Customer Reviews

Live

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey's "Live" album mixes classic Eagles tunes such as "Heartache Tonight" and "New Kid In Town" with Frey's solo material. The solo-stuff is great, but the Eagles-songs just don't sound as good as they did when played by the Eagles themselves. But that was to expect, I suppose. (There is one exception, though : Glenn Frey finishes off with a beautiful rendition of "Desperado", the first song he and fellow Eagle Don Henley co-wrote.)

The sound is very good for a live album, and while the Eagles-tunes suffer a bit from the lack of more Eagles, Frey's own songs work very well, as does his adaption of the traditional ballad "Wild Mountain Thyme" (which some of you may know as "Purple Heather"). Glenn Frey's vocals were never as powerful or as "rockin'" as Don Henley's, but his soft tenor suits most of the songs very well. This is real "easy listening", without ever being dull.

Released in 1993, this is a live recording of Glenn Frey's concert in California, also one of the best since The Eagles' bottom-out in 1980s.

Guitarist Glenn Frey of the former Eagles once said that performing live was a lot like "riding a rollercoaster, a little scary but a lot of fun." The more ones does it, the less scary it becomes. Glenn Frey's own loyal fans, joined by fans of one of the greatest contemporary band in 1970s and 1980s - the Eagles, had made the night VERY fun.

This CD contains some of the Eagles' greatest hits ever along with Frey's solo materials. The soft blues "The One You Love" has remained one of my favorite for many years. The charm of this melody has sustained through the passing of time and still captured hearts of many, including myself. Glenn's magnetic, soothing, soft tenor distincts himself for the rendition.

Another song that captures my immediate attention is "Desperado", co-written by Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Glenn Frey might lack the hard rocking vocal of Henley, yet his easy-listening tone makes the performance incomparable.

Other noteworthy tunes include Frey's own "Wild Mountain Thyme", again for which his soft tenor is praised; "Smuggler's Blues", "Heartache Tonight", "Strange Weather", and and the opening song "Peaceful Easy Feeling." A nicely-done medley mixing "Lyin' Eyes" and "Take It Easy" is also included in this album.

This is a recording Eagles' fans or those of Frey shouldn't miss. Play this record loud and have some fun.

This fine live album, recorded in Dublin, Ireland in the summer of 1992, contains superb versions of some of Glenn Frey's best solo material, as well as faithful renditions of several Eagles tunes.

Frey performs live versions of "Strange Weather", "The One You Love" (which is one of the absolute highlights of the album), and "Love In The 21st Century" which surpass the studio originals. And his clear tenor voice is perfectly suited to soulful, R&B-infected songs like "True Love" and "I've Got Mine".

Frey also does a charming "Wild Mountain Thyme" and a rocking "The Heat Is On", and plays raw slide guitar on "Smuggler's Blues". All in all, there is not a single weak track here, the band is smooth, and the saxophones are just lovely.
And finally, Glenn Frey performs a beautiful lead vocal on "Desperado", which was originally sung by Don Henley, but which is co-composed by Frey.
Smooth, wonderful adult pop/rock at its finest.

By the summer of 1992 Glenn Frey hadn't been an Eagle for almost twelve years and he really did try to put it all behind him and move on with his music. Trouble, was indeed brewing as DJ's just couldn't stop throwing down: "Take it Easy" and "Hotel California" on the airways every fourteen seconds or so to an audience of old and new fans that kept growing in numbers. The Eagles were now considered...(sigh) LEGENDS and to legends we now must (be forced) to bow.

This 1993 disc of a night in Dublin, Ireland is from the long hot summer of 1992 and Glenn is fronting a band with eleven other players on stage that out-Eagle's the original Eagles at it's own game so this affair is making that legend business become even bigger. Two Eagles songs are upfront with "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and "New Kid in Town" opening this CD so it can transport right into just what all the fuss was indeed about. Glenn, wants everything done in perfect fashion so these players perform in perfect note-by-note Eagles style that sounds like the world's loudest jukebox and not the really exciting live band they could be. Yeah, it's all business and Mr. Frey will always deliver just what the public is screaming for so (of course) there is a short medley of: "Lyin' Eyes/Take it Easy' and the pair of: "Heartache Tonight" and "Desperado" that close down the disc.

Another factor to help hurt Glenn Frey and what could have been a respected solo career was that his HUGE hits only served as trailors for the newest Eddie Murphy movies coming to a multiplex near you. "The Heat is On" carries baggage as crummy-eighties synth-dreck that wouldn't make a cactus-loving Eagles fan very happy to hear over and over again on that station that everybody at work agrees upon (lite-rock....UGGGH!) It was hard work for a fan to dig through the over-produced techno-crap that sold millions to find stuff on Glenn's eighties CD's that were just really well-made and thought out good songs. Glenn's first solo record: "No Fun Aloud" is a great album that few have heard, and that is a shame as it needs to be listened to and enjoyed as music and not product.

For every: "Smuggler's Blues" you could find a gem like: "The One You Love" or "River of Dreams" but it seems that too many are downloading "The Long Run" on the newest cell phone out there as I rant. Glenn Frey, is a good artist that knows where the moneytree was planted and that is exactly where you will find him. This is a disc of great production and playing with very little real concert excitement that serves as another jukebox of everything we have all heard already.
Three Stars,

Glen Frey is best known as a founding member of The Eagles and a songwriter who wrote and sang some of the band's most popular songs. Frey also had a successful solo career in the 80's with several songs that got significant radio airplay during the decade. "Live" is a very nice live album that covers both Frey's Eagles and solo years wrapped up into one neat package. Frey uses a large 12 piece band on this one which really gives the songs a full sound. The album was recorded in Dublin Ireland on the "Strange Weather" tour. Overall this is a nice pleasant album. Frey does 6 Eagles classics, "Peaceful Easy Feeling", "New Kid In Town", "Lying' Eyes" , "Take It Easy", "Heartache Tonight", and "Desperado". The lead vocals on "Desperado" were originally done by Don Henley although Frey co-wrote the tune. Frey does a very nice job on it here to close out the album. Frey's solo material is well represented as well, including his big 80's era hits "The Heat Is On", "Smugglers Blues", and "The One That You Love" and a few other choice album cuts. Also included is a splendid rendition of "Wild Mountain Thyme" which I assume was done specifically for his Irish audience. Everything here is well done and flows smoothly. Frey is in fine voice and his band is top notch. Every time I pull this album out I can't help but think back to the "Miami Vice" 80's. The music here is very much of that period, but I still find it to be an enjoyable listen. This album serves as a nice overview of Frey's career up to this point.

Touring for his Strange Weather disk, Frey hits Ireland like a storm and records his effort for both video and audio. Its a good set of material overall. Not surprisingly, it digs deep in the Strange Weather track list with some good and not so good moments. 'I've Got Mine' and 'Love in the 21st Century' are a bit cliched but exeedingly catchy. 'River of Dreams' and 'True Love' are even more cliched and instantly forgetable (I mean really, a song called True Love?!? And didn't Billy Joel do a 'River of Dreams' about the same time?). The one exquisite ballad from the album is missing from this set...Part of Me/Part of You. There are some bootlegs of this concert that actually have that song.

His 1980's soundtrack vault is well represented here with both 'Smuggler's Blues' and 'The Heat is On'. Both sound great but don't stray too much from their studio incarnations.

Of course, most people probably buy this album for the alternative versions of Eagles tunes. Six are represented here. Again, no surprises in either the selection or the performance, but it was nice to hear Frey sing 'Desperado'. Possibly the best moment on the disk, and the most Eagle-like non-Eagle tune is Wild Mountain Thyme, a very traditional sounding Irish folkish tune. Its the album's 'Seven Bridges Road' and is a real treat.

His band is first rate. Lots of talented session players, including the ubiquitious Garth Hudson, who played every reed on every geriatric rock stars' albums released in the 1990's.

No surprises, but not as bland as the Amazon critic asserts. I listen to it frequently.

Favorite songwriter-love all the songs, but should have paid more attn to the fact that they were "live" recordings. Sound quality just not there for most of the songs and too much "chatting". Overall okay

Glenn Frey is great in this solo, live recording. If you are a die-hard fan of Mr. Frey, you will love this.

Actually Garth Hudson, the former organist of the Band does not play on this cd (nor 'every geriatric rockstar's'). The musician you might be referring to is Al Garth ex of Loggins/Messina