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Rating: "If only a beautiful song were enough..." now that's an erudite quote. Forget Oscar Wilde or Karl Kraus aphorisms, let alone La Rochefoucauld's maxims: this is the sound folk wisdom from our export sales champion, the one who represents Italian music worldwide: Eros Ramazzotti! And then we wonder why Italy's esteem abroad is plummeting, or even worse, we blame the Government... Well, let's forget about it and restart from Ramazzotti's brilliant hypothesis.
If a beautiful song were enough to make an album a masterpiece, "Hotel California" by the Eagles would undoubtedly be one, given that it contains the equally stunning ballad that both opens and, in a sense, closes the album, tyrannically dominating the rest. From the very first guitar chords of the introduction, you know a great tune is coming, and when the drums kick in with their unmistakable syncopated rhythm, the promises are amply fulfilled. "On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair...": the first verse already introduces us to the Eagles' world, one of endless, sun-drenched expanses, often desert-like, of the American West Coast states, and it doesn't matter that the members of this group actually come from all corners of the USA. It is from these legendary settings that their inspiration for country-rock arises, more rock than country (the country component is limited to the virtuosic and heavy use of acoustic guitars). Or rather, it's from the myth, one of the many American myths, now mostly good for car advertisements, because, as Bruce Springsteen teaches us with crude yet wise realism, the reality of American roads is quite different. But at least with music, you can dream of an America that no longer exists, and perhaps never did.
The rock enriched with warm country colors by the Eagles, despite being quintessentially American, has been very well-received abroad, making them, despite a relatively short career, one of the top-grossing acts of the '70s, but at least in their case, "commercial" is not synonymous with "trash," and while their content is what it is, we cannot ignore their admirable, painstaking technique, along with a certain melodic inventiveness. For all six and a half minutes of "Hotel California", up to the long and masterful final electric guitar solo, we are immersed in the haze of a warm Californian sunset, from which emerges the glitter of an hotel's neon signs in the desert, a longed-for yet indefinite destination that represents the American dream. But then? Then comes the cold sensation of a gradual return to the ordinary. First with the good slow "New Kid In Town", an impeccable blend of soft bass and clear electric guitars, certainly among the highlights, then with a rock track like "Life In The Fast Lane" that is neither here nor there, finally with the romanticism of "Wasted Time", with its classical piano introduction and string orchestra accompaniment, which somehow harmonizes with the group's usual sounds. The syrup is dangerously looming, but a well-placed tune saves it all. "Victim Of Love" attempts to recreate the serene country-rock balance of the early Eagles, succeeding only in part. So far, the album has proceeded more than decently, but banality lurks towards the end: first with "Pretty Maids All In A Row", which, upon closer listening, is a clone of "Take It To The Limit", then with "Try And Love Again", with its predictable melody, redeemable only for the beautiful sound effects of the guitars, and finally with the sugary slow "The Last Resort", whose piano start promises a lot, only to lead into a rather cloying refrain. Notably, this finale's theme and vocals were entirely lifted by Umberto Tozzi and transposed into his forgotten "Dimentica dimentica", and that alone gives an idea of the Eagles' slip at this point. A slip that closes an album steadily declining, but since "highs and lows even out," decent overall.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Hotel California (06:30)
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself
'This could be Heaven or this could be Hell'
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor
I thought I heard them say...
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
(Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year, (Any time of year) you can find it here
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes Bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
So I called up the Captain
'Please bring me my wine'
He said,'We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine'
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say...
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
(Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise, (What a nice surprise) bring your alibis
Mirrors on the ceiling
The pink champagne on ice
And she said 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device'
And in their master's chambers
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives
But they just can't kill the beast
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
'Relax,' said the night man
We are programmed to receive
You can checkout any time you like
But you can never leave!
02 New Kid in Town (05:03)
There's talk on the street; it sounds so familiar
Great expectations, everybody's watching you
People you meet, they all seem to know you
Even your old friends treat you like you're something new
Johnny come lately, the new kid in town
Everybody loves you, so don't let them down
You look in her eyes; the music begins to play
Hopeless romantics, here we go again
But after awhile, you're lookin' the other way
It's those restless hearts that never mend
Johnny come lately, the new kid in town
Will she still love you when you're not around?
There's so many things you should have told her,
but night after night you're willing to hold her,
Just hold her, tears on your shoulder
There's talk on the street, it's there to
Remind you, that it doesn't really matter
which side you're on.
You're walking away and they're talking behind you
They will never forget you 'til somebody new comes along
Where you been lately? There's a new kid in town
Everybody loves him, don't they?
Now he's holding her, and you're still around
Oh, my, my
There's a new kid in town
Ooh, hoo
just another new kid in town
Ooh, hoo
Everybody's talking 'bout the new kid in town,
Everybody's walking' like the new kid in town
There's a new kid in town
There's a new kid in town
I don't want to hear it
There's a new kid in town
I don't want to hear it
There's a new kid in town
There's a new kid in town
There's a new kid in town
03 Life in the Fast Lane (04:46)
He was a hard-headed man
He was brutally handsome, and she was terminally pretty
She held him up, and he held her for ransom in the heart
of the cold, cold city
He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude
They said he was ruthless, they said he was crude
They had one thing in common, they were
good in bed
She'd say, 'Faster,faster. The lights are turnin' red."
Life in the fast lane
Surely make you lose your mind, mm
Are you with me so far?
Eager for action and hot for the game
The coming attraction, the drop of a name
They knew all the right people, they took
all the right pills
They threw outrageous parties, they paid heavily bills.
There were lines on the mirror, lines on her face
She pretended not to notice, she was caught up
in the race
Out every evening, until it was light
He was too tired to make it, she was too tired
to fight about it
Life in the fast lane
Surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, everything all the time
Life in the fast lane, uh huh
Blowin' and burnin', blinded by thirst
They didn't see the stop sign,
took a turn for the worst.
She said, "Listen, baby.You can hear the engine
ring.We've been up and down this highway;
haven't seen a goddam thing."
He said,"Call the doctor. I think I'm gonna crash."
"The doctor says he's comin', but you gotta pay him in cash."
They went rushin' down that freeway, messed around
and got lost
They didn't care they were just dyin' to get off
And it was life in the fast lane
Life in the fast lane
04 Wasted Time (04:56)
Well baby, there you stand
With your little head, down in your hand
Oh, my God, you can't believe
It's happening again
your baby's gone, and you're all alone
and it looks like the end.
And you're back out on the street.
And you're tryin' to remember.
How will you start it over?
You don't know if you can.
You don't care much for a stranger's touch,
but you can't hold your man.
You never thought you'd be alone
this far down the line
And I know what's been on your mind
You're afraid it's all been wasted time
The autumn leaves have got you thinking
about the first time that you fell
You didn't love the boy too much, no, no
you just loved the boy too well, farewell
So you live from day to day, and you dream
about tomorrow, oh.
And the hours go by like minutes
and the shadows come to stay
So you take a little something
to make them go away
And I could have done so many things, baby
If I could only stop my mind from wonderin' what
I left behind and from worrying 'bout this wasted time
Ooh, another love has come and gone
Ooh, and the years keep rushing on
I remember what you told me
before you went out on your own:
"Sometimes to keep it together,
you got to leave it alone."
So you can get on with your search, baby,
and I can get on with mine
And maybe someday we will find,
that it wasn't really wasted time
Mm,hm
Oh hoo, ooh, ohh,
Ooh,ooh, mm
06 Victim of Love (04:09)
What kind of love have you got?
You should be home, but you're not
A room full of noise and dangerous boys
still makes you thirsty and hot
I heard about you and that man
There's just one thing I don't understand
You say he's a liar and he put out
your fire
How come you still got his gun in your hand?
Victim of love , I see a broken heart
You got your stories to tell
Victim of love, it's such an easy part
and you know how to play it so well
Some people never come clean
I think you know what I mean
You're walkin' the wire, pain and desire
Looking for love in between
Tell me your secrets, I'll tell you mine
This ain't no time to be cool
And tell all your girlfriends,
you "been around the world" friends
that talk is for losers and fools
Victim of love, I see a broken heart
I could be wrong, but I'm no
Victim of love, we're not so far apart
Show me, what kind of love have you got?
Victim of love, you're just a victim of love
I could be wrong , but I'm not
Victim of love, now you're a victim of love
What kind of love have you got?
What kind of love have you got?
What kind of love have you got
07 Pretty Maids All in a Row (03:58)
Hi there,
How are 'ya?
it's been a long time
it seems like we've come a long way
My, but we learn so slow
and heroes, they come
and they go
and leave us behind as if
we're s'pposed to know why
Why do we give up our hearts to the past?
and why must we grow up so fast?
And all you wishing well fools
with your fortunes
someone should send you a rose with
love from a friend,
it's nice to hear from you
again
And the storybook comes to a close
Gone are the ribbons and bows
Things to remember places to go
Pretty Maids all in a Row
Oh, oh oh, oh......
09 The Last Resort (07:28)
She came from Providence,
the one in Rhode Island
Where the old world shadows hang
heavy in the air
She packed her hopes and dreams
like a refugee
Just as her father came across the sea
She heard about a place people were smilin'
They spoke about the red man's way,
and how they loved the land
And they came from everywhere
to the Great Divide
Seeking a place to stand
or a place to hide
Down in the crowded bars,
out for a good time,
Can't wait to tell you all,
what it's like up there
And they called it paradise
I don't know why
Somebody laid the mountains low
while the town got high
Then the chilly winds blew down
Across the desert
through the canyons of the coast, to
the Malibu
Where the pretty people play,
hungry for power
to light their neon way
and give them things to do
Some rich men came and raped the land,
Nobody caught 'em
Put up a bunch of ugly boxes, and Jesus,
people bought them
And they called it paradise
The place to be
They watched the hazy sun, sinking in the sea
You can leave it all behind
and sail to Lahaina
just like the missionaries did, so many years ago
They even brought a neon sign:''Jesus is coming''
Brought the white man's burden down
Brought the white man's reign
Who will provide the grand design?
What is yours and what is mine?
'Cause there is no more new frontier
We have got to make it here
We satisfy our endless needs and
justify our bloody deeds,
in the name of destiny and in the name
of God
And you can see them there,
On Sunday morning
Stand up and sing about
What it's like up there
They call it paradise
I don't know why
You call someplace paradise,
kiss it goodbye
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Other reviews
By STIPE
The dream has become a claustrophobic nightmare, the hotel that represents the successful California is a place full of dangers from which no one will ever leave.
It is difficult to believe that a group of people who hate each other so much could have produced such a beautiful album; yet it happened.
