Discussion of Eagles Documentary "History of the Eagles"

[thelastresort]

I do think at the very least they could have had something for Bernie and Randy (and Joe and Felder as applicable) where they literally just say 'I came from [state], was influenced by [artist], did this that and the other then ended up backing for Linda with Glenn and Don H.' At least then you know even something about their background.

[Freypower]

I didn't realize they were that short. I guess it would be tough to cut those down. You are right about the slack being in part two. Maybe part one could have been a little longer, and part two a little shorter. I just finished watching the Tom Petty documentary Runnin Down a Dream. It was really good, but it clocked in at 4 hours! I had to watch it in two settings! So I don't think the answer is to lengthen it, but maybe just cut some from part two.

For me it's the other way around. Part One is too long & Part Two far too short, especially the treatment of the years since they reformed. There should perhaps have been less on Glenn & Don as solo artists & more on the making of LROOE & certainly more than a minute of footage from a tour where we never even got a DVD.

[thelastresort]

I think Part One was just about right, the inevitable Hotel California rave was overbearing but understandable. It was for me a bit odd though as it kind of went Desperado flopped -> Felder comes out of nowhere -> Bernie leaves -> Joe and Hotel California in about 5 minutes (OK, not literally) - I don't even think OTB or OOTN were referenced by name as albums!

Further, IIRC nothing is said of Best of My Love being their first Number 1, even more surprising when it apparently has such an interesting rise after just one phone call to a radio request night. I know I do go on a bit about On the Border, but I just can't help but feel it's the one album that everyone including the guys seem to be happy to forget. Apart from the LROOE farce it has the least songs on the HOTE tour and at some points in recent times has had no representation at all. Sad

[UndertheWire]

On the Border did get referenced but then it became all about replacing Glyn Johns with Bill Symzcyk and then they had the California Jam footage of "James Dean". I agree that "Best of My Love" deserved a mention. Maybe the problem was it didn't fit the drive of the narrative which was about getting a tougher sound.

Bernie's intro was just over a minute and covered quite a bit -apart from the concise career summary from Bernie, they had the Flying Burrito Brothers film and comments from Linda Ronstadt and a descriptions of his skills. Randy's bit comes in well under 30 seconds - Don explaining that Randy had been in Poco and that he sang high and played the bass and then Randy talks about being approached by Glenn (which may have been before even Don Henley was involved). Don Felder gets a 45 second introduction, with praise for his playing from Glenn and Bill. (That 45s doesn't include the bit where Glenn talks about how they felt they needed a third guitar player.)

I think there's more on Glyn Johns, Bill Symzcyk, David Geffen and Irving Azoff than on Randy.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I'm one that thinks the length of Part 1 is about right. Although, I would also have liked more background on the other band members, the dilemma is that I can't think of anything I would have cut to make room for it. And I agree with FP that Part 2 is where I felt there was a real gap and it definitely should have easily been 90 minutes. I think the big picture of the band in the 70's has been pretty well documented over the years and in the film. However, details about the band's history since the resumption remain sketchy at best. I guess time will remedy that as well.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Also, I just noticed in Today in Eagles History that today is the day in 1971 when the band was shipped off to Aspen to work on becoming 'a band'. I always get a chuckle out of Don's comments in the doc about there being people there a lot higher than them as they show the footage of the naked hippies meandering around.

[sodascouts]

That naked hippie footage was DEFINITELY something they could have cut!

[Scarlet Sun]

That naked hippie footage was DEFINITELY something they could have cut!

no way

[MaryCalifornia]

LOL!

I wouldn't cry if they cut that bit of the fans singing OOTN. Unfortunately, even if they cut that and the naked hippies, we'd only gain about 10 seconds.

[TimothyBFan]

I've made no effort to hide how I felt about how Glenn & Don came across in the doc. It's soured my view of them as people forever but luckily, not their music.

it is very true that Don and Glenn do not go into much detail about what Felder did back in 70's. I think that was a mistake on their part. Both of them said in interviews in the early eighties that the guitar players were never satisfied.I got the impression that it was a gradual build up of things.

I think you might be onto something here VA--maybe that would of helped had they been more open about specific things that nagged at them so.

Part Two far too short, especially the treatment of the years since they reformed. There should perhaps have been less on Glenn & Don as solo artists & more on the making of LROOE & certainly more than a minute of footage from a tour where we never even got a DVD.

Couldn't agree more. I was so disappointed when we came away after the 2nd night of first seeing the doc to having pretty much NOTHING being said about LROOE. How many years was this album in the making? Look at how many NEW fans they gained because of that tour. I've always been curious on why it was left out and who's decision it might have been.