The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits

The main reason I'm giving the Eagles Greatest Hits a perfect 5 star rating is because it does a PERFECT job collecting all the major hit songs from the Eagles. While I feel many of these songs have overstayed their welcome, and even though I've moved on to other classic rock artists, what matters is how solid a greatest hits collection is, and let me tell ya- they don't get any more solid than this!

However, it's probably best to pick up some of the bands regular studio albums instead. Start with the very first one and go from there.

The Eagles still remain as one of my favorite bands (along with Pink Floyd, ELO, Allman Brothers, and Led Zeppelin). Every song on here is great. Witchy Woman, and Already Gone are my two favorite songs of theirs

There isn't much I can add to the other reviews in terms of this legendary group, inducted into the R&R Hall Of Fame in 1998. However, for those who are conditioned by the term "greatest hits" meaning those renditions that made it to the Billboard Pop Hot 100, be advised that these are all LP cuts.

For example, while the hit single version of Witchy Woman, which came out on Asylum 11008 in 1972 (# 9) is 3:53 in length, the version presented here is 4:14. Likewise with Lyin' Eyes, a # 2 in 1975 on Asylum 45279 at 3:58, whereas the cut here is 6:24.

For those seeking the single versions, and even those not overly concerned with such things, I would still recommended looking around for recent compilations which present upwards of 20 to 25 cuts, complete with informative liner notes and discographies. This has nothing in either regard.

Also how, exactly, does Desperado fit within the term "greatest hits" - LP cut or not? That not only never made any singles charts, it wasn't even the B-side to one of their charted singles.

My first car had a stereo radio and tape deck and one of the first songs to get my attention on it was "Lyin' Eyes" because of the beautiful five-part harmonies on the song. It inspired me to buy the album and later to buy "Hotel California" and others, including "Hell Freezes Over" and "Long Road To Eden." Some of these I own in both CD and LP.

These guys have the bestselling album of all time for good reason - it's great music flawlessly performed. And even with the changes in personnel over the years (including Don Felder's "firing"), they remain a must-hear act and if anything, they are keep getting better.

I wasn't the biggest Eagles fan, for sure, and I'm normally not fond of "Greatest Hits" compilation albums.

However, this album gets a strong 4 stars from this reviewer, primarily because the music IS really good. Of course, if you hate the Eagles, you can't stand a country music influence, or if you're just biased by the fact that you've simply heard these songs too many times over the past 30-some years, then you will surely give this album a poor rating.

People continue to buy this compilation because it truly represents the best of this band's first four releases, with one possible exception. Go ahead and listen to The Eagles (1972), Desperado (1973), On the Border (1974), and One of These Nights (1975); IF you like The Eagles' music, I predict with almost-absolute certainty that the listening enjoyment from playing this one CD will FAR EXCEED what you will get out of any of those single albums, each of which contains some very non-memorable tracks.

I happen to have a fondness for their sophomore release "Desperado," with its old-west, outlaw theme. However, it's NOT like I can point to any particular songs on that album and claim that they were unjustly excluded from the Greatest Hits (the closest candidates might be "Outlaw Man" and "Bitter Creek").

So what's the exception I alluded to above? In my opinion, the title track from "On the Border" was the ONE best "pre-Hotel" Eagles song that was for some reason not included on this album. It could have easily replaced what I feel was the SAPPIEST song on the Greatest Hits, that being "Best of My Love," which even this reviewer has a hard time listening to today.

One more interesting note (forgive me if this has been brought up in one of the many reviews which preceded mine): back in the early 70's FM radio was just being born, and these Eagles songs predominantly became "hits" AFTER (and because of) the release of this Greatest Hits album! In other words, these songs were NOT popular AM radio hits when this album came out. This is very much unlike MOST greatest/best-of releases, which I tend to avoid because they are for the most part comprised of a bands most POPULAR tunes (instead of their truly BEST songs).

Thus, these songs were not chosen for this album because of their popularity, which sets THIS Greatest Hits compilation apart from most others. These songs WERE the best Eagles songs from that era, and that is why this album continues to sell so well. If you like (liked) The Eagles, this is the only pre-Hotel album you really need to own.