Discussion of Eagles Documentary "History of the Eagles"

[chaim]

I don't want to turn this into a Genesis thread, but someone said that Tony Banks is the biggest a**hole in the band. As a huge Banks fan I must comment. I haven't seen the documentary, but I know that he tends to always be very honest and frank when he speaks. I've never seen him say anything cruel about the other guys. Like someone said in a Genesis forum, this frankness is a fine quality, but doesn't look good on TV! Tony has never liked the Lamb storyline, and the great thing is that he can say it in public when Peter (his friend since they were kids) is not there and when he is sitting there by his side. He's no hypocrite.
Someone also suggested that Tony was probably edited in the doc so that his words sounded very harsh. I'm really looking forward to seeing it at some point and seeing what I think.
Tony often emphasizes his own contributions in a Felderish way, but I assume it is, because everyone other than hardcore Genesis fans think that he's just "Phil Collins's sidekick" (Tony's own words). A lot of people close to Genesis - including their manager - tend to say that Tony is Genesis.
Tony also jokes a lot at his own expense, like Glenn.

[UndertheWire]

Like someone said in a Genesis forum, this frankness is a fine quality, but doesn't look good on TV!

That's a good point. I've been thinking along the same lines. What you see on television isn't usually what you get in real life, it may just be a PR skill, or lack of. Tony Banks appeared slightly stiff and serious but he didn't say anything bad about anyone. He did remind me of Glenn a little in that they're both a little awkward on camera and seem like they're trying to supervise the others. It's just easier to love Phil Collins/Joe Walsh.

Based on the documentaries (and this is not serious)

Tony Banks = Glenn Frey (control freaks)
Peter Gabriel = Don Henley (it's the goatee)
Phil Collins = Joe Walsh (fun but with their demons)
Steve Hackett = Don Felder (former guitarist complaining about bias)
Mike Rutherford = Timothy B Schmit (long-haired and aimiable)

[chaim]

That's a good point. I've been thinking along the same lines. What you see on television isn't usually what you get in real life, it may just be a PR skill, or lack of. Tony Banks appeared slightly stiff and serious but he didn't say anything bad about anyone. He did remind me of Glenn a little in that they're both a little awkward on camera and seem like they're trying to supervise the others. It's just easier to love Phil Collins/Joe Walsh.

Based on the documentaries (and this is not serious)

Tony Banks = Glenn Frey (control freaks)
Peter Gabriel = Don Henley (it's the goatee)
Phil Collins = Joe Walsh (fun but with their demons)
Steve Hackett = Don Felder (former guitarist complaining about bias)
Mike Rutherford = Timothy B Schmit (long-haired and aimiable)

Tony is always stiff and serious. Very intense. He also admits that he was always a bit cranky and uptight - and that he usually got a lot of material through probably because he shouted loudest. That's Tony Banks. But he also has a fantastic sense of humor and often cracks me up. I wonder if that came across in the doc.
All the guys in the Genesis camp still like and respect each other, so it doesn't look like there are a lot of "assholes" in the band. I don't understand why we (rock fans) are so eager to throw the word "asshole" around anyway. It's a rather extreme word and IMO it implies that one has caused some serious harm to others or something like that.

Your Genesis/Eagles comparisons were fantastic, by the way!!

Here at approximately 3:50 mark Tony cracks people up with a joke that's not an obvious joke. "That's very unfair", and that straight expression on his face. He often does this quick "umm.." when he's said something humorous. Classic Tony Banks.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5VgdZvfJks[/ame]

(Could all this stuff be moved to the Genesis thread? I'm anxious to continue )

[Freypower]

Dreamer will have to move the posts as she is the moderator. That's why I provided the link, so that any more posts could go straight to it.

[Freypower]

That's a good point. I've been thinking along the same lines. What you see on television isn't usually what you get in real life, it may just be a PR skill, or lack of. Tony Banks appeared slightly stiff and serious but he didn't say anything bad about anyone. He did remind me of Glenn a little in that they're both a little awkward on camera and seem like they're trying to supervise the others. It's just easier to love Phil Collins/Joe Walsh.

Based on the documentaries (and this is not serious)

Tony Banks = Glenn Frey (control freaks)
Peter Gabriel = Don Henley (it's the goatee)
Phil Collins = Joe Walsh (fun but with their demons)
Steve Hackett = Don Felder (former guitarist complaining about bias)
Mike Rutherford = Timothy B Schmit (long-haired and aimiable)

I could not disagree more that Glenn is awkward on camera. Controlled, yes. Not awkward. I'm not sure about the 'supervising' part. If he does that it's part of his job.

I know you weren't being serious but:

If there is a similarity between Henley & Gabriel it seems to me it was their desire to be 'serious' artists in their solo careers; to get away from the sound they were best known for. I would argue that Gabriel accomplished this more successfully than Henley who overused synthesisers in an attempt to sound 'modern'. They are also both known for their support of 'causes'.

It could be argued that Frey & Collins both preferred more 'commercial' work in their solo careers; more light hearted. Both of them loved using horns. This only goes so far, however, as few bleaker, more harrowing albums exist than Collins' debut masterpiece Face Value, which in my view is superior to anything Gabriel ever did (but I also feel that way about Strange Weather; it could be said Frey worked upwards to more serious material while Collins did the reverse).

[Freypower]

I adore Phil Collins and post-Gabriel Genesis!

Regarding a new album for the Eagles, I wouldn't mind them "Eagleizing" some solo material if it meant a new album. This indeed might make an interesting topic.

The documentary gave us little reason to believe a new album would happen, but as long as the band exists, there's hope!

Sorry, one more post. I never learned how to quote from different posts when replying. The impression I was given was that solo tracks would not be re-recorded by the band, just included on a compilation. After Glenn's suggestion of them covering their influences got nowhere, why would they want to rework their own solo material?

[UndertheWire]

Does anyone have or know where to find Glenn & Joe's appearance on "The One Show" from when they were promoting the documentary? It was in April 2013. I saw it when it was broadcast, quite by accident, and didn't give it my full attention. It did the trick, though, as I hadn't known the band were still together let alone that they had a new film to promote. I just wish I could remember what was said.

This is as much as I can get off the BBC website:

[Freypower]

Some of our discussion on it is here:

https://eaglesonlinecentral.com/foru...t=225&page=118

This is how I summed it up:

We watched the One Show. It was much better than I had expected after what I had heard about the JLS questions. Glenn & Joe sat there for the whole show so they got to answer questions in between the other stories. I never thought I would hear Angela Rippon (BBC newsreader) lecture Glenn & Joe on password protection. Reginald D. Hunter was a guest. He is an American comedian now resident in the UK & is a favourite in our house. He got some laughs out of Joe.

When they were talking about bans breaking up Glenn said they broke up more with a whimper than a bang. I never thought I'd hear Glenn reference T.S. Eliot. He looked very good (they both did) but he was very guarded. He seems more relaxed in a solo capacity during interviews than when he does the In Charge of the Eagles stuff. He cackled, though, when Joe said about the end of HC that he & Felder played the duelling guitars at the end 'so that neither of them would win'.

I hope to get screen shots tomorrow.

[UndertheWire]

... but he was very guarded. He seems more relaxed in a solo capacity during interviews than when he does the In Charge of the Eagles stuff.

That's what I was meant when I commented on Glenn seeming a bit awkward and almost supervising - it's even more true of the australian 60 minutes interview. I agree he seems more relaxed when promoting his solo projects.

[thelastresort]

Another highlight of their One Show appearance was Glenn announcing the winner of a gardening competition. They also had a feature on boy racers (teenagers doing illegal car races) which they were asked to comment on, I presume unaware of what happened to one of Joe's children back in the early 70s.

I also see what people mean re: Glenn being guarded in interviews - he always looks a lot more at ease talking about growing up in Detroit, his influences etc than he does with anything to do with the Eagles, especially as you get closer to their split.