A Good Day In Hell - The Official ILM Track-By-Track EAGLES Listening Thread

"So come 1975 or whenever,, they're good enough to put out a killer ten-tracker, seasoned enough pros to cash in properly, yet average enough to not attract diehards and hence were able to keep their bad bits unknown and effectively be launching as a new band. I can't think of anyone else who quite meets all these tests."

this is a good point--though it's not quite the same parallel, the Bee Gees and Fleetwood Mac also rebooted themselves in '75 as well.

missed "Saturday Night." have little to say about it but that it's the only full band composition?, suggesting maybe it was cobbled together from a couple of half-finished pieces the band. And did they do the Band-esque mic-passing from Henley to Meisner again?

"bitter creek": as odes to peyote go, this works. But Leadon's aesthetic of laziness and spaced-out meandering can only go so far before it starts feeling oppressive in its laid-back way.

I think it was at this point in the album that my wife came in the room, paused to listen for a moment, and told me I might as well be listening to Bread.

hahaha I would rather listen to Bread than more than half of the Eagles songs we've heard so far in this thread, but I'm a total sucker for 70s AM soft rock.

The last two songs've been keepers IMO.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Springs_Massacre

idk if there's any real connection -- probably they just liked the sound of the placename -- but an interesting article nonetheless

i love Bread. Guitar Man and Manna might be my favorite albums. they were such a great studio band. and much more varied than people might think if all they know is the hits. and most people probably only know the hits. all kinds of goodness on Bread albums.

(I noted the same about Bread upthread....)

Desperado is the only Eagles album I own on vinyl (or on any physical or digital format), and I bought it largely for "Bitter Creek and its gorgeous CSN&Y-esque harmonies toward the end at 2:06-2:23 and again from 3:15 to the end of the song. I didn't until last week know this song was part of the album's "concept", but it works on it's own too. Heard it on an AAA station mid-'80s and was surprised to learn this was an Eagles song. One of their best.

So Firefall comes along, takes one look at the Eagles catalogue and says, "'Bitter Creek', that's what we should base our entire sound on."

Nice rattlesnake sound with the tambourine, though.

I love this. Like the percussion sounds and the tea-chest bass - it's like some kids have rigged up a skiffle band, only with really expensive guitars and mics, plus expert harmonising. its gorgeous CSN&Y-esque harmonies toward the end at 2:06-2:23 and again from 3:15 to the end of the song otm, and I dig the guitarwork throughout.

The slow pace really works here, giving it an air of menace, heat and laziness as appropriate. But importantly balanced out by drop-ins and unexpected twists, rhythms and playing. It keeps it interesting, unlike so much of the crap we've been sorting through to get here. The best yet.

this reminds me of pink floyd a bit in the carefully mic-ed fake blues, melody lines & high school poetry

playing catch-up

so far digging "Outlaw Man"....good chorus...really good guitar solo too...really nice basslines in the sped-up part...

"Bitter Creek"'s a good 'un. CSNY-esque with the emphasis on the 'Y'. Kinda wish the "jam part" was...jammier(?).

Bread >>> Eagles

So glad I'm not alone re Bread.

the people who know KNOW. you know?

Bread is Good.

Can I join the Bread love in?

"Doolin-Dalton/Desperado(Reprise)"

http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/images/music/2008/galleries/eagles-long-run-photos-from-the-seventies-and-beyond/the-eagles-gallery-1973-73662/500x595/20777681-20777683-large.jpg

http://youtu.be/k8TigipC8dY

Bernie about to hurl in that photo

outlaw showdown, check; queens of diamonds and hearts, check; twisted fate turning the tables, check; stolen dreams, paid in regret, check; hard when you're all alone in the center ring, check; stardust, check

don't understand why people bust on the Eagles' lyrics, they've got everything in there

the last few songs have been good! this is a halfway decent record i guess.

I dunno. My load wasn't as loosened with this one.

I'm a sucker for a reprise. More rock albums should have overtures too.

The harmonies on this thing remind me of Big Star.

i wish the reprise would make a comeback. it makes albums so album-y. one of the reasons i dig the first bear in heaven record from '09 is that is snuck in a reprise.

but do you want a "Hotel California" reprise

i don't know! i might!

More than a Wasted Years reprise! [[SPOILER]]

What do you call a "sneak preview" on an album, like "Dreams Reoccurring" occurring before "Reoccurring Dreams" on Zen Arcade?

Catching up..."Bitter Creek" is decent, but it just kinda sits there. If it was played during a particularly reflective/moody scene in Firefly, I'd dig it in that context.

i wish the reprise would make a comeback.

awesome sentence.

hahaha. "oh when will I hear a reprise again?"

Wow, this reprise is the epitome of album filler. Pretty sure the reason the cymbals are so high in the mix is because Johns fell asleep at the board.

This just drives home how hard Desperado is trying to be a concept album.

if a Hotel California reprise was just Felder/Walsh guitar duelling then YES

Aw, this is good! They picked the right songs, gave them nice arrangements, had dilly banjos and falsetti drop by like wasted friends - this is a proper reprise, kudos.

This album hits more than misses, I think - the closing run is pretty excellent, and before that the non-hits are mostly boring rather than offensive. You can see them getting there - if there's any boilerplate filler on the next one I'll be disappointed in them.

i got sidetracked & didn't comment on as many songs for this album but overall i really do enjoy this album, ismael otm that there's no real stinkers

outlaw showdown, check; queens of diamonds and hearts, check; twisted fate turning the tables, check; stolen dreams, paid in regret, check; hard when you're all alone in the center ring, check; stardust, check

don't understand why people bust on the Eagles' lyrics, they've got everything in there

don't forget 'faithless women'

But no 'CHUG'!

Like this. Prefer the "Desperado" reprise to the original. Seems like it wouldn't hurt a Classic Rock station to slip this in every once in awhile.

faithless women pretty much essential to the whole outlaw = rocker enterprise

vibey outtro of "bitter creek" probably my fav eagle moment yet

this reprise blows ass

seems as if we are bitterly divided on the reprise...

BITTERLY i said! yeah i know nobody wants to fight about eagles. anyway, as a reward for getting through this album you get to hear this awesome epic earth opera track. just played this album today and i think it holds up. you got the west coast/dead moments. the jazzrock psych stuff. the olde-tyme moments courtesy of david grisman. you get a little bit of everything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC-nj68X19c

plus, billy mundi on drums. tarfumes should check him out. he's kind of the reason to buy Rhinoceros records if you ask me. i'm not a huge Mothers fan, but he could really shake a stick.

BITTERLY i said!

Somebody's gonna hurt someone before this thread is through.

heartache tonight y/n

Apparently Earth Opera were big Soft Machine fans. Digging this, though.

peter rowan went on to bluegrass fame of course. after earth opera he started seatrain and i enjoy their two albums. he's on the old and in the way album too with grisman/garcia. never really got into the rowans albums though.

tarfumes i wish i had known you were playing on friday sooner. i don't know if i can make it. maybe rob is going? liz said she wants to see her pal tatsuya so maybe they are going...if so i could maybe hitch a ride with them.

for some reason liz really doesn't like going to see things at the f*y*h*e*.

It's a weird space...I kind of liked the old one, which had a nice, homey, church-basement feel.

wow this Earth Opera is fucking great skot

reminds me of what music can be! so much more than the eagles

Read a book recently abou Detroit rock. Oral history. Direct quote from iggy pop is that Glenn Frey was almost in the stooges. Good times.

Yes I'm drunk. But the above is accurate