Frey-less Eagles??? Was it ever considered?

[BillBailey1976]

Just as Glenn and Don Henley were able to outvote Don Felder, I believe the two Dons could have outvoted Glenn. However, it seems the Glenn made it clear he would challenge that and noone wanted that fight.

The way Glenn sounds in interviews, I'm sure you're right. They didn't want to deal with that, I'm sure. Sounds like he has always been a "my ball, my rules" kinda guy.
I have thought alot about Glenn's comments regarding Don F. worrying about how much money Glenn and Don were making, and not appreciating what he was making. I can see that side of it, but I can also see the side of it that, they ALL were making so much money, why not split it evenly. They ALL make grossly more than nearly EVERYONE who buys their music and goes to their concert.
I think the greed thing goes both ways.

It's a bit like pro sports players. They hold out, demand trades and raises, when they already make an obscene amount of money. What difference is there really between 20 and 50 million dollars....you can't spend it all either way!!!

At the end of the day, I'm glad that they figured out how to make it work as much as they have. The listening public has gotten some great music from it.

[Freypower]

It's Christmas so let's have some fun with this just to prove that I can do such a thing in a topic so close to my heart.

So it's 1992, say, and you and a group of excited friends are off to see the reunited Eagles with a lineup of Henley, Felder, Walsh & Schmit (no doubt with a keyboards player, as suggested, and let's throw in Scott Crago although this is ahead of 'real time)'.

'So guys', you eagerly start the conversation. 'What songs will we hear? Should be an awesome night'!

'Well', someone else says, 'I guess we won't hear Take It Easy, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Tequila Sunrise, Already Gone, Lyin' Eyes, New Kid In Town or Heartache Tonight'.

An uneasy silence descends.

'Hey! Cheer up!' someone else says. 'Maybe they'll do Visions'!

And anyone who replies that Henley could have sung some of those songs is missing the point.

[UndertheWire]

At this point, someone asks, "How will it differ from Don Henley's solo show?"

[Freypower]

No doubt someone will answer that Walsh & Felder are the ones who matter anyway & they're really there to hear Waslh & Felder.

(I know there are people who think this so it's pointless not to say so. Maybe I shouldn't have posted anything).

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Well there are some folks around who would like all kinds of variations in the lineup, but, IMO, they are a small minority. I truly believe that the vast majority of Eagles fans would not want to see an "Eagles" show without Glenn or Don Henley. As mentioned in the article that UTW posted with John Hartmann, neither Don or Glenn couldn't even match the success of the Eagles as solo artists.

The way Glenn sounds in interviews, I'm sure you're right. They didn't want to deal with that, I'm sure. Sounds like he has always been a "my ball, my rules" kinda guy.

BB76 - I agree that Glenn has always been very protective of the Eagles brand, and, understandably so, IMO. The Eagles are "his baby" and as Soda once put it, when it comes to the band, there are certain things where it's "the Frey way or the highway". To paraphrase what he stated when he decided to call it quits in 1980 - "I started the band, and I ended it".

I have thought alot about Glenn's comments regarding Don F. worrying about how much money Glenn and Don were making, and not appreciating what he was making. I can see that side of it, but I can also see the side of it that, they ALL were making so much money, why not split it evenly. They ALL make grossly more than nearly EVERYONE who buys their music and goes to their concert.
I think the greed thing goes both ways.

Maybe they are greedy, who knows. I can't really pass judgment about that because I don't know them. But, I agree, if there is greed, it definitely goes both ways. And to those of us with modest incomes, it's understandable that we may see it that way because most of us can't even begin to wrap our heads around that kind of money. However, we also do need to keep in mind how much it costs to run a multi-million dollar corporation. The overhead is staggering. Now, as far as them splitting the money evenly among all the band members, I have to disagree with you. They didn't all make the same contribution to the success of the band, so I believe it is fair to compensate them accordingly. One of the things that was pointed out in the HOTE doc is how Glenn and Don lived the Eagles 24/7 in the 70's while the others took breaks away from the band. Apparently, none of the members had a problem with that, even though they were all being compensated equally in the early years. So, to my way of thinking, Glenn and Don asking for more compensation in the 90's was more than fair.

At the end of the day, I'm glad that they figured out how to make it work as much as they have. The listening public has gotten some great music from it.

Amen to that!

[BillBailey1976]

I think you also have to consider that an Eagles Reunion without Glenn would have probably included Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner as well, so you'd have the Rocked out Walsh tunes, but you'd probably gain back some of the terrific early stuff from Randy and Bernie

Set 1
01. Hotel California
02. Victim of Love
03. Try and Love Again
04. Wasted Time
05. Pretty Maids All in a Row
06. I Can't Tell You Why
07. Those Shoes
08. Visions
09. Is It True
10. Ordinary Average Guy
11. One of These Nights

Set 2
12. Train Leaves Here This Morning*
13. Doolin-Dalton*
14. Saturday Night*
15. My Man*
16. Sad Cafe*
17. Love Will Keep Us Alive*
18. Life's Been Good
19. Boys of Summer
20. Take The Devil
21. Life In The Fast Lane

Encore 1
22. Rocky Mountain Way
23. Dirty Laundry

Encore 2
24. Long Run
25. In The City
26. Desperado
27. Take It To The Limit

*denotes semi-acoustic set up

[BillBailey1976]

Excellent comments Dreamer.

Again, I don't want people to think that I am advocating a lineup change, or that I don't like Glenn.

I do like to think about things, like I have stated, the what ifs are fun for me.

I hope no one takes this thread in the wrong spirit. I am in no way saying that they SHOULD have went forward without Glenn...just what if they had?? sorta thing.

But afterall, "Lost" was my favorite TV show and me and the guys that I work with spent 6 seasons "What Iffing our way through the days".....This is the same kind of thing for me.

BTW, I love Glenn's solo stuff. I have it all, and "Live in Dublin" is one of my favorite DVDs. Not a Glenn hater at all.

[Freypower]

Why would a Freyless reunion have included Meisner (or Leadon for that matter)? They would also have dumped Schmit for Meisner, would they? And yet you include ICTYW in your setlist. You appear to be saying that they could have two bass players but no Glenn Frey.

It isn't a bad setlist, but if you are telling me that OAG & Visions & Is It True & Take The Devil are adequate substitutes for those missing songs...I'm sorry but this is starting to get ridiculous, your last post notwithstanding and the fact that it's hypothetical notwithstanding.

[BillBailey1976]

Why would a Freyless reunion have included Meisner (or Leadon for that matter)? They would also have dumped Schmit for Meisner, would they? And yet you include ICTYW in your setlist. You appear to be saying that they could have two bass players but no Glenn Frey.

It isn't a bad setlist, but if you are telling me that OAG & Visions & Is It True & Take The Devil are adequate substitutes for those missing songs...I'm sorry but this is starting to get ridiculous, your last post notwithstanding.

I was thinking that since friction with Glenn was one of the main reason for both departures, and you were not going to have Glenn, that bringing back those 2 would be smart, if for no other reason that vocals.
An Eagles lineup without Glenn would leave a huge hole to fill. You couldn't do it by adding a backup guitarist, although I'm sure the guitar parts would be easier to replace than vocals. But 2 original members returning, along with the songs they sang, would help. Not fix it, but help it.
The biggest thing would be having TITTL and Try and Love Again back.
2 bass players wouldn't be a problem. I mean they both wouldn't have to play bass (Rock n Roll Hall of Fame style), or even if they did, I mean they do use 3 guitarists, and 2 drummers, and 2 keyboard players now.
I'm sure they could figure out 2 bassists.

I think you are looking at this from the wrong perspective. This is not a "Let's kick Glenn out" thing, it's more of "Glenn won't budge, and we want to do it" thing.
The songs were just ideas of what you might try to put together to have the Eagles without Glenn there.
Do I think Visions is comparable with Glenn's hits? Not in the least. Do I think it's better than some of Glenn's songs? Yes.
I think that without Glenn, you'd look to every avenue, aside from NEW members to make it the best show possible.

[BillBailey1976]

I'm also not sure what is "ridiculous" about my post. This is a message board about The Eagles. I mean there are threads here from actual musical and group discussions to "hotness" of members.
If discussing a hypothetical scenario is ridiculous, then I guess I'm just ridiculous

I think that music is something to have fun with. So are the musicians, and things like that.
This whole topic was just a fun time killer. I sincerely apologize if I have stepped across some imaginary Glenn line or something. I am new here and that's the last thing I wanted to do.

I have probably came up with a dozen Eagles albums, setlists, lineup variations (within the original members......and Jackson Browne) to come up with some rather interesting listening.

Since I have everything ripped as mp3's I like to have fun with it, and copy and paste songs into folders and move them about.

Just a couple examples.
I have a 1981 Eagles album using stuff from all of their first post-Eagles solo albums.

I have a double CD Long Run, doing a similar thing mixing in current Long Run songs with solo material.