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

[BillBailey1976]

The smartest thing would have been taking time off, as has been suggested by Bernie Leadon and Don Felder, and probably some of the others as well.

If they'd taken a year or even 2 off after HC, and taken some time for themselves, re-energized, and worked on songs at their own pace, I think we'd have had the Eagles for all those lost years, plus the best of their solo work, which would have inevitably came out of them eventually, possibly even better with the other band members input.

Wrap the HC tour, go your own way for a 1 yr period. Write with whoever you needed to, do whatever you needed to do, but be ready to go when that year was up.

You do that again after the LR album, and so forth...

[Freypower]

Two or three extra solo albums from Henley and Walsh. Maybe more from Glenn.

Since 2001, the Eagles have toured and toured but one group album and 4 solo albums compares to, around 20 solo albums and many solo tours between the release of The Long Run and Hell Freezes Over, in the same 14 year time span.

If they'd gone their separate ways in 2001, there would've been no sacking, no sordid book from Felder and no litigation. 14 years later, even with just 10 solo albums imagine how different the set list would be for a second resumption/reunion in 2015.

The first Hell Freezes Over tour, over the course of two years, featured over a dozen songs from the period between 1981 and 1994.

When the Eagles tour next year, we'd be delighted to see them perform a single, solitary track from the period between 2001 to 2015 ... and that track would, arguably, really date from the very early 1970s.

The one great thing that has happened as a result of the Eagles sacking Felder and then LROOE etc., has been Timothy's burgeoning career as a stage performer. Looking forward to something new in 2015.

Why should they have gone their separate ways in 2001 (when they sacked Felder)? He was the problem. They eliminated the problem & were then able to go on.

It's easy to say there would have been more solo albums. We don't know what would have happened. And they would not have composed a setlist full of solo songs. They used some in the HFO tour but for the most part they stuck to the Eagles songs. The songs they used were:

Dirty Laundry
The Boys Of Summer
Sunset Grill
All She Wants To Do Is Dance
The Heart Of The Matter
The Heat Is On (briefly)
Smuggler's Blues
You Belong To The City
Ordinary Average Guy

That is 9 songs. You must also be counting LWKUA, TGFY & GOI. GOI barely lasted one tour. TGFY was dropped after the HFO tour, as were Smuggler's Blues & THOTM. I don't count Lover's Moon which sadly was played by the Eagles once.

It's highly unlikely that any solo song released after 2001 would have been included in any subsequent Eagles tour unless it was a massive hit and they just don't have massive hits as solo artists any more.

Tim's 'burgeoning career as a stage performer' lasted for the handful of shows he did to support Expando.

[thelastresort]

I can't think of the best place to ask this and I don't think it warrants a new thread so I'll stick it here - excuse the naivety in this question but as far as anyone knows, is Felder's exclusion from the HOTE tour because he simply isn't welcome or because of legal matters? I have no idea what the current state of play between Felder's and the Eagles's representatives is so I don't know if Felder is bound by the law not to associate with them.

(I don't want to start WW3 with people's opinions here, I was just wondering if anyone knew.)

[VAisForEagleLovers]

Of course, none of us know, really, but while there are legal matters, if I had to put money on a reason, it's that he simply wasn't and isn't welcome.

[DivineDon]

That's the impression I get - even if they solved their legal differences (if that's the case), I have the feeling Don and Glenn just don't like the guy but that's just my opinion. I have no evidence apart from Don's 'Mr' reference which seems to be pretty dismissive and suggests no forgiving or forgetting, for that matter.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

This is just my opinion, and I'm not even sure why I feel this way, but I think there would have been a chance they'd have Felder be a special guest like Bernie if he hadn't published that book. As bad as things were between them, back in the late 70's and again through the 90's and up to 2001, there would have at least been a chance. Glenn and Don would have at least given it serious consideration, and might have done it for the fans. However, between the continued contentiousness with the lawsuits and the fact he published a book when he knew they valued privacy above a lot of other things, I'm thinking the thought of having him on board for the HOTE tour only flitted through their minds, only to be instantly dismissed. Again, just my opinion...

[GlennLover]

This is just my opinion, and I'm not even sure why I feel this way, but I think there would have been a chance they'd have Felder be a special guest like Bernie if he hadn't published that book. As bad as things were between them, back in the late 70's and again through the 90's and up to 2001, there would have at least been a chance. Glenn and Don would have at least given it serious consideration, and might have done it for the fans. However, between the continued contentiousness with the lawsuits and the fact he published a book when he knew they valued privacy above a lot of other things, I'm thinking the thought of having him on board for the HOTE tour only flitted through their minds, only to be instantly dismissed. Again, just my opinion...

I agree with you, VA.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

I doubt the book is the total reason, but I bet it's a big part of it. I don't know if he still feels this way, but at the beginning of the tour Felder seemed a bit miffed that he hadn't been included. If my theory is correct, then it's a good life lesson for all of us. As Henley said, sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge, but it's always something to remember that the consequences can last far, far longer than the light from the bridge lasted.

[sad-cafe]

Felder comes off as a bitter old whiney who still can't let things go.

IMO it is HE that caused the Eagles to break up in the first place and had they not gotten rid of him, they likely would have broken up again and we never would have gotten this last glorious tour

[UndertheWire]

I was thinking back to an interview with Joe Vitale about his own book.

Q - I'm guessing that they wanted scandalous stories.

A - Well, that's what it is. There's no dirt in this book. None. Only because there's always something great to say about everybody. These people are my friends. If anybody would have a family problem or a drug problem or any kind of problem; none of us are immune to any of that, but it's very personnel stuff. These are my friends. I just wouldn't do that. I couldn't go to bed at night knowing I told some stupid, private story about someone who was my friend who trusted me and trusted these words to me when they were talking to me. I was with The Eagles for awhile. I get calls all the time. They're writing a book about The Eagles. "What can you tell me?" I say "nothing!" I can tell you nothing 'cause I know what you guys want. I can say this, these guys are great guys, great musicians, great artists. Go see 'em! (laughs)

Q - If you did tell stories, you probably would never get another tour with these people again.

A - Well, that's a sideline of all that. You kind of dig yourself in a grave if you spill the beans. When someone entrusts you with something and you spill the beans on that, the first thing they're gonna say is "How could you do that? I trusted you." Firstly, I think you would hurt one of your friends or somebody. But then, yeah, they're not gonna hire you. They're certainly not going to expect you to hold secrets. Yes, that's true you have to bury yourself if you come out with all this dirt about these people. Although a lot of what is considered dirt has already been seen on CNN.

http://www.classicbands.com/JoeVitaleInterview.html
I'm sure it's possible to tour with someone you don't trust, but why would you take the risk?