The Eagles are better known as a country rock act with West Coast leanings, the efforts of ‘Hotel California’ would take Frey, Henley and Co into the stratosphere – success wise.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Eagles
ALBUM: Hotel California
LABEL: Asylum
SERIAL: 7E 1084
YEAR: 1976
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Glenn Frey – vocals, guitar, keyboards * Don Henley – vocals, drums, percussion * Joe Walsh – vocals, guitars, slide guitar, piano, organ * Randy Meisner – vocals, bass, guitar * Don Felder – vocals, guitar, slide guitar
TRACK LISTING: 01 Hotel California * 02 New Kid In Town * 03 Life In The Fast Lane * 04 Wasted Time * 05 Wasted Time (Reprise) * 06 Victim Of Love * 07 Pretty Maids All In A Row * 08 Try And Love Again * 09 The Last Resort
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
1976 was the second year of middle school for me. In New Zealand, we call it intermediate school, and I was about to transition into my love affair with AOR over the next 12 months and into my first year of high school. From that year, the three biggest LP’s out there were ‘Frampton Comes Alive’, ‘Boston’ the debut, and this one: ‘Hotel California’ from the Eagles.
In the years and decades that followed, many have derided the classic rock radio station overkill this album received at the time. Blame this purely on the super success the album generated, the long playing single in particular a hugely successful track on the Billboard Charts during this year. Though better known as a country rock act with West Coast leanings, the efforts of ‘Hotel California’ would take Frey, Henley and Co into the stratosphere – success wise.
The Songs
What is there that hasn’t already been said bout the album’s title track? 6 minutes of classic rock, though the lyrics are straight out of the Blue Oyster Cult book of gothic weirdness! Wasn’t Hotel California all about an asylum or something? I’d need to check it up.
The next track ‘New Kid In Town’ is my favourite Eagles track ever. It’s gentle nature but incisive guitar wotk toward the end ensured this was going to be a hit regardless. Johnny come lately, the a new kid in town.. ‘
‘Life In The Fast Lane’ witnesses the first major change in the Eagles delivery system, a hard rocking affair with some searing guitar work which leaves behind the country rock of old. ‘Wasted Time’ is the album’s principal ballad and wanders over the landscape of lost love and missed opportunities.
‘Victim Of Love’ follows hard on the heels of ‘Life In The Fast Lane’. This could be described as hard AOR, which probably predated the style by at least three years. ‘Pretty Maids All In A Row’ returned to the orchestral ballad style, though only difference is in the lead vocal with Frey in the box seat.
‘Try And Love Again’ tries it’s damnedest to keep some semblance of their country rock roots intact on this album, and it works because of it. ‘The Last Resort’ at over 7 minutes long is a meandering and wistful country ballad and takes us out on a parade of slide guitar.
In Summary
Without doubt, ‘Hotel California’ is an album that is ably represented in our favourite genre, and I’m glad to see it here at Glory Daze before our 20th Anniversary. Some of accolades for the album are as follows: ‘The fifth studio album from the Eagles, going platinum 16 times in the US, 6 times in the UK, and 10 times in Canada. It reached #1 in the US four times in 1977, making it one of the best-selling albums of that year. ‘Hotel California’ reached #1 in the US and Australia. The album produced their biggest hits: ‘New Kid In Town’, ‘Hotel California’ and ‘Life In The Fast Lane’.
Video
Entire Album (Select Tracks)
