Customer Reviews

Long Road Out of Eden [Vinyl]

5 star:		(154)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(52)
2 star:		(32)
1 star:		(37)

 

 

28 years after their last studio album, four remaining Eagles release a new album. Long Road out of Eden features 2 discs and 20 new tracks. Disc 1 is described as being a re-introduction to the band with the opening track a post nuclear vision of Seven Bridges Rd, followed by a song they forgot to record 35 years ago "How Long" by long time friend JD Souther. This stamps Eagles all over it and just gets better each time you hear it. Harmonies and all the little things which most bands would overlook, make this a classic already in the Take it Easy, Already Gone genre. Next up is Busy Being Fabulous which is an update of Those Shoes with a killer chorus and typically cynical Henley lyric. Has the Eagles sound. Next is a weepie with a countrified Frey vocal. Quite nice, Walsh steps up next with Guilyy of the Crime, whilst being pleasant is a little removed from the other material on this disc. Next up is the first of Tim Schmit's spots with a brilliant (single written all over it)I Don't want to Hear Anymore, is simply brilliant. Won't fit on contemporary radio but anyone reading this won't care anyway. Disc 1's highlight follows with Waiting in the Weeds. How to describe this song? It starts of as an acoustic, black, Henley vocal and shifts into an epic from 1st Chorus/Bridge on when Schmit/Frey's harmonies kick in. Its low fi, acoustic guitars and mandolin, but segues into something much more, the lyrics tell so many stories with multi dimensions and layers. By the end of the 7 minutes its a totally different beast, with an undeniable stamp of class. This track makes the 28 year wait all worth it.

After Weeds, all the other would seem insubstantial but in true Eagles tradition the material all stands up. No More Cloudy Days will have its fans, followed by Henley doing his best Bee Gee's impression on Fast Company. This has a killer chorus and will grow on you. Next up is a piece of Schmit brilliance with Do Something, more like his Poco work & Frey closes with another highlight You Are Not Alone.

If that wasn't enough we still have another whole disc, with the title track starting it off. This track will need some play to make it accessible but already the biting lyrics, killer Walsh guitar and atmospherics make it a dramatic, masterful tune. Long time collaborater, Jack Tempchin pitches in with a Frey lead vocal, Somebody which is a foot stomper. Henley next with Frail Grasp of the Big Picture, very Inside Job-like. Walsh with a JD Souther assist comes up with the Steely Dan like Last Good Time in Town. Frey with I like to watch a Woman Dance, is low-fi and voyeuristic, but pleasant, Three songs left, all good especially Centre of the Universe which is a modern update of the whole sound. I'm still trying to decide what the lyrics mean but I'm sure George W Bush won't download it. Business as Usual is another which could be a Henley single but has the superb Eagles harmony support. Slightly rocky, confrontational, another winner. Then the closer which if its the last song ever from the Eagles then its a fitting epitaph, lets hope its not, as this album has proved that the Eagles biggest fear is unfounded and that they are still important, vibrant, and quite simply America's greatest ever rock band.

The Eagles have a new album coming out. "Great", I thought. Looking forward to it. Well the day finally arrived and after being teased with the advance single "How Long" for weeks, now we get to check out the whole thing. Is it gonna be like the old classic `70's Eagles? Or carry on with the modern style we last heard on The Long Run?

I'm here to tell you it's a little bit of everything, all rolled into one. Starts off with an a cappella track reminiscent of Seven Bridges Road. How Long, which most people heard and thought was a throw back to their classic sound, were right. The song was actually written in 1972 by J.D. Souther. Other tracks are typical Don Henley ballads and one track that could fit perfectly on one of his early solo albums, with the vocal stylings and horns like we heard on "Dirty Laundry". Glen Frey's songs are also typical solo type material. All on the soft side. Mellow and laid-back, complete with smooth sax solos. Timothy B. Schmit songs (of which there are only two) are both slow, like his past offerings. "Do Something" even has early style Eagles slide-guitar on it, reminds me of Peaceful Easy Feeling. The most disappointing is Joe Walsh's contributions. Again, only two songs that he sings. He obviously plays guitar on a number of tracks, but it's barely noticeable. There is little of the distinct guitar work that used to stand out on Hotel California and The Long Run. The second disc definately Rocks a little more than the first. Don and Glen get an even split at 40% each of the tracks here. That only left 10% for Joe and Timothy respectively. Not quite as even as the Long Run album.

Over-all, I like it. There's enough good to out-weigh the bad. It is the Eagles. We've waited 13 years for another release, you might as well pick it up and enjoy what you can. It will probably be another 13 or 14 years before their next release (if ever!). By the time that happens, they will be in their mid-seventies! Not likely.

It's a good buy for the money. Your getting a decent double-album worth of music for a very reasonable price. Conveniently waiting for you at your nearest Wal-Mart store. Some people like to bring up "non-musical" issues, like politics and the like. Commenting on the contradictions of Henley's politics and environmental leanings with having this ONLY released by Wal-Mart Corp. What can you say? Typical Hollywood hypocrite. But hey, at least the digi-pak style box and booklet are printed on recycled paper (30%)!

Best thing to do is just get it and decide for yourself. If you are an Eagles fan, you will find something here that you like. There really is a lot of variety.

Finally; a brand new album for the reunited Eagles
This album is full of old nostalgic sounds; from the 70's yet with a state of the art recording; if you are an old fan for the Eagles, prepare yourself for a treat.
If you are a new fan, this album is nothing but great melodies and songs track after track. After over 35 years in the music business the band knows well what pleases its audience and they do a great job in almost every single song.
Nothing but great old Eagles sound; 20 brand new tracks on a double CD; highly recommended, specifically for the all the old fans, but also for anyone who appreciate true and genuine beautiful American music.

The 2 CD set contains some great Eagles harmonies and melodies. The music doesn't stray far from what we have come to love about this band. A few of the songs made me smile. I like a little political nod now & then. The opener "No More Walks..." harkens back to the "Seven Bridges from their live set. Very Worth buying. Not a clunker in the bunch.

I'm a long-time Eagles fan...although I discovered them a bit too late. I got into them JUST as they broke up after their Long Run promotional tour circa late 1980 or early '81. My goal (briefly anyway) was to see them in concert and as I mentioned that to my oldest sister she comically joked "That'll be a bit difficult..." not realizing at that point they were (at the time) finished with each other, and Hell would freeze over before they could ever see themselves recording together again. Thankfully they got the Ski Run's up in the netherworld because Hell Freezes Over was simply amazing.

My dream to see them live finally materialized in 2000 (still ranking as THE single greatest concert I have ever attended) and the 6 years they took to produce this record seemed intolerable at the very least. They slowly teased us with 'Hole In The World', 'No More Cloudy Days' amongst a few others and it always seemed as though their first full studio album in 28 years was '...just around the corner.' I bought my copy at Walmart the day it went on sale on my way to work at 5 in the morning. Yeah, I REALLY wanted this disc.

So was the wait worth it?? That is a bit more complicated to answer however. I recall back when the Beatles released those two new songs based on minor recordings left behind by John Lennon on the Anthology CD's and I remember how disappointed I was after hearing them. However after being exposed to them for a while, I discovered something interesting: I really began to appreciate them. The same goes for 'Long Road Out Of Eden'. Some of the songs have instant appeal...and some grow on you over time, and become--after a few spins--VERY likeable.

I've been in radio for nearly 20 years, and I have seen it happen time and again: famous groups get back together and produce a new studio album that invariably sucks -- yet sells by the millions. Fleetwood Mac is but one example. I was terrified that my Eagles would make the same mistake. Could they make magic again after all these years? Were they tapped out creatively? Do they even SOUND good after all this time? Again, the answer may be as different for you as it is for me, but I have to say that I was absolutely satisfied with what I got for my $11.88 at Walmart.

Disc 1 is MUCH better than Disc 2 -- again, MY opinion here. The long and epic title track is simply amazing and I was unbelievably thrilled to hear that the vocals of Glenn, Don, Timothy and Joe are still as pristine as you could ever hope them to be. Many of the tracks harken back to the bands origin with that classic 'Country/Rock' combination that made such classics as, 'Lyin' Eyes' sound so great, and yet they inject fantastic R&B rhythm into more than a few songs. Don't worry, Joe Walsh has brought some of his rockin' style to the plate, too, and the smooth and high vocals of Timothy is just incredible, and VERY welcome here.

For those who prayed and literally expected two CD's worth of future Hotel California's here will be obviously disappointed. However, if you make allowances for the years in between as well as personal growth, and listen to the songs for the simple melodies that they are, you are certainly going to find hours and hours worth of music to savor. I have discovered that as I have become older, I appreciate music for much different reasons than I did (for the most part anyway) when I was younger. I have a rather large taste in musical styles (from Van Halen and James Taylor to Alabama) and yet I sometimes OVER-analyze music way too much. The bottom line is this: The Eagles STILL have it (IMO) but for those who expect 20 songs that are as instantly appealing as some of their classics may just be a little upset. Face it, these boys have a LOT to live up to. Their Greatest Hits Vol 1 has now surpassed Thriller as the biggest selling record of all-time...and it continues to sell thousands of copies every single year. The reason for that is simple: no matter HOW long ago they were recorded, great music will always BE great. I submit that the Long Road Out Of Eden can stand side-by-side (but for different reasons) with the best music the Eagles have ever produced. Great stuff by arguably the greatest American Band ever assembled.

Take it for what it's worth...and for MY $$, it's worth a LOT.

I was not a BIG Eagles fan, but I always liked what I considered their best work: Hotel California, Take It Easy, Tequila Sunrise - the hits, I guess.
I also felt they lacked depth in their lyrics and their albums were always spotty - not consistently good throughout the album.

So I didn't expect much at all from this one.

First of all, most "reunion" albums by old farts from the 70's usually don't turn out too well. Secondly, I figured they were just getting together for a payday.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised.

The very first track is awesome. Sounds a little "Venice"-like, but that's not a bad thing.

I won't go through it song by song because it would just be my subjective opinion, and a waste of time.

The point is, I think any Eagles fan, no matter whether you are a fan of Walsh, Frey, Henley or Schmit, you will find enough really good tracks here to enjoy this album.

Now the bad news, and the reason I didn't give it 5 stars:

Guess what, the Eagles are STILL spotty. They can't make a 100% great album without a lot of "filler" tracks. I think a person could pretty easily edit this 2 cd set down to one cd and end up with one very good 4 and 1/2 to 5 star cd.

So if you're an Eagles fan, buy this set. I can't figure out why it has so many 1 and 2 star reviews. I would expect to find mostly 4 and 5 star reviews.

If it's true that "a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day"...then a considerable assembly of Eagles loyalists, like me, have waited several million years too long for "Long Road." Or perhaps, as eternity will soon disclose, it was just 5 minutes ago? In any case, there's much I could write about these guys during my 35 years of faithful allegiance, much to say about this new (as well as old) "Long Road," but here's the chase: If all you got to hear (or all they released) was Disc-2, the majority of true Eagles' fans would've been okay with that; in fact, most would've been ecstatic, I'm sure. And yet the naked truth is that Disc-2 actually pales (if you can believe it!) in comparison to the incredible gems on Disc-1!

Surprisingly, the opening track "No more walks in the woods," upon first hearing, actually swept me back to (pre-Eagles) days of listening over and over again to the C,S,N debut LP. Anybody else feel like that? Those were the days when our Eagles (then Glenn, Don, Randy, and Bernie...with much help and inspiration from Jackson Browne & J.D. Souther) had not yet flown, but were playing the local L.A. bars as L. Ronstadt's house band. Long time friend and pt-time songwriting Eagle, John David Souther, whose "How Long" track (written in the early 70s)seems the commercial chartbuster at this point, was the 'other' dead guy (along with Jackson) on the back of the "Desperado" LP.

I'm not ready to review every track at this juncture. Besides, how boring, or what a frail grasp (of the big picture). I'll just say that it's certainly no accident that these guys (all rock-n-roll A-Listers individually, with resident mystic cynic, ace Don Henley (even if he is doctrinally off base much of the time) still flying high at the helm--with longtime partner, heartbeat Glenn Frey (not to mention Sentimental Tim & Chainsaw Joe) are still, unequivocally, without a doubt, incomparably, as they were back when,...the finest band in the land! And those unmistakably perfect Eagles' harmonies are still, incredibly, well....perfect! In fact, they're better than ever, as evidenced in the CD's best overall track (in my opinion), "Waiting in the Weeds." It just doesn't get much better than that!

In short, it's clear these guys haven't missed a beat: the harmonies, the vocals, the tunes, the timing; everything is clean, crisp, tight! These, my friends, are...THE EAGLES! And this "Long Road" is definitely something to remember, a Keeper of the highest order!

As a long time Eagles fan and performer in an Eagles tribute band I feel that while it is wonderfully refreshing to hear these masters back on my various media players (don't know if they'll receive much airplay over here radio being what it is...or isn't!) doing what they do best there are a couple of things which need to be addressed: This IS the Eagles we all know and love... but it is the Eagles at the tail end (pun not really intended;-) of 2007 and not 1972-79.

With a generous 20 songs there are moments stylisically speaking which recall many though not all of their past moments of sonic glory. The melodies are strong and the harmonies chime clear and ringing as ever.
The thing that is most noticeably missing from the mix (apart from mssrs Felder, Meisner, and Szymczyk, but I'll address that later!) is simply the youthful exuberance, enthusiasm, piss and vinegar or their heyday: That being said we cannot nor should not expect the Eagles to stop time and transport us instantly to 1976 as if neither we nor they have grown, aged, matured, and become more world weary with the rather substantial passage of time. Just be aware this is appropriately a more mature and comfortable in their own skins Eagles. The angry yet somehow-still-laidback young men of 1976 have become noticeably more reflective in tone and attitude. This is a good Eagles album - whether it is a classic or not will be proven out with the passage of even more time.

I do find myself enjoying it more with repeated listens.

While I salute the Eagles for doing this whole thing themselves and using their position to avoid dealing with major labels they would have benefitted greatly from having a producer because the album is a bit too tame and slick sounding. I really wonder how much better this could have been with Bill Szymczyk back onboard as producer to give them that edge, tension and spark that their best records had. To that end I also feel the songs are missing the contributions of Randy Meisner and Don Felder who would have no doubt added a bit more toothy grit and rock to the sound. Timothy Schmidt is great but Randy's voice and writing had a bit more character and intensity.

If their decision not to use Bill Szymczyk as producer stemmed from a concern about getting a more contemporarily representative sound it would have been REALLY interesting to hear what a producer like Rick Rubin would have done with this! Rubin's talent for getting the sound of pure honesty and human grittiness on record is legendarily in evidence on recordings by everyone from Red Hot Chili Peppers to Johnny Cash and Tom Petty.

All in all though I would say that this is a relatively satisfying record for long time Eagles fans as well as fans of contemporary country music. It is PERFECT for background music at the office or while working at home or on the car stereo when in the mood for something laidback and not too raucous.

The supreme irony here though is that the recording is not raw or lo-fi enough to draw in many of the Alt-country fans (a genre which the Eagles, Poco, Gram Parsons and the Byrds were all influential in creating) who could've been a very significant crop of new fans had they used someone like Rick Rubin to produce. Not that the Eagles are bound to notice. It'd just be nice to have new generations support their ongoing work.

Long Road Out of Eden is a bit like putting on your favorite NEW pair of jeans then... The ones with about 4-6 extra inches in the waistline;-)

OK, no point getting all philosophical and overly analytical here, others have already done that. This album is disappointing, and man I never thought I would say that about the Eagles. The problem is that this is not an Eagles album. Most of the songs were written solo or by non-band members. A few are Don and Glen, but the magic really is not there. You get a few Don Henley songs which, as another reviewer noted, really do seem to be right off of Inside Job cutting room floor (Frail Grasp on the Big Picture, Business as Usual - as if you could not tell from the titles who wrote these). One or two harken back to On The Border (How Long), and throw in some typical Joe songs, etc. Don was quoted as saying he thought this should have been a single album, and he was right. The songs do not flow together at all, a number are just really sub-par, and the album seems piecemeal and weak. For the first time ever I actually skip numerous songs on an Eagles album. No, it certainly is not garbage as some reviewers have said, but neither is this anything at all of the quality of any prior Eagles album. Disappointing, unfortunately.

This is the first new album I've bought in ... well longer than I can remember. As a 27 year fan of the Eagles this album has been a long wait and I must say I'm very happy they finally did it. There have been a few tracks that have appeared since their "reunion" a few years ago but this is the first full on album since The Long Run. Some will argue that it may have been better to shorten it down to one album instead of two. However if they had done that there would of been those of us that would be complaining about missing out on the tracks they left off. My own personally assessment after listening to the albums non stop for about a week is that they pretty much nailed it. Sure there are a couple of tracks that maybe don't light my fire as much as others but overall it's a great pair of discs.

Disc 1
No More Walks In The Woods - Pretty much continues where Seven Bridges Road left off. An almost a capella (there is a little acoustic guitar) track that really showcases the great harmonies the Eagles are famous for. I do feel it would of been better to start the set with a more uptempo song but that's not much of a criticism. The album cover lists the song as 4 minutes but it's actually only 2 minutes.

How Long - Probably the best track on the album. The fact that it was written by J.D Souther in 1972 is probably why it sounds like it could of come off any of their first three albums. A little reminiscent of Take It Easy. I really wish they had done more tracks like this. Maybe if the feedback on this track gets back to them the next album will have a lot more of this kind of stuff.

Busy Being Fabulous - Kind of reminds me of the title track from The Long Run in it's feel if not the lyrics.

What Do I Do With My Heart - Slow paced track from Glenn Frey. While not exactly the most thrilling track it does have some nice harmonies and some good guitar work.

Guilty Of the Crime - First of two Joe Walsh lead vocal tracks. I seem to enjoy the Joe Walsh tracks more than most of the songs on this set. Always been a big fan of Joe and these two tracks really showcase his sense of humor and of course the legendary guitar. Nice piano piece in the middle too.

I Don't Want To Hear Any More - Never thought I'd see a Paul Carrack song on an Eagles album. Pleasant enough song and handled very nicely by Timothy B.

Waiting In The Weeds - A 7 minute opus whose opening few bars almost sound like a Bruce Springsteen song. One of the strongest tracks. (1:36 outro)

No More Cloudy Days - One of the better Glenn Frey tracks. One that sounds more like an Eagles track rather than a solo track with the band playing on it. Sounds a little like Nilsson's Everybodys Talkin'

Fast Company - Every time this track comes on I think of Life In The Fast Lane. Both have "Fast" in the title and both feature Don Henley's falsetto. Similar theme in the lyrics too. Very catchy tune and one the tunes that has grown on me the most.

Do Something - Another vocal from Timothy B. Very country sounding song. Slow paced but enjoyable all the same.

You Are Not Alone - One of the strongest Glenn Frey tracks on the album. A nice closer for disc one. Apart from Glenn's instrumental on disc two this is the shortest track running in at 2:24.

Disc 2

Long Road Out of Eden - I see his as the third in a trilogy. The Last Resort, King Of Hollywood and now Long Road Out Of Eden. The haunting Arabic sounding intro fits the song nicely. Probably go down as one of Don Henley's strongest tracks ever. Great guitar work throughout the song.

I Dreamed There Was No War - Nice short and sweet instrumental track from Glenn Frey.

Somebody - One of the few really strong uptempo numbers on the set. Unfortunately unlike How Long this sounds more like a Glenn Frey solo track. Nice pumping bass.

Frail Grasp On The Big Picture - Followed suitably by a track that sounds like a Don Henley solo track. Dirty Laundry II perhaps.

Last Good Time In Town - Joe Walsh provides us with a Steely Dan sounding ditty. I wonder if Joe wrote this as a poke in the eye to The Dan given the history of the two bands. Great track in my opinion. Joe's vocals still sound great.

I Love To Watch A Woman Dance - Probably the weakest track on the album. Written by Larry John McNally (who wrote For My Wedding on Don Henley's Inside Job album). Kind of folksy slow ballad. Nice but a little boring.

Business As Usual - Nice intro. A pretty good song from Don but sounds more like a solo track than classic Eagles. Still nothing to complain about here.

Center Of The Universe - Another Don Henley track. One of the top 5 tracks on the album. Nice acoustic guitar and close harmonies. Don's best vocal on the album.

It's Your World Now - Glenn Frey cajoled a mariachi band to back him on this one it sounds like. I can see why some would not like this, it doesn't sound like the Eagles at all but I like it.

overall a great 2 album set. Well worth the wait. An album I will be playing a lot over the next few months. And at $11.99 for a 2 CD set a bargain for so many tracks. How Long will we have to wait for the next one? not long I hope.