Eagles documentary on BBC

Subject: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 06:05 AM

Watched a surprisingly fascinating documentary on the Eagles on the Beeb over the weekend. Four hours may be overdoing it for a band that a lot of people didn't find that interesting in the first place but there was quite a lot of interesting stuff about the role that personalities play in bands.

Don Felder, particularly, seems to have been treated rather shabbily though I suppose there are always two sides. Don Henley and Glenn Frey seemed to be pretty unpleasant people - Frey more so than Henley.

Joe Walsh was very candid about his drink and drug problems and though he's apparently cleaned up since he's still clearly damaged. Bernie Leadon was, for me, the defining musician in the band in their early days and the person who made their music distinctive. Anyone else catch it?

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: Will Fly
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 08:24 AM

Missed it - busy gigging - but I'll try and catch it on the iPlayer later.

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: paul vaughan
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 01:49 PM

Loved it! Now I feel like jumping in the car, cruising down the highway with the roof down, wind blowing through my hair and Hotel California blasting from the stereo. Unfortunately, I'm bald as bowling ball, I drive a Honda Civic, the sun roof doesn't work, the CD player doesn't work but, I do work and have to be up at stupid o'clock for another shift in paradise. Still, the sun is shining and a man can dream can't he?????

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 02:22 PM

Managed to catch most of it and enjoyed it. The early years in concert program which followed was pretty good also.

Chris

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 02:26 PM

Whatever the miseries like to say about Hotel California, it is a brilliant piece of writing, with one of the best guitar solos ever recorded.

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: GUEST,MikeL2
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 02:43 PM

hi

Yes I not only caught it on both nights (part 1 & 2) and the BBC Concert made "way back when" ??; but I recorded them for my future viewing when (as now ) there is bugger all else of interest to me on the goggle box.

I found it interesting and how the separate parts became a whole. I liked them from the start and followed them ( musically NOT Geographically) with lots of enjoyment.

I saw them a few years ago in Manchester on their "Till Hell Freezes Over" tour.

Great band, great crowd and a fantastic night.

cheers

mikeL2

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: Commander Crabbe
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 04:28 PM

Oops, sorry the guest post above was me, cookieless.

Chris

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 07:05 PM

The old BBC show dates from early '73 when they were over recording 'Desperado'. Funny to think that 'Take It Easy', the ultimate American open road anthem, was actually recorded in Barnes, London SW13.

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 09:55 PM

Don't know what stuff about the Eagles is doing on this forum - but.

I think they were a great band with some (overused adjectives) material.

Desperado is my chill out track still.

If I have any sort of crap (nearly typed shitty) day then a couple of plays with the cans on soothes it all away.

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 03:49 AM

'Don't know what stuff about the Eagles is doing on this forum' -

Apart, perhaps, from the fact that at the outset they were a band that included folk, bluegrass and R&B in their music. They were a lot less interesting, for me, later on when they became much more of a staple FM radio band.

No-one seems to mind people discussing Richard Thompson here even though his last few major-label albums were every bit as much mainstream AOR as anything the Eagles did - just less successful.

Pewter tankard anyone?

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 03:54 AM

To be fair, what was really interesting for me about the documentary was what it said about group dynamics within the band. This is not something that's unique to obscenely rich and decadent 70s American FM Radio bands.

There used to be a story, incidentally, about Richard Thompson once being asked to join the Eagles in their early days. They'd all worked with Linda Ronstadt and either he or Linda (Thompson) knew her. Don't know if it's true or not.

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: GUEST,MikeL2
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 06:43 AM

Hi Chris B

<" The old BBC show dates from early '73 when they were over recording 'Desperado'. Funny to think that 'Take It Easy', the ultimate American open road anthem, was actually recorded in Barnes, London SW13.">

Many thanks for the interesting info. I too think that the Desperado track is the best one they ever made.

The formation of the Band was steeped in traditional music and the early works gave many glimpses of this.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: GUEST,Mark Bluemel
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 07:16 AM

The Richard Thompson story appears true - from the horse's mouth:-

http://www.richardthompson-music.com/catch_of_the_day.asp?id=1081
&
http://www.richardthompson-music.com/catch_of_the_day.asp?id=334

I particularly like his "it wouldn't have been an appropriate stylistic choice" remark...

It's also rumoured that The Band made an approach, but I can't find confirmation.

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 09 Aug 13 - 04:39 AM

It's on again tonight at 9pm on BBC4 if anyone's interested.

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: Ron Davies
Date: 09 Aug 13 - 10:03 AM

Sound fascinating, especially the interaction of personalities.

Doesn't hurt that lots of their music is great fun to hear--and sing.

And one song even has a bit of protest in it ("Hotel California")--and has a phrase that has entered the language:   "you can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave."

Hope BBC leases it to US public TV at some point.

Subject: RE: Eagles documentary on BBC
From: Ron Davies
Date: 09 Aug 13 - 02:50 PM

MikeL2--

It's also delicious that, as you say, their quintessential open-road anthem was actually recorded in London.