The Eagles: Some Dance to Remember

"We managed to represent that period of time in the 70s... 

I hope that's remembered like the Roaring 20s are,

you know- our generation and what we did."

- Joe Walsh, Eagles guitarist

Welcome back to Gospel of the Piano Man! This week, I want to reignite our exploration of the 70s by talking about the band that, in my opinion, captures the essence of the decade best.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the Eagles.

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If you want to listen to a soundtrack of the 1970s, especially the southern California 70s that came to largely define the attitude of the decade, listen to the Eagles.  From laid back hits like “Take it Easy” and introspective ballads like “Desperado” to moody singles like “Hotel California” and “Witchy Woman,” the songs of the Eagles perfectly reflect the era in which they were made.

In the 70s, people just wanted to chill out.  Throughout the 60s the public had seen mass protests and experienced a collective loss of the innocence and optimism that had up to that point been a defining trait of post-World War II America.  And in the 70s, government failings like the Watergate Scandal and the ever-escalating Vietnam War left the U.S. in need of a way to escape from the realities of life.  

Enter singers like Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, and of course, the Eagles.  

Listening to the Eagles is just easy.  It's like eating freshly-baked cookies or watching reruns of your favorite comedy. You just feel their music- the Eagles sing head-nodding songs, swaying in your seat songs, singing along songs, can’t help but smiling to yourself because their music is just that good songs.  

But if you do want to really listen to the lyrics, you're in luck, because the Eagles were masterful songwriters too.  Take a look at these lyrics from "Peaceful Easy Feeling":

 “I found out a long time ago 

what a woman can do to your soul,

Oh but she can’t take you anyway 

you don’t already know how to go"

I mean come on, their stuff reads like poetry.  And their songs are full of on-point life advice, like my favorite from "Take It Easy":

"Take it easy, take it easy

Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy

Lighten up while you still can

Don't even try to understand

Just find a place to make your stand

and take it easy"

Whether you want to think deep thoughts and contemplate humanity, reminisce about the good old days, cry over the one that got away, or just chill, the Eagles are there for you.  In the 70s people needed that music, and in light of recent events, I would say we do too.

But don’t just take my word for it- the Eagles hold the distinction of having recorded the best-selling album of the 20th century- their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) album has sold over 42 million copies and  was released before their mega-hit album Hotel California.  (More importantly, they also hold the distinction of having recorded the only Christmas song that I listen to all year long.)

The original Eagles, from left to right: Bernie Leadon, Don Henley, Randy Meisner, Glenn Frey
photo credit: aerokay

In my opinion, the Eagles are the perfect embodiment of the 70s.  Their studio albums range from 1971 to 1979*, and are followed by their well-documented break up in 1980- caused by interpersonal issues within the group.  But if you ask me, the problem was simply that the Eagles are aligned so strongly with the 70s that the 80s just didn't suit them. 

The Eagles are long hair and t-shirts with jeans and the notion that a group of everyday guys singing about life can actually make an impact on people. With the Eagles, there’s no pomp or vanity, so the emotion in their music rings strikingly true and sincere;  I literally get blurry-eyed just reading the lyrics to “Take it to the Limit”.  So, much like the Earth trying to break out of its orbit around the Sun, the Eagles trying to cut their hair, dress up in suits and begin choreographing for the MTV videos that defined the 80s would have defied the laws of nature (Glenn Frey and Don Henley ultimately did do this during their solo careers, and it is truly painful to watch**).

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"We may lose and we may win

            But we will never be here again"            

photo credit: Scott Butner

                    

For those of you who don't know, last Monday was a sad, sad day.  Glenn Frey- one of the founding members of the Eagles and the lead singer on classics like "Take It Easy" and "Already Gone", passed away at age 67.  When I found out, I promptly stopped what I was doing (homework, conveniently) and proceeded to spend the rest of the night listening to Hotel California, their greatest hits, and my personal favorites.

At first I thought  I was mourning, but at some point I realized that their songs were exactly what I would have wanted to listen to in the wake of any tragedy.  What is it about the Eagles that give them that timeless, reassuring quality, that fitting-for-all-situations warmth?  Perhaps, in the words of Don Henley himself, “[they] were just young men with raging hormones and something to prove”, but I think there’s something more to it than that. 

Maybe the magic lies in the fact that the Eagles lived the philosophy they offered in their songs.   "Take it Easy" they certainly did, living it up at their infamous “third encore” after every show, but they also struggled with the realities of life, love, and fame, and weren’t afraid to pose questions they didn't know how to answer (“Pretty Maids All in a Row” is basically a beautifully-written succession of ‘what is life’ questions).  Exactly what the magic was I can't be certain, but I do know it’s a special thing when a band can tell you more about life and give you a greater appreciation for a moment in time than any philosophy or history textbook ever could.  

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Just the Facts: Who were the Eagles?

- Glenn Frey: guitar, lead vocals, 

- Don Henley: drums, lead vocals 

- Bernie Leadon: guitar, left in 1976

- Randy Meisner: bass, left in 1977 (love "Take it to the Limit"? He's the one singing all the high notes)

- Joe Walsh: guitar, life philosopher

- Don Felder: guitar ("Fingers Felder")

- Timothy B. Schmidt: bass

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*not including Long Road Out of Eden (2007), which was recorded post-reunion

** one bright spot from Henley's solo career: "Leather and Lace", his 1981 duet with Stevie Nicks and in my opinion one of the best duets ever produced.

information source: History of the Eagles - if you are lucky enough to know the joys of Netflix, I highly recommend this documentary about the rise and fall of the Eagles