Discussion of Eagles Documentary "History of the Eagles"

[Houston Debutante]

If you have to fire someone, as bosses always do, there are ways to do it with some respect & dignity & let the person know that things aren't working out & it's the end of the road....Glenn's way was to make the person as miserable as possible until they couldn't take it anymore & quit. That is how he handled it with both Randy & Bernie.

That's not why Bernie and Randy said they quit. Do you know something they don't know?

Don Henley supported Glenn as well. Why would he support Glenn if Glenn was being so awful?

Look; you've read the books, heard the stories, I just now find them more believable.

I haven't heard any of these stories except the ones from Felder's book. Are those what you're talking about?

[Houston Debutante]

Truth is we dont know exactly what happened day to day w the Eagles. They were together for 9 years so lots happenes that doesnt make the books or films....but but but...Frey's verbal attacks on Felder and demands to make more $ than the rest in the film does somewhat confirm much of what was said and written about Frey. Like someone here posted...if Frey wanted to be fair and divvy up the money, then quite frankly Frey should have gotte 10-20% less that Henley. But to me that was all silly. How many gazzilions of dollars does one need? As far as Im concerned without Felder, the Eagles as we know it would not be The Eagles as we know it. Without Felder Hotel California wouldnt exist and that song is a unique Eagle song to the point that hen you hear it it doesnt even sound like an Eagle song. That song historically made the Eagles the Classic Rock band that they are. And Felder should have been happy to be Freys "paid monkey"? Again, because of Hotel California Felder should have been an equal part.

I'm not as big a fan of the song Hotel California as you are, I do think it's cool, but I largely like it because of its lyrics rather than the guitar parts although I like that too. The Eagles had hits before that though.

You make a good point about the money when it comes to Don Henley and Glenn and their relative earnings. Glenn should have gotten a smaller percentile than Don Henley if they were just going by who was most successful in the eighties.

Maybe that would have been too hard to figure out a number for that though, with Don Henley and Glenn it was a matter of degree because they both had hits, it's just Don Henley had more. Don Felder, Tim, and Joe all had zero hits in the eighties so it wasn't hard to determine how much less they should get.

[OutlawManNJ]

I'm not as big a fan of the song Hotel California as you are, I do think it's cool, but I largely like it because of its lyrics rather than the guitar parts although I like that too. The Eagles had hits before that though.

.

I have to reinforce what I said before. Yes the Eagles had other hits, but Hotel California isnt just another hit, it is known as a Masterpiece. Thats the difference (and a big one) and thats why Felder is especially important. In all honesty they could churn out similiar sounding songs like Tequila Sunrise, Peacefull easy feeling and Best of my love all day long (and a I love all those songs!)...but everything came together in the song Hotel California. Its unique, its a masterpiece.

Had I written a bands "Mona Lisa" I would want more respect than "Sign this by Sunrise or Adios" that Frey gave him.

[Topkat]

Quote from Houston Debutante

I haven't heard any of these stories except the ones from Felder's book. Are those what you're talking about?

I'm not even talking about Felder's book. I'm talking about "To the Limit".
I read it about 2 years ago, so I can't quote anything specific, but there are a lot of things that have been reported by people who were on the tours, or part of the crew, & others of how Glenn treated some people, which was not very nice.
I'm just going to say that he was probably using cocaine at the time, but it didn't bring out the best in him.
The drug use mentioned in the movie was pretty minimal compared to what it was. They do admit to it, but the way people act on drugs is another story. Cocaine can change your personality & I do think Glenn was a victim of that where it made him argumentative, and arrogant. It may not be his true self, but back then he was different.
He seems like a different person now, older, wiser, nicer & drug free which is why many people have a hard time with some of the things from the past.

[Glennhoney]

Originally Posted by Shadowland07




The Eagles have no better song than Hotel Caliornia. Yes, Felder does deserve to be an equal & not only because of HC, but as a member of the band...Why is one band member more important than another? That only happens in Eagleland.... Other bands don't operate that way.

HC is THE DEFINING SONG of the Eagles & they would not be where they are today without it. NO WAY...

....


...hahahaha...``other bands don`t operate that way`.....There is ALWAYS a leader; there has to be a leader....you should read other bands biographies...hahaha

[Shadowland07]

....


...hahahaha...``other bands don`t operate that way`.....There is ALWAYS a leader; there has to be a leader....you should read other bands biographies...hahaha

Just to clear my name that post is not mine it's a response to my original post. Idk why it says my name, oh well.

[sodascouts]

Yeah, I was just saying this elsewhere. Bands without ego battles and money drama are the EXCEPTION, not the rule.

If we consider the way things went down with Guns N Roses, Black Sabbath, The Beach Boys, Queensryche, to name a few, we could get a little perspective here.

And by the way, the contract for HFO that Felder signed under the "duress" of Glenn's admittedly rudely-framed ultimatum earned Felder MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS for doing what he loved. I'm supposed to feel sorry for him?! I'm supposed to find that to be a horrible deal? I want that kind of horrible deal, please!

That's the thing, though. For Felder, it didn't matter that he was filthy rich. It only mattered that he wasn't as rich as Glenn and Don Henley.

[Freypower]

I have to reinforce what I said before. Yes the Eagles had other hits, but Hotel California isnt just another hit, it is known as a Masterpiece. Thats the difference (and a big one) and thats why Felder is especially important. In all honesty they could churn out similiar sounding songs like Tequila Sunrise, Peacefull easy feeling and Best of my love all day long (and a I love all those songs!)...but everything came together in the song Hotel California. Its unique, its a masterpiece.

Had I written a bands "Mona Lisa" I would want more respect than "Sign this by Sunrise or Adios" that Frey gave him.

I have deliberately stayed out of this debate for reasons which I prefer to keep to myself.

I will not, however, go along with those who inflate Hotel California & hence Felder's role in it so grossly out of proportion. For a start, THREE people wrote the song & the importance of the lyrics, the singing & the arrangement is just as vital as the music.

They couldn't just 'churn out' those other songs you blithely dismiss out of hand. Those songs are masterpieces too, in their own QUIET way (particularly the underrated Tequila Sunrise). Just because a song was a huge hit & is the only one some people ever seem to talk about doesn't mean that the band's entire oeuvre should just be dismissed as inferior to that song. Neither should it mean that the contributions to the band of an ex-member should be wildly inflated into a status that he frankly does not deserve.

The comparison HC = Bohemian Rhapsody & Lyin' Eyes = Crazy Little Thing Called Love is not in my opinion relevant. Yes, HC & BR are 'masterpieces'. The other two songs are also extremely powerful & memorable (particularly Lyin' Eyes, which, by the way, I do happen to think is a 'masterpiece'). Why do you have to put the allegedly 'inferior' songs down?

As for Topkat's statement about one member being more important than another only happening in Eagleland, perhaps she should look at the careers of Creedence Clearwater Revial & my beloved Dire Straits. You want a one man band? I've given you two.

[Freypower]

Nobody got fired from the Beatles at the end because the band broke up. Nobody got fired from the Eagles in 1980 either because the Eagles broke up. Is that somehow better? Like WalshFan88 and sodascouts I'd rather have the band without Felder than nothing.

If you don't believe the information I gave you about the Beatles than GO LOOK IT UP and see for yourself.

Glenn could have been more professional in the way he treated Felder but this is a rock band, not an accounting firm.

And was he really all that terrible? Many, many rock bands end on uglier notes. I'm also a fan of the Smashing Pumpkins, and band leader Billy Corgan fired drummer Jimmy Chamberlin over a fight about money. As for another former bandmate, guitarist James Iha ~ Corgan called him "a piece of s—” and "one of the worst human beings I’ve ever met in my life."

As far as I know Glenn Frey has never talked about the firing of Felder until now, in the documentary, when he is specifically asked about it, and some people are all over him for it as if he cussed out Felder for 10 minutes and ripped him a new one when all he did was recount a phone conversation from 1994 where he told Felder's lawyer ~ not even Felder directly ~ that Felder was an asshole.

I can see why people would think Glenn and Don Henley were being greedy but saying Glenn is 'abusive' is away OTT, IMHO.

I don't have any investment in defending Glenn but a lot of this just seems an overreaction to me. Maybe it's because I'm a fan of a lot of bands and I've seen a lot worse.

HD, you & I have had some disagreements but I wish to thank you for this & your other posts.

[Freypower]

Quote from Houston Debutante



I'm not even talking about Felder's book. I'm talking about "To the Limit".
I read it about 2 years ago, so I can't quote anything specific, but there are a lot of things that have been reported by people who were on the tours, or part of the crew, & others of how Glenn treated some people, which was not very nice.
I'm just going to say that he was probably using cocaine at the time, but it didn't bring out the best in him.
The drug use mentioned in the movie was pretty minimal compared to what it was. They do admit to it, but the way people act on drugs is another story. Cocaine can change your personality & I do think Glenn was a victim of that where it made him argumentative, and arrogant. It may not be his true self, but back then he was different.
He seems like a different person now, older, wiser, nicer & drug free which is why many people have a hard time with some of the things from the past.

To The Limit's entire purpose seems to be to denigrate Glenn Frey as much as it possibly can in order to paint Don Henley as the band's genius (this is obviously hardly Don's fault). It is not in my opinion a credible source of information.

You will say 'well, she would say that, wouldn't she'? I suppose so. I could tell what the author's agenda was from the beginning of it.