Eagles Live

Performer: Eagles
Artist: J. D. Souther
Producer: Bill Szymcyzk
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: The Eagles: Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Don Felder (vocals, guitar); Timothy B. Schmidt (vocals, bass); Don Henley (vocals, drums). Additional personnel: The Monstertones (vocals); Jage Jackson (guitar, percussion); Phil Kenzie (saxophone); Joe Vitale (piano, organ, drums, percussion); Vince Melamed (electric piano); J.D. Souther. Engineers include: Allan Blazek, Billy Youdelman, Buddy Thornton. Although Eagles Live includes four tracks recorded in the fall of 1976 (thus allowing for the inclusion of departed singer Randy Meisner on "Take It to the Limit"), the bulk of the album comes from the end of the Eagles' 1980 tour, and it reflects their late concert repertoire, largely drawn from Hotel California and The Long Run. The occasional early song such as "Desperado" and "Take It Easy" turn up, as do two extended selections from Joe Walsh's solo career, "Life's Been Good" and "All Night Long." Walsh introduces some live variations to his material; the rest of the Eagles seem determined to re-create the studio versions of their songs in concert. The previously unrecorded rendition of Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road" is welcome, and the album would have benefited from more such surprises. ~ William Ruhlmann Although Eagles Live includes four tracks recorded in the fall of 1976 (thus allowing for the inclusion of departed singer Randy Meisner on "Take It to the Limit"), the bulk of the album comes from the end of the Eagles' 1980 tour, just before they broke up, and it reflects their late concert repertoire, largely drawn from Hotel California and The Long Run. The occasional early song such as "Desperado" and "Take It Easy" turn up, but many of the major hits from the middle of the band's career -- "The Best of My Love," "One of These Nights," "Lyin' Eyes" -- are missing, replaced by such curiosities as two extended selections from Joe Walsh's solo career, "Life's Been Good" and "All Night Long." At least Walsh introduces some live variations to his material; the rest of the Eagles seem determined to re-create the studio versions of their songs in concert, which may work for them live but almost makes a live recording superfluous. The previously unrecorded rendition of Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road" is welcome, and the album would have benefited from more surprises as well as a livelier approach to a live recording. ~ William Ruhlmann The Eagles were riding high on the success of their 1979 album THE LONG RUN when they released this two-LP live set (faithfully reproduced on two short CDs). They were also about to break up, making EAGLES LIVE their unintended swan song. Unintentional or not, EAGLES LIVE makes a nice wrap to the Eagles' not-so-long but incredibly strong run, featuring nearly studio-perfect renderings of the ballads ("Desperado") and country rockers ("New Kid in Town") on which they made their name, and of the tougher rockers they drifted toward later in their career (such as "The Long Run," which Glenn Frey introduces as "our tribute to Memphis, Tennessee"). EAGLES LIVE also includes a harmony-filled cover of Steve Young's lovely "Seven Bridges Road," which turned out to be the Eagles' last pre-reunion hit, and a couple of Joe Walsh solo turns (including "All Night Long," from the 1980 movie URBAN COWBOY). Most of the album was recorded in July 1980; a few tunes from October 1976 are thrown in for good measure. All of it was recorded in California, as an Eagles album should be.

Q (7/93, p.104) - 3 Stars - Good - "...this is The Eagles just before the split...If they were as disillusioned as they claim they were by then, it doesn't show. Quite the opposite in fact; this performance is as crisp and enjoyably spirited as this sort of thing can be..."

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