Customer Reviews

Eagles

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Eagles classic first album,along with their five other studio classics and the double Eagles Live have all been remastered and the sound quality is incredible! It's like hearing them for the first time ever.The acoustic guitars and Eagles trademark harmonies float out of the speakers with breathtaking clarity.Randy Meisner's harmony vocals on Take It Easy are so clear you'd swear he was in the room.The original Eagles cd's were done from the compressed album masters and a quick A/B comparison test with those and the remasters will astound you.If you don't own any Eagles cd's pick them up in order, you can't go wrong! I haven't seen the two Greatest Hits cd's remastered yet but forget them and pick up the original albums. There are just too many great tracks that aren't on those like Saturday Night, James Dean, Ol'55, After The Thrill Is Gone, Visions, Midnight Flyer, Doolin' Dalton, The Last Resort, and many many more.The cd's were remastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York City in March of 1999. Finally we can hear these classics in all their sonic glory!

As it happens, the Eagles rise to the top began with this first album. Shortly after a successful run as the backing band for the ultra-talented Linda Ronstadt (who went on to have not too bad of a career herself), this fearsome foursome of Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner, and Bernie Leadon made this groundbreaking disc and thus legitimized the Los Angeles country-rock sound.

Everyone knows about "Take It Easy", "Peaceful Easy Feeling", and "Witchy Woman." But there are other cuts here that are just as impressive, including the predominantly acoustic "Train Leaves Here This Morning" and Frey's gutsy rocker "Chug All Night." The instrumental work here is superb, with Leadon's bluegrass instincts and his Clarence White-style country-rock guitar breaks particularly impressive. Just like Linda, the Eagles would often be imitated but their success would never be duplicated.

Contrary to the last reviewer, I recommend this one as THE introductory Eagles album. It has a diverse and genuine feel that ranks up there with the Flying Burrito Bros. groundbreakers and The Byds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo. After Bernie Leadon left, this band was reduced to an over-produced, slick, formulaic clone of itself. This record is legendary - it is responsible for much of the country music you are hearing today.

The self-titled debut album by The Eagles laid the groundwork for their country-rock sound. Following in the tradition of Buffalo Springfield, Gram Parsons and The Flying Burrito Brothers, the one time backing band for Linda Ronstadt, they show that they could write great songs. The songs like the seminal "Take It Easy" have a country flavor, but more of a rock edge than true country-rockers. "Witchy Woman" is an AM radio classic and "Peaceful Easy Feeling" is a pretty ballad. "Take The Devil" has a hard sound while "Nightingale" and "Earlybird" have a bluegrass feel. The standout track on the album is the majestic "Train Leaves This Morning". The album is prelude for the greatness that would soon follow.

As rumors abound of the first all-new Eagles album since 1979, I got to wondering if the original six albums by one of my favorite bands from high school are still as good as I remember them. After listening to the debut album again, I am reminded that it wasn't among my favorites back then, but if anything, I appreciate it more now.

I have always heard Glen Frey and Don Henley were not very fond of this album, due to its being "too mellow." To my ear, though, it's only a bit more mellow than most of the other albums. "Chug All Night," "Tryin'," and "Nightingale" rock just as assuredly as anything else in their catalog, and they also lack the polish that rubbed a lot of critics the wrong way on some of their more famous songs. "Take the Devil" also has its moments.

It is true that there are several mellower moments here as well, most notably "Train Leaves Here This Morning," but that is true to varying degrees of all their albums. If there is a fundamental difference from the later albums, it is that their brand of country-rock is heavier on the country than the rock here. "Earlybird" is one of their most countrified tracks ever. That one might be a bit much if you only like their last couple of albums, but fans of "Lyin' Eyes" and "Already Gone" will love it. Last but not least, this set includes their first three hits, "Take it Easy," "Witchy Woman," and "Peaceful Easy Feeling." I don't address these only because odds are you've heard them all on the radio hundreds of times. They do fit in well with the less famous songs here.

Not a bad first effort at all.

This is one of the most enjoyable (if not the most) EAGLES studio albums they ever made. There's no filler on this baby! I promise! "Take it easy" and "Witchy Woman" are definitely top notched songs, but everything on this release is in my opinion a 10/10 rating. I used to do a lot of drinking listening to "Chug all night". Just a killer drinking song! "Take the Devil" is also one of my all time favorite EAGLES songs. When people talk about the great debut albums I don't usually hear many talk about this one, but in my eyes it's definitely one of the greatest. Just buy this great album. Get ready for a real treat.

Eagles, with their west coast approach to country rock have never been able to release such a strong album as their debut. Even 'tho their first 3 albums all were great, this is the finest. By this time, Eagles had an edge that later got lost from time to time in the bands sickly-sweet efforts like "One of these nights" and "Tequila sunrise". There's no doubt that each and every member was very talented, which is best shown in the outstanding melodic "Take it easy" and the slower but groovy "Witchy woman", On "Take the devil", Eagles showing a heavier side, and "Early bird", "Nightingale" and "Train leaves here this morning" are all examples of how great this band was in the beginning. Compilations like "The very best of the Eagles" are unable to really capture the band's early excellence, shown primary on this and the two following albums.

With this stunning debut album, the Eagles immediately wrote music history, thanks to a number of very succesful hit singels: Take It Easy, Witchy Woman and Peaceful Easy Feeling. But they aren't, in my opinion, the most interesting songs; instead I would like to strike a blow for Glenn Frey's acoustic ballad "Most of Us are Sad", with its incredible vocal harmonies (but with lead vocals by bassist Randy Meisner!) and Bernie Leadon's "Train Leaves Here this Mornin" (co-written by Gene Clark during Bernie's spell with Dillard & Clark in the late 60s).

It is hard to belive that the album, with its strong american country sound, actually is recorded in London (by the genius producer Glyn Johns, who also in the same studio -- his own Olympic Studios -- produced and recorded McGuinnes Flint a couple of years earlier, among others). It was also Glyn Johns who "created" the band's sound and made them aware of their vocal harmony skills and country roots, although some of the members wasn't quite happy with the musical direction. Glenn Frey is said to have been the strongest opponent to the country sound, due to his own aim to lead the band into a more straight forward rock'n roll and white soul band. Thank [goodness] Glyn Johns didn't give in.

...if one -- like myself -- already has heard milestones like "Hotel Californa", this album could turn out as a surprise, and even maybe a disappointment, because it is so musically different from the music of the Eagles that are mostly played on the radio or on TV. Despite of the very commercial sounding and succesful hit singels on the album, this Eagles debut requires a number of listenings until one can fully appreciate it, like for example the hard rock tune "Chug All Night" or Meisner's Woodstock-sounding psykadelic song "Take the Devil". But when you do, and if you give it a chance, you will soon find it to be their most interesting album, much better than the highly over-rated "Hotel California" (yes, I am serious!!). A genuine classic!

this album is indeed a classic. it is the perfect sign-post at the crossroads between what had been in country rock, and what was coming. it does have a country vibe because of bernie's playing, has perfect pop (peaceful easy feeling and take it easy), and does have a bit of henley's darker edge on tunes like witchy woman, which foreshadows what was to come on the hotel california and long run albums. i love this record, and it particularly showcases the talents of randy meisner, my favorite eagle. by the way, to marc booth: the great songwriter jack tempchin has in fact released several albums...

In 1972, in England, a friend introduced me to an album by an as-then-unknown-in-UK American band, the Eagles. For someone who listened ONLY to British rock (Cream, Gallagher, Zepplin, Purple, Sabbath, oh alright, occasionally J.Winter) this was really not acceptable. It was much too much like country music. However, after a couple of plays I had to admit I quite liked it, and after several plays I was hooked. Feel-good songs with beautiful melodies, and girls liked it too so it was very effective during seduction attempts. Like the rest of the country's youth I grew to be a great fan of the Eagles but this always will stand out for me as their best album.

I'm surprised no-one else has reviewed this brilliant album!