Discussion of Eagles Documentary "History of the Eagles"

[VAisForEagleLovers]

I would take what Soda has posted and go a step further. Two steps, one in two different directions.

There are those who do the same to other band members, current and former, and that is not acceptable, either. I myself was guilty of that and while I've corrected that, I hope it shows. I don't agree with everything any of them do, but saying 'wow, that wasn't the best way to word that' is a lot better than 'he's an idiot.'

The other thing is personally attacking anyone on the board, and especially someone who is defending someone else or who has a different opinion than you. A comment like 'anyone who can't see that is just stupid' or 'your opinion doesn't count' is inappropriate.

I hesitate to call anyone a 'hater'. I will go on record in asking that the post of the Amazon review be removed as it violates our Terms of Service. Quoting an inappropriate source is the same as posting it ourselves. I wouldn't want guests or brand new members to come here and think it's acceptable. In going through Twitter searches and Google alerts, I've avoided even posting links that violate our TOS by flaming any of the band members. I don't always read them in-depth so if anyone sees one that should be removed, let me know.

[AEW21]

For me, even something as simple as Don asking Glenn if he'd eaten anything and Glenn replying "I had a bowl of Rice Crispies" makes me smile. It's like we're getting a little peek into their everyday lives, and I think that's cool.

Thank goodness for the Super 8 Camera with sound!

Quck question, if anyone knows--was that Super 8 footage actually from their time on tour with Linda Ronstadt? It was aired during that section of the doc, but I thought Glenn's hair was much longer during his tenure with her...? That image of Linda they have inserted there certainly looks like Super 8 footage as well. If they taped a lot of that time, I wish they would have shown more of it--I'd love to see more of their performing and dynamic together--but maybe Linda requested they didn't air it? Bad quality overall? God, those trips together, her being the only woman, must have been a trip...
I still wish she had allowed them to interview her now in present day, and I'm happy to read in interviews that both Don and Glenn find it "peculiar" not to see her represented in their history with a current POV. She does do interview yet, despite being retired from performing, so it's not like she's a recluse. I just get the feeling she doesn't want to be overly tied and associated with her 70s image. I do think that group of friends is still friendly to a degree--recent interviews with JD Souther imply they chat quite a bit yet, and she and Glenn did exchange notes about "After Hours"--maybe if she ever gets inducted into the RRHOF, one of the guys can intro her...

And RE: Glenn-- what I always keep in mind if how young he was at the time--in fact the youngest in the group--yet he was the one who stepped up and decided to be band leader. As much as the rest of them wanted more input, I don't think any of them, including Don, wanted the responsibility and stress of being "leader." Randy didn't like the conflict; Bernie didn't like the business aspect of it; Don the messy grey area issues of personality vs. performance; Joe wanted to be the good time guy, and Don Felder seemed to be only caught up in the have/have not aspect of it all. Glenn seemingly was the only one to step up and realize someone within the internal structure of the band had to take charge and not just bitch and moan and play the "blame game" when things went pear-shaped. Glenn knew they couldn't let the whims of the Industry and of Geffen decide their fate--they'd have to chart their own destiny and be sorta ruthless doing it. I think only he had the drive (and yes, ego) to do it. Did he always do it right and well? No, but at least he did it. Without a leader, I think they would have imploded much earlier than 1980.

I always think back to all the acts they saw on the Troubadour stage in the early years, supremely talented people who failed because either the Industry chewed them up and spit them out, or their own demons ate them alive. Those individuals and groups have been great "cautionary" tales to all of them on how to approach succeeding in music. For Glenn, I think it taught him that they couldn't afford to be overly-romantic or starry-eyed about themselves, the band and their "destiny." They'd have to work and fight for it and approach it as a a job, not as a hobby or even a "passion." It sounds cold, but that drive has kept the music popular all these years, even as the personnel have changed over the years. It had to be about the quality of the music first, and thst music had to be bigger than the band members making it. I think Glenn gets that to this day. I don't think that it's necessarily that he enjoys being in charge of the other guys, but that he likes being in charge of the band's musical legacy and reputation..

I think what the grand problem in the 70s became is that fame and money and drugs walled them off from each other and they didn't talk to each other enough. Glenn has that great line in the doc that when dynamics went bad "they just didn't talk about those sorts of things," and things "festered." Because their guys and guys hate feelings. And I can't overstate enough how much cocaine and other nasties probably fucked up their judgement and relationships. Being young, emotionally-repressed and coked up is a horrible combination in any situation--being in a band must have skyrocketed the paranoia and mania to hellish levels. They're lucky to alive and still have careers.

[TimothyBFan]

There are those who do the same to other band members, current and former, and that is not acceptable, either. I myself was guilty of that and while I've corrected that, I hope it shows. I don't agree with everything any of them do, but saying 'wow, that wasn't the best way to word that' is a lot better than 'he's an idiot.'

The other thing is personally attacking anyone on the board, and especially someone who is defending someone else or who has a different opinion than you. A comment like 'anyone who can't see that is just stupid' or 'your opinion doesn't count' is inappropriate.

Thank you!!!

I have to say that I seriously think one side of the argument here is just as extreme at times as the other side. KWIM? I think both sides have been guilty at times. And I really, really hate saying "sides" but I don't know how else to describe it, I guess.

And RE: Glenn-- what I always keep in mind if how young he was at the time--in fact the youngest in the group--yet he was the one who stepped up and decided to be band leader. As much as the rest of them wanted more input, I don't think any of them, including Don, wanted the responsibility and stress of being "leader." Randy didn't like the conflict; Bernie didn't like the business aspect of it; Don the messy grey area issues of personality vs. performance; Joe wanted to be the good time guy, and Don Felder seemed to be only caught up in the have/have not aspect of it all. Glenn seemingly was the only one to step up and realize someone within the internal structure of the band had to take charge and not just bitch and moan and play the "blame game" when things went pear-shaped. Glenn knew they couldn't let the whims of the Industry and of Geffen decide their fate--they'd have to chart their own destiny and be sorta ruthless doing it. I think only he had the drive (and yes, ego) to do it. Did he always do it right and well? No, but at least he did it. Without a leader, I think they would have imploded much earlier than 1980.

Good point, once again! Can any of us look back at what we did at that age and say that we always did the right thing? I know I can't. Live and learn.

[GlennLover]

And RE: Glenn-- what I always keep in mind if how young he was at the time--in fact the youngest in the group--yet he was the one who stepped up and decided to be band leader. As much as the rest of them wanted more input, I don't think any of them, including Don, wanted the responsibility and stress of being "leader." Randy didn't like the conflict; Bernie didn't like the business aspect of it; Don the messy grey area issues of personality vs. performance; Joe wanted to be the good time guy, and Don Felder seemed to be only caught up in the have/have not aspect of it all. Glenn seemingly was the only one to step up and realize someone within the internal structure of the band had to take charge and not just bitch and moan and play the "blame game" when things went pear-shaped. Glenn knew they couldn't let the whims of the Industry and of Geffen decide their fate--they'd have to chart their own destiny and be sorta ruthless doing it. I think only he had the drive (and yes, ego) to do it. Did he always do it right and well? No, but at least he did it. Without a leader, I think they would have imploded much earlier than 1980.

I always think back to all the acts they saw on the Troubadour stage in the early years, supremely talented people who failed because either the Industry chewed them up and spit them out, or their own demons ate them alive. Those individuals and groups have been great "cautionary" tales to all of them on how to approach succeeding in music. For Glenn, I think it taught him that they couldn't afford to be overly-romantic or starry-eyed about themselves, the band and their "destiny." They'd have to work and fight for it and approach it as a a job, not as a hobby or even a "passion." It sounds cold, but that drive has kept the music popular all these years, even as the personnel have changed over the years. It had to be about the quality of the music first, and thst music had to be bigger than the band members making it. I think Glenn gets that to this day. I don't think that it's necessarily that he enjoys being in charge of the other guys, but that he likes being in charge of the band's musical legacy and reputation..

I think what the grand problem in the 70s became is that fame and money and drugs walled them off from each other and they didn't talk to each other enough. Glenn has that great line in the doc that when dynamics went bad "they just didn't talk about those sorts of things," and things "festered." Because their guys and guys hate feelings. And I can't overstate enough how much cocaine and other nasties probably fucked up their judgement and relationships. Being young, emotionally-repressed and coked up is a horrible combination in any situation--being in a band must have skyrocketed the paranoia and mania to hellish levels. They're lucky to alive and still have careers.

Well said, AEW21!

[sodascouts]

Quck question, if anyone knows--was that Super 8 footage actually from their time on tour with Linda Ronstadt? It was aired during that section of the doc, but I thought Glenn's hair was much longer during his tenure with her...? That image of Linda they have inserted there certainly looks like Super 8 footage as well. If they taped a lot of that time, I wish they would have shown more of it--I'd love to see more of their performing and dynamic together--but maybe Linda requested they didn't air it? Bad quality overall? God, those trips together, her being the only woman, must have been a trip...

The segment where they're dressed like this is from 1971:




By contrast, this segment and any where they're dressed like that is from 1974, when Linda was a special guest on their Don Kirshner special. Of course, the documentarians show them together like they were done at the same time... one of the documentary's flaws is muddling up the dates of images and video.

I'm not sure whether the 1971 footage was taken with Super 8 by someone else; however, the 1974 footage was professionally filmed and aired on television. I also know that the 1971 footage was from a company called "Reelin' in the Years" because it was show on Vh1's old show Before They Were Rock Stars years ago. It wasn't something that Glenn or Don had filmed.

Certainly that footage of Linda looking stoned or drunk and practically falling out of a car was Super 8. lol

I don't think the Rice Krispies bit was filmed when they were on tour with Linda either, despite its placement in that section of the documentary. I don't think Don's fro looked like that in 1971, although I could be wrong since we don't have many photos of him from that time. Again, I believe that was fudging by the documentations for the purpose of narrative.

I still wish she had allowed them to interview her now in present day, and I'm happy to read in interviews that both Don and Glenn find it "peculiar" not to see her represented in their history with a current POV. She does do interview yet, despite being retired from performing, so it's not like she's a recluse. I just get the feeling she doesn't want to be overly tied and associated with her 70s image. I do think that group of friends is still friendly to a degree--recent interviews with JD Souther imply they chat quite a bit yet, and she and Glenn did exchange notes about "After Hours"--maybe if she ever gets inducted into the RRHOF, one of the guys can intro her...

Linida's not a recluse, but she's self-conscious about her appearance. Having herself filmed now and shown next to clips of how she used to look might have been too much for her vanity. It's cruel that people judge women so harshly but they do.

And RE: Glenn-- what I always keep in mind if how young he was at the time--in fact the youngest in the group--yet he was the one who stepped up and decided to be band leader. As much as the rest of them wanted more input, I don't think any of them, including Don, wanted the responsibility and stress of being "leader." Randy didn't like the conflict; Bernie didn't like the business aspect of it; Don the messy grey area issues of personality vs. performance; Joe wanted to be the good time guy, and Don Felder seemed to be only caught up in the have/have not aspect of it all. Glenn seemingly was the only one to step up and realize someone within the internal structure of the band had to take charge and not just bitch and moan and play the "blame game" when things went pear-shaped. Glenn knew they couldn't let the whims of the Industry and of Geffen decide their fate--they'd have to chart their own destiny and be sorta ruthless doing it. I think only he had the drive (and yes, ego) to do it. Did he always do it right and well? No, but at least he did it. Without a leader, I think they would have imploded much earlier than 1980.

I always think back to all the acts they saw on the Troubadour stage in the early years, supremely talented people who failed because either the Industry chewed them up and spit them out, or their own demons ate them alive. Those individuals and groups have been great "cautionary" tales to all of them on how to approach succeeding in music. For Glenn, I think it taught him that they couldn't afford to be overly-romantic or starry-eyed about themselves, the band and their "destiny." They'd have to work and fight for it and approach it as a a job, not as a hobby or even a "passion." It sounds cold, but that drive has kept the music popular all these years, even as the personnel have changed over the years. It had to be about the quality of the music first, and thst music had to be bigger than the band members making it. I think Glenn gets that to this day. I don't think that it's necessarily that he enjoys being in charge of the other guys, but that he likes being in charge of the band's musical legacy and reputation..

I think what the grand problem in the 70s became is that fame and money and drugs walled them off from each other and they didn't talk to each other enough. Glenn has that great line in the doc that when dynamics went bad "they just didn't talk about those sorts of things," and things "festered." Because their guys and guys hate feelings. And I can't overstate enough how much cocaine and other nasties probably fucked up their judgement and relationships. Being young, emotionally-repressed and coked up is a horrible combination in any situation--being in a band must have skyrocketed the paranoia and mania to hellish levels. They're lucky to alive and still have careers.

Agreed!

[cbecrad]

Quck question, if anyone knows--was that Super 8 footage actually from their time on tour with Linda Ronstadt? It was aired during that section of the doc, but I thought Glenn's hair was much longer during his tenure with her...? That image of Linda they have inserted there certainly looks like Super 8 footage as well. If they taped a lot of that time, I wish they would have shown more of it--I'd love to see more of their performing and dynamic together--but maybe Linda requested they didn't air it? Bad quality overall? God, those trips together, her being the only woman, must have been a trip...
I still wish she had allowed them to interview her now in present day, and I'm happy to read in interviews that both Don and Glenn find it "peculiar" not to see her represented in their history with a current POV. She does do interview yet, despite being retired from performing, so it's not like she's a recluse. I just get the feeling she doesn't want to be overly tied and associated with her 70s image. I do think that group of friends is still friendly to a degree--recent interviews with JD Souther imply they chat quite a bit yet, and she and Glenn did exchange notes about "After Hours"--maybe if she ever gets inducted into the RRHOF, one of the guys can intro her...

And RE: Glenn-- what I always keep in mind if how young he was at the time--in fact the youngest in the group--yet he was the one who stepped up and decided to be band leader. As much as the rest of them wanted more input, I don't think any of them, including Don, wanted the responsibility and stress of being "leader." Randy didn't like the conflict; Bernie didn't like the business aspect of it; Don the messy grey area issues of personality vs. performance; Joe wanted to be the good time guy, and Don Felder seemed to be only caught up in the have/have not aspect of it all. Glenn seemingly was the only one to step up and realize someone within the internal structure of the band had to take charge and not just bitch and moan and play the "blame game" when things went pear-shaped. Glenn knew they couldn't let the whims of the Industry and of Geffen decide their fate--they'd have to chart their own destiny and be sorta ruthless doing it. I think only he had the drive (and yes, ego) to do it. Did he always do it right and well? No, but at least he did it. Without a leader, I think they would have imploded much earlier than 1980.

I always think back to all the acts they saw on the Troubadour stage in the early years, supremely talented people who failed because either the Industry chewed them up and spit them out, or their own demons ate them alive. Those individuals and groups have been great "cautionary" tales to all of them on how to approach succeeding in music. For Glenn, I think it taught him that they couldn't afford to be overly-romantic or starry-eyed about themselves, the band and their "destiny." They'd have to work and fight for it and approach it as a a job, not as a hobby or even a "passion." It sounds cold, but that drive has kept the music popular all these years, even as the personnel have changed over the years. It had to be about the quality of the music first, and thst music had to be bigger than the band members making it. I think Glenn gets that to this day. I don't think that it's necessarily that he enjoys being in charge of the other guys, but that he likes being in charge of the band's musical legacy and reputation..

I think what the grand problem in the 70s became is that fame and money and drugs walled them off from each other and they didn't talk to each other enough. Glenn has that great line in the doc that when dynamics went bad "they just didn't talk about those sorts of things," and things "festered." Because their guys and guys hate feelings. And I can't overstate enough how much cocaine and other nasties probably fucked up their judgement and relationships. Being young, emotionally-repressed and coked up is a horrible combination in any situation--being in a band must have skyrocketed the paranoia and mania to hellish levels. They're lucky to alive and still have careers.

Very intelligently said.

I would also like to see more of that 1971 footage with Linda. I discovered her music in the late 90s and she quickly became my favorite singer of all time. However, I really know very little about her. I was also wondering why I never see more recent footage or interviews of her.

[MaryCalifornia]

Regarding Linda's current relationship with band members, Timothy said in an interview that he wanted three backup singers for White Boy from Sacramento - Linda, Jennifer Warnes and Alison Krause, and two of them were on board, but Alison's schedule didn't match up. Makes me think that as recently as 2009, Linda was willing to sing on his record. The three black ladies are awesome, but how awesome would Linda, Jennifer and Alison have been??!! I know the documentary didn't mention Timmy playing backup for Linda in the early '70s, but he did.

[sodascouts]

Timothy played backup for Linda too? I didn't know that! Do you know when that was? He joined Poco in 1970, so I'm surprised he'd also be backing Linda during that time... or are you talking about playing on her albums rather than touring with her?

[MaryCalifornia]

I meant played on an album, not touring. But I don't know what song/s. It was either him or Glenn who said that the other one was playing for Linda at the same time he was...

[Thirsty&Hot]

Interesting thought!
My guess is that they probably just thank the Classic Rock radio stations for keeping their music alive even after they disbanded. This, paired with parents passing their love of the Eagles along, allowed future generations to hear the greatness for themselves. Plus their songs are so nostalgic, beautiful, and sometimes timeless. They create a certain mood and romance. They even make bad situations sound romantic as in Lyin' Eyes. They transport people to Southern California in the 70s. They also remind people of a specific time in their lives because, as Glenn put it, "people DID things to the Eagles".
I don't think it really has too much to do with their looks for most people (outside of the Border ) anymore. For me, it was all about the music for the longest time until I saw how beautiful they were in the documentary! hehe The music speaks for itself!

I found a great example that supports what I said, when I was reading the May 24th issue of Entertainment Weekly today.

Daft Punk talked about the songs that shaped them,
and for their "Favorite Jukebox Jam", they listed Hotel California:

Not only because this song reminds us so much of L.A., which we love but also the jukebox is really something that somehow today resonates as more an American behavior than a French one. It triggers so [many] visual memories and everything about it to us is perfect: every bar, every beat. It's kind of the ultimate gem. Somehow it's a very sensual experience, listening to that song. We really like to enjoy as well as create authentic music in a very cinematic way, and "Hotel California" really is that. You can just put it in a jukebox and it can be that soundtrack of the scene you're living at the time."