this is bound to cause some controversy

[musclehead]

I a min a discussion with a guy at work about the band the Eagles. he says they were a mega band before the breakout hit album 'hotel california' I'm not so sure. I'm willing to admit ignorance because back in those days before hotel cali I was too young and poor to attend concerts.

so how big were the venues were the eagles filling back in the 'witchy woman' 'tequila sunrise' days?

[bentwrench]

I don't know if I would call them a mega band.I was in high school when HC came out and they were pretty popular before that.
Was I  a fan? I let my buddy and a girl friend write my yearbook writeup,the first sentence....
                    Take it to the limit,Desparado

[shortleg]

  They stared out being Linda Ronstats back up band.
They grew from there.
        Shortleg[Dave]

[bassman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagles_(band)

There is also a good 3 hour special about the Eagles that pops up on cable TV every so often and worth watching.....good interviews and interesting
history of the group. 

[Hooter]

ORIGINAL MEMBERS: Henley - Walsh - Frey - Felder and Schmit. They were individually involved in the studio as musicians. They were Linda Ronstats backup band as stated. Once they all got in the same room and found out what they could do not only as musicians but vocally, they took off. Harmonies in that band were great. Hotel California was only one of their collective hits, they had many. But, they strived and succeded as individual musicians as well especially Henley, Walsh and Frey.

[Romeo]

Joe Walsh was not an original member. Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner were.

[musclehead]

one of the original members steered the music to more of a 'country' after he left they turned to more 'rock' style. (at least that's what I heard)

[bassman]

Joe Walsh came from the James Gang.....Randy Meisner was originally in POCO and left to form the Eagles.....Timothy B. was also with POCO (not sure if Randy and Timothy were in POCO at the same time) and later replaced Randy as bassist with the Eagles....

[~ Timbrwolf]

....Back in the early 70,s when they were first starting out, the Eagles were definitely
my favorite band. I went to see them twice in Philly when I was in high school.
Back then Desperado was THE album. As time went on the band experienced changes,
like most bands do. Members left and new ones took their place. When Joe Walsh joined the
band I had mixed feelings, as he definitely changed their "style". No longer did they have that
easy going "country" feel, as they slowly morphed into a rock band.


Jump ahead 30 years and I heard one day that they would be touring in Michigan. Chili had
never seen them before, I hadnt seen them in years so we bought tix "on line" I had heard that
it was now expensive to see them (like most older bands), but I still was amazed at what we paid.
For second level, row 13, we paid 150 per seat, and that was after paying 20 dollars just to be able
to park our car in the stadium lot. Another thing I had not seen before is right before the show
started the usher stood at the front of the the row and lectured us that NO PICTURES were
allowed ! he went on to tell us that, that meant cell phone pics too.


I knew they would probably not allow cameras, but that is the first time I was ever lectured
on the subject before the show started. I was going to try and sneak my 35 mm auto focus in
but decided that it was too big, so Chili snuck her tiny digital pocket camera in. The show started
and I kept a close eye on the usher, we had paid over 300 dollars for the "privilege" of seeing the
Eagles and I was cursed if I wasnt going to get some pics. So every time the usher would disappear
down the isle, I would bug Chili to "snap some pics". She quickly grew tired of this, so I found myself
manning her camera and getting some (in my opinion) pretty "good" shots, considering I was
using a tiny digital pocket camera.


When they first came out they had 5 stools set up in the front of the stage and proceeded
for the first hour to play songs off their "new" album, which were completely different then
their usual style. Then they had the stools taken and away and began to a lot of their "newer"
stuff, with an occassional "oldie" thrown in.  Personally Ive always had mixed feelings about
Joe Walsh joining the band. While he is an incredible guitar player he also changed their "style"
and they became more of a rock band. He put a cap on that had a remote camera on the front
of it and ran around the stage while the picture was shown on a huge screen behind the band.
While the audience mostly loved this I wasnt overly impressed. They waited to do "Desperado"
last, with a closeup of Henley on the a giant screen above the band. He definitely looked "tired"
and actually stuttered on one of the lines....something I find unforgivable....especially for
300 dollar Tix !


Like I said before...all in all it was an Okay show, but for that kind of money you would
expect to walk out the stadium going.....WOW what a friggin Show !!!! Tix were 300
dollars for the second level on the side of the stage, and God only knows what the "Golden Circle"
went for on center floor right in front of the stage. We also dished out 60 dollars for 2 concert
t shirts on the way out the door.

[bassman]

The Eagles special is on Showtime (185 minutes long) and appears to be coming on again soon (next month or two?).  Just have to check the Showtime scheduling to see when it will
be on again if this interests you....could DVR / record it to spread it out a little and save it for future viewing....

http://www.sho.com/sho/reality-docs/titles/3378379/history-of-the-eagles#/index

[iliveforcurves]

I read somewhere that the Eagles are one of the top 5 all-time most record selling bands.  The other 4 are British.  IIRC they are The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac, I'm not sure what order they are ranked.

[Wizzard]

I was in high school when they started out. I loved their music but never saw them in concert till 2 years ago and I enjoyed the concert even with the high price. It was memorable.

[.]

Just an aside that I think is rather interesting, Don Henley is from Linden, TX (Gilmer, actually but he went to high school in Linden) which is the hometown of one of my Mom's first cousins. Margaret went to high school with Don Henley. What makes it really interesting is that her daughters, who were born and raised in Longview, TX, went to high school with another East Texan who rose to some prominence; Matthew McConaughey.

[Davemn]

ORIGINAL MEMBERS: Henley - Walsh - Frey - Felder and Schmit. They were individually involved in the studio as musicians. They were Linda Ronstats backup band as stated. Once they all got in the same room and found out what they could do not only as musicians but vocally, they took off. Harmonies in that band were great. Hotel California was only one of their collective hits, they had many. But, they strived and succeded as individual musicians as well especially Henley, Walsh and Frey.

Noooooooo

[csj]

Not too many bands from any era, whether rock or country, sing 4 part harmony.

Their song 'Seven Bridges Road' is a fine example.

[Romeo]

Agree on the " seven bridges road " comment. But I always liked the Desperado LP

[Fritz The Cat]

Mega band or not, "Lyin' Eyes" was a Mega Hit. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

I read somewhere that the Eagles are one of the top 5 all-time most record selling bands.  The other 4 are British.  IIRC they are The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac, I'm not sure what order they are ranked.

Learn something new everyday. I always thought Fleetwood Mac was an American band.

[Crackerborn]

I seem to remember reading that Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon is still the number one selling album (yeah, I know, disc ) of all time and still sells more than many new acts that hit the charts.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I seem to remember reading that Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon is still the number one selling album (yeah, I know, disc ) of all time and still sells more than many new acts that hit the charts.

It is a classic no doubt, but I think I like"The Wall" even better! Have some great memories driving through No.Cal. with my Navy buds when it came out

[Crackerborn]

The Wall, Animals, Obscured by Clouds, Division Bell, Wish You Were Here, or A Momentary Lapse of Reason could all be included as at least as good as DS of M. But they didn't sell the numbers of Dark Side of the Moon.

[Xtracho]

Joe Walsh saved the Eagles from forever being known at a "Country Rock" band. He was not an original member of the group.

[BF]

Joe Walsh saved the Eagles from forever being known at a "Country Rock" band. He was not an original member of the group.

Joe Walsh is a guitar god.   

[Big Al of Tennessee]

I was 14 and they were the Eagles.

Eagles / Take It Easy / 1974 California Jam

[Big Al of Tennessee]

Goodyear Blimp

Eagles / Already Gone / 1974 California Jam

[john]

                  they were very good ...
                               but the all the radio play ...
           I got sick of hear'in em         

[Hooter]

Bernie and Randy were the very first, I stand corrected. I should have said the most successful members as we know it I guess. The Eagles are a collection from other bands. I liked most of them in that era of music. James Gang, Chicago, Three Dog Nite, even Frigid Pink,  Kansas just to name a few. But one of my favorite all time bands was Uriah Heep.