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

Actually I'm being a bit unfair to this, it's very pleasant. The mandolin is nice. They could've gone so many more interesting places with it, but it's a decent job.

There's a couple of nice unexpected chords in the coda too.

One last thing on Outlaw Man - the bass gets good towards the end when it gets high. I didn't pick up on it until I had the headphones on today.

its pretty. this last song. but again listen to it 2 or 3 times and then try and remember what it sounds like in an hour. you will have trouble remembering.

So true. I was wondering if that explained the success of the Greatest Hits - that generally these albums would be poor investments, but they have a *just* high enough strike rate to make a compilation worthwhile before the band is completely spent. 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.

It's nice. Great to listen to on Sunday. Proof that you have to give them their due for harmonies. It almost sounds like a toy box at the end. Would put on a mix tape for someone I didn't really know.

That maybe doesn't quite work; I see they were on a golden run right through late 74/75, with the Greatest Hits in 76. Which I guess may mean they were touring their asses off through 75, building momentum, and were then in the happy position of dropping a part-familiar-part-obscurish solid gold banker to consolidate.

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.

plus, they immediately follow up with their career album. how many bands do that?

Elton John, sort of. He followed up his first hits set w/Captain Fantastic..., which was like the first album to ship Platinum.

"Bitter Creek"

http://www.bernieleadononline.com/images/BLeadonBorderOuttake.jpg

http://youtu.be/cNzg7uSBkCQ

i dig it. i dig the vibe. now THIS is desert-swept chillwave. the percussion sounds nice. backing vocals suitably chilly. i don't even mind that its basically 5 minutes of meandering. i mean, its about a creek. creeks meander.

It sounds faintly like Gerry Rafferty. It's not offensive but no standout: the George Harrison track.

Not crazy about this one, but "Saturday Night" is lovely; the first new-to-me Eagles track I've really liked so far.

this experience was leaving me bored and irritated, so i gave up but then today i decided to give it a try.

i guess this song is ok? does he say "you know there ain't no cost of wheat?" the lyrics to this song are p weak (like every eagles song i've ever heard) but the music/his voice/the style of singing are pleasant enough. that's the most positive thing i can think of to say. it kinda reminds me of firefall and i like them.

the jam at the end was pretty good too

I liked the jam, too.

i used to think it was dumb when people said that punk rock saved us from prog rock and arena rock or whatever but i'm starting to think it makes sense that punk was trying to save us from eagles.

"cause to weep"

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.

But I like this one.

"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