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Rating: Uh-oh! It was pointed out to us that this review also appears (in whole or in part) in "100 Dischi Ideali Per Capire Il Rock" by Ezio Guiatamacchi
When, at the end of 1976, the sweet melodies of "Hotel California" began to play incessantly on radios around the world, no one was able to perceive what was hidden behind those seemingly calm songs, behind those perfect vocal harmonies, behind those romantically typical west guitar notes. It just seemed like the fabulous new work of the best American country-rock band. Only when you begin to pay more attention to the unsettling lyrics of the title track does something of what was hiding behind the new Eagles album emerge. What emerged was not very pleasant to see.
Twenty years from those days, when the story has been pieced together from interviews and biographies, it appears as a painful portrait of decay, envy, internal strife; in perfect rock style but very close to the specter of death. In fact, this is a story of drugs and rock 'n' roll. Of jealousy and envy. The other side of sunny California, where beautiful girls parade. Yet the images, starting from the cover, should have already made something clear: that majestic hotel in the light of an apparently tranquil sunset but reflected in those blue lights and impending shadows appears quite cold; the five members of the band inside, with those worn faces as if they had passed through the flames of hell; and finally that luxurious hall left behind, except for a figure in the distance sweeping the floor as if nothing had happened.
A little history, then: when the Eagles were about to enter the Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles in March 1976, they were the most popular band in the United States. The Eagles' career, short but dazzling, made country-rock the most successful formula in America. For this album, new paths had to be found anyway. The recordings took place in an atmosphere that was anything but serene. This episode alone is enough to understand it. One evening, while in the house he rented for that period, Meisner hears a knock on the door. It’s Don Felder and Joe Walsh with distraught faces. They said they were ruining everything. During those eight months in the studio, the five consumed industrial quantities of cocaine, testing both their physical and nervous systems. 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.
All these feelings are evident, starting from the title track, the farewell to the dream of California, that of good vibrations and "peace & love". From the lyrics, it is understood that 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. The splendid change of solos at the end between Felder's guitars and Walsh's fades everything into the mist of music. California is seen as a microcosm reflecting the rest of the world.
At the end of the recordings, Frey and Henley, despite everything, are satisfied with the result: in fact, they declared that from now on the Eagles were not just writing chart-topping songs. "Hotel California", consciously or not, is a concept album, also published just in time before the "Bicentennial" year and the related grand celebrations for the United States' two hundred years of existence, come to an end. A concept album where the lifestyle of the so-called "Southern California", that is, the world of stars and cinema, is bitterly denounced through the story of the "new kid in town" aspiring for success, eventually living a "life in the fast lane" only to end up locked in the fake paradise of Hotel California where he finally understands it has all been "wasted time".
These concepts are expressed in "New Kid In Town", "Life In The Fast Lane", "Wasted Time" and in the wonderful "Hotel California", the masterpiece song of the album, and also the most famous. In "The Last Resort" at the end, there is a lingering hope, that of resurrection. Henley and Frey surely may have tyrannized their companions, but you cannot say that the result proved them wrong: the only track composed by Randy Meisner, the nice "Try And Love Again", is an innocuous country-rock like the one belonging to the Eagles' past and has very little to do with the rest of the album, with the complex pianistic, vocal, and orchestral structure of magnificent tracks. Joe Walsh, on his side, signs the hard rock in "Life In The Fast Line" which announces the future of the Eagles, those of "The Long Run". The only contribution of the other member of the band, Don Felder, is "Victim Of Love", however, composed together with Frey and Henley.
To this day, this album has sold more than ten million copies. But the Hotel California is already closing its doors, and for those who lingered inside, there is no more hope. The winds of punk are already blowing fiercely around its building, and now it is no longer the time to "dream of California".The journey is over.
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 Grasshopper
"For all six and a half minutes of 'Hotel California'... we are immersed in the haze of a warm Californian sunset."
"An album steadily declining, but since 'highs and lows even out,' decent overall."
