"OLD DOGS, NEW TRICKS" WEEK (MAY 1-7, 2011)
This is the only Eagles CD currently I own and, to be honest, I'm not sure how it ended up in my collection. It's almost like someone broke into my house, drank all my rum, and left this CD lying around. I'm fairly positive this is the first time I've listened to it in its entirety. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the band on the radio during their heyday in the '70s, I just never bought any of their stuff. I enjoyed the band the most when they leaned on the rock side of their signature country-rock (Life In The Fast Lane, etc.), but this double disc set is pretty much straight-ahead country music, which I don't normally listen to. So I'm not qualified to trash it, but I can't rave about it either. Go read other reviews about it. I'm going to listen this once and be done. As Sputnik Music says in their review, "So it's simple. Like The Eagles? You'll like this. Don't like The Eagles? The Eagles don't care." Even though I'm not a fan of this particular CD, I won't take it as far as The Dude:
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #1 (1 week, Nov 17, 2007)
Tracks: These songs aren't really my thing, but I didn't mind listening to What Do I Do With My Heart, No More Cloudy Days, Fast Company, Frail Grasp On the Big Picture, Last Good time in Town, and, ironically, I Don't Want To Hear Any More. However, none of this music will get ripped to my iTunes.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, not surprisingly.
Ouch. You, like me, and at least a couple million other music buyers, picked this disc up at Wal-Mart, where it was sold exclusively for about a year for $9.96. Well, maybe not you in particular but obviously someone in your household. (Unless you're sticking with the rum-swilling home invader theory, in which case I'd be worried for your sanity and your safety.)
ReplyDeleteHave loved Eagles music forever (thanks, Dad) but dislike the dudes in the band or at least everything they say and do when they are not performing or recording. As I own at least 20 versions of 15 different Eagles albums on vinyl and CD, I am wholly qualified to trash this album.
This CD was their White Album for me - a collection of disjointed solo efforts that would have made a stronger statement as a single, concise disc. Stronger but not strong. And I'm not even saying it is on the level of Beatles quality - more like Kiss solo albums quality. Even as just their seventh studio album in 35 years, it is the weakest one on the shelf. Only two tracks charted Country, while five made Adult Contemporary Top 25 so I would argue that it is more "soft rock" than "country" - like they are still wearing their boots, they just dusted them off.
The lone track (actually two songs ripped as one track) in my digital library is the epic title track and accompanying prologue "I Dreamed There Was No War". I find it melodramatically haunting and suitable for night driving.
Forgot to mention that I gave copies of Long Road Out Of Eden to my (at the time) 70 year old father-in-law (a Chet Atkins fan who taught himself to play guitar but had never heard of the Eagles) and my then 50 year old brother-in-law (my wife's sister's husband who doesn't listen to music AT ALL; talk radio 24/7 with that guy) that Christmas and strangely enough they are both HUGE Eagles fans now. Have purchased both of them all of their albums and DVDs since then. Bro-In-Law has even seen the band twice - VIP tickets, limo, etc - since then though he'd be hard-pressed to tell you anything about the shows because of his inebriated state.
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