Out of control (Eagles) (LP 818)

Eagles  Desperado (Vinyl, Asylum Records, 1973) *** 

Genre: Country rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Outlaw Man

Gear costume: Doolin Dalton 

Active compensatory factors: Outside of a greatest hits collection this is the only Eagles album I have on vinyl.

I bought this one seduced by the cover and the vague Old West concept that settles over the record - with Doolin Dalton book ending the album a la Sgt Peppers, and Desperado also getting a reprise. There are also tracks like Outlaw Man, Bitter Creek and Tequila Sunrise that add to the western mythology.

Curious that I was not seduced into buying more Eagles product. On the surface all that laid back California bliss is right up my alley. I'd blame my reaction to Hotel California for that slowdown with Eagles.

An overhyped album and Joe Walsh as an Eagle? James Gang? Sure. Solo guitar slinger? Yes please! But not an Eagle. And I still don't own a copy of either Hotel California or Rumours. Just sayin'.

Where do they all belong? A nice addition to the country rock section but not essential.

We make it harder than it has to be (The Eagles) #107

Oh how we larffed.

The Eagles I Can't Tell You Why/ The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks (Asylum, E 46 608, 1979)

The group Eagles (to give them their real name) had a lot of hits but I only have this one single by them and I think I must have picked it up cheap while working at Marbecks, in a moment of weakness, at gunpoint. 

They had better songs and bigger hits but I'm not what you'd term a big fan. 

I like some of their early songs and I do own Desperado (I'm a sucker for faux western imagery) and I bought an early, pre mega success, version of their Greatest Hits album but I must be one of the few who never felt tempted to buy Hotel California! And I still don't!

When Bernie Leadon left he took any country rock authenticity the band ever had with him. Alas. 

Same thing, to a lesser extent, when Randy Meisner departed. Randy is cool because he played in Rick Nelson's band!

I Can't Tell You Why is definitely at the sappy end of the continuum. I can't tell you why I own it. I really can't.

It's sung by Timothy B. Schmit. Ye gods - that name! That hair! That ever so cosy pose! That earnest puppy dog expression! That languid 'cool' bass style that makes me wanna strangle him!

Hidden gem: Eagles try to rock out on the B side and it just doesn't wash. They go for a garagey feel (the organ and spider guitar sound) but Don Henley does not have the kind of voice to pull that off. No rarity value - both songs appeared on The Long Run.