Who do you guys side with? Felder or Henley/Frey?

[sad-cafe]

and that there is the "key"


Seems Felder couldn't wait maybe even loved to dish the dirt but he of course tried to paint himself as "above" what the other guys did.

His book makes him come off as a saint and he couldn't wait to twist the knife into all the other band members back. If I were any of the other Eagles I wouldn't want him back either.

[thelastresort]

IMO it is HE that caused the Eagles to break up in the first place

Really? I always thought Frey got about half-way through TLR album and decided then he had had enough and would leave at the end of the tour, which in turn would lead the Eagles to break up, for a variety of reasons. I always thought Long Night at Wrong Beach was as a result of them both thinking it was likely the last time they'd ever be together so they may as well go for each other, not a spontaneous confrontation.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

Really? I always thought Frey got about half-way through TLR album and decided then he had had enough and would leave at the end of the tour, which in turn would lead the Eagles to break up, for a variety of reasons. I always thought Long Night at Wrong Beach was as a result of them both thinking it was likely the last time they'd ever be together so they may as well go for each other, not a spontaneous confrontation.

I don't think it was at all spontaneous. I think there was more to it than tensions between Glenn and Felder, or at least he said as much in later years. However, the issues with Felder were a slow build (also from interviews both Glenn and Henley did in about 1982). The night at Long Beach was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. I would guess they were already getting questions on when they'd record the next album, and so with everything, Glenn decided to walk away. In all my teenage drama, I was so mad at him for so long over that. Now, I have to give him credit for knowing his limits.

[MaryCalifornia]

I think Felder was merely a nuisance to Glenn, and it was easier to go after him for stupid little things than speak out loud the true, deeper problem, which was with Don Henley. Felder is a convenient scapegoat, and he deserves to be because of the contents of his book, which he can't ever take back. I give Felder zero credit for causing the Eagles to quit, I don't think he had nearly the power to claim that dubious distinction. Don and Glenn are the only ones who could have made the 14-year hiatus happen.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

I did some searches on things that really annoyed me in Felder's book. Here are two excerpts that are only about Joe and only about his hair.

We had a 16-mm film made of one of the gigs in D.C. In the movie, there’s one part on the final cut where Joe and I are standing toe-to-toe playing the two main guitar parts in “Hotel California.” Joe’s wearing a bandana on his head because he hated to wash his hair. I say something to him, he looks at me, and we start laughing uncontrollably. Scores of people have asked me what it was I said to him that night.

Joe listened hard, his head hanging so low that his greasy hair flopped completely over his face, parting only to reveal his bulbous nose. “I have an idea what to do with that,” he said suddenly, picking up a guitar.

The parts I put in bold have absolutely nothing to do with the story he was trying to tell. I understand trying to paint a picture, getting us to see it how he remembered it in his head, but some things are better left unsaid. Of course this is far from the only examples, and yet he wants us to think that the reason Joe doesn't talk to him any more is because Glenn and Don won't let him?

Little things like this in the book were just torch after torch being set to that bridge I mentioned earlier.

[thelastresort]

I wonder how much of the description like that is what Felder willingly parted with initially and what had to be coaxed out of him by the author in order to beef up the prose a bit.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

I think Felder was merely a nuisance to Glenn, and it was easier to go after him for stupid little things than speak out loud the true, deeper problem, which was with Don Henley. Felder is a convenient scapegoat, and he deserves to be because of the contents of his book, which he can't ever take back. I give Felder zero credit for causing the Eagles to quit, I don't think he had nearly the power to claim that dubious distinction. Don and Glenn are the only ones who could have made the 14-year hiatus happen.

I believe I disagree with you, Mary. There were tensions between Glenn and Don, and they did affect their teamwork. It is possible that they might have continued on, been less than successful, and ended on a down note. Glenn was smart enough to know that and I'm sure it factored into his decision. However, he respected Don as a songwriter, singer, and musician. They had been really good friends and both knew that with some work they could be friends again.

Glenn didn't and doesn't have much, if any, respect for Felder. Felder was a massive splinter under Glenn's fingernail.

I think maybe Glenn would have worked either situation out, but he couldn't deal with two of them, and at the time, he didn't see why he should have to.

ETA: This is all pure speculation on my part, but on the other hand, both Glenn and Henley said in interviews in the 1982 time frame that it wasn't tensions between the two of them that caused the band to break up. One of them said, "It was the f'n guitar players". Of course, they didn't say "f'n"! There may have been tensions, but they were both more or less past it by 1982. Neither, and especially Glenn, were over the rest of it.

[UndertheWire]

In 1982, both Glenn and Henley were telling the same story - the cause of the split wasn't their relationship but because Glenn was tired of being the leader and being hated for it. Who knows if it's true but at least they're consistent.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

In 1982, both Glenn and Henley were telling the same story - the cause of the split wasn't their relationship but because Glenn was tired of being the leader and being hated for it. Who knows if it's true but at least they're consistent.

I guess great minds think alike, UTW! I added to my post the same thing while you were typing!

[UndertheWire]

Yes, it's those Musician interviews. Including the bit where Don says that he still loves Glenn and knows Glenn still loves him.