Felder's "Heaven and Hell" Discussion Thread

[DJ]

To be honest, I really don't think it is that important which song it was. The basic facts are right apart from that.

Agreed FP the basic facts are there so that's all that matters it happened and it was a long time ago, so stories get hazy and time moves on.

[UndertheWire]

Anyone have any idea of the dates (even just year) for the "Malibu Men's Choir" and the earlier attempt to form a band with Joe and Timothy?

At allmusic.com, I can see playing credits for Don from 1981 to 1985 on other people's records, but what did he do from 1986 to 1993 in terms of music?

[Freypower]

Anyone have any idea of the dates (even just year) for the "Malibu Men's Choir" and the earlier attempt to form a band with Joe and Timothy?

At allmusic.com, I can see playing credits for Don from 1981 to 1985 on other people's records, but what did he do from 1986 to 1993 in terms of music?

Re Malibu Men's Choir see page 233 of Heaven & Hell. It must have been during the period to which you refer, but no year is given.

There is no other mention in the book of Felder doing any other music at all during these years.

[sodascouts]

Based on its position in the book, which is before the 1990 abortive attempt at an Eagles reunion, I'd speculate it occurred between 1987 (after Timothy released Timothy B) and 1989.

[UndertheWire]

Thanks FP and Soda. I was hoping there was something in Timothy's history that might help narrow it down.

[SilverMoon]

Here’s an interview with Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk. It was posted by UndertheWire in the Eagles Mentions in the Press thread on September 27, but I think it should be posted in this thread too. In the interview, Szymczyk talks about Heaven and Hell. He confirms that the stories in the book about the Eagles are true.

http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/...iew.php?id=916

Jeb: I met Don Felder and interviewed him for the jumbo-tron at the festival The Moondance Jam and I said, “I used to be a huge Eagles fan.” He said, “Me too.” He tells it all in his book.

Bill: Other people that have read his book, which was pretty true, concerning the stories and the animosities – he did not exaggerate all that much. People would read that book and tell me, “You’re the only one in that book that doesn’t come off like a shit head.”

In History of the Eagles, Don Henley and Glenn Frey lay the blame for the tensions and conflicts in the band on Don Felder. But Szymczyk reveals in this interview that the Eagles didn’t get along during the making of LROOE. Of course, they don’t mention that in the documentary because they don’t want to admit they still don’t really get along and still fight even though Don Felder isn’t in the band anymore. Here’s the part of the interview in which Szymczyk talks about the making of LROOE:

Jeb: When you went back and produced Long Road Out of Eden, was all of the bullshit better than they had left it with The Long Run?

Bill: It was initially, when they first called me. I went out in 2001 and the album seemed to have a little more of the ‘all for one, one for all’ attitude to it. But, once again, after working on it for two years, and stacking up tracks, there were only one or two finished songs. It was another case of tracking sixteen to eighteen tracks and, over the course of those two years they got back to hating each other again.

The date of the interview is not given, but I think it is from 2012. A shorter version of the same interview was published on another website on October 3, 2012.

http://www.goldminemag.com/article/p...r-the-long-run

[thelastresort]

One thing that really, really annoyed me (if it's true) is if Felder rang up Joe and TBS when he was fired and they both told him he had only himself to blame and he should have signed the papers then that is a disgraceful way to treat a former colleague. TBS is so nice usually and Felder I believe was one of the ones who drove Joe to rehab back in the 90s. The lack of reciprocity in that Felder helped Joe at his lowest yet Joe negated to return that to his 'friend' is so bitterly disappointing.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

I agree with you, TLR, which is why I feel it points to just how much damage Felder did that he didn't put in his book. Glenn and Don had gotten to the point where it was fire Felder or once again put an end to the Eagles. Joe and Timothy were likely a little more objective and probably realized the impact it would be, not having Felder on board. They realized the scrutiny they would all undergo from media and fans alike, to once again have their motives questioned, etc. To know it could have all been avoided had to make them a little bitter. Personally, in the entire situation, I don't see where Felder respected their wishes, so I wonder why they owed anything to him at the end? He said he was fighting for their rights as well, but they obviously didn't agree with that.

You know, when you have a splinter under your fingernail that keeps getting more and more irritating, to the point where the entire finger is jeopardized, a person has to make the decision to either remove the splinter or eventually cut off the entire finger. Right or wrong, Glenn and Don felt that was the decision they had to make. Timothy and Joe were close enough to know what all had happened and for reasons we can only speculate about, they didn't stand with Felder. He may have felt betrayed, but we haven't heard any details from the other four sides of the story. All I can say, is when four stand together and one is on the outside, I have to consider that maybe the story behind the four is the most accurate, even if I don't know what that story is. I just know the story I've heard from the one on the outside is not the full truth.

As for LROOE, it pains me to say this, because I absolutely love Don. But we heard about his new solo album in 2009 and it's now the fall of 2014. Where is it? He wants to give his fans the best he can give, but he seems to be blinded by the fact they'd rather have something that's only 99.9999% perfect than nothing at all. Things like this would have driven the others completely crazy during LROOE. As much as I love Glenn to pieces, I don't really think he's the easiest person to work with. He knows where to lead the band, and even if he's 100% correct, I'm betting his methods are less than subtle. And Joe...I bet he has a rough time hiding his impatience, and he can be completely quiet and you still know what he's thinking like he's shouting it. There's a fine line between love and hate at times, I know how I can feel when I have to deal with my family and they don't fall into whatever line I think they should be in. They're family, so I have to deal with them and not walk away. Yet I still love them and would go to the wall for them. To me, the fact that making the album created conflicts is a good indication of how much they cared about it, and even if they did hate each other, they worked it out and they are still together.

[thelastresort]

I totally agree VA, alas unless the other four ever put out autobiographies we will never know for sure who thought what and why. I can respect that TBS and Joe just wanted the whole thing sorted, but if they were as cold and blunt to Felder as he makes out then that's what annoys me; at the very least they could have been even ever so slightly sympathetic. The fact that I don't think Felder has spoken to any Eagle bar Randy and Bernie for the last 13 years probably tells me TBS and Joe weren't too upset by matters. Anyway, moving on...

Yes, I can imagine the concoction of Henley's perfectionism, Glenn's 'authoritarian' management, Joe's patience and Timothy's eternal pleasantness probably begins to strain a lot after a while. I do have to be honest and say I would prefer LROOE to be shorter. If it was the title track, Waiting in the Weeds, How Long and seven others then it would be by a distance the best album they ever put out, not bad for a bunch of guys in their 50s and 60s.

[webvan]

I don't think there's much mystery behind what happened, Felder wanted the original agreement to be enforced, Frey and Henley didn't, kicked him out and were forced by the trial to buy him out. Joe and TBS probably didn't have much of a say in the matter and couldn't forego the huge cheques, who would? I actually remember Henley saying in an interview a long time ago (when he launched the Walden Woods project maybe?) that one of the reasons they might do something is to help out guys like TBS who hadn't seen much cash come their way.