustic, and I'm sure Take It To The Limit and ATTIG would work just fine (although I'd miss Felder's somewhat bluesy lead work on the latter) and JOTS would also be cool. The only song I don't think would work well is Visions, but as I don't think it is an album highlight anyway I'm not worried.

By contrast, I wouldn't be especially interested in acoustic versions of the first three albums as I absolutely love the contrast between the acoustic and electric songs on those records. For example, Out Of Control would lose a lot of its impact without the electric guitars, while Chug All Night, Good Day In Hell, Outlaw Man etc. need their nasty rock 'n' roll edge which is difficult to replicate in acoustic format. Having said this, I think acoustic versions of Witchy Woman and Take The Devil would be interesting, same with Take It Easy although we already have an acoustic version of sorts from the 1973 Voorburg show. Of later songs, I would absolutely love an acoustic version of The Last Resort. Just think it would be interesting to hear a stripped down take.

[Funk 50]

I'd love to hear Glenn's acoustic version of Smuggler's Blues. We just got to hear a snatch of it during the Miami Vice episode but it sounded like he was really onto something :smokin:

[Annoying Twit]

I've read, and agree, that a good song is a good song no matter what genre it is arranged into. Sometimes it's when the instruments are unplugged and the arrangements stripped down to basics that the songs themselves shine through.

Having different versions of the same songs is a real plus for me, and I wish more artists would release albums like Jackson Browne's Solo Acoustic albums.

I'd really like to hear the 'original' version of One of these Nights. I can sort of imagine it done just with piano.

[WalshFan88]

TBH, I hate HC when played acoustically. The shining moment of that song are the rockin' electric guitar solo and fills throughout. To me you just lose that when going unplugged.

Truth be told, I'm an electric guitar guy who plays acoustic when required but I don't like it as well as a loud distorted guitar, gotta be honest.

That said to me there are a couple Eagles songs that lend themselves to be great unplugged. The first is PEF, which has an electric guitar solo. I absolutely loved the HFO second night version of that song and that's coming from a guy who doesn't like stripped down acoustic music. The second one is Desperado, with only guitar and backing vocals accompaniment. No piano, just guitar.

[Annoying Twit]

@WalshFan88 - Any 1980s solo albums with their DX7 electric piano sounds that you would like to have an all-guitar version of? Even if not all acoustic guitars?

@Funk 50 - what do you think of Jack Tempchin's rawer version of Smuggler's Blues?

Back to @WalshFan88 - You mention PEF. That's pretty much acoustic already. Speaking just my personal opinion, the songs I'd like to hear acoustic are the ones that have highly electric versions - E.g. OOTN. I'd like to hear them rearranged to be very different.

[WalshFan88]

@WalshFan88 - Any 1980s solo albums with their DX7 electric piano sounds that you would like to have an all-guitar version of? Even if not all acoustic guitars?

The Boys Of Summer. Dirty Laundry is too electric guitar heavy to be acoustic and ASWTDID is too synth heavy for it to work.

Back to @WalshFan88 - You mention PEF. That's pretty much acoustic already. Speaking just my personal opinion, the songs I'd like to hear acoustic are the ones that have highly electric versions - E.g. OOTN. I'd like to hear them rearranged to be very different.

See I'm just the opposite. I want the heavily-electric stuff to stay that way and only go full acoustic on songs without heavy electric instrumentation to begin with that lend themselves to it. IMO songs like HC, OOTN, etc need electric guitars. It just isn't the same without them and their iconic rock guitar solos. Had I been to an HFO show and they still did the flamenco HC I would have been pissed. They got smart and started doing it electrically again right after that show. That's a rock guitar song, don't care what anyone says LOL. I put it right there with freakin' Eruption as far as being one of the most important moments in rock guitar. Best solo of all time AFAIC.

See bolded parts above.

[Annoying Twit]

I'm a bit concerned about whether we are talking at cross-purposes. I'm saying acoustic in addition to electric. I don't want the songs to change, just for extra versions with different arrangements to be available.

HC would have to be quite different for an acoustic version to work, IMHO. Just playing the current arrangement on acoustic instruments wouldn't work at all. IMHO.

[Freypower]

The idea that electric heavy songs should never EVER change got me thinking of the almighty Kashmir. I thought - no, I guess that can't be changed. Then I thought of the Page/Plant Unledded version with the Indian instruments. You may PREFER the original but at least they tried something different. I have also seen Robert Plant do Black Dog acoustically. Yes, the original is better, but I didn't put my hands over my ears & refuse to listen to it done this way.

Having said that I didn't like the rearranged version of Heartache Tonight on the last tour when Glenn played acoustic & Don did as well. It didn't work, so I should admit that.

On the other hand I loved what I call Swamp Smuggler's Blues, which many peopel disliked, and I loved the jazzy version of The Heat Is On, althought the novelty value had worn off by the time I saw it in Australia (Glenn should have just sung it without a guitar as he did on the American leg of the tour).

[WalshFan88]

I'm a bit concerned about whether we are talking at cross-purposes. I'm saying acoustic in addition to electric. I don't want the songs to change, just for extra versions with different arrangements to be available.

HC would have to be quite different for an acoustic version to work, IMHO. Just playing the current arrangement on acoustic instruments wouldn't work at all. IMHO.

I knew that's what you meant. I guess I just don't like or wouldn't have liked acoustic versions of electric heavy songs. In fact I'll never go to a band's "unplugged" concert...just not my thing. It ties right into my dislike for solo acoustic stuff mentioned in another thread regarding DF. I'm an electric guy who plays acoustic only when required. I don't get the thrill with it that I do with a electric turned up loud. It's a power thing. Literally!

[Funk 50]

@Funk 50 - what do you think of Jack Tempchin's rawer version of Smuggler's Blues?

Jacks a great writer but nothing exceptional as a performer. I'd much rather see a great performance of an average tune than great material, even performed adequately, so Glenn will always have an edge over Jack imo.

I enjoy listening to new versions of old songs, as long as I'm aware of the definitive version. There was a time when Eric Clapton's unplugged version of Layla was getting more air play than the Derek and The Dominos classic.

When Hell Freezes Over came out, probably because it was visual as well as audio, and it was the current release, that album, for a short time, became the home of the Eagles definitive hits. I always preferred the originals, even Help Me Through The Night and the very fine performance of The Heart Of The Matter.

The albums had the definitive versions and the definitive versions are what you'd see at an Eagles show. If anything was changed, it would be through necessity, it wouldn't be to make the performance more interesting for the performers. Maybe that's why they had such a long and illustrious live career.

I love experimentation but it's got to be backed up with a large chunk of focus. IE Joe Walsh - Turn To Stone recorded 3 times between 1972 and 1975.:D On his early vinyl albums, Joe would layer acoustic guitars, deep in the mix, to add power to his production.

[UndertheWire]

I had two threads going on in my minds. The first was what would Heartache Tonight be like as an accoustic number and the second was that JD Souther often performs stripped-down versions of songs he co-wrote for the Eagles.

So here's JD performing a jazzy accoustic version of Heartache Tonight. As a bonus, he talks about the writing of the song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJMx-H-BOzg

[Freypower]

Jacks a great writer but nothing exceptional as a performer. I'd much rather see a great performance of an average tune than great material, even performed adequately, so Glenn will always have an edge over Jack imo.

I enjoy listening to new versions of old songs, as long as I'm aware of the definitive version. There was a time when Eric Clapton's unplugged version of Layla was getting more air play than the Derek and The Dominos classic.

When Hell Freezes Over came out, probably because it was visual as well as audio, and it was the current release, that album, for a short time, became the home of the Eagles definitive hits. I always preferred the originals, even Help Me Through The Night and the very fine performance of The Heart Of The Matter.

The albums had the definitive versions and the definitive versions are what you'd see at an Eagles show. If anything was changed, it would be through necessity, it wouldn't be to make the performance more interesting for the performers. Maybe that's why they had such a long and illustrious live career.

I love experimentation but it's got to be backed up with a large chunk of focus. IE Joe Walsh - Turn To Stone recorded 3 times between 1972 and 1975.:D On his early vinyl albums, Joe would layer acoustic guitars, deep in the mix, to add power to his production.

There was absolutely no need for Heartache Tonight to be changed, in my view.

I also don't agree that HFO contained the band's 'definitive hits' given the relative paucity of material sung by Glenn.

I actually now prefer the acoustic version of Layla to the electric version.

[thelastresort]

See bolded parts above.

One of the Eagles tribute acts I saw in England years ago performed Boys of Summer as an acoustic until the start of the second verse when they began to play it in the style of the original; it was a very basic one chord per line with no vocal distinction between the verses and chorus. It worked exceptionally well and was one of the highlights of the show.