"The Complete Greatest Hits" by EAGLES - Band-Chosen 31-Track Compilation Covering 1972 to 2003 featuring Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner, Bernie Leadon, Don Felder, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit (March 2008 UK Rhino Records Card Sleeve 2CD Set of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...Here In My Heart..." 

 

When I was growing up with this Country Rock music including pulling a few hotties close to the slow dance warmth of "The Best Of My Love" in 1974 - few in 1974, 1975 and 1976 onward could have imagined the commercial and Rock-cultural juggernaut that the EAGLES would become (I'm 64 now). 

 

On Page 11 of the 12-page booklet that accompanies this skinny but pretty twofer gatefold card-sleeve compilation (chosen by the band to include their output from the 1972 self-titled debut to a rare DVD-single track from 2003) is a picture gallery of their albums - their first "Greatest Hits 1971-1975" LP (from 1976) still being among the biggest selling album of 'all time'. Their second "Greatest Hits" set in 1982 did the same. So this March 2008 band-chosen CD-only compilation uses those same artworks as a point of similar-looking reference, updating those phenomenal unit shifters to a 'Complete' version. 

 

Yet I can remember a time when the EAGLES were terminally unhip, even derided for their globe-conquering success. No anymore; these last two decades of Twenties have seen the EAGLES become the very definition of what is Classic Rock. And when you play through their ludicrously catchy melodies, their cocaine and tequila pickled tales of liars with nice eyes, limits that must be taken and sunny hotels you can't check out of (no one panics quite like Americans) - is it any wonder they not only shifted product but have endured despite internal squabbling that the Depp family would be proud of. Another sweet touch is excepting those tracks clearly indicated as a 'single', all the rest are the full album versions - so no cut-off beginning for "One Of These Nights" like there was on that first "Greatest Hits" set all those years ago. To the good old new kids in town...

 

UK released 17 March 2008 - "The Complete Greatest Hits" by EAGLES on Rhino 8122-79933-7 (Barcode 081227993375) is a 31Track 2CD Compilation in a Mini LP Styled Artwork Gatefold Card Sleeve that plays out as follows:

 

CD1 (73:27 minutes):

1.Take It Easy 

2. Witchy Woman 

3. Peaceful Easy Feeling 

4. Desperado 

5. Tequila Sunrise 

6. Doolin-Dalton  

7. Already Gone 

8. The Best Of My Love 

9. James Dean 

10. Ol '55

11. Midnight Flyer 

12. On The Border

13. Lyin' Eyes 

14. One Of These Nights 

15. Take It To The Limit

16. After The Thrill Is Gone

17. Hotel California

Tracks 1 to 3 from their June 1972 debut album "Eagles" 

Tracks 4 to 6 from their April 1973 second studio album "Desperado"

Tracks 7 to 12 from their June 1974 third studio album "On The Border"

Tracks 13 to 16 from their June 1975 fourth studio album "One Of These Nights"

Track 17 from their December 1976 fifth studio album "Hotel California" 

 

CD2 (71:36 minutes): 

1. Life In The Fast Lane 

2. Wasted Time 

3. Victim Of Love 

4. The Last Resort 

5. New Kid In Town 

6. Please Come Home For Christmas

7. Heartache Tonight 

8. The Sad Cafe 

9. I Can't Tell You Why 

10. The Long Run 

11. In The City 

12. Those Shoes

13. Seven Bridges Road (Live) 

14. Love Will Keep Us Alive 

15. Get Over It 

16. Hole In The World

Tracks 1 to 5 also from their December 1976 fifth studio album "Hotel California"

Track 6 is a November 1978 US 45-single A-side 

Tracks 7 to 12 are from their September 1979 sixth studio album "The Long Run"

Track 13 is from their November 1980 first live double-set "Eagles Live"

Tracks 14 and 15 from November 1994 seventh studio album "Hell Freezes Over"

Track 16 is a July 2003 DVD-Single release 

EAGLES were:

DON HENLEY, GLENN FREY, RANDY MEISNER, BERNIE LEADON, DON FELDER, JOE WALSH and TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT

 

Mastering is by long-time producer to the band BILL SZYMCZYK and he's using the gorgeous TED JENSEN CD Remasters from 1999 so the tracks sound utterly stupendous in their clarity. For old-timers like me stuff like the deep album cuts of "Doolin-Dalton", "Midnight Flyer" and the lovely "I Can't Tell You Why" (a huge concert fave amongst fans) sound full at last - it's the same throughout. The 12-page booklet has some very cool colour/black and white photos from different time periods as well as track-by-track personnel/release details using Billboard. The only disappointment would be that although they picture the 2007 double-CD comeback album "Long Walk Out Of Eden" in the booklet, there are no songs from it for contractual reasons. To the chunes...

The band clearly rate 1974's "On The Border" to the more famous "Desperado" from 1973 ("Border" quite rightly gets five selections including the Tom Waits cover version "Ol' 55"). And of course, the beast that is 1976's "Hotel California" sees a whopping six cuts and yet we miss the brilliant "Try And Love Again" - a superb Randy Meisner moment (it would have been cool to see his fantastic instrumental "Journey Of The Sorcerer" from 1975's  "One Of These Nights" make the choices here - but alas). Speaking of cool - those sliding notes that open "One Of These Nights" still thrill. 

 

I thought at first that I'd be all cheesed out by the sappy "Please Come Home For Christmas", but as ever Don Henley could sing the County Jail phonebook and make it sound fab. Speaking of fabulousity - it's good to see guitar-hero Joe Walsh acknowledged with his quietly brilliant "In The City" - whilst the gorgeous and moving "Long Run" album finisher "The Sad Cafe" still whomps after all these decades. Clever inclusion is the exclusive live track "Seven Bridges Road" that came with "Eagles Live" in November 1980 - a Steve Young cover version they virtually do Acapella. "Seven Bridges Road" was actually issued as a seven-inch single in December 1980 on Asylum E-47100 where even something as obscure as that peaked at No. 21 on the US pop charts - because it was new from the Eagles. Steve Young's original song and LP of the same name was first issued 1971 on Reprise Records - see my separate review for an Ace CD that reissued Steve Young's work then and after. 

 

Fans will not be surprised either to see the gorgeous "Love Will Keep Us Alive" be on here - a Timothy B. Schmit sung ballad they co-wrote with Jim Capaldi of Traffic and Paul Carrack of Ace and Squeeze fame. And it ends rather hammily with the Rock guitar riffage of "Get Over It" - Henley having a go at TV victims and poor-me culture in general. But far better is "Hole In The World" - again a Henley/Frey original that uses the band's harmonies to sing about fractious politics and remind of just how good they are when the Eagles hit all the marks. 

 

I've seen this 2CD set "The Complete Greatest Hits" for as little as three quid and even in 2023 (as I write) - it's just below seven British pounds brand new from most retail sites. That's a whole lot of dids for just a few quids. Get flappin' birdies...