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Eagles @ ACC


Irie Guy

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Here's Toronto Star columnist Greg Quill's take on their first ACC show from two days ago:

IN CONCERT

Eagles' notes perfect but feeling's not so easy

Jul 22, 2008 04:30 AM

GREG QUILL

ENTERTAINMENT COLUMNIST

It's hard to reconcile the sterile, state-of-the-art band that performed the first of three sold-out Air Canada Centre shows last night with the Eagles who elevated country rock to an art form in the late 1970s, with their characteristic high, tight harmonies and richly arranged guitars. They captured the decaying twang of the West Coast zeitgeist in those years so perfectly with their monster album Hotel California.

Back then drummer/singer Don Henley, guitarists Glenn Frey, Don Felder, Joe Walsh, and bassist Timothy B. Schmit were at the very centre of a cultural confluence that had been gathering in American music for almost two decades. They were the harbingers of a perfect musical storm that fused elements of country music, pop, rock and rhythm & blues embellished with lyrics that were alternatively melancholy, sarcastic, intelligently romantic and often sour.

Their numerous hits were – and still are, given how many of them brought fans to their feet last night – intrinsically infectious, instantly recognizable and musically sound.

And while the songs might not have the same cultural resonance they once did, they have become enduring favourites, golden and timeless. In the first half of last night's two-part show, divided by a 20-minute intermission, the oldies provided ample proof of the solid connection between the Eagles (minus Felder, who was sacked in 2001, and whose distinctive guitar work is now being replicated onstage, note-for-note, nuance-for-nuance, by an expert mimic) and their fans. Those songs included "Witchy Woman," "Lyin' Eyes," "Peaceful Easy Feelin'," "Hotel California," "The Long Run" and "Take It Easy."

But with a few exceptions – notably hot and loud solo turns by Walsh ("In the City," "Life's Been Good") and Henley ("Boys of Summer," "Dirty Laundry") – nothing caught fire. The reunited Eagles – augmented by a virtual orchestra that includes three keyboardists, a horn section, a fiddler and a spare drummer – seem so intent on delivering 30- and 40-year-old goods in mint condition that the songs have the sheen of preserved relics, pretty, elegant and almost lifeless.

Moreover, the corporate look the four front men have adopted – grey suits, white shirts and ties – is uncomfortably close to the appearance of a brace of Wall Street bankers. Only Walsh's long blond hair, slicked back but still ungovernable, suggested they were about to crunch guitars instead of numbers.

And despite the generous length of the program, a solid 2 1/2 hours of music, there's something odd about the pacing.

Both sets opened with a bank of songs from the band's current CD, Long Road Out of Eden, which, to be kind, lacks the potency of the Eagles' best work. An all-acoustic run-through of a terminally soporific medley whose high point was "Waiting In The Weeds" was not the way to ratchet things up after intermission.

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It's funny when my coworker first asked me about this a couple months ago he called me up and asked me if I liked the Eagles.

My first thought was he was talking about a Road Trip down to Philly to catch an NFL game. That's how far from my mind these guys were.

I imagine I can have a fun time Cougar watching.

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The Eagles suck!

ok' date=' you disrespectful little fucks. go sit in the corner and think about what you just said. the Eagles are one of the most influential bands in music history. [/quote']

I hope they still detest each other and can't stand playing together, do it for the money...

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The Eagles suck!

ok' date=' you disrespectful little fucks. go sit in the corner and think about what you just said. the Eagles are one of the most influential bands in music history. [/quote']

You HAVE to be joking! They stole the California country sound and watered it down! The only good thing a member of The Eagles ever did was when Bernie Leadon quit that lame ass band and dumped his beer on Glenn Frey's ugly head!

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The Eagles suck!

ok' date=' you disrespectful little fucks. go sit in the corner and think about what you just said. the Eagles are one of the most influential bands in music history. [/quote']

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTT! SOOO VERRRRRY NOOOOT!!!! God, did you burst into flames after you typed that pt?

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ok, you disrespectful little fucks. go sit in the corner and think about what you just said. the Eagles are one of the most influential bands in music history.

I totally agree. While I am certainly no fan, I am aware of their huge influence and they command my respect. In fact I wouldnt be surprised if they were the most influential US band. Their record speaks for itself by owning the 70's.

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i suppose one would have had to actually live thru the 70s to understand the influence of the Eagles on music. Booche is not overstating it when he says they owned the 70s. their songs were constantly on the radio. arguably, they were THE band of the decade.

im not sure where the term "alt-country" comes from, they were "country-rock" and are often cited as huge influences by country superstars garth brooks, vince gill, sheryl crow, shania twain, etc.

yes, the band had its problems and the infighting came to dominate their image into the 80s. but in their prime, they dominated the scene.

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