Eagles
Desperado

THE REVIEW

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!!