Am I the only one who likes Teenage Jail?

[OntheBorder74]

I was just wondering who genuinely likes Teenage Jail, the song Felder branded Glenn's worst songwriting effort and that Don admitted to finding funny. Marc Eliott in his book also questioned what the song is really about.

However I love the song, it my be a little simple but it better than say the Disco Strangler with it's lyrics. I love Glenn's heavy guitar riff because it sounds so badass. The synthesizer solo is also a great bit of ingenuity and even though Don F hates his 'lingering' solo I think sounds alright, it matches the slow nature of the song. Also love the songs where Henley and Frey both sing leads

Does anyone else appreciate this gem from the Long Run album, though it seems its been criticised by everyone involved.

[NightMistBlue]

I like Glenn's badass guitar and Don F.'s wicked solo. The vocals are cool, but I'm not a big fan of the synth solo. The song is an odd duck for sure, but it's interesting.

[GlennLover]

I certainly don't love the song & it's not one of my favourites, but I do like it. Disco Strangler, on the other hand, is the only Eagles' Song that I routinely skip. I don't skip TJ.

[AlreadyGone95]

Count me in as one who likes it, though it's far from being one of my favorites. I love the heavy, slow guitar riff. It reminds me of Black Sabbath and other early doom metal bands. The lyrics are ok. The vocals themselves, I enjoy Don's, but I'm not too fond of Glenn's. I like both the synth and guitar solos. The song is very different and out there, but I think that's part of the appeal.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Well, although the I like the song, it won’t make it on my “best of” compilation. I like Glenn’s vocals, and the lyrics and guitars are very effective in creating a “teenage jail”. I’m not crazy about Don’s echo in the second verse, but it’s effective in achieving a mood of teenage turmoil. I enjoy listening to the song when I play the album, but that's the only time I ever hear it.

[sodascouts]

It's the second-to-worst song the Eagles ever released, IMHO. I'm glad there are some people who like it, but I'm not among them!

[Freypower]

I regard it as a waste of Glenn's talents. If he had to do a song like this he could have least have sung the entire song. My least favourite part is the heavy breath Don takes before 'where something is always for sale'. I sometimes like to hear singers breathing between notes but not in this case. I find it overproduced. The lyrics are just banal & uninteresting.

On the other hand after all the strings & slow ballads on the previous album this song at least attempts to vary the band's sound & make them sound more contemporary. What a shame more effort wasn't put into the lyrics.

[chaim]

I don't think Don H's "funny" comment meant that the song is good or bad. After hearing him say that it became obvious to me that his "menacing" talking style in the choruses was a joke. Seems that they were having fun in the studio, which I suppose didn't happen often with the Eagles, especially while making The Long Run. Maybe it was a necessary "let's get crazy and loose" moment in a very stressful recording environment.

Still, did it have to be released? No, but I'm glad it was, because I have always loved this song. As a teenager I found it very menacing (well, still do). I actually love Glenn's vocal. I think his voice makes the verse more menacing that an actually menacing voice would. "Twisted" is the word that comes to mind when I try to describe the dark riff and Glenn's voice.

The fact that there's humour doesn't make a song bad. George Harrison once said that his more serious sounding Beatles songs were sort of jokes - including Within You Without You. Even though only he could perhaps see that.

I still don't know what on earth Don F was talking about in his book when he bashed the solo. Was he thinking of a different song? His solo is fantastic, especially in the context of this wild song, but purely as a guitar solo too.

[Funk 50]

I wouldn't call it a "gem" but I enjoy it a lot more than the fillers on their early albums. It's one of the few Eagles songs where the solos are better than the vocal parts. Every album needs contrasts.

[UndertheWire]

I don't mind it - at least I don't skip it - and I think it gets more grief than it deserves. I think it's one of Felder's better guitar solos but I guess he doesn't like it because it's less perfect than some.

What I don't understand is why The Disco Strangler isn't universally reviled.