The Eagles were a big deal when I was in junior high and high school, and their work always takes me right back to those days. They worked with Linda Ronstadt, some touring with her, some playing in the studio, before coming together to launch their own deal. And boy, did they ever go places with it. This is one band that I regretfully never saw in concert, even though I had opportunities. Somehow, it just never happened.
The founding members of the Eagles, guitarist/lead singer Glenn Frey, drummer/vocalist Don Henley, guitarist/vocalist Bernie Leadon, and bass guitarist Randy Meisner, had all played with Linda Ronstadt. In 1971, they assembled and formed a band. (The famous Joe Walsh joined later.) There are reports that the band's name was selected while the founding members were on a peyote-and-tequila-fueled desert binge. Note the small “t” in the name when I refer to “the Eagles.” Rumor has it that a friend of the band, Steve Martin, had suggested they call their band “The Eagles,” but Glenn Frey insisted on “Eagles,” and so the deed was done.
Like so many bands out of these glory years of rock, it’s hard to pick only six songs, but I did my best. Here, then, in chronological order, are this week’s picks.
Take it Easy (1972): I have always told my wife that, if we ever stay overnight in Winslow, Arizona, we have to find a place that rents flatbed Ford trucks, just so I can stand on a corner and have her drive by and pick me up. She’s younger than I, so the Eagles weren’t as big a part of her early years as they were for me, so she’s ambivalent about the whole thing. That’s cool. I’ll talk her into it. If you’re sitting wondering what the heck I’m talking about, listen to the song.
Desperado (1973): This is just a downright beautiful song, no matter who is singing it. Written by Glenn Frey and Don Henley, this song first appeared on the Eagles’ second album of the same name. It was not initially released as a single, but in later years, it got some radio play. Don Henley later said that the song was inspired by old songs by Stephen Foster, an artist Frey admired.“Desperado” was a song fragment that I’d had since the late ’60s. Maybe ’68, I started that song. It wasn’t even called” Desperado.” It was called something else, but it was the same melody, same chords. I think it had something to do with astrology [chuckles]. Whatever the title was back then, it was horrible [laughs]. Jackson Browne suggested a Western theme — something to do with playing cards, I think — which is sort of where we were headed anyway.
A lot of the Eagles' work had a Western theme, but this one really nails it.
Just for fun, here’s Linda Ronstadt’s take on this same song:Read More: Start Your Weekend Right With 6 Great Southern Rock Tunes From Molly Hatchet
Tequila Sunrise (1973): Frey and Henley wrote this one at the same time as Desperado. Both were written in the first two weeks Frey and Henley wrote together, and boy, if that’s not the sign of a good songwriting duo, I don’t know what might be. This is another song with an Old West vibe to it, and was reportedly a favorite of Glenn Frey, who later said that he didn’t believe the song had a single chord out of place.
Of course, no Eagles playlist is complete without this:Hotel California (1976): From the 1976 album of the same name, this may be the best-known of all the Eagles songs. I could describe some of the meaning of this song, which has been happily argued over by Eagles fans since 1976, but I’ll let Glen Frey give his thoughts on the matter.
That record explores the underbelly of success, the darker side of Paradise. Which was sort of what we were experiencing in Los Angeles at that time. So that just sort of became a metaphor for the whole world and for everything you know. And we just decided to make it Hotel California. So with a microcosm of everything else going on around us.
Read More: Start Your Weekend Right With 6 Great Songs From the Doobie Brothers
Life In The Fast Lane (1976): While living life in the fast lane seems a lot of fun when you’re young, it can leave a lot of wear and tear on a body when you get older, assuming you do. That’s what this song is all about: describing a man and a woman who had it all and lost it due to reckless living. Joe Walsh, no stranger to reckless living himself, later said about this song:
When reminded that his Eagles bandmates may have exhibited some symptoms described in this song, Walsh replied: "Yeah, that's probably true, and I think it was healthy, though, that we realized that running around and parties and fast cars are really not the answer – it's kind of a shallow way to approach why we're on this planet, and it probably came as a band consciousness."
That’s a pretty good cautionary tale.
Seven Bridges Road (1980): This last pick, from the year I graduated high school, has a special meaning for me, thanks to a girl, a car, and the Seven Bridges Wildlife Area near Readlyn, Iowa. I won’t go into details. When the Eagles recorded this song, it was understood they were referring to Woodley Road in Montgomery, Alabama – not Iowa. Their loss, I guess.I wonder where that girl is now? I hope she’s happy. She’d probably be a grandma by now.
If you’re an old gray guy like me, I’m sure you have some favorites and memories to share. The comments, as always, are all yours.
