Last Albums: Eagles - Long Road Out Of Eden (2007)

Long Road Out Of Eden made me realize just how much I missed the Eagles. Throughout the 70s my favorite Eagle, Glen Frey, his good friend Don Henley, and all of their various bandmates created a classic sound that with the exception of The Long Run - their last full length studio album during their original run of popularity - never wore out its welcome.

Readers of this article will have to understand that I came to this double CD set back in 2007 not knowing what to expect and I'm happy to report that I wasn't disappointed. The Eagles' vocal harmonies are perfect as usual and so is their classic 70s sound that was loved by so many of us.

Long Road Out Of Eden's back story was chronicled in many news publications around the world. The group sold millions of copies of the CD through their exclusive deal with Walmart - the only brick and mortar retailer allowed to sell it when it was officially released. The album sold well despite heavy criticism that the band sold their souls to the devil and it's a sentiment I agree with completely. Henley, especially, comes off as a hypocrite because he sings about our "soul-sucking" culture on "Business As Usual" knowing full well he was selling his music through a retailer who had a reputation for sucking the souls out of their poor employees. Henley has always been the group's social conscience and that is what made the former Walmart deal so disconcerting.

However, once you get by the moral contradictions and actually delve into Henley's songs you'll notice that he makes many valid points. Those of you who know where the Garden of Eden was supposed to be located will appreciate the title track as a thinly veiled disguise for his views on ending the war in Iraq. He is ticked off and he wants the whole world to know it.

There are many highlights. The a cappella "No More Walks In The Wood" opens the album and conjures up visions of "Seven Bridges Road." The made for radio "How Long" sounds like classic early Eagles. There are smooth ballads such as "I Love To Watch A Woman Dance" and the melodically entrancing "What Do I Do With My Heart" that harken back to the grand tradition of "Best Of My Love." "Waiting In the Weeds" shows Henley's softer side. Frey's pleasant instrumental with the forward-looking title of "I Dreamed There Was No War" is especially sad following on the heels of the angry title track.

The album's closing track, "It's Your World Now," - written by Frey and frequent Eagles' collaborator, Jack Tempchin - inadvertently became an important song for the band after Frey passed away in January 2016. It's about the passing of time and the baton to the next generation. After their founder died the band posted the lyrics to the song on their website. (They've since been taken down).

Henley discussed the track's poignant lyrics with Rolling Stone. "The crux of the whole thing for me is those two lines: 'Be part of something good, leave something good behind.' For me that sums up everything - to my children, to my fans, to everybody. If there was one message to this album that I want to impart, that would be it." 

As usual both Henley and Frey are the dominant personalities, and it's still surprising to see Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh - stars in their own right - willing to accept such a low profile even though their contributions help make the album a success.

Even if you believe that a band's new songs are "not as good as their old stuff" you'll come away thinking that the Eagles should not have taken twenty-nine years off between full-length studio albums.
 ___________________________________

Last Albums discusses music that was recorded as new material and intended to be released to the public as a complete album but not necessarily the last one. Live albums, greatest hits or "best of" collections and compilations do not count, nor do posthumous releases of leftover tracks cobbled together to make a final album.

Comments

Post a Comment

WHAT'S HOT THIS WEEK!

Slower Than Slow: 16 RPM Records

Image
Have you ever heard of a long forgotten vinyl format, the 16 2/3 RPM record? They were half the speed of the 33 1/3 RPM albums that were the traditional standard for recorded music. Most record players in the 1950s and 1960s came with a speed setting to play these long forgotten discs that were considered novelties even during the years they were available. Because most, but not all, 16s had big holes and were 7" in diameter many of them were mistaken for 45 RPMs and at that size the speed allowed for up to 20 minutes of playing time per side. However, there was no true standard size and they were also manufactured to be 9, 10, or 12 inches in diameter and these larger records played even longer. Just like the other speeds and formats 16s could be played one record at a time or stacked on a changer for continuous play. Radio stations often used the discs for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries. More frequent
Read more

The Late Dickey Betts Discusses How Jimmy Carter's Friendship With The Allman Brothers Band Helped The Candidate Win The 1976 Presidential Election

Image
Below is a music related tribute I originally wrote for President Jimmy Carter over a year ago when he first entered hospice care in February 2023. I expected it would only be a short time until he passed. When he didn't, I decided to save it until October 1, 2024 to celebrate his 100th birthday should he make it to that milestone.  However, with today's unhappy news about the passing of Dickey Betts (1943 - 2024) I decided it is time to finally post the article because the great second guitarist of The Allman Brothers Band is quoted in it. Betts' most famous songs with the outstanding sextet are "Revival," "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," "Blue Sky," and of course,  "J essica," and  "Ramblin' Man." Because most blogs and websites will likely post more traditional news stories and tributes, I hope this essay serves as something a little different and as an homag
Read more

It's Real Life: An Alternate History Of The Beatles - A Short Story, Radio Play And Full Length Novel By Paul Levinson (2022 and 2024)

Image
In a July 2023 blog post I discussed an alternate history of the most famous rock band of all time. It's Real Life: An Alternate History Of The Beatles was written in 2022 as a short story and radio play by Professor Paul Levinson of Fordham University. Since then, the author has expanded it into a full length novel that includes his original story as chapter one. Below my original post you'll find a link to a fascinating  podcast where Levinson discussed his book with NBC's Chuck Todd followed by an  intriguing  email question and answer session that Levinson graciously gave to Bloggerhythms. _______________________________________ In 2005, novelist, playwright and rock musician, Larry Kirwan - best known as the leader of New York City's renowned Celtic-rock band, Black 47  - used his vivid imagination to write  Liverpool Fantasy , a novel about what could have happened to each of the four Beatles if they hadn't hit the big
Read more

Buried Treasure: Richard Betts - Highway Call (1974)

Image
After Duane Allman died, it could be said that Forrest Richard (Dickey) Betts saved The Allman Brothers Band. He was responsible for four of the seven songs on Brothers and Sisters , their first album without brother Duane who passed away in a motorcycle accident before their previous album, Eat A Peach , was completed. Betts was the man who brought the country music influences to his famous outfit. He wrote and sang lead on "Ramblin' Man," the only Allman's single to ever crack the top 10. The smash hit soared to #2 and was only kept out of the top spot by Cher's "Half Breed." What is probably the band's second most famous song is also on Brothers and Sisters . It's the rollicking, seven-and-a-half-minute instrumental, "Jessica," also written by Betts who was listed at #58 on Rolling Stone 's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. With Betts performing at the top of his game he decided it wa
Read more

Why Do 45 RPM Records Have Big Holes?

Image
Today we're going to find out why 45 RPM records have much larger holes than 78s and 33s. Believe it or not I often wondered about this burning question when I was collecting hundreds of these little seven inch gems back the 1960s. According to several websites, including Answerbag , the reason for the large hole used by 45s was simple. It was difficult for the old 78s, with their smaller holes, to find their way onto jukebox spindles. The large hole effectively eliminated that problem. Strangely, seven inch 45s were often pressed with the smaller holes used for LPs in many countries outside the United States, especially in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Overseas the inserts (commonly know as spiders) were manufactured into the large holes at the factories but they could be punched out if desired. The Beatles' British single of "Love Me Do," pictured here, is a typical example. Why were the spiders built into English 45s? I was unable to fi
Read more