Discussion of Eagles Documentary "History of the Eagles"

[sodascouts]

I don't think HFO was a mistake, just the documentary. However, it is important to note that HFO was the only time order was changed until the doc credit fiasco. That's why I speculated it might have been a live arrangement thing.

While I'm not happy about how the doc thing happened, in the end, it's on the interns. If they're like my students, they think research means Google. Only if they can't find something on the Internet do they rouse themselves to actually seek out hard copies! This is especially true if they're in a hurry. Unfortunately, as I tell my students, that can lead to problems.

I hope the Eagles fix it like they did LROOE's credits. Remember that the first print of that also contained songwriter credit errors.

[sodascouts]

Any Intern working on an Eagles documentary should know what vinyl is, & if they don't, these albums are on CD, and or cassette. They can't be total IDIOTS working on this thing. I don't even think something like that would be given to interns to do....Interns work is usually checked by someone else.

Well then whoever checked it is also remiss (although saying only an "total idiot" would make such a mistake is pretty harsh - it's due to laziness, not intellectual deficiency). In addition to the ordering, JD Souther's name was completely left off of a song he co-wrote with Henley. That's a pretty big error, far more serious than name order.

Do you really think that was done at Glenn's behest? How would Souther's absence make Glenn look good? All it would do is piss off Souther! Again, let's be logical about this. It's unreasonable to assume he would deliberately leave his friend JD Souther's name off one of the songs he co-wrote. He's not a "total idiot" either. Don't let your personal feelings rob you of common sense. Any judge will tell you that you need to produce a motive if you want to assign guilt.

And I assure you that grunt work like typing up credits is not done by the producers. My friend Kendel does this is Nashville - not for a movie but for a record company's database. She gets minimum wage. It's considered a data entry job. She despises it and complains about the drudgery of it constantly, lol, but she figures you have to start somewhere.

[Brooke]

Soda, I'm so sorry all of this came back to haunt you, but I can't believe the interns didn't do the proper research in order to do their work right, as others have said! Good grief! I also don't believe that there are very many fans other than us hardcores that will ever know it even happened.

I also hope it gets corrected. Should you notify someone of the perceived errors?

[sodascouts]

Brooke, that's an idea... but who to contact?

Springbo, it's sweet that you're so protective of Randy, but I agree with Willie and FP. If they had kept all of these conflicts "private" as you say, I think it would actually be disingenuous because it would be like pretending as if nothing every went wrong. Basically, instead of a truthful documentary, we'd get a white-washed fairy tale. I prefer the former.

[OutlawManNJ]

Someone wrote this review on Amazon recently.

Beware FREY FANS...you will not be happy!

4.0 out of 5 stars Glenn Frey is "the only ***hole in the band", but a good review of the band, May 12, 2013
By
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1C2FD1DZKR4W0/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdp"]J. HARMON[/ame] (Houston, Texas) - [ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A1C2FD1DZKR4W0/ref=cm_cr_pr_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentRe view"]See all my reviews[/ame]
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Amazon Verified Purchase([ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/community-help/amazon-verified-purchase"]What's this?[/ame])
This review is from: History of the Eagles [3DVD] (DVD)
When I was a child, Glenn Frey was my favorite member of the band EAGLES, because he was the singer of my favorite EAGLES songs... at the time. I guess when I was a child and growing up, Glenn Frey was a child who never has grown into an adult.

According to the autobiography by Don Felder, Glenn Frey and Irving Azoff were the most significant causes for the EAGLES to fracture and break up. After watching this documentary, Irving still comes off as the "devil" that he is, but Glenn ends up being the "only ***hole in the band" (to use his own quote) that single-handedly destroyed what was once and could have been a truly great rock and roll band. The man is simply a dispicable person without any sense of humanity.

In all fairness, all people join rock bands for different reasons. Some wish to be a part of a group of friends, enjoying life together and making enjoyable music. Some people do it for the fame, sex and off-stage fun. Some people do so for money. And then, some people do so for the purpose of feeding their ego's as their insecurities lead them to points of impoverished self-esteem and self-worth, thus they set out in overcompensation to prove that they are superior. This latter seems to be the basis of Glenn Frey's (and Irving Azoff's) existence as a human being.

His insular personality chased away, Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner and Don Felder, and he alienated Don Henley to the point that only guarantees of tens of millions of dollars could force them to work together again. Worse, he cannot admit to any sense of the truth. He was a perpetual liar during the last three years of the EAGLES first tenure, and it appears that he continues to edit the truth of history to fit his singular view of himself.

With that being said, this documentary is as honest as Glenn, Irving and even Don Henley would allow. Don spent his time in the late 70's avoiding questions of tensions and complications within the band and continues to do so throughout their perpetual reunion touring. Bernie, Randy and Don Felder offer their versions of the truth albiet with politeness and congeniality. Glenn Frey falters in every respect, with the only exception being that he finally admitted the truth that he would only accept Irving Azoff's offer to reunite the Eagles as long as he and Don Henley were paid (and treated) with greater monies and benefits than the others.

Lastly, the story of why neither Randy nor Bernie were invited to reunite in 1994 is never discussed in the documentary nor the story of how Glenn attempted to thwart their appearance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.

Listening to Don Henley and Glenn Frey tiptoe around the meaning(s) behind the lyrics of HOTEL CALIFORNIA is worth the price of the set in and of itself. To listen to Randy Meisner singing TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT (and snippets of A CERTAIN KIND OF FOOL) also make the documentary well worth the price.

Beyond that, the documentary is very enjoyable. I wish more would have been discussed about how the band created their music... but the inside stories are very enjoyable none-the-less.

It is sad, that the EAGLES wrote about the corruption of mankind, by the evils of greed, ego and the temptations of life, yet obviously the band succumbed to the very perils it preached against. ROLLING STONE magazine and others perpetually decried the EAGLES for their "intelligence" and "preaching" lyrics, and often criticized the band for being hypocrites for such. In retrospect, the circumspect magazine got it right.

God bless Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner, Don Felder and Joe Walsh (Don Felder certainly described Joe accurately in his memior.)

We have the old records to enjoy whenever we want to re-visit the best days of our youth idealism, for we lost the EAGLES by October of 1976. I am glad that I saw them during the first leg of their 1994 tour, as that was the only period of peace and unity that the band ever shared after Bernie Leadon left.

Had the band been more forthright and sincere in their interviews, this would have been a 5 star documentary (more akin to QUEEN: These Are The Days Of Our Lives) but sadly, the politeness of the various band members (except Glenn) turn this into a glossy magazine story. But, it is worth it to purchase and watch.

Long live the music of the EAGLES.

[sodascouts]

There's 46 reviews on Amazon and you choose that one to post here? Why?

[OutlawManNJ]

Because its an interesting take.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

Seriously, what a horrid review. You know, I'm so glad the world is full of so many perfect people who are capable of judging someone like this. Where would we be without these people? Where on earth does this guy get off calling GLENN an '***hole'? Seriously? Talk about a despicable piece of humanity, this guy seriously needs to look in a freaking mirror. Judge a man who throws rocks while he throws boulders. What kind of a person even writes such a thing about anyone? Makes it impossible to respect his opinion, that's for sure. I would love to see this guy's end-of-year performance review, and what his neighbors and coworkers have to say about him.

Glenn certainly didn't destroy the Eagles. Last I checked, they're on tour and booking up places pretty quickly. His uncanny leadership skills make the Eagles one of the biggest bands of all time with the number one selling record of the 1900's. If that's his definition of 'destroyed', then he's out of touch with reality.

[Brooke]

Brooke, that's an idea... but who to contact?

I'm not sure, but maybe the ones that contacted you first. Then maybe they could point you elsewhere if need be.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Yeah - I continue to be amazed at how quick people are to judge other individuals that they don't even know based on virtually no real knowledge of the facts. It's just plain ignorant to lay all of the blame for a band's problems on one member and totally overlook the shortcomings of others. I personally appreciate all past and present members of the band, but I also recognize that all of them contributed to the discourse. Glenn did not single-handedly run these guy away. It seems to me that it was unprofessional of Bernie to leave one of the band's recording sessions to go surfing; and it was unprofessional of Randy to refuse to sing one of the band's most loved songs; and it was unprofessional of Felder to look at a U.S. Senator and say "nice to meet you, I guess". But, I guess the evil Glenn Frey forced them all to do these thing in some people's eyes. Go figure! Haters gonna hate.