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Rating: The Eagles have been, and still are since they continue to perform live, one of the most important and famous bands in the history of rock. Just think of their album "Hotel California," with monstrous sales that marked their peak and also their rapid decline due to drugs, alcohol, and internal conflicts that led to their breakup at the beginning of the '80s.
"Hotel California" is their most celebrated work since it sold and continues to sell tremendously even today, becoming one of the five or six best-selling albums of all time. However, it is perhaps also their most snobbish album, where the group's chemistry was already undermined by various issues, while a few years earlier they were the creators of delightful country rock, with melancholic but effective ballads and stunning rock tracks, characterized by enviable vocal harmony, worthy if not superior to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
The Eagles were formed from the union of four young men hailing from the four corners of the States, all with the dream of making it in the music world, all coming from more or less satisfying musical experiences. Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner for different reasons went to seek their fortune in Los Angeles at the beginning of the '70s, and since they often and gladly frequented various local venues like the Troubadour, they met and after participating as a supporting group for Linda Ronstadt, they decided to go independent and form a band. In 1972 their first album "Eagles" was released, which achieved decent success with the singles "Take it Easy" (written with the participation of Jackson Browne, a great friend of Glenn Frey who would become a great songwriter himself), "Witchy Woman," and "Peaceful Easy Feeling," produced by the great Glyn Johns, who had already collaborated with Who and Rolling Stones, who took the Eagles to London to record their debut work. Loved and hated in a contrasting way by critics, the debut album was nonetheless a good start, which allowed them to make themselves known to the whole world.
Their second album titled "Desperado" (and in my opinion their best), was released in April 1973, again with the participation of Johns and again recorded in London, at Island Studios. It is a concept album, a saga set in the Wild West, that tells the story of Bill Doolin's gang and the Dalton brothers, outlaws and bank robbers in late 1800s Kansas. The idea came to Frey after reading a book narrating these stories, gifted to him by Browne. The album didn't initially have great success even though it contained some of the best songs ever written by the Eagles, but it was re-evaluated over time, becoming a platinum album.
The work opens with "Doolin-Dalton," one of their best tracks, a melancholic and sweet piece that starts with an emotional harmonica supported by an acoustic guitar riff, where the band showcases its skill in vocal harmonization. Here are introduced the exploits of the Doolin-Dalton gang, ruthless bandits who sowed terror in the villages of Kansas. I'm very attached to this piece because I used to play it with my group, in the acoustic medley with "Have you ever seen the Rain" by Creedence and "Listen to the Music" by Doobie Brothers, good times those!! After this exciting start, it's the turn of "Twenty-One," a track written by Leadon where banjo and dobro take center stage, supporting this mini bluegrass suite. The 21 are the years of this boy savoring freedom and who doesn't understand why he should ever die at that age. No sooner does the track fade than "Out of Control" arrives, a decidedly more rock 'n roll piece, hard and sharp, with electric guitars and frenzied rhythm, excellent for introducing two magnificent ballads, where you see all the talent of the four; the first is "Tequila Sunrise," a sweet and dreamy ballad that was the first single extracted from the album, reaching the 41st place (only??) on the American charts. Melancholic, this folk ballad immediately evokes dusty roads and sunlit sunsets, becoming one of the band's most played live pieces. One of the best moments of the work is the following "Desperado," a song of hope where the protagonist is a man wounded by past love experiences and who fears loving again. At the piano intro then add drums and guitar, making it a wonderful and exhilarating ballad. The song was later interpreted over the years by various pop and soul artists but they never managed to achieve the perfection of the Eagles in performing it. Followed by a song sung by Meisner, "Certain kind of Fool," a good country rock track in Buffalo Springfield style, and "Doolin-Dalton instrumental," where the band goes wild in a short instrumental version of the opening track, in which Leadon's banjo stands out. Then "Outlaw Man," where there is a good intertwining of electric and acoustic guitars making it a nice impactful piece, and "Saturday Night," a serenade dominated by Leadon's mandolin in tex-mex style, delicate and evocative, a strong piece in future live performances.
Bernie Leadon signs the next song, "Bitter Creek" (the name comes from a member of the outlaw gang), a piece with a robust structure where the guitarist remains true to his love for country rock. Leadon was indeed a pioneer of the genre, having been part of the Flying Burrito Brothers, a band led by the great Gram Parsons.
The album closes with "Doolin-Dalton Reprise," the final mix of the two guide songs of the album, a medley where once again ample space is given to the vocal harmonies that constitute the band's trademark. Undoubtedly a beautiful and well-played album, where the perfectionist mania of the Henley-Frey duo is noticeable, an often underrated album but one I recommend hearing because it is among the Eagles' best works!!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Doolin-Dalton (03:29)
They were duelin', Doolin-Dalton.
High or low, it was the same:
Easy money and faithless women,
Red-eye whiskey for the pain.
Go down, Bill Dalton, it must be God's will,
Two brothers lyin' dead in Coffeyville,
Two voices call to you from where they stood.
Lay down your law books now, They're no damn good.
Better keep on movin', Doolin-Dalton,
'Til your shadow sets you free.
If you're fast and if you're lucky,
You will never see that hangin' tree.
Well, the towns lay out across the dusty plains
Like graveyards filled with tombstones, waitin' for the names.
And a man could use his back or use his brains,
But some just went stir crazy, Lord, 'cause nothin' ever changed
'Til Bill Doolin met Bill Dalton.
He was workin' cheap, just bidin' time.
Then he laughed and said, "I'm goin'"
And so he left that peaceful life behind.
Mm...
03 Out of Control (03:05)
Oh, my, don't the sky look spacious
With the stars all shinin' down
Well, I can hear the night wind howlin'
It's a high and lonesome sound
And I ain't had a woman in so long
I can't feed my starvin soul
Come on, saddle up, boys, we're gonna ride into town
We're gonna get a little out of control
There's a card game in the corner
And the barmaid smiled at me
Well, I tipped her a sliver dollar and
she brought me a drink for free
All the town-folk call her the cheap one
And the gamblers call her Flo
Come on, set 'em up again
I got me a friend and I think I'm gettin' out of control
Oh,oh,oh
She's cool water, her momma taught her
I got news, she's mine and mine alone
And if anybody's lookin' for trouble
You know I'm the one you want to try
Well, I'll fight any man who wants to
And I don't care who or why
You got to gamble on your story
You got no guts, you get no glory
And I'm bettin' my money on an ace in the hole
Think I'm gettin' out of control
04 Tequila Sunrise (02:54)
Tequila Sunrise
It's another tequila sunrise,
stirrin slowly across the sky,
I said goodbye,
he was just a hired hand,
workin on the dreams he planned to try,
the days go by.
Every night when the sun goes down,
Just another lonely boy in town,
And she's out runnin round.
She wasn't just another woman,
And I couldn't keep from comin on,
It's been so long.
Oh and it's a hollow feelin,
When it comes down to dealin friends,
It never ends.
Take another shot of courage,
Wonder why the right words never come,
You just get numb.
It's another tequila sunrise,
And this old world still looks the same,
Another frame.
05 Desperado (03:34)
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
You been out ridin' fences for so long now
Oh, you're a hard one
But I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow
Don't you draw the queen of diamonds boy
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet
Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can't get
Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home
And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're losin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you
(Let somebody love you)
You better let somebody love you
Before it's too late
06 Certain Kind of Fool (03:01)
He was a poor boy, raised in a small family
He kinda had a craving for somethin' no one else could see
They say that he was crazy,
The kind that no lady should meet
He ran out to the city and wandered around in the street
He wants to dance, oh yeah,
He wants to sing, oh yeah,
He wants to see the lights a flashin' and listen
to the thunder ring
He saw it in a window
The mark of a new kind of man
He kinda liked the feeling, so shiny and smooth in his hand
He took it to the country and practiced for days without rest
And then one day he felt if,
He knew he could stand with the best
They got respect, oh yeah,
He wants the same, oh yeah,
And it's a certain kind of fool who
Like to hear the sound of his own name
Oo...
A poster on a storefront, the picture of a wanted man
He had a reputation spreading like fire throught the land
It wasn't for the money, at least it didn't start that way
It wasn't for the runnin' , but now he's runnin' everyday
08 Outlaw Man (03:34)
I am an outlaw, I was born an outlaw's son
The highway is my legacy
On the highway I will run
In one hand I've a Bible
In the other I've got a gun
Well, don' you know me
I'm the man who won
Woman don't try to love me
Don't try to understand
A life upon the road is the life of an outlaw man
First left my woman, it was down in Santa Fe
Headed for Oklahoma, I was ridin' night and day
All of my friends are strangers,
They quickly come and go
And all my love's in danger,
'Cause I steal hearts and souls
Woman, don't try to love me
Don't try to understand A life upon the road is the life of an outlaw man
oo....
Woman, don't try to love me
Don't try to understand
A life upon the road is the life of an outlaw man
Some me call me Abel,
Some men call me Cain,
Some men call me sinner, Lord
Some men call me saint
Some say there's a Jesus
Some men say there ain't
When you got no life to lose
Then there's nothin' left to gain
Outlaw man
Outlaw man
10 Bitter Creek (05:03)
Once I was young and so unsure
I'd try any ill to find the cure
An old man told me
Tryin' to scold me
"Oh, son, don't wade to deep in Bitter Creek,"
(Bitter Creek)
Out where the desert meets the sky
Is where I go when I wanna hide
Oh, peyote (oh,peyote,mm)
She tried to show me
(tried to show me)
You know there ain't no cause to weep
at Bitter Creek
(Bitter Creek)
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo, doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
We're gonna hit the road for one last time
We can walk right in and steal 'em blind
All that money (All that money,ooh..)
No more runnin' (No more runnin')
I can't wait to see the old man's face
When I win the race
(Bitter Creek)
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo doo
Doo..........
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Other reviews
By stevesirovai
The Eagles are undoubtedly the best Folk group of all time for me.
'Desperado' should be listened to calmly by calm people like the Eagles.
By giuseppe40
"The atmospheres are evocative, the dust, the horses, the scent of the wood of a saloon... seem to come out of the record."
"'Desperado' is a wistful ballad entrusted to Henley’s voice, a classic that many have reinterpreted but never matched in beauty."
