Where is Don Henley’s Soul?
So I went to see the Eagles the other night. It was a last minute surprise courtesy of a pal who had a free ticket. I’d seen the band a few years ago, paying a reasonable $50 to sit behind the stage. I remember really enjoying that show; the set list was full of undeniable classics, and the musicianship was top notch. While I never planned on seeing the band again, I was happy to sit in some prime seats, enjoy the show, and listen to some tunes from the band’s new album “Long Road Out Of Eden”. I expected that I’d enjoy the show just as much as I did the first time out, but by the end of the night I was left wondering if sitting behind the stage was a far better option than actually seeing the show as a whole.
Now don’t get me wrong; once again the songs were solid (some of the new tunes were weak live, but I did enjoy the epic title track to the new album), and the band and it’s 8 auxiliary musicians replicated the Eagles studio sound note perfectly. Problem was, in my estimation there was absolutely no soul or joy to the show. The guys seemed like the law firm of Henley, Frey, Schmidt, and Walsh, decked out in black suits until the second half of the show when they took off their jackets only to be clad in white button-up shirts. Everything just seemed so sterile. I think I saw Henley crack a smile once when he was standing beside Joe Walsh, the only guy who seemed to be enjoying himself on stage.
For the Eagles it seems like playing gigs and making music isn’t about the passion; it’s just a job that they do to subsidize their already fat wallets. And there’s no doubt that they do the job very professionally. But for a group of artists who’ve created some of the most enduring music of the past 35 years, it’s a shame that they seem so removed from their legacy.
Check out this clip from their live DVD, recorded in Melbourne on what must have been casual Friday for the band, and then use HENLEY as today’s bonus code.
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:17 am
Hi, Andrew
I couldn’t agree with you more. My husband and I went last night. We saw them at the ex in ‘77 and we both felt that last night’s show was missing something. As we were leaving I actually said to my husband that Joe Walsh seemed to be the only one with a personality. My husband was escorted by security for taking a few pictures at one point, naughty him. They deleted what he had and returned him to his seat. He wasn’t too bothered, he said to security I have the best pics from 35 years ago maybe when they weren’t so greedy.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
I believe it is hiding somewhere in his wallet.