Personnel:
Glenn Frey (g, vcl), Bernie Leadon (g, banjo, vcl), Joe Walsh (g, p, org, vcl), Don Felder (g, org, vcl), Randy Meisner (b, vcl), Don Henley (d, perc, vcl)
Reference: 8122 79623 9
Bar code: 081227962395
This 4-CD set takes the listener on a detailed tour of the Eagles' career. One of the most successful American groups of the '70s, the Eagles combined country-rock roots with the burgeoning L.A. soft-rock aesthetic that reigned in the U.S. at the time.
The artfully arranged SELECTED WORKS moves from the early, earthy "Take it Easy" and "Already Gone" to the pure pop balladry of "The Best of My Love," "I Can't Tell You Why," and the roadhouse rock of "Heartache Tonight" and "Life in the Fast Lane." The unerringly infectious melodies and carefully constructed, tight-as-a-drum arrangements go a long way toward explaining why some regarded the Eagles as the "American Beatles."
The live material included on the fourth disc offers an au natural glimpse of the band, revealing that they were solid even with all the studio polish stripped away. The Eagles finally receive their due with this 4-CD set, which includes 52 songs and an ENTIRE disc of unreleased live tracks featuring everything from hits like Hotel California and Peaceful Easy Feeling to surprises like Funk 49 and Please Come Home for Christmas ! Also here, of course, are their studio-perfect smashes like Take It Easy; Already Gone; Witchy Woman; James Dean; Lyin' Eyes; Desperado; New Kid in Town; Take It to the Limit; One of These Nights; Heartache Tonight; Life in the Fast Lane , and The Long Run.
Includes a 40-page book with liner notes by Bill Szymczyk, David Wild, and Glen Frey.
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Complete Tracklisting:
CD 1 - The Early Days
01. Take It Easy 3:30
02. Hollywood Waltz 4:01
03. Already Gone 4:15
04. Doolin-Dalton 3:26
05. Midnight Flyer 3:58
06. Tequila Sunrise 2:52
07. Witchy Woman 4:11
08. Train Leaves Here This Morning 4:07
09. Outlaw Man 3:29
10. Peaceful Easy Feeling 4:15
11. James Dean 3:37
12. Saturday Night 3:19
13. On The Border 5:12
CD 2 - The Ballads
01. Wasted Time [Reprise] 1:20
02. Wasted Time 4:54
03. I Cant Tell You Why 4:53
04. Lyin Eyes 6:20
05. Pretty Maids All In A Row 3:58
06. Desperado 3:32
07. Try And Love Again 5:09
08. The Best Of My Love 4:35
09. New Kid In Town 5:04
10. Love Will Keep Us Alive 4:02
11. The Sad Cafe 5:33
12. Take It To The Limit 4:47
13. After The Thrill Is Gone 4:48
CD 3 - The Fast Lane
01. One Of These Nights [Intro] 1:59
02. One Of These Nights 4:49
03. The Disco Strangler 2:45
04. Heartache Tonight 4:25
05. Hotel California 6:29
06. Born To Boogie 2:16
07. In The City 3:44
08. Get Over It 3:29
09. King Of Hollywood 6:25
10. Too Many Hands 4:41
11. Life In The Fast Lane 4:45
12. The Long Run 3:41
13. Long Run Leftovers 3:01
14. The Last Resort 7:27
15. Random Victims, Part 3 9:43
CD 4 - The Millenium Concert
01. Hotel California (Live) 6:57
02. Victim Of Love (Live) 5:01
03. Peaceful Easy Feeling (Live) 5:23
04. Please Come Home For Christmas (Live) 3:02
05. Ol 55 (Live) 5:52
06. Take It To The Limit (Live) 4:12
07. Those Shoes (Live) 6:12
08. Funky New Year (Live) 3:45
09. Dirty Laundry (Live) 5:54
10. Funk 49 (Live) 3:47
11. All She Wants To Do Is Dance (Live) 5:20
12. The Best Of My Love (Live) 5:05
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Review:
"The relative sonic neglect suffered by the Eagles' catalog was the fault of the band's consistent success -- with the original albums and hits collections still selling year after year, why bother to upgrade? Finally, however, longtime Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk remastered their albums in 1999, and the band put together a box set.
Including most of their hits (the exception is "Seven Bridges Road") and lots of album tracks, the four-CD set regroups the Eagles' material into three categories: "The Early Days," which consists of 13 tracks from their first four albums; "The Ballads"; and "The Fast Lane," i.e., rhythm songs. The fourth disc is drawn from their millennium concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. While their early albums balanced the contributions of their members, "The Early Days" is dominated by Glenn Frey and Don Henley; that means a few worthy efforts are missing, but the selection is generally good. "The Ballads" is a straightforward collection of popular slow songs. Along with their more uptempo hits, "The Fast Lane" contains what little unreleased material there is, but anyone hoping for greatness is going to be disappointed. The Eagles have gone out of their way in "The Millennium Concert" to perform songs out of their usual repertoire, including several solo hits and both sides of their 1978 seasonal single, "Please Come Home for Christmas" and "Funky New Year." Much of this is minor or atypical material, but at least the unusually animated band members were trying (though it sounds like there was plenty of studio overdubbing).
The overall result is a nearly four-hour collection that is something of a hodgepodge. There are enough rarities to bait the hook for hardcore Eagles fans, but not really satisfy them, and casual fans will probably be better off with the two single-disc hits collections."
William Ruhlmann -All Music Guide
