Favorite Eagles Studio Albums

[WalshFan88]

I just did a search and couldn't find anything like what I'm about to post so I thought I'd open a new thread. Now I fully admit I'm not real great with search engines - I can never seem to find what I'm looking for!

Because of the On The Border album thread I thought it would be interesting if everyone listed their favorite Eagles albums (studio) starting with your favorite to your LEAST favorite. Here is mine!

1. Hotel California (not just my favorite Eagles album but my favorite album of all time and song of all time)
2. The Long Run (this was a hard choice but I really love the rockin' songs on this one)
3. On The Border (Love Felder's guitar licks in this one and the more ROCK and less country)
4. One Of These Nights (Again, I love Felder's guitars in this one and the harder edged songs)
5. Eagles (I like this one, but I prefer their stuff afterwards. Most of it is a bit too 'country' for me. I love TIE, PEF, and WW off of this one though)
6. Long Road Out Of Eden (GREAT album, love How Long and Guilty Of The Crime especially, but I prefer their older stuff but I still love this album)
7. Desperado (Now I hope not to offend anyone but I am just not a fan of this album at all. I just can't click with it. It is their most 'country' album)

So my favorite is Hotel California and my least favorite is Desperado. I encourage everyone to play along as I am curious to see how people would rate the studio albums.

[Scarlet Sun]

Mine is simple - the chronological line runs downwards with no exceptions

[whitcap]

1. On the Border (My favorite album. As I stated in the On the Border thread I absolutely love every song on this album.)
2. Eagles and Desperado (Both albums are great. I love all of the songs on these albums although I love some of the songs more than others. I couldn't rank either of these albums above or below one another.)
3. One of These Nights (Some great songs on this one too.)
4. The Long Run (This album has grown on me over time. Its got some great songs on it.)
5. Hotel California (I like the songs on this album. As a whole I prefer their other 70s albums though.)
6. Long Road Out of Eden (Lots of good songs on this album. While I like this album, I just prefer the bands older stuff.)

[Brooke]

Well WF, we did this a few years ago here, https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/...read.php?t=235

but there are lots of new members since then and I'd love to hear everyone's comments again. I know my thoughts have probably changed since then!

Here's what I thought back in January of 2007!

#1- Desperado. I just love the whole album. The only song I don't love is Bitter Creek and I can listen to it without skipping it. Very favorite song overall is Desperado and I wish Don would sing it like he used to and not be so dramatic with it.

#2-Hotel California. I love every song on it, but it only has 8, so Desperado beats it out with 11 songs. Favorite overall song is HC.

#3-On the Border. I love 6 of the 10 songs on this one. You Never Cry like a Lover and Midnight Flyer I don't care for and My Man and On the Border are just ok. Two favorites here, Already Gone (rocks) and Best Of My Love (Don's soulful voice).

#4-One of These Nights. 5 songs I love here, OOTN, Hollywood Waltz, Lyin' Eyes, Take it to the Limit, and After the Thrill is Gone. The others, I don't care for at all. Overall favorite-OOTN-that raspy voice again! And that air intake he does-

#5-Eagles. 4 wonderful songs for me on this one, Take It Easy-the anthem, Witchy Woman, Peaceful Easy Feeling, and Tryin. 4 are ok, Nightingale, Train Leaves Here This Morning, Chug All Night ( ), and Take the Devil. I skip Most of Us Are Sad, and Earlybird. (The chirping drives me crazy!) Most favorite is Take It Easy! I just love the very first chords and it's a feel good song. Glenn's voice on PEF is soooooo sweet, too, and I fell in love with Don's voice on Witchy Woman back in the day! I thought off the top of my head this would be my favorite album, but when I actually counted the favorite songs here's where it wound up! Who knew?!

#6-The Long Run. I knew off the top of my head this was my least favorite album, but when I tallied them up, it almost tied with #5! But it has more songs on it that I skip! It's my least played album. I love The Long Run, ICTYW, In the City, and Heartache Tonight. I won't go in to the others since were doing the game in the other thread! My overall favorite here is Heartache Tonight. Love Glenn's "break my heart" part!

I'm really confused now!

I'm going to have to think this over and see if I still feel the same way! I was already shocked that Desperado was my #1 pick!

[Freypower]

This is what I wrote:

1. It's still Hotel California, although there are far too many lead vocals by Henley, and the over-production on Wasted Time and The Last Resort has not aged well. For NKIT, Glenn's finest hour, and LITFL, probably the best summary of a lifestyle ever, it is beyond essential. There is nothing left to say about the title track and PMAIAR and TALA are two of the band's finest works, which showcase everyone in the band.

2. On The Border - Because Glenn is most prominent. I admit that honestly. He shines throughout in GDIH, AG, Ol'55 and James Dean. The title track and BOML are classic Henley and Meisner's contributions are useful, although he did better. Throw in Leadon's beautiful My Man and you have a classic album which is growing better with age.

3. The Long Run - I still think this album is a more gritty, realistic portrayal of life in late 70s LA than anyone else except perhaps Warren Zevon managed, but only a handful of tracks stand out - Heartache Tonight, The Sad Cafe, King Of Hollywood and Those Shoes. I find most of it quirky and challenging, including the songs we're not supposed to like, but I think the title track has not aged well.

4. Desperado - This is perfect, for the most part and has the best songs by Leadon and Meisner. Glenn and Don really come into their own as a singing and songwriting team here. The only song which to me doesn't stand up to close scrutiny is Saturday Night (too schmaltzy for me).

5. Eagles - standard country rock, but take away the three 'big' songs and Train Leaves Here This Morning, and it's not that good, frankly. If it has a 'sleeper' it's probably Take The Devil. Chug All Night is not politically correct but it's fun. They weren't like that for long.

6. One Of These Nights - three massive, memorable classics and the rest of it is frankly extremely ordinary. I am not one of those who sighs over After The Thrill Is Gone, and Too Many Hands is not quite right (I've never worked out why it's not right, perhaps it's the title I don't like). The least said about Felder and Leadon's tracks, the better.


This is still my ranking except that Long Road Out Of Eden ranks second. Why? Because they proved they could still do it; a couple of the songs rank as amongst their finest ever (I say the title track; others will say WITW). I have reservations; there is too much use of outside songwriters (including Souther & Tempchin) and there is insufficient information on who actually plays on the tracks.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Actually, there is even a more recent thread on this topic from a couple of years ago. If I had seen this new thread earlier, I would have merged them, but I'm going to go ahead and leave them separate now since there would be a lot of repetition. Here is the link:

https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/...light=favorite

I'm copying what I wrote back then and surprisingly, I have not changed my mind at all. Here is what I wrote verbatim ...

Okay - I'm cheating a bit. I'm actually copying most of this over from a very old thread that we had when the board first started. I made a few changes - I switched the order of On the Border and One of These Nights, and also added The Long Road Out of Eden. However, I was surprised to find that my opinions have hardly changed at all. Let me preface my rankings by saying that I think all of the band's albums are excellent - there just aren't any bad ones, which is probably why I think they are America's greatest band.

1. Hotel California - I guess this is an obvious choice. This is a classic conceptual album with 8 exceptional songs. Each song is very different, yet fits perfectly into the theme of the album. The album also does an exceptional job of showcasing the talents of the individual band members, IMO. I also don't think you can ignore the social significance of this masterpiece.

2. Desperado - Same as HC comments. This is an exceptional piece of work, but some of the songs are not quite as strong as HC. I believe the reason the album was not as commercially successful as the others is simply because it was considered too country for rock and too rock for country.

3. On The Border - Overall a great underrated album. I don't think there is really a bad song on it. It is one of my favorites to listen to from start to finish, and I rarely ever skip any of the songs.

4. Long Road Out of Eden - I think this album stands up well against the band's earlier work. It has some very strong songs, and I particularly like the variety of the material on the album. While some say this causes the album to lose some of its cohesiveness, I think the variety showcases the band's versatility. The standout tracks for me are How Long, What Do I Do With My Heart, Waiting In the Weeds, No More Cloudy Days, Do Something, You Are Not Alone, Long Road Out of Eden, I Dreamed There Was No War, Somebody, Last Good Time In Town, I Love To Watch A Woman Dance, and Business As Usual. Hmmm - not much left out, was it.

5. One of These Nights - I chose this next based on the strength of the 4 hit songs. However, I don't consider Journey of the Sorcerer, Visions, or I Wish You Peace to be among the band's best work.

6. The Long Run - The hardest choice of all for me was deciding between these last two. It is probably a virtual tie for me. Both albums had three very strong hits, and I can't decide which are the strongest. Heartache Tonight is probably the best of all of them, although TIE and PEF are hard to snub. WW, TLR, and ICTYW can't be snubbed either though - they are all great. I also think King of Hollywood, Those Shoes, and The Sad Cafe are all very good underrated songs as well, which would seem to give the edge to TLR, and 'Greeks' is just fun. However, then there is the matter of Disco Strangler and Teenage Jail, which are probably among my least favorites of all of their songs.

7. Eagles - See TLR comments. After the three strong hits mentioned above, the rest of the album is very pleasant and easy on the ears. However, I don't think there are any real standout tracks, except for one. I'm now ready for you all to throw things at me - BUT - I love Chug All Night. I don't know why, but I love the tempo and the 'visions' it leaves you with. It's not a great song, but it's raw and sexy, and it rocks.

Austin - I meant to mention this in another thread recently, but never got around to it. While I totally agree with you about Hotel California, as you can see, Desperado is my second favorite album. Again, I guess this helps explain why I love this band so much. Anything they do pretty much works for me!

[WalshFan88]

Sorry Dreamer... Like I said, I did a search and went through about 6 pages and couldn't find a thing. Also like I said, I flat out SUCK at doing searches. I can never find what I'm looking for. That goes for Google searches too.

You can feel free to delete the thread if it's too redundant.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

No! No! No! - I was actually editing my post while you were responding, but this is fine to leave it. I'm glad you started it because people who weren't members back then get a chance to respond. It's always interesting to hear from everyone.

[Freypower]

This is what I wrote in the more recent thread (thanks to Dreamer for the link):

1. Hotel California - but mainly now for sentimental reasons. The title track, New Kid In Town and Life In The Fast Lane are such wonderful songs and such a fantastic opening sequence, especially with the introduction of Joe, that you're left overwhelmed. I used to also be overwhelmed by Wasted Time, but I now find it too long, and as with The Last Resort, too Henley-centric. I still think the lyrics of The Last Resort are near the top of Henley's work but he said himself the music could have been better. I love Victim Of Love. it's very clever and the accusations of 'misogynist' hurled at it don't stand up. As with Lyin' Eyes, it is telling the truth. Pretty Maids All In A Row and Try And Love Again are the album's hidden gems which move back from the 'cinematic' feel to make the album seem more personal. Every member of the band does get to shine somewhere along the line, although Don is extremely dominant.

2. Long Road Out Of Eden - I have been waiting for this to start to pall and it hasn't. There are a couple of weaker tracks - I am not a fan of I Don't Want To Hear Any More or Guilty Of The Crime, although I think both are necessary to the album as a whole, and my opinion of Last Good Time In Town varies. I think it's innovative and I have to applaud the band for that. For the title track alone to me this album rates as almost the best work the band has done. I know most people feel this about Waiting In The Weeds, a song which I am still learning to love and which is certainly very accomplished. I think the majority of Don's 'social criticism' songs are great - both Frail Grasp and Business As Usual are real 'Eagles' songs. Do Something is moving and timely. No More Walks In The Wood is awesome. As for Glenn's songs I cannot help myself. To have him return to his deserved place is all I wanted. To throw in not one but TWO duets with Don is more than I could have hoped for. I know it isn't popular, but the more I hear I Love To Watch A Woman Dance, the higher it rates with me, as do You Are Not Alone and It's Your World Now. My opinion of No More Cloudy Days is well known. As for Somebody - I've been waiting for it for years.

3. On The Border - for sheer consistency and variety this does it for me, with the exception of You Never Cry Like A Lover and Midnight Flyer (and I'm afraid I think Best Of My Love is somewhat overrated). Glenn shines here. I would not swap Good Day In Hell, James Dean, Ol '55 or Already Gone for anything and I love the title track and My Man. Is It True is underrated.

4. The Long Run - almost level with On The Border but it is let down by a couple of the tracks on Side 2, although I am actually fond of those. Not enough Glenn STILL, despite the anthemic Heartache Tonight. I love King Of Hollywood and The Sad Cafe (the dark side of LA, indeed). I think the title track hasn't aged well but I Can't Tell You Why is still good.

5. Desperado - starts brilliantly but tails off on Side 2. I cannot claim that Twenty-One or Saturday Night are great Eagles songs. Certain Kind Of Fool is the 'sleeper' of this album. My favourites are Tequila Sunrise, Out Of Control and Outlaw Man. I love Doolin-Dalton but I don't think the reprise works as well as it should. The concept of it is very well executed but somehow it is hard to love.

6. Eagles - perfect country rock album, but not very deep. Because of Take It Easy, Witchy Woman and Peaceful Easy Feeling it is hard to criticise but a couple of tracks, Nightingale and Earlybird, are fairly ordinary.

7. One Of These Nights - take away the Big Three and there is not much left. I still maintain that Lyin' Eyes is an absolute masterpiece - but on the same album as Visions and I Wish You Peace? How did that happen? I feel much more positive about Journey of the Sorcerer than I used to, I will say that.

[Maleah]

Well I participated in the thread that Brooke linked too and this was my ranking back then

1. Hotel California - pretty much for all the reasons you stated. I think it has the strongest group of songs on it.

2. One of These Nights - The title song is so good that it pretty much makes the album for me. There are other ones I like......but OOTN is fantastic.

3. Desperado - Strong album with one of the greatest Eagles classics

4. The Long Run - It always kind of seems like everyone's let down with this one after the HC album.....but I love it! I love the title song a lot! It's very catchy.

5. On The Border - like you said, an all around great album. I happen to think the title song is probably one of the most underrated Eagles songs (If an eagles song can be underrated lol).

6. Eagles - it feels wrong to put any Eagles album in "last" place. lol But I love all of them so much.......that it just kind of fell in this order. But in all honesty, after "HC"...........they could all be tied or switch spots.

however, I think if I were to rank them now it would be:

1. Hotel California - so many great songs! It contains many of my favorites

2. The Long Run - I know a lot of people consider it a weak album but the strong ones are REALLY strong imo. Again, contains quite a few of my favorites.

3. One Of These Nights

4. Long Road Out Of Eden

5. On The Border

6. Eagles

7. Desperado

Don't ask me how Desperado dropped from #3 to last. lol I really don't know other than since this thread is favorite studio albums, I guess I really considered which albums had my favorite songs on them. lol