Their Greatest Hits 1971 - 1975 (©1976 Asylum)

1: Take It Easy 2: Witchy Woman 3: Lyin' Eyes 4: Already Gone 5: Desperado 6: One Of These Nights 7: Tequila Sunrise 8: Take It To The Limit 9: Peaceful, Easy Feeling 10: Best Of My Love

In their own way they helped ruin music as we know it. They opened the doors for the likes of Dan Fogelberg, and Bread, not to mention the Starland Vocal Band. They were the best of times, they were the worst of times.

Say what you want about the Eagles, and man there's no shortage of opinions about these guys. However, this is one of the best selling albums of all time so there are a lot of people who think this is pretty good stuff. Me included. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not equating record sales with good. If that was the case I'd be singing the praises of Mariah Carey and Celine Dion.

But you have to admit that as far as a greatest hits collection goes, this is pretty freakin' good. All 10 songs are classics (I never liked "Take It To The Limit"), and they left off a bunch of good stuff from those first five years too.

So no matter how you slice it, these guys are in the hall of fame for two good reasons: Glyn Johns and Bill Szymczyk.

What? You expected a real review?

Reviewed December 15, 2005

The Long Run (©1979)

1. The Long Run 2. I Can't Tell You Why 3. In The City 4. The Disco Strangler 5. King Of Hollywood 6. Heartache Tonight 7. Those Shoes 8. Teenage Jail 9. The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks 10. The Sad Cafe

The Long Run was one of my favourite albums for a long time, and although it marked the end of the line they went out on top. 1979 was a hard time for rock and roll, with disco sucking the life out of music - to that end disco truly did suck. Listening to this often maligned album, it is like a greatest hits album all by itself. Although the biggest hits were the songs I liked least. "I Can't Tell You Why" has a great guitar solo, and that alone redeems the song for me.

One of my favourite songs is the superior version of Joe's "In the City" which still kicks ass. As well as "Those Shoes" a song which should have been a bigger hit than it was. "Teenage Jail" and it's odd pairing with "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" are killer. "King of Hollywood" is as scathing today as is was almost thirty years ago. The album closes with "The Sad Cafe" a nostalgic longing for a place that meant so much to so many - looking back on the song now, it could apply to the band as well.

I'm tempted to put in a horrible long run pun here, but I'll try to resist - in the long run does the world truly need another smart ass arm chair frustrated musician making comments about ancient history? Probably not - but it won't stop me.

Reviewed January 25, 2008

Greatest Hits Volume 2 (©1982 Asylum)

1: Hotel California 2: Heartache Tonight 3: Seven Bridges Road 4: Victim Of Love 5: The Sad Cafe 6: Life In The Fast Lane 7: I Can't Tell You Why 8: New Kid In Town 9: The Long Run 10: After The Thrill Is Gone

I started paying attention to the Eagles when they became a rock and roll band. The addition of Joe Walsh to complement Don Felder was the stuff of genius and gave them rock and roll legitimacy. And for two albums, well three counting the live one, the guys ruled. "Hotel California" features what is arguable the greatest guitar solo ever. Yeah, it was beaten to death, but considering the song is just about thirty years old, it sounds pretty bloody good. All but one song here comes from those three releases.

"Heartache Tonight" had the primitive drum machine, and when it came out it was a big deal. Of course there's the country flavoured hold out with "New Kid in Town" (another song I never liked much, but it was a slow dance song so it has some nostalgic appeal). Personally I'd have pulled of "After the Thrill is Gone" and replaced it with "In the City" but they didn't ask me (bastards). "Those Shoes" is another glaring omission - but whatever, this was first released in the days of 22 minutes a side, so tens songs is what you got.

This would be it for the guys until hell froze over. And when it did, it didn't take them long to freeze out poor Mister Felder (bastards). Oh well, there's more to that story than meets the eye. To quote Don "There's your side, and there's my side and the cold hard truth."

They may just be milking the past now, and no doubt they deserve it, but there was a time when these guys were breaking new ground and kicking ass.

Reviewed December 16, 2005