Customer Reviews

Greatest Hits 2

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Here is an interesting situation. The Eagles released their first greatest hits album after releasing four albums. They then release two more albums and then release a second greatest hits collection. Let me give you the end of this review. I like this collection. However, the two albums from which eight of the songs derive, "Hotel California" and "The Long Run", are better. Of the other two songs, "After the Thrill Is Gone" is from the 1975 release "One of These Nights". The other song is the wonderful "Seven Bridges Road", which only appears on 1980's "Eagles Live". I think the only reason I bought this CD was because of "Seven Bridges Road", otherwise owning the aforementioned albums covers the rest.

These songs show a change in musical styles, from the country rock of the first four albums to rock and pop/rock, likely a result of Joe Walsh' influence on Don Henley and Glen Frey. In the process The Eagles created one of the best story songs ever, "Hotel California", a surreal vision combining elements of the desert, the loss of innocence of all of us in the transition from the 60s to the 70s, and a longing for those things that never seem quite achievable.

The other songs on this collection range from very good to great. The Eagles hit a peak on "The Long Run" and "Hotel California" that was reflected in the sales of both albums, and the extensive list of singles released from both. While the early Eagles albums were influential in country-rock, the last two albums are what cemented their place in rock music.

As great as the music is, as I stated at the beginning, I find it difficult to recommend this CD as a must have. "The Long Run" and "Hotel California" albums are worth buying. Once you have those, there are only two songs you are missing from this CD. You have to decide whether owning "Seven Bridges Road" is worth the expense of buying this CD. I personally think that a new greatest hits collection should be released that includes "Seven Bridges Road". However, I do not get to make those choices. In the meantime, I decided this was the best way to get that particular song, which is one of my favorite Eagle songs. For the casual Eagles fan, if you do not plan to buy "The Long Run" and "Hotel California", then definitely buy this CD.

This album contains all the radio-friendly hits from the Eagles' last two studio albums of the 1970s. If you do not own "Hotel California" and "The Long Run," get this cd. I would recommend "The Long Run" only to die hard fans because the second half of the album sounds like a half-hearted effort of the boys to be creative. "After the Thrill is Gone" is included on this album even though it was a 1974 hit. The album closes out with an unexplained bizarre, dissonant honkytonk piano track. "Seven Bridges Road" is a great live tune the Eagles often performed during their last few years of performing. As for "Heartache Tonight, " I think the live version would have been stronger for this compilation. All in all a very decent collection with all the familiar songs of their harder rock phase.

If you are a casual Eagles fan then you would do well by purchasing this album and the Eagles first Greatest Hits album. The differences between the two are interesting. As everyone knows, the Eagles were more or less a country rock band on their early albums (up to One of These Nights) and their first Greatest Hits album reflects that. This album, however, is different. With the addition of Joe Walsh to the band and the switch away from a country-rock sound (for the most part, anyway) what we get here are equally good (arguably better) songs in a different vein. The songs for the most part are more "rock 'n' roll-esque" than were the songs on the first set. Absolute classics like Life In The Fast Lane, The Long Run, and Victim of Love are excellent examples of the Eagles harsher sound towards the latter part of their career. And of course, you get Hotel California, which is unarguably one of the greatest songs of all-time in anybody's book. However, there are also songs that are more of a throwback to their earlier albums. New Kid In Town, Heartache Tonight, I Can't Tell You Why, etc. After The Thrill Is Gone from One of These Nights is also included. So is the live cover of Steve Young's Seven Bridges Road and the closing album track from The Long Run, The Sad Cafe. All are good songs. This is a worthy purchase for the new Eagles fan, along with the first volume, and perhaps Hotel California.

However, all of that said, there are some negative things that need to be pointed out about this collection. First off, there are some great songs missing. Notably, Wasted Time (one of my favorite Eagles songs) and The Last Resort from Hotel California, and Those Shoes (a very underrated song) from The Long Run. Granted, these songs were not necessarily "hits", but they are missed. So if you want these tracks, you might be better off just getting the original albums instead. Hotel California is one of the greatest albums of all-time and belongs in everyone's collection, anyway. Also, there is nothing new here for the Eagles fan who already has all of the original albums. Thus, I will not recommend this album unceasingly (though granted it does contain a lot of great music), whether you should purchase it or not rather depends on your position.

A great second edition to their greatest hits 1971-1975, both should be in your collection if you are an Eagles fan. A nice bonus to this disc is a live version of "Seven Bridges Road", what harmony. My favorite Eagles song is on this disc, "I Can't Tell You Why", this song is so soulful it probably could've been a hit by the Stylistics as well as the Eagles. If you're an Eagles fan you probably have this disc in your collection, if you're new to the Eagles pick up their hits 1971-1975 along with this disc and you'll see what the Eagles are all about.

Excellent singles band but just a so-so album band. Other supernova artists of the same era (Led Zep, CSNY, the Stones, Allman Bros, Dylan, Who, Bowie, Pink Floyd)were much better at putting together stellar albums that overshadowed their singles. Not so with the Eagles whose hits are significantly better than their albums. For this reason the Eagles Vol 1 and Vol 2 are better purchases than the individual cd's for all but real die hards.

My mom got this CD a couple years ago and it made me fall in love with the Eagles music. They are no doubt one of the best Southern Classic Rock groups in history. My favorite tracks on the album are: "Hotel California" to "I Can't Tell you Why." They can mix different styles in music well and the lyrics are great. This CD contains some of the best Pop Rock songs ever written in history. "Heartache Tonight" is my favorite one on this whole album which includes great Guitars and Lyrics and is fun to listen to in the car. "Sad Café" is undoubtably a masterpiece lyric-wise, being a metaphore for downfalls in one's life. The saxophone solo in it as just incredible. I was suprised on how many songs I recognized when I first heard this album...it's just awsome! If you enjoy classic rock then this CD is for you!

EVERY SONG I CAN RELATE TO BECAUSE I GREW UP IN THE 60S AND 70S AS A TEENAGER AND YOUNG ADULT AND ALL THE SONGS REMIND ME GOING DOWN THE SEASHORE WITH MY GIRLFRIENDS LISTENING TO THE RADIO SINCE BACK THEN WE DIDNT HAVE CDS AND TAPE PLAYERS WE DEPENDED ON THE RADIO. WHEN WE RODE IN THE CAR ANYWHERE WE WOULD SING ALONG TO THE MUSIC. IT REMINDS ME OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS WHEN LIFE WASNT SO COMPLICATED EVERYONE WAS CAREFREE AND HAPPY

After the Eagles became "Walshified" (this guy's guitar lick ideas are just oh-so-boring to me), the quality fell down. Sure, praise is heaped upon Hotel California, and half of that album is pretty great. But the other stuff from Long Run and their later albums just falls flat.

Get Vol. 1 instead, then buy Hotel California.

This is the second phase of the Eagles' career.it was appparent that with the additiion of Don Felder to the lineup on the ONE OF THESE NIGHTS album that Frey and Henly wanted to take a chance on a harder rock sound.The transformation was complete with the addition of Joe Walsh,formely of the James Gang,on HOTEL CALIFORNIA.This collection shows that despite that hard rock stance take on some tracks(LIFE IN THE FAST LANE,VICTIM OF LOVE,THE LONG RUN,HEARTACHE TONIGHT),there also was the familiar Eagles' harmony and melody(AFTER THE THRILL IS GONE,SEVEN BRIDGES ROAD,THE SAD CAFE,I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY, NEW KID IN TOWN).My only regret is that the great song WASTED TIME is not included on this release. this is a worthy companion to GRETEST HITS 1971-75 and a great start off point for the serious collector.

As I said in my review for the first compilation,this album can afford to be out of print now that there's the surpassing THE VERY BEST OF THE EAGLES. There are ten chart-risers on this set(on hit parade between 1976 and '80) like the first set has. SEVEN BRIDGES ROAD is a live track derived from a 1980 concert(the band was still promoting THE LONG RUN). It could have used PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS which many radio stations played every Christmas season since 1978. HOTEL CALIFORNIA tracks include the title track,NEW KID IN TOWN,LIFE IN THE FAST LANE and VICTIM OF LOVE. Tracks from TLR are the title track,I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY and HEARTACHE TONIGHT(co-written by Bob Seger,a longtime friend of the band's lead guitarist/vocalist Glenn Frey's and drummer/vocalist Don Henley's). This set was released in 1982 when Frey and Henley were just experiencing success as solo artists(the Eagles disbanded the previous year). Frey put out NO FUN ALOUD on the MCA label and Henley remained with Asylum putting out I CAN'T STAND STILL. Henley signed with Geffen thereafter and still records on that label today.