Skill, however, is different than art, and it is the fact that they used these skills in such a blatantly commercial way, apparently aiming to make a musical product that would please everyone, which taints their success in my eyes. The mellow, middle-brow pandering that pervades their music even diminishes their occasional success when they actually would create something that was nearly universally pleasing. Thus, the Eagles created a body of work that spoke to everyone on a superficial level.
They speak to a larger group, but not very deeply. I have never met anyone who said that the Eagles were their favorite band, but I have met countless people who rank them as their second or third favorite. They simply do not arouse passion. Indeed, it has been argued that the early 70s were an era in which much of the music, from the Carpenters to James Taylor, deliberately provided a gentler soundscape to counter the turbulence of the times.
Still, mellow is one thing, tepid is another. To be sure, I take no joy from hating the Eagles. Even the backlash against them is tepid. My feelings about Don Henley are a bit more intense. I find him to be the most reprehensible member of that outfit.
I certainly do not harbor the same disgust for Joe Walsh latecomer to the group that he was , and his records with the James Gang get frequent spins on my turntable. It could be in part because Don Henley has been the most successful and the most visible of the Eagles since their breakup. I think the bigger reason, however, is that he has provided us with the most unflattering caricature of the aging baby boomer rock star in all of its ugliness.
His vaguely cynical demeanor, the graying ponytail, and what many consider to be his pretentious but dilettantish dabbling with social and environmental causes, simply rub me the wrong way. I understand that, in fact, his dedication to these issues is very intense and sincere with his Walden Woods Project representing a huge commitment of time and energy.
The successes and unexpected negative consequences of his involvement in these movements have been expounded on more thoroughly by David S. At any rate, this is supposed to be a rant, not intellectual discourse. So why did I buy the album? It is a song that that is moody but driving, fresh but classic, cynical but sentimental. It is a true classic and I love it with every fiber of my being.
It speaks to a lot of people. However, as I have already established that this kind of deliberate universality is actually a detriment in my eyes, it is a bit strange, But what is stranger is that the song spoke to me as a boy of seven, when the sentiments of the song were clearly aimed at baby boomers finding their first gray hairs. Maybe the song just caught me at the right moment.
I first knew the song from the bleakly beautiful video on MTV. In retrospect, this was odd fodder for a six year old. In this case he was able to create something with an atmosphere and a mood which could speak to universal emotions without having to rely on shared experiences. I guess I should try to stop analyzing it and just admit the power of the melody and performances were enough to teach a young boy, too young for nostalgia, how to be wistful.
Posted by Roger Weisman at PM. Newer Post Older Post Home. He got a little whacked out. Felder was later fired and subsequently sued the band. The History of the Eagles is well done and brave in how unflinching it is, showing the ugly side of the band and their mercenary take on the music business.
And you do have to respect Frey and Henley being so forthright about what dicks they are, even if their staged interviews seem scripted to back up their contention that it was their band all along. Like I said, they can cry about it all the way to the bank. Except for Glenn Frey. Benjamin H. Share Selection Facebook Twitter. Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
If you liked this post, you may also be interested in Thomas profile , 6 Aug am. Boy, talk about entitlement. Henley should be happy anyone is paying any kind of attention to his music, let alone his inane blathering. MrWilson , 6 Aug pm. This is one of the saddest parts of the whole b. Instead of the artists, who historically have been screwed over by record companies since pretty much the beginning of the industry, fighting against the abusive business practices of the music industry, the industry turns artists against their biggest fans by saying that it's the fans who are keeping them from getting their fair share of payment instead of the one-sided record contracts.
So artists get pissed at fans for loving their work hello, artist formally known as having an internet presence Easy Rider , 20 Feb pm. Nothin' personal, since I know a little about horses Shouldn't copywrights for musician's lyrics be deemed with the same respect as licensures of designed buildings and works of art? Frank Lloyd Wright or Picasso did not become history because people copied their works; they were 'pr'ofoundly respected because of their uniqueness and sensuality of design.
I think the matter was 'respect'. Anonymous Coward , 7 Aug am. Now the hammer is on trial for murder. Dark Helmet profile , 6 Aug pm. And as The Dude said: I hate the fucking Eagles, man Anonymous Coward , 6 Aug pm. About that, well I do believe the politicians are in the clear on this one, they did everything they could and are trying hard to do more, the thing is that there is no stopping or even slowing down "piracy", he can cry all he wants and get blue it won't make a difference.
Because what Henley sees is not reality. Since when did reality matter to IP supporters? Dementia profile , 6 Aug pm. Bite me. I'm about as anti IP as someone can get, and I'm from Texas. Do not assume you know anything about someone just because you know where they're from.
Jay profile , 7 Aug pm. The Washington he sees does not exist. People notice the most what is different from what they want. They notice the part of Washington that is influenced by the technology people. We notice the part of Washington that is influenced by the anti-technology people. Sneeje profile , 7 Aug pm. Thank god there are other sane human beings that feel this way. I could listen to just about anything from the Meatmen to Cecilia Bartoli, but Eagles?
I dunno. The record labels and movie studios have simply been around longer. They are also owned by large multi-national corporations now.
Those have "been around". The idea that Silicon Valley wields more influence is silly on it's face. Then you add in the DMCA and the many extensions to copyright terms and it all seems downright absurd. If Congress were really on Silicon Valley's side there would be a lot of Henley's works that would just be plain public domain by now. What's truly ironic is if you look at the history of Hollywood, they wanted to avoid the very same legislation that they are currently getting passed in Congress.
Dear Don, Just you wait and see all the awful things we do to your songs once the copyrights expire! Love, Your Fans. How many of us will be pushing up daisies right beside him? You can create when you're dead!
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