Published on May 27, 1998
Back when The Eagles were touring in support of
The Long Run in 1979 and 1980, many people didn’t realize
they were watching a band that was about to disappear for the
better part of 15 years.
If there was indeed any tension between any of the band members,
their two-disc swansong for that time,
Eagles Live, doesn’t seem to hint at it. And while some of
the seemingly good-natured ribbing is lost without the visuals,
this remains a pretty strong live effort.
Taped at shows in 1976 and 1980, Glenn Frey and crew showed
their mastery of the material was not just a studio trick. Many of
the songs performed here, with the exception of slight variations
in the vocals, sound exactly like the tracks that we’ve been
happily listening to for almost 30 years now. Kicking things off
with “Hotel California,” arguably their most popular song, is just
the right touch to the festivities.
But in a sense, people should have sensed that something was up
due to guest appearances by J.D. Souther, Joe Vitale, Phil Kenzie
and others. This might not have been the humongous guest list that
The Band had for
The Last Waltz, but it wasn’t just the same band of guys
putting together the music anymore.
And while the inclusion of some solo material from Joe Walsh
personally doesn’t bother me, that also could have been a sign that
members of the band were drifting their own separate ways. (Then
again, maybe I’m being too cynical, and the appearance of a track
like “Life’s Been Good” is solely because people liked the damn
song.)
If you’ve worn out copies of albums like
Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, then
Eagles Live can be seen as a surrogate to those albums.
Many, though not all, of the hits are here, like “Take It Easy,”
“Heartache Tonight” and “Take It To The Limit”. There are other
surprises, such as the mostly a capella “Seven Bridges Road,” which
kind of reminded me of The Byrds when they went country. This track
alone (which was featured on
Greatest Hits Volume II) could be the undiscovered gem of
The Eagles’ career.
But even though the performances are almost note-for-note
perfect, there is a touch of sterileness to the performances. This
is where instances like Walsh ad-libbing some words to “Life’s Been
Good” comes in handy; it provides a break from hearing a “greatest
hits live” album. If only there had been more moments like
that.
Still,
Eagles Live is an enjoyable album, and even could be a good
starting point for the new Eagles fan. It’s got a good portion of
the hits, and enough material to help you understand where these
guys came from musically. Plus, had it not been for the
Hell Freezes Over reunion, this was the last chance to hear
the band live again.