The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits

Its hard to believe that this superb music comes in a cardboard sleeve.
Its a shame for The Eagles.

This album can afford to be out of print now that there's the surpassing THE VERY BEST OF THE EAGLES. Here are ten chart-risers that were previously released respectively on the band's first four non-compilation releases,THE EAGLES,DESPERADO,ON THE BORDER and ONE OF THESE NIGHTS.

This album stops a bit early in the Eagles' career, just before the release of "Hotel California," and that's to its advantage because there isn't a dud on the album. After this, it was hit or miss for them. The standouts here are "One of These Nights," "Best of My Love," and the underrated, overlooked, and totally awesome "Tequila Sunrise." Great music for singing along in the car (especially the doo-doo-doos at the end of "Peaceful Easy Feeling").

This was a must have album in the 1970's, but it has since been superceded by their "The Very Best of" 2 CD set. This CD is simply a song for song re-issue of the vinyl album, so it only contains 10 songs from their early days. Which would be fine if this were a budget release, but it is not. The songs on here are great, but I think you would get a better value from buying "The Very Best of The Eagles" collection. It spans their entire career and includes 33 songs on 2 CDs.

I know they want to keep selling this CD since it is the biggest selling album of all time, but they need to cut the price or at least throw in a few bonus tracks.

Just a word or two about "Lyin' Eyes". I wish the full version were sung every time, including on my old vinyl disc and the double-CD Farewell Tour concert version. Those who pan it as 'fragmentary' and 'long-winded' need their ears syringing. The sheer narrative economy is exemplary and stunning.* The first four lines give the story, background and 'feel' of the girl's whole life to date(you wonder what sort of job she was in, to open doors with just a smile; cold-calling for a party-plan sales business - or is it simply a generalised metaphor? ... you Want to Know). Even the shadowy figure of the ancient husband gives us an instant snapshot into his mind, brings him to life just enough . The narrative 'voice' is superb, too; reminds me of (another underestimated work)Kubrick's movie 'Barry Lyndon' - detached, objective, judging but never condemning or come to that justifying, just short of sympathetic, just telling it the way it is - about all concerned. Plus (back to The Eagles, God love 'em) the simple, beautiful music. In short, up there with the best of the folk ballads, like Mattie Groves and Barbara Allen. Thanks to a band that reminds you what it's like to be human!

*Another example - from a song that's become a bit of a joke, but is still great of its genre, is 'Lucille'. Imagine the content of the first few lines of that on film: the establishing shots, exterior ... interior ... Takes 1, 2, 3 etc. - all in around ten seconds of lyric.

4. I am over 13, by over 50 years, and a retired Eng. Lit. teacher currently writing a book on Shakespeare. So there.