"The Studio Albums Collection 1972-1979" by EAGLES (March 2013 UK Warner Brothers/Asylum 6CD Box Set with MIni LP Repro Artwork Card Sleeves and 1999 Ted Jensen Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...The Long Run..."

 

With Glenn Frey's dreadfully sad passing Monday, 18 January 2016 (aged only 67) – like many I've been playing the EAGLES 70ts back catalogue with a strange mixture of wonder and genuine loss – loving the melodies but also wallowing in many long-haired memories – songs that I pulled girls close to and at times, songs that even eased a heartache or three.

 

I suppose it's that all our heroes are passing...and I for one would rather they were still playing, singing and inspiring us. So I thought it would be a good idea to return to this dinky 6-album EAGLES collection that so ably sums up why these melodic Desperado's shifted so many millions of albums between 1972 and 1979. They were just so bloody good. And those Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Randy Meisner, Don Felder and Bernie Leadon harmonies slaughtered all in their path. Here are the Sunrises doused in Tequila and the Hotels in California where you can't leave...

 

UK released March 2013 – "The Studio Albums Collection 1972-1979" by EAGLES on Warner Brothers/Asylum 8122 7967468 (Barcode 081227967468) is a 6-CD Mini Box Set with Mini LP Repro Artwork Card Sleeves and 1999 TED JENSEN CD Remasters. It plays out as follows:

 

Disc 1 – "Eagles" (37:07 minutes):

1. Take It Easy [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey]

2. Witchy Woman [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

3. Chug All Night [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey]

4. Most Of Us Are Sad [Lead Vocals, Randy Meisner]

5. Nightingale [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

6. Train Leaves Here This Morning [Lead Vocals, Bernie Leadon] – Side 2

7. Take The Devil [Lead Vocals, Randy Meisner]

8. Earlybird [Lead Vocals, Bernie Leadon]

9. Peaceful Easy Feeling [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey]

10. Tryin' [Lead Vocals, Randy Meisner]

Tracks 1 to 10 are their debut album "Eagles" – released June 1972 in the USA on Asylum SD 5054 and August 1972 in the UK on Asylum SYTC 101. All songs are band originals except "Nightingale" which was written by Jackson Browne and "Take It Easy" which is a co-write between Glenn Frey and Jackson Browne. "Train Leaves Here This Morning" is a co-write between Bernie Leadon and Gene Clark (of The Byrds). "Peaceful Easy Feeling" is a Jack Tempchin song. The album peaked on the US album charts at No. 22 with "Take It Easy", "Witchy Woman" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling" all released as successful US 7" 45-singles in May, August and December 1972. The Non-LP B-side "Get You In The Mood" on the flip of their debut US 45 "Take It Easy" is not included in this Box Set.

 

Disc 2 – "Desperado" (35:55 minutes):

1. Doolin-Dalton [Lead Vocals, Don Henley & Glenn Frey]

2. Twenty One [Lead Vocals, Bernie Leadon]

3. Out Of Control [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey]

4. Tequila Sunrise [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey]

5. Desperado [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

6. Certain Kind Of Fool [Lead Vocals, Randy Meisner] – Side 2

7. Doolin-Dalton (Instrumental)

8. Outlaw Man [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey]

9. Saturday Night [Lead Vocals, Don Henley & Randy Meisner]

10. Bitter Creek [Lead Vocals, Bernie Leadon]

11. Doolin-Dalton/Desperado (Reprise) [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

Tracks 1 to 11 are their 2nd album "Desperado" – released April 1973 in the USA on Asylum SD 5068 and June 1973 in the UK on Asylum SYL 901. All songs are Eagles originals except "Outlaw Man" - written by David Blue. The album peaked at 41 in the USA but only charted belatedly in the UK in July 1975 at No. 39 - the month their 4th album "One Of The These Nights" was issued.

 

Disc 3 – "On The Border" (40:25 minutes):

1. Already Gone [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey]

2. You Never Cry Like A Lover [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

3. Midnight Flyer [Lead Vocals, Randy Meisner]

4. My Man [Lead Vocals, Bernie Leadon]

5. On The Border [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

6. James Dean [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey]

7. Ol' 55 [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey & Don Henley] – Side 2

8. Is It True? [Lead Vocals, Randy Meisner]

9. Good Day In Hell [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey & Don Henley]

10. Best Of My Love [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

Tracks 1 to 10 are their 3rd album "On The Border" – released March 1974 in the USA on Asylum 7E 1004 and May 1974 in the UK on Asylum SYL 9014. "Already Gone", "James Dean" and "Best Of My Love" were all issued as successful US 45s in April, August and November 1974 ("Best Of My Love" would their first US No. 1). Al Perkins of Stephen Stills' Manassas plays Slide Guitar on Tom Waits' "Ol' 55".

 

The mighty tune-smith and Bukowski-type hero that is Tom Waits probably made more money out of his "Ol' 55" on Side 2 of "On The Border" than he did from the royalties of his entire first two albums on David Geffen's Asylum label which went criminally unnoticed for years. Bernie Leadon's beautiful "My Man" was a tribute to Gram Parsons the leader of the Country-Rock outfit The Flying Burrito Brothers who had died in September of 1973 (only six months before the Eagles' third album was released). It's the kind of effortless warmth they often achieved in ballads – the type of song I used to play into the ground and ruminate on (deep baby deep). You can just about make out Glenn Frey's whispered "Good Night Dick" as the title track "On The Border" fades out – a caustic jab at President Richard Nixon's impending doom amidst the infamous Watergate scandal and cover-up (Tricky Dicky finally resigned in shame in the Autumn of 1974).

 

Disc 4 – "One Of These Nights" (43:01 minutes):

1. One Of These Nights [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

2. Too Many Hands [Lead Vocals, Randy Meisner]

3. Hollywood Waltz [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

4. Journey Of The Sorcerer [Instrumental by Bernie Leadon]

5. Lyin' Eyes [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey] – Side 2

6. Take It To The Limit [Lead Vocals, Randy Meisner]

7. Visions [Lead Vocals, Don Felder]

8. After The Thrill Is Gone [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey & Don Henley]

9. I Wish You Peace [Lead Vocals, Bernie Leadon]

Tracks 1 to 9 are their 4th album "One Of These Nights" – released June 1975 in the USA on Asylum 7E 1039 and in the UK on Asylum SYLA 8759.

 

It's worth noting that the track "One Of These Nights" is the 'full album version' here - the cut on March 1976's "Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)" LP (which has sold over 40 million copies worldwide) is an edit that loses the intro. For me one of the album’s strength’s (amidst a distinct lack of tunes on Side 2) was the Side 1 finisher "Journey Of The Sorcerer" – Bernie Leadon's orchestra and banjo instrumental - the BBC used it as a theme song to the TV adaptation of Douglas Adam's wonderful "The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy".

 

Disc 5 – "Hotel California" (43:27 minutes):

1. Hotel California [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

2. New Kid In Town [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey]

3. Life In The Fast Lane [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

4. Wasted Time [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

5. Wasted Time (Reprise) [Instrumental] – Side 2

6. Victim Of Love [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

7. Pretty Maids All In A Row [Lead Vocals, Joe Walsh]

8. Try And Love Again [Lead Vocals, Randy Meisner]

9. The Last Resort [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

Tracks 1 to 9 are their fifth and biggest selling album "Hotel California" – released December 1976 in the USA on Asylum 7E 1084 and in the UK on Asylum K 53051. It went to Number 1 in both countries and has subsequently sold over 30 million copies. "New Kid In Town", "Hotel California" and "Life In The Fast Lane" were all US 45s in December 1976, March and May 1977 – with both "New Kid..." and "Hotel California" hitting the coveted No. 1 spot.

 

Disc 6 – "The Long Run" (42:39 minutes):

1. The Long Run [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

2. I Can't Tell You Why [Lead Vocals, Timothy B. Schmit]

3. In The City [Lead Vocals, Joe Walsh]

4. The Disco Strangler [Lead Vocals, Don Henley & Glenn Frey]

5. King Of Hollywood [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey]

6. Heartache Tonight [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey] – Side 2

7. These Shoes [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

8. Teenage Jail [Lead Vocals, Glenn Frey & Don Henley]

9. The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks [Lead Vocals, Don Henley]

10. The Sad Café [Lead Vocals, Glenn Fry]

Tracks 1 to 10 are their sixth album "The Long Run" – released September 1979 in the USA on Asylum 5E-508 and October 1979 in the UK on Asylum K 52181. "Heartache Tonight", "The Long Run" and "I Can't Tell You Why" were all released as US 7” singles in September and November 1979 and February 1980 with "Heartache Tonight" emulating the album's No. 1 position on the US charts.

 

Joe Walsh's wonderful "In The City" first turned up in a version on "The Warriors" Soundtrack LP in 1979 (a co-write with Barry De Vorzon who formed Valiant Records in the 60ts and penned loads of music for films and TV) – while the Grammy-winning "Heartache Tonight" was a co-write between Glenn Frey, Bob Seger and J.D. Souther. Jimmy Buffett sings on the silly vocal refrains in the awful "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" - while ace Saxophonist David Sanborn saves the day by putting in a beautiful solo on the moving finale piece "The Sad Café".

 

The clamshell box pictures all six albums on the rear and inside you get singular card sleeves with no booklet. So the gatefold and inner of "Eagles" is missing, the textured feel to the front and back cover of "On The Border" isn’t there, the Embossed "One Of The Nights" front cover and it’s inner sleeve is not here, the gatefolds, inners and varying posters that came with "Hotel California" and "The Long Run" are all awol too. Shame someone couldn’t have taken a leaf from the Japanese when it comes repro artwork. However – in a nod to the period - each of the CD's label designs reflect their original design (white Asylum for the first two, Boxed Cage logo for number three and so on). They've even printed each album’s original vinyl catalogue number printed on the disc too. But that's it. No lyrics, no booklet, no photos, no appraisal or history – which is a damn shame. Cheap and cheerful I suppose...

 

The Remasters are those carried out by Ted Jensen in 1999 when the catalogue was reissued and they sound really great (always did). But it’s the consistency of the music... What hammers you time and time again as you wade through the albums is the sheer quality of the tunes – hit after catchy hit – and none of it feels maudlin or dated forty years after the event. OK, this is so American West Coast – but man is it good. Even when they made a 2CD "Best Of" compilation there a few years ago, there was still plenty of room for those album nuggets in-between the hits. I've highlighted who sang lead vocals on what – Frey and Henley getting the lion's choice – but in truth the Meisner, Leadon and Felder tracks all impress too.

 

What a glorious sound they made for that whole brilliant decade – and what a sad loss to music is Glenn Frey’s passing. "The Studio Albums Collection 1972-1979" is musically comprehensive, attractive to behold and sounds damn cool too – dig in, enjoy and remember him this way...