What's your favorite and how does each album measure up?

[TimothyBFan]

I stated I might start a new thread in the survivor thread because of how I feel about Long Run (and it looks as if I might be alone there!) but after reading what Mike just put in that thread, I feel maybe a forum where we can all try to explain how much and what kind of impacts each album means to us. Mike made some very valid points over there and might want to take it even a step further.

I know for me each album means something different, rather it be because of a certain point in my life (like LROOE and LR) or certain songs that stick out for one reason or another (I think there is at least 1 or 2 songs on each album like that for me). It seems in reading some of the explanations in Survivor, we all have different reasons for trying to save each album and we seem to be all over the place and not any one album seems to stick out for all of us. I will go into more detail here myself once I kinda get my thoughts together.

Anyways here's your chance to compare, convince or just discuss anything and everything about a certain or every album.

[MikeA]

Willie,

Feel free to delete that "novel" I put together and move it over here. I know that back when those first albums were being released, everyone who knew ANYTHING about music and the bands, was anticipating EVERY album that the Eagles released and in every case with the exception of Desperado, there were top 40 hits on every one of them. So there was not reason NOT to anxiously anticipate what would be on the "next" one. And then Hotel California hit the shelves. And totally exceeded everyone's expectations.

Maybe it is a case of "you had to be there" to understand the impact that Vinyl had. It was enormous! It marked their commitment to Rock as opposed to "Country Rock". But in the process of deciding for myself the rank of each album to "me", I have no choice than to compare them from a musical and social standpoint in comparison to HC. I see every album they released prior to HC as an evolutionary step toward HC. I see The Long Run as an album that was a star on its own, but that was definitely one that was fading when compared to the nova that HC represented.

I "discount" the albums between TLR and LROE because they were, even granting that they rewrote some of the tunes, a compilation of everything they had done in the past. Then LROE comes along. And with it, I'm not sure how to "categorize it". It is definitely not of the same orientation as anything they have done previously. Maybe it just confuses me. There are songs on it that I do find pleasant to listen to, but none of them "rock my world" like other music they have released.

Time will tell whether it becomes thought of as a definitive work of the band that I think defined the Rock Era and probably influenced more artists and more importantly, more music lovers that any other band other than the Beatles.

[TimothyBFan]

Maybe it is a case of "you had to be there" to understand the impact that Vinyl had. It was enormous! It marked their commitment to Rock as opposed to "Country Rock". But in the process of deciding for myself the rank of each album to "me", I have no choice than to compare them from a musical and social standpoint in comparison to HC. I see every album they released prior to HC as an evolutionary step toward HC.

I was there and know what you mean. I definitely see your point about everything leading up to HC. I loved every album but this one was a HUGE one for me also at that point. It was also suppose to be the first time I was to get to see them, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Until LR--it was "THE" Eagles album for me. That changed with Long Run!

Time will tell whether it becomes thought of as a definitive work of the band that I think defined the Rock Era and probably influenced more artists and more importantly, more music lovers that any other band other than the Beatles.

I doubt that it will. First of all, lets face it --It's a whole new world of music out there. I think the time of a band, old or new, setting a precedence for future bands is pretty much over and done. Eagles have done it and will continue to influence other bands, but not with this album. IMHO.

[TimothyBFan]

OK --Since I started this I should explain a little of why.

I bet for the most part each one of us, when the survivor game is all said and done, will have several different albums we will be trying to save and probably about 1000 different reasons on why. For me there are 2 defining albums - Long Run and LROOE.

I can remember hearing Take It Easy on the radio back in the early 70s and immediately loving it. Of course once I got that single, it lead to the album and the rest, as they say, is history. LOVED everything on that album. Will admit Nightingale and Earlybird didn't do to much for me but I can honestly say it was one of those albums I would play thru more than not, instead of playing only 1 or 2 of the hits on it like you do with most albums.

Again, like Mike said, loved all the albums as they came out and had several songs on each that I really enjoyed, probably the same that most of you do. BUT when HC came out, I was like everyone else! WOW!!!! I actually bought it 2 or 3 times because I wore it out. I wasn't easy on my albums-sorry to say now! Besides they had this new cool guitarist named Joe Walsh that I was mighty fond of.

But when Long Run came out a few years later it quickly became my favorite. And no, not only because of the new bass player, even tho like I've said before I can remember opening that gatefold and getting my first look at him!! I just remember loving every song on this album. ALL OF THEM!! My favorite was ICTYW but I also remember playing KOH over and over and over. I even remember dancing around my room to Disco Strangler and lets face it Greeks is a catchy little tune also. And for some reason, Teenage Jail really struck me as a great song. Most everyone else was listening to Donny Osmond or something and I was going on and on about this album. Most of my friends thought I was nuts. I just always kinda thought this would always be my favorite Eagles album.

LROOE just happen to come out at just the right time in my life. As clique as it may sound, this album came to me just when I needed it most. I really love the music---every last song on it (some a lot more than others) but it happen to come out when my life seemed to be spiralling out of control with things that I had absolutely no control over. What better way to make things a little better than an album coming out after 27 years from the band you had worshipped for basically your whole life. I had preordered it and remember going to the post office and picking it up. I listened to both discs all the way thru not once but twice that first afternoon. Trip after trip after trip in my car taking care of everything I needed to do trying to keep things together at that time and for the next year as things just kept happening one thing after another with my loved ones--LROOE was one of the constant stable things for me. I spent many hours singing along to How Long and BBF, crying for no apparent reason when WITW or Do Something would come on, and dancing in the drivers seat to Fast Company or Guilty of The Crime. Top it off--this is the tour that I finally got to see them at. It just will always be the favorite Eagles album for me.

For me, it's not just about the music always. I have always had sentimental reasons for loving the music I do also. Maybe silly, but that's just the way it is for me. It's a much bigger picture sometimes.

[MikeA]

It's getting tough with selections. All you have to do is look at the discography and see what's on each album. Each of them (except LROE and it hasn't been around long enough to gain the respect that the others have) has a resume' of titles that would choke a horse!

Eagles (debute) enormously successful debut album!
Take It Easy 3:32
Witchy Woman 4:11
Peaceful Easy Feeling 4:17

Desperado
This one didn't have the mega hits and didn't gain the accolades from critics that "Eagles" (debute) did. But it is a Concept album and as such, was worthy of a lot more interest...not with individual tracks, but with the album viewed in its totality. Personally, I thought Bitter Creek should have been a mega hit but it was too long. And "Desperado" that Henley STILL closes every show with....how could that masterpiece not have carried more influence over the Rock fans of the era? Maybe there was just too much banjo on the album for Rock Fans. I don't know. But I think it is very possibly the second most important contribution to the Eagles self-defined genre that they have offered. It really was and remains brilliant piece of work.

On The Border
Already Gone 4:13
On the Border 4:28 (not a "mega hit" but an exceptional song!)
The Best of My Love 4:35

One Of These Nights
One of These Nights 4:51
Lyin' Eyes 6:21
Take It to the Limit 4:46
After the Thrill Is Gone 3:56

I agree, with the content of OOTNs, I am surprised that it is drawing as much consideration for exclusion as it is. It was a phenomenal piece of musical composition.

Hotel California
1 Hotel California 6:30
2 New Kid in Town 5:03
3 Life in the Fast Lane 4:46
4 Wasted Time 4:56
5 Wasted Time (Reprise) 1:23
6 Victim of Love 4:09
7 Pretty Maids All in a Row 3:58
8 Try and Love Again 5:10
9 The Last Resort 7:28

I can't even pick ONE song on Hotel California that is NOT a masterpiece. This album was and remains the epitome of Rock Music...by ANY artist...EVER. The title track alone makes it stand alone for honors, but EVERY song on the album was pretty much a HIT. Each one is a Classic any way you look at it except maybe for the Wasted Time (Reprise) and that with the orchestra was innovative! I find no fault with that album. Besides, Joe Walsh debuted with the Eagles on this one <LOL>

The Long Run
The Long Run 3:43
I Can't Tell You Why 4:55
In the City 3:46
Heartache Tonight 4:26
The Sad Cafe 5:35

The Long Run....wow, even though it was not up to the standards of Hotel California, it had credence all on its own. How many albums have 5 exceptional songs on them? Yet, by their own admission, TLR was not up to the standards they had set for themselves. Yet, they were challenging an incomparable goal by being judged by the impact of Hotel California.

The Long Road Out Of Eden
This one has not reached out and grabbed me yet. Maybe in time, I'll appreciate songs on it that equate in my own EAR, to those in their prior discography. Certainly, every other album of theirs has had enough impact on me to cause me to wear it out listening to it. LROE just hasn't done that for me yet.

Anyway, what I've listed above is what is going to make it so difficult for me to vote to eliminate much of anything they've released.

BTW....I only listed tracks of of each album that made huge impressions on me. I did not intend that by omission the other songs had no merit.

[Freypower]

Willie, I am with you on The Long Run because I had the same 'experience' you had when you looked at the gatefold! It isn't my favourite album (I will get to that) but I will say a few things about it. I was somewhat influenced at the time by the Rolling Stone review which praised it lavishly because it was about 'the dark side of Hollywood' and was so bleak, etc etc. I like the fact that compared to its predecessor it is stripped down and not over laden with strings and slow ballads. I LIKE the laconic and basic air present in songs like Disco Strangler, Greeks and Teenage Jail. I like that they sound so different and more like a 'band' in those songs. It's a bit like the Beatles' White Album.

The standout tracks on it are Heartache Tonight (for many, many reasons, most of which are personal), King Of Hollywood, The Sad Cafe, Those Shoes and I Can't Tell You Why. So I guess you could say TLR came out at the 'right' time for me as well.

TLR is about my fourth favourite album now, however. I will come back to this later.

[sodascouts]

I just wanted to note that I moved MikeA's post over, as requested!

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Okay - I'm cheating a bit. I'm actually copying most of this over from a very old thread that we had when the board first started. I made a few changes - I switched the order of On the Border and One of These Nights, and also added The Long Road Out of Eden. However, I was surprised to find that my opinions have hardly changed at all. Let me preface my rankings by saying that I think all of the band's albums are excellent - there just aren't any bad ones, which is probably why I think they are America's greatest band.

1. Hotel California - I guess this is an obvious choice. This is a classic conceptual album with 8 exceptional songs. Each song is very different, yet fits perfectly into the theme of the album. The album also does an exceptional job of showcasing the talents of the individual band members, IMO. I also don't think you can ignore the social significance of this masterpiece.

2. Desperado - Same as HC comments. This is an exceptional piece of work, but some of the songs are not quite as strong as HC. I believe the reason the album was not as commercially successful as the others is simply because it was considered too country for rock and too rock for country.

3. On The Border - Overall a great underrated album. I don't think there is really a bad song on it. It is one of my favorites to listen to from start to finish, and I rarely ever skip any of the songs.

4. Long Road Out of Eden - I think this album stands up well against the band's earlier work. It has some very strong songs, and I particularly like the variety of the material on the album. While some say this causes the album to lose some of its cohesiveness, I think the variety showcases the band's versatility. The standout tracks for me are How Long, What Do I Do With My Heart, Waiting In the Weeds, No More Cloudy Days, Do Something, You Are Not Alone, Long Road Out of Eden, I Dreamed There Was No War, Somebody, Last Good Time In Town, I Love To Watch A Woman Dance, and Business As Usual. Hmmm - not much left out, was it.

5. One of These Nights - I chose this next based on the strength of the 4 hit songs. However, I don't consider Journey of the Sorcerer, Visions, or I Wish You Peace to be among the band's best work.

6. The Long Run - The hardest choice of all for me was deciding between these last two. It is probably a virtual tie for me. Both albums had three very strong hits, and I can't decide which are the strongest. Heartache Tonight is probably the best of all of them, although TIE and PEF are hard to snub. WW, TLR, and ICTYW can't be snubbed either though - they are all great. I also think King of Hollywood, Those Shoes, and The Sad Cafe are all very good underrated songs as well, which would seem to give the edge to TLR, and 'Greeks' is just fun. However, then there is the matter of Disco Strangler and Teenage Jail, which are probably among my least favorites of all of their songs.

7. Eagles - See TLR comments. After the three strong hits mentioned above, the rest of the album is very pleasant and easy on the ears. However, I don't think there are any real standout tracks, except for one. I'm now ready for you all to throw things at me - BUT - I love Chug All Night. I don't know why, but I love the tempo and the 'visions' it leaves you with. It's not a great song, but it's raw and sexy, and it rocks.

[Fan_For_Life]

If I was to travel down memory lane, I remember seeing my mother's eyes light up then proceeding to turn up the radio, and it was In The City. I don't know if it was the interest of my mom or the cool voice behind the song that had me more intrigued.

And then there's the line in Already Gone "and then you'll have to eat your lunch all by yourself" lol. Priceless.

I can certainly identify with anticipation of a new release. LROOE was the first new release I got to hear since becoming a fan. So as of right now that is my favorite.

[sodascouts]

Here's mine:

1. Desperado - it's the only Eagles album where I thoroughly enjoy every single song. The songs are stupendous, but none of them are my absolute favorites. However, in terms of ranking albums, the combined strength of the songs as a cohesive unit both thematically and sonically puts this at the top for me. It has a great range of emotion - compare Out of Control and Saturday Night, for instance - but it all works together seamlessly. It really is almost cinematic in the way it unfolds and I never feel the urge to hit the button to go to the next song. I especially love the way they merged Desperado and Doolin-Dalton in the Reprise. Genius.

2. On the Border - I like every song on this one, too, except for You Never Cry Like a Lover which annoys me as a woman. "If she's not crying like a lover maybe YOU need to try a little harder, buddy" I want to say, lol. I love the interplay between the bandmates - Glenn and Don sharing vocals on Good Day in Hell, the way all the band members blend for Midnight Flyer. The Best of My Love is gorgeous and Already Gone is wonderfully defiant, almost anthemic. James Dean is a fun song, and Ol' 55 is absolutely beautiful. I know they didn't write it, but Glenn and Don's vocals work together perfectly to convey the mood of the song. Bernie's My Man is incredibly moving, and while Is It True isn't very deep it's got a nice melody. Ironically, I wasn't initially too fond of the title track - it was obviously a "message" song but I couldn't take it seriously with lyrics like 'foolin' with my baby on the telephone.' However, it's grown on me, and I've come to appreciate the song's lyrics so much that I named the board for it.

3. Hotel California - here's where I start to deviate from popular opinion. For me, this album and its title track is a teeny bit overrated. However, when taken as a whole, like Desperado, the album presents a sophisticated cohesion that I admire. I adore Pretty Maids All in a Row and NKIT, and the rest of the songs are all very strong, although I admit I find The Last Resort off-putting in its self-righteous preachiness. Despite that, it's a pretty melody. I originally had HC as second, but as I was doing the write up for OTB, I realized that it was more fun to listen to OTB than HC, so HC got knocked down a slot. Still, they're very close.

4. Long Road Out of Eden - Not the best, but not their worst either. While it does contains some stinkers like Frail Grasp and Fast Company, it has incredible songs like What Do I Do with My Heart and Waiting in the Weeds that stack up to their best work. Plus, the fact that it's a double album gives us more to love!

5. Eagles - despite the fact that they were just getting started, I like this better than some of their later works. I think Most of Us Are Sad is one of the Eagles' most underrated songs. Of course, Take It Easy and Peaceful Easy Feeling are magnificent. I also like Witchy Woman, though not as well as most. I always thought it sounded a bit cheesy, although I like it more now than I used to. After hearing live versions, I have also come to appreciate what I once ridiculed, Chug All Night. I also think Train Leaves Hear This Morning is good, although the other tracks are pretty forgettable.

6. One of These Nights - good, but uneven. I know Glenn considers this the Eagles' best album, but I just can't agree with him. It contains my all-time favorite Eagles song, Take It to the Limit, and other terrific tracks like Lyin' Eyes, Too Many Hands, and After the Thrill is Gone. Unlike many, I find Journey of the Sorcerer, Visions, and I Wish You Peace listenable and in fact, I admire Bernie for trying something different with JOTS. Still, they're not going to find my way onto any "Best of Eagles" mix CD I make for myself. I am also one of the few who was never overly impressed with the title track (which Glenn has said is one of his best songs - makes me feel guilty but oh well!) I used to think it was really dated-sounding. Seeing it live made me appreciate it, but it will never be a favorite. Hollywood Waltz is OK, but a little boring.

7. The Long Run - even more uneven and containing some of the worst Eagles music ever released, IMHO. (Here's where I get REALLY controversial! lol) It has moments of brilliance: Heartache Tonight, Those Shoes, I Can't Tell You Why. Unfortunately, those are outweighed by moments that make me cringe. To me, Disco Strangler and Teenage Jail are so awful that they make my ears bleed. The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks and King of Hollywood also don't appeal to me. I do enjoy The Long Run, In the City, and The Sad Cafe, but I've never considered them standout Eagles tracks, and they can't save the album for me. Of course, it's all subjective.