Press and Discussion about Felder's New Album "Road to Forever"

[Freypower]

Of course, you like and probably prefer the new band, that's fine. But to be honest, it isn't the same as having Felder in the band. I don't get all of the session musicians, horn section, etc. At least they ditched the suits (which screamed corporate rock). I guess it's obvious that I prefer the old lineup of Joe and Felder. But to say Felder is wrong for doing Eagles music is not right IMO. He has every right to do it. I'm sure it was part of the settlement as well. Obviously there is a lot of bias for Glenn/Don but I believe it's unfair to Felder.

I have to admit, I really don't get the dislike for Felder. IMO he was/is in the right. To be honest, I don't lean to far on either side (Frey/Henley vs Felder) but I try to be fair.

As far as Steuart, he seems like a nice guy and good guitarist but he's no Don Felder, nor is he an Eagle AFAIC. He to me is a hired hand, hired to just duplicate Felder's parts (which still miss Felder's signature tone and feel) exect as on record. He doesn't feel like an Eagle or a part of the band to me the way TBS or Walsh does regardless of them being salary guys. Also the fact he is far off to the side of the stage compared to the others doesn't help my views much. His playing seems very clinical to me, it lacks the feeling and emotion that Felder had, which is a very individualistic thing, I'll admit. But that doesn't change the fact that it isn't there.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it really bothers me the lack of appreciation and in some cases respect for someone who IMO had a great impact on the Eagles success and sound.

JMHO, and like I said I stand in the middle. If I thought Frey/Henley got the short end of the stick on the Felder deal - I would say so. But I think the vice versa is true in this case.

Regardless of amount of songs - Don playing Eagles songs in his solo shows is no different than Joe, Tim, etc playing an Eagles tune and doing their spin on it (Joe doing LITFL for instance, or Glenn doing Desperado -both of which I like FWIW).

I don't know what sort of appreciation for Felder you want. I respect him as a musician but I read that book and I lost a great deal of respect for him as a result. You say he was 'right'. Do you not consider that Frey & Henley had reasons for firing him? They have not really gone public with their reasons, but that does not make them any less 'right' than Felder.

You can disagree with Smith being a 'session musician' who isn't part of the band all you want. No, he's not part of the band. I have to say, it just doesn't bother me. I know you're a guitarist & I'm not, so I can't comment on whether Smith is 'clinical' or not.

I'm afraid I feel that Felder's defenders such as yourself exaggerate his contribution to the band. The alleged chemistry with Joe that you always wax so lyrical about; I saw it in 1995 & I'm glad I did, but I din't find it nearly as overwhelming or exciting as you seem to think it was. There is a great deal more to Eagles songs than how good some guitar solos were. Now I know that is a very strong thing to say, and maybe I shouldn't say it, but I sometime find this rosy glow of nostalgia for Felder goes a bit far. I am not saying you are wrong to miss him but the reality is, he's gone. And I also don't believe that by saying that I am showing any 'dislike' for him, though I have criticised his book & his apparent belief that he is an entirely blameless victim. That's the point; he is not entirely blameless for what happened. He was treated harshly, yes. As I said above, there must have been reasons for it.

No, he isn't wrong to play Eagles songs in his show, but to play songs he didn't even appear on, especially when he does actually now have an album to promote, I cannot understand.

[WalshFan88]

I don't know what sort of appreciation for Felder you want. I respect him as a musician but I read that book and I lost a great deal of respect for him as a result. You say he was 'right'. Do you not consider that Frey & Henley had reasons for firing him? They have not really gone public with their reasons, but that does not make them any less 'right' than Felder.

You can disagree with Smith being a 'session musician' who isn't part of the band all you want. He isn't part of the band, that is true. I have to say, it just doesn't bother me. I know you're a guitarist & I'm not, so I can't comment on whether Smith is 'clinical' or not.

I'm afraid I feel that Felder's defenders such as yourself exaggerate his contribution to the band. The alleged chemistry with Joe that you always wax so lyrical about; I saw it in 1995 & I'm glad I did, but I din't find it nearly as overwhelming or exciting as you seem to think it was. There is a great deal more to Eagles songs than how good some guitar solos were. Now I know that is a very strong thing to say, and maybe I shouldn't say it, but I sometime find this rosy glow of nostalgia for Felder goes a bit far. I am not saying you are wrong to miss him but the reality is, he's gone. And I also don't believe that by saying that I am showing any 'dislike' for him, though I have criticised his book & his apparent belief that he is an entirely blameless victim. That's the point; he is not entirely blameless for what happened, and it is wrong to portray him as such.

No, he isn't wrong to play Eagles songs in his show, but to play songs he didn't even appear on, especially when he does actually now have an album to promote, I cannot understand.

You win FP... I have nothing else to say because I know where it will go - nowhere.

One last thing I will say - there are a LOT more to Joe and Felder's contributions to the band than "some guitar solos". And there is a lot more to Eagles songs than just Don and Glenn, too. The sum is greater than it's parts.

[Freypower]

Of course, that is true. I probably sounded too harsh. I do that sometimes. I just feel that the band in its current incarnation is also worth defending.

[WalshFan88]

Of course, that is true. I probably sounded too harsh. I do that sometimes. I just feel that the band in its current incarnation is also worth defending.

Even though I feel Stu is not the same as Felder and I don't understand all of the background musicians - I did enjoy the show I saw in 2008. As I said, I think of the group as a whole. Of course I have my favorite (Joe and Felder as a 2nd), I try to see it as a sum, not it's individual parts. And I think Glenn's fans were probably upset by H&H, but IMO one was as guilty as the other, but I don't agree with how his termination went down. I've always felt that Felder was underrated.

It seems like out there for the most part there is two polarizing sides to the way people feel about the Felder termination and after reading the book. Either that GF and DH are @ssholes and greedy moneysucking egos, or that DF is a whiner and that GF and DH are better off without him. I do not belong to either side. I believe Don did get a crappy deal, but I don't hate Henley or Frey because of it. I see a lot of that in YT comments, guitar forums, etc.

To me it was always a group, and no matter about favorites, it was the group that made it what it was, not just the lead singers, not just the guitarists.

I have a preference for the HC lineup, of course that's well known. But I have seen the Eagles in it's current form and enjoyed the show. But yes I do miss Felder but I'm not hating Frey/Henley because of it. But I'll say that I do think it was a bad deal. I'd love to hear their side of it just as much as the next person. But cutting the man off with nothing wasn't right.

[Topkat]

Quote FP

Before you make statements like this, perhaps you should look at some of Felder's setlists. This was his setlist at Niagara Falls at the beginning of August.

With all due respect, that was MONTHS BEFORE the new album was released. I will check to see what his current set list is....... I'm sure he is doing a lot more of the new album these days....The album was just released, so before the release, he was doing Eagles songs, but I don't really see anything wrong with that. Like I said, he was an Eagle for over 25 years & I'm sure he wouldn't be doing the songs without permission to do so!

[Tiffanny Twisted]

OK...Just trying to sum it all up?????
I do agree with Frypower.
I feel like Autin ..you prefer DF..dont care for SS and long for the days of the original line up.
That being said.....

I think people have to realize that "life goes on"and is for ever changing.
IJMO-I dont care for DF as a lead singer.(He"s no GF or FH).His talents lie in his guitar playing.
I have said before that it bothers me that he is playing "Eagles songs" that he didnt write or that were hits before he joined the band.(again jmo)
When he sings lead...on "Eagles" songs...it reminds me of just a bar band doing covers . again jmo cant help it but thats how I feel.
Austin....ya gotta stop waining for the band as it was. LIfe goes on and things change. sometimes for the better and sometimes not.If you look at the other bands through out history, they have all gone through changes. It was a magic thing when they were together but as individuals and seperate human beings they have all changed grown and evolved over time.Appreciate what they had when that line up was together and thank god that they who remain are all healthy and still want to play live the music that is the soundtrack of my life.

I again JMO feel that DF has a new cd and he should be up there playing his new cd..not songs that were hits in the band when he wasnt in the line up. Sorry folks but thats how I feel in my heart.

[WalshFan88]

I feel like Autin ..you prefer DF..dont care for SS and long for the days of the original line up.
That being said.....

I think people have to realize that "life goes on"and is for ever changing.

Austin....ya gotta stop waining for the band as it was. LIfe goes on and things change. sometimes for the better and sometimes not.If you look at the other bands through out history, they have all gone through changes. It was a magic thing when they were together but as individuals and seperate human beings they have all changed grown and evolved over time.Appreciate what they had when that line up was together and thank god that they who remain are all healthy and still want to play live the music that is the soundtrack of my life.

I don't have to stop liking or praising the lineup I like no more than anyone should have to stop liking or praising the new band. If I prefer the old lineup, so be it. I (along with many) think there was something special to that lineup. I fully realize that DF will never be back in the Eagles - that said I will praise and remember that era when I feel like it.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Well, I'll add my 2 (or 4) cents here and I’m sure that it will come as no surprise that I am in agreement with FP and TT about this. Like FP, I always have and still do have an immense appreciation for Felder’s talent as a guitarist; however, after his book and subsequent comments in interviews, I did lose a lot of respect for him as an individual. I just see too many character flaws in him that I don’t like. I have also tried to be fair and objective, and formed my opinion based on Felder’s own words and actions, not things that others said or wrote about him.

When fans say that Felder got a crappy deal and was treated unfairly, I don’t know what specific information they used to form their opinions. Most of us have only heard Felder’s account of events, which, surely, everyone recognizes is his biased version. I understand that he feels wronged – most people who are fired feel that way, but my biggest problem is the extreme anger that he feels even now. For example, in the song You Don’t Have Me when he talks about someone with “wicked heart and empty soul” who is incapable of feeling love because their heart is empty, that seems extraordinarily harsh and bitter to me. This vitriol seems to fuels his view that he is a perpetual victim and prevent him from sharing joint responsibility for the way things went down. In any event, it is certainly not the type of attitude that endears him to most fans, so it’s no wonder he has fallen out of favor with many in the Eagles’ fandom.

With regard to Steuart, I happen to think he does a wonderful job of recreating Felder’s guitar parts in live shows, which is exactly the role he was hired to do. In fairness, his performances may be somewhat sterile on purpose because he is not an official Eagle and his job is not to recreate Felder’s stage presence. As I’ve said before, I was not lucky enough to see Felder live, and I will always regret that because in the video I’ve seen, he really did have an energetic and impassioned stage presence. It is fun watching him and Joe together. To me, it’s a tip of the hat to their chemistry that they have not tried to duplicate it between Joe and Steuart.

As far as Felder’s role in the band being undermined and minimized – I don’t get that at all. As I and others have said repeatedly, I recognize that he did make a big contribution and I truly believe this band’s greatness is the combined unique talent of all of the members. However, I’d bet there are many Bernie, Randy, and Timothy fans that would take issue with the notion that Felder is the most underrated member of the band. The analogy I’ve often made is that the band is like a cooking recipe that has many ingredients, and the end product doesn’t turn out the same if you leave any of these ingredients out. BUT, some ingredients are more important and others can be substituted without much degradation. So while each band member has made significant contributions, Henley and Frey are key ingredients in this band’s success. And if anyone doesn’t believe that, then there is probably little that anyone else can say to convince them. But, the fact of the matter is the band has functioned much better as a unit since Felder’s departure, whereas, it simply would not exist without Glenn and Don H.

And last of all, as I’ve said many times, my biggest surprise of all is that we are still talking about all of this almost 13 years later. I personally don’t like Felder still performing Take It Easy, Witchy Woman, Peaceful Easy Feeling, and Tequila Sunrise either because it does give the appearance of a cover band. However, he is certainly entitled to do so, but I just wish he would stick to performing the Eagles songs that he was part of recording. Just goes to show how strongly fans feel about these things and there will likely always be disagreement about this unfortunate piece of Eagles history.

[WalshFan88]

When fans say that Felder got a crappy deal and was treated unfairly, I don’t know what specific information they used to form their opinions. Most of us have only heard Felder’s account of events, which, surely, everyone recognizes is his biased version.

There are two sides to every story, and usually the truth lies somewhere in the middle. No matter if Glenn/Don wrote a book too, it would be equally biased, but for their story. It certainly would help get to that "middle ground truth" if we could hear it though. But if they were to write a book, it would be just as biased as his was, just in the opposite direction.

Just like the people who rant on MSNBC vs Fox News, or Fox News vs MSNBC. They hate Fox for instance because they are biased, yet watch MSNBC who are equally biased, just in the opposite way in the way they like. Bias is bias. I prefer an unbiased version. But I know if they were to write a book, most would probably take it as the truth, rather than trying to find some middle ground where the truth lies.

-----------

As far as Glenn/Don being the most important members of the Eagles, sure I won't lie that their songwriting plays a big part of this band and are a key aspect. Same with Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards, etc. But as frontmen, I see them as equals to the other band members. If they hadn't wrote anything for the band, I'd say they were no more important than any other member. But since they are a songwriting team, yes, I would be inclined to agree - although I still think, like you do, that the group is what made them what they are.

I've never understood why people (and there are LOTS of them) widely believe that the singer is the most irreplaceable member of a band, or that they are so much more important than the rest of the band. To me a singer is just as replaceable (or irreplaceable) as any other member. Obviously I'm alone or almost alone in that. I think this thought that they are the most important is what leads to LSD (Lead Singer's Disease! ) and frontmen having such HUGE egos... Especially in big rock bands. You can have this talk about many bands that have lost their lead singer or where the lead singer quit, was fired, etc. Journey and Lynyrd Skynyrd being a great example.

[Freypower]

Quote FP


With all due respect, that was MONTHS BEFORE the new album was released. I will check to see what his current set list is....... I'm sure he is doing a lot more of the new album these days....The album was just released, so before the release, he was doing Eagles songs, but I don't really see anything wrong with that. Like I said, he was an Eagle for over 25 years & I'm sure he wouldn't be doing the songs without permission to do so!

It was two months before the album release. It is the most recent setlist we have, I'm afraid. Therefore I do regard it as 'current' (but see edit below). I have no reason to believe his Troubadour setlist was any different. He is doing a couple of shows in November. You may be proved right then, but as yet this has not happened. In any case, I seriously doubt that all those Eagles songs will suddenly be droppped.

https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/...ead.php?t=3876

https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/...ead.php?t=3781

Nobody said anything about him doing the songs without permission. The issue is why he is doing so many including four he did not even play on originally.

I see you repeated the 'Eagle for over 25 years' statement. He was not an Eagle for the 14 years between the end of 1980 and 1994. This is not being pedantic; it is simple fact.

OK: I have found a setlist from October 20 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas:




http://www.setlist.fm/setlists/don-felder-3d6dd8f.html

1. Hotel California
2. Already Gone
3. One Of These Nights
4. Pride and Joy
5. Fall From The Grace Of Love (New)
6. Victim Of Love
7. Peaceful Easy Feeling
8. Tequila Sunrise
9. Over You (New)
10. Seven Bridges Road
11. Those Shoes
12. Girls In Black (New)
13. Heavy Metal
14. Wash Away The Pain (New)
15. The Long Run
16. Witchy Woman
17. Heartache Tonight
18. Life In The Fast Lane
19. Take It Easy (encore)

That is four new songs & most of the rest of it is old Eagles material.