Long Road Out of Eden

[shunlvswx]

Glenn might had played the electric piano too. He has done that before where he's doesn't play the same instrument live that he does on the record. I Can't Tell You Why comes to my mind.

[chaim]

Indeed, you don't get a credit for adding some cool bass licks during the fadeout. Besides with this logic the Eagles version of Outlaw Man should read "Blue/Meisner".
I had forgotten the "Glenn went to the electric piano/Timothy grabbed an acoustic guitar" story. Tim's name in the credits makes sense to me now that I was reminded of this. He was there when they came up with the initial idea, probably suggesting chords or/and rhythms or/and melodies when they started writing it. The chords and different sections must've already been there in some form when Steuart started to contribute, because if he had suggested a new section, the surely his name would be there.

[Funk 50]

To Funk50 Glenn co-wrote the song Long Road Out Of Eden & as has been said before, it shouldn't be automatically assumed that he had no hand in the lyrics. The fact that he's doing those wonderful backing vocals (thanks chaim; I am indeed delighted that you agree with me on that) would tend to indicate that he may have had some hand in the lyrics. You say that years earlier he may have insisted that some of the lyrics be made more palatable. If he didn't do it with The Last Resort why would he do it with LROOE?.

I don't find The Last Resort in the least bit unpalatable. I believe there was friction between Glenn and Don about subject matter in Eagles songs, if you want big sellers you can't have controversial lyrics or subject matter, at least you couldn't in the 70s.

Don has always been a a great lyricist, from Witchy Woman onwards, as his songs are instantly memorable, Glenn's songs are too, even during the 70s, without YouTube and all the lyric sites to learn from, people knew all the words to the Eagles songs because they were so well written.

These days some, certainly not all Don's songs seem to be an exercise in cramming in as many literary references as he can get away in a single tune. It sounds like he's agonized over his lyrics for months, which does have the effect of making them something to study rather than singalong with.

Since the Eagles are now big enough to survive, openly criticizing the President Of The United States and supporting the ostracized Dixie Chicks, who weren't, they are obviously allowed to be a lot more controversial and challenging in their subject matter, without it affecting their market value.

Until The Garden Of Allah there really was nothing but universal praise for Don's lyrical aptitude, so you can understand the other guys not being too critical about it, especially if it is going to cause avoidable friction.


I find the swearing and unpleasant language unfortunate.

The embarrassment of Joe's ILBT's at full blast after I'd just bought the album brand new.
It's not so bad in rockers like Joe's, It's Hard To Keep A Good Man Down and Band Played On but Damn It Rose, (some puffed up little fart), I suppose Don wants us to feel uncomfortable. Funnily enough, Bernie's, Vile And Profane Man opts for the less profane "break wind".

Best unintentional profanity, if you're English, is Glenn's wonderful Soul Searching "We gotta Search Our Souls"... I think that's how he spells it.

I do like Business As Usual. Is the last "soul sucking" actually "soul sucking world" as it proclaims in the lyrics?

[Funk 50]

We don't have any evidence that there was 'friction' over the lyrical content. The Last Resort was on their biggest selling album & as far as I know Glenn fully supported its inclusion. The fact that it was performed for the HFO reunion would suggest that. Also I disagree that you couldn't be controversial in the 70s if you wanted to sell a lot of records. Look at Alice Cooper, and he's probably a mild example..

From all I've heard Glenn loved the lyrics to The Last Resort but they didn't include all the lyrics Don wrote. The same goes for Long Road Out Of Eden. I'm sure Glenn, at the very least, helped out with the editing.

I think the Eagles and specifically Glenn wanted to sell a lot more records than Alice Cooper.

[Funk 50]

This quote from Don Henley, talking about Do Something, sounded just a little bit odd to me.

I thought about singing it for a while then I said "nah, you know, I want you to sing this Tim," and it's a nice country flavoured ballad. We had an outside musician come in and play the pedal-steel guitar on it.

It's the "outside musician" bit. In the past the Eagles would always be willing to give credit where it's due. Who is this un-named outside musician?.

The whole Long Road Out Of Eden album seems to be cloaked in secrecy. Any musician, asked to play on an Eagles record would surely be shouting it from the rooftops, yet we've heard nothing.

I can only think that they were all sworn to secrecy. Without the live performances we wouldn't even be sure which guitar solos Joe plays. In some cases we still don't. Luckily their voices are distinctive enough so we at least know who's singing lead.

From the live performances, I know it's Steuart's lead guitar on No Walks In The Wood, I Don't Want To Hear Anymore Busy Being Fabulous and How Long (despite the video). Steuart's mandolin on Waiting In The Weeds and e bow guitar on the title track and Glenn has credited Will Hollis with the piano at the end of Waiting In The Weeds and that's about it

Somebody, Guilty Of The Crime and Long Road Out Of Eden are lead by Joe's guitar.

I suspect it's Joe playing the solos on Center Of The Universe and Business As Usual but, 7 years on, I'm still hoping for confirmation.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Although I think us fans would love to know who wrote the which lyrics on the songs, we only have the various little tidbits that members may mention in an occasional interview. Unfortunately, it's always been that way with the band. As far as the musicians on LROOE, I would love to have more details about who played which instruments on the various song, but I don't think there is that much secrecy involved in who played which instruments on the album, including Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar. The album's liner notes list the musicians as follows:

GLENN FREY - GUITAR, KEYBOARDS, BASS AND VOCALS
DON HENLEY - DRUMS, PERCUSSION, GUITAR AND VOCALS
JOE WALSH - GUITAR, KEYBOARD AND VOCALS
TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT - BASS AND VOCALS

STEUART SMITH - GUITAR, KEYBOARDS, MANDOLIN
SCOTT CRAGO - DRUMS AND PERCUSSION
RICHARD F.W. DAVIS - KEYBOARDS AND PROGRAMMING
MICHAEL THOMPSON - KEYBOARDS, ACCORDIAN AND TROMBONE
WILL HOLLIS - KEYBOARDS
AL GARTH - ALTO SAX AND VIOLIN
BILL ARMSTRONG - TRUMPET
CHRIS MOSTERT - TENOR AND ALTO SAX
GREG SMITH - BARITONE SAX
GREG LEISZ - PEDAL STEEL
LENNY CASTRO - PERCUSSION
LUIS CONTI - PERCUSSION

[thelastresort]

Anyone know what Glenn played bass on?

[Freypower]

Anyone know what Glenn played bass on?

Well, no. That's the point. Individual credits aren't listed. I find the lack of information the most disappointing part about the album.

Interesting that Lenny Castro is on it - I saw him with Joe Bonamassa recently.

[thelastresort]

Well, no. That's the point. Individual credits aren't listed...

I know, I was asking more in hope than expectation (I thought with so many Glenn aficionados on here someone may have caught something on it )

[Ive always been a dreamer]

tlr - I don't know which track(s) Glenn played bass on either, but, it makes sense to me that it would be one or more of the tracks he wrote by himself. If I am correct, that narrows it down to No More Cloudy Days, You Are Not Alone, and I Dreamed There Was No War. I could be wrong, but I don't even hear any bass on IDTWNW.