Yes, we've missed you, Dreamer!
I just listened to the album last night, beginning to end, unlike my usual iPod shuffle of Eagles tunes. It really works best as a piece. Loved it!
Oh man. "Only very sexy" as a cowboy, Soda? That first one there really gets my blood pumping!
I finally got time to go back to the "Rank the six studio albums" thread and read what I wrote about this album. Doesn't surprise me!
#1- Desperado. I just love the whole album. The only song I don't love is Bitter Creek and I can listen to it without skipping it. Very favorite song overall is Desperado and I wish Don would sing it like he used to and not be so dramatic with it.
I still really love this album most of all. And Glenn and Don are at some of their hottest! Tequila Sunrise, Doolin' Dalton and the Reprise, Desperado, Out of Control, love them all.
Thanks for the DD/DR video Soda. I love it when Glenn sees the camera on him and shakes his head (and that lovely hair) while singing "Lay down your law books now, they're no damn good" with determination. Too funny! And the harmonica playing at the beginning.
And in the video where Glenn narrates, loved the part where Glenn is telling about the powers that be not being happy they had made a "f'ing cowboy record!"
And Jackson really put his all in to his death act!
"They will never forget you 'till somebody new comes along"
1948-2016 Gone but not forgotten
I decided to use the same scale that Scarlet Sun came up with in the On the Border appreciation thread to rate the songs on Desperado. As I said before, I don't think there is a bad song on entire album, so my ratings are very high overall.
1. Doolin-Dalton/Desperado Reprise - 5
2. Tequila Sunrise - 5
3. Out of Control - 5
4. Certain Kind Of Fool - 5
5. Doolin-Dalton - 5
6. Desperado - 5
7. Outlaw Man- 5
8. Bitter Creek - 4
9. Saturday Night - 4
10. Twenty-One - 4
key:
5 - I love it
4 - I really like it
3 - I like it
2 - meh
1 - yikes
"People don't run out of dreams: People just run out of time ..."
Glenn Frey 11/06/1948 - 01/18/2016
Excellent idea, Dreamer.
1. Tequila Sunrise - 5
2. Out Of Control - 5
3. Outlaw Man - 5
4. Doolin-Dalton - 5
5. Desperado - 5
6. Certain Kind Of Fool - 4
7. Doolin-Dalton/Desperado Reprise - 4
8. Bitter Creek - 3
9. Twenty-One -3
10. Saturday Night - 3 (although I admit the last two border on the 2 rating).
key:
5 - I love it
4 - I really like it
3 - I like it
2 - meh
1 - yikes
I was wondering which of the songs on Desperado the band has performed live. I looked down the list and I believe every song on this album has been played live by the band.
One other thing I was thinking about is how many different artists have covered the song Desperado? Here's a few I can think of right off the top of my head:
Linda Ronstadt
Johnny Rivers
Johnny Cash
I know there are many others, so please add any other artists that you can think of.
"People don't run out of dreams: People just run out of time ..."
Glenn Frey 11/06/1948 - 01/18/2016
I really liked Clint Black's version of Desperado.
I like this rating system idea, it is easier to put a number to the songs than try to explain how they make you feel. IMHO
In no particular order:
Doolin Dalton - 5
Out of Control - 5
Tequila Sunrise - 5
Bitter Creek - 5
Doolin Dalton/Desperado [reprise] - 5 I actually like the reprise better than both the songs
Certain Kind of Fool - 5
Outlaw Man - 5
Saturday Night - 5 This one has grown on me quite a bit over the years.
Desperado - 5 This is a borderline 4 for me, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Over played and hasn't aged well. Nonetheless, still a great song.
Twenty One - 4
I don't agree Melissa, I think Desperado is a beautiful song, and it has aged well, IMO.
Not to spoil the fun of thinking of different cover versions of Desperado, but I actually have a list of 'em on GFO if you're curious!
http://www.glennfreyonline.com/solo/coversindex.htm
(Scroll down to Desperado)
Unfortunately, over-exposure to a song often dampens its impact - after a while, you stop listening to the lyrics and thinking about the meaning because it's so familiar. When I clear my mind and listen to Desperado with fresh ears, and think of it in the context of two young guys sitting down and coming up with this song... that's when it gets me. I know that Don isn't particularly satisfied with the original recording, as he felt rushed and nervous, but I think that makes it more endearing. In the same way that Out Of Control's raw, haphazard sound works, Don's Desperado vocals work because they're youthful and honest. It's nice that he's had the opportunity to 'perfect' it on stage in the years since, but I still think the original recording stands up there with the best live performances. This whole album is characterised by youth and a mixture of bravado and uncertainty. The themes apply as much to everyday people as they do to outlaws and rockstars. That's what makes it such a great album.
Also, just because it's been in my head all day, I feel the need to mention Saturday Night again! I like the simplicity of it, but I don't think it gets enough credit for its deeper meanings. When it gets to the "what a tangled web we weave" part, it steps up a notch, for me. I love the idea of wondering how to tell "the dancer from the dance". Is it the person you're in love with, or have you been swept up in the wave of courtship and ritual? (Obviously it can apply to many things, not just a person.) This is just idle conjecture, but I think "the dance" is important in Eagles' songs in general, whatever the dance is - the mood, the excitement, running with the same crowd, doing things that are fun but ultimately leave you alone or empty, getting caught up in the moment and going through the motions... I just love lyrics like this that hint to their later work. The fact that they wrote these songs when they were so young never fails to amaze me.
I'm also in the Doolin Dalton/Desperado Reprise fan club! There's just something different about it. Again, very specific lyrics that somehow turn into important universal themes.
you better put it all behind you, baby, 'cause life goes on
you keep carrying that anger, it'll eat you up inside--