Customer Reviews

The Long Run

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was kind of an Eagles fan already when this album was released in 1979, though their only other album I had at that point was "Hotel California". I was a bit surprised at the change of musical style when Long Run came out, and my first impression was that I didn't really care for it. But I was only 19 years old and freely admit now that I didn't know much about music at that time.

About six months after getting the album, my girlfriend and I began experiencing *serious* problems. At that point, this album really came to mean a lot to me, as a lot of the lyrics really hit home even though I was likely interpreting them wrong. I played that album literally 100 times or more during the coming months, and I now say that it was one of the few things I looked forward to at that time in my life. So my opinion is biased.

The quality of this album from beginning to end is absolutely first-rate, which is a given for any Eagles release. There is a change in style from their previous work, and I found that change to be best described as 'edgy' and slightly dark. I love every song on this album. All this said however, it ranks second place with me after "Hotel California" which was a difficult album to improve upon. It's not a quality issue though. Merely a style issue. I do like this album's style quite a lot, but nothing could top "Hotel California". And this style change, though subtle and certainly not a negative aspect, may take some getting used to if you haven't heard this album already.

Also please note that Elektra has just released a "Digitally Remastered For The First Time" edition of this CD. The ones I've seen have a sticker on top of the cellophane stating exactly that, so I would try and get that release if possible. I cannot imagine any lover of music being disappointed with this CD.

If you have to go out, you should go out with a bang. The Eagles did that with this album, which yielded three singles: "The Long Run", "Heartache Tonight", and "I Can't Tell You Why". The three songs may sound similar to some, but the third song was a mellow ballad, the second had a fast beat with solid percussion, and the first song, as much as I enjoyed it, I always thought of as The Eagle in molasses. A good song, but I always thought the song strained to be sped up.

Not to be overlooked on this album is the last song, "The Sad Cafe", which is a swan song for The Eagles much like "The Long and Winding Road" was The Beatles' swan song. The bluesy, sad song ends the 1972 to 1979 run of The Eagles nostalgically. Coincidentally the end of The Eagles coincided with the end of the decade, the eminence of disco and the transition to New Wave and the techno driven pop of the 80s. Looking back, perhaps it was time for The Eagle to move on to other things (though I still don't think so).

The rest of the album is decent, generally listenable. Six of the songs were co-written by at least three people. The other four songs were written by two people. Glenn Frey and Don Henley contributed the most, but I still think that the huge difference between "Hotel California", "The Long Run" and what came before shows the influence of Joe Walsh. After the break up of The Eagles, Glenn and Don were considered sufficiently up-to-date to have their music selected for the then extremely stylish and modern "Miami Vice". Quite a change from the early cowboy boots and rattlesnakes era of The Eagles.

Perhaps this album wasn't their best. I think it would be more fair to say it is not my favorite Eagles' album. But who cares? We all have our own favorites. The question is whether the album is worth owning. I think it is. I prefer this album over the second greatest hits collection that was largely from "Hotel California" and "The Long Run". If you are influenced by the other reviews to be concerned that you might not like many of the songs on this CD, then buy the second volume of The Eagles' greatest hits and pass this one by. I think it is a good album and worth having in my collection.

Let me start by saying that I have known this recording intimately since it was first released. I still have a mint LP copy and the first release of this on CD from 1984 (solid puuple Elektra silkscreen CD label). So like any audio enthusiast I bought this "remastered" edition (I also bought the Dec 2005 remastered Japan version in the mini-LP...read that review as well). In a word: disappointment.

Credit Bill Szmyczyk for creating a great (if somewhat muffled...and maybe that was the intent) recording to begin with. The ONLY thing this new incarnation brings to the table is a much louder volume. There is NO sonic revelation, there is NOT a replication of the original complete artwork, there is NO indication on the actual inserts that this is a remastered edition. The only indication is a black sticker on the shrinkwrap. So if you have any of the CD versions out there, DO NOT PITCH THEM TO BUY THIS ONE...you will be disappointed.

Hotel California pushed the band from stars into mega-stars. They went on a long tour to support the album and due to increased drug use, tensions within the band increased. Founding member, bassist Randy Meisner could no longer stand it and left the band after the tour. He was replaced by former Poco member, Timothy B. Schmidt and the band took time off to refuel. After three long years, they finally released The Long Run in late 1979. While not as strong as Hotel California, the album still is something special. The band treads into new territory with the title track, which is a slice of Memphis Soul Stew in the Stax/Volt vein. Don Henley gives a spirited vocal and shows he has tremendous range. Mr. Schmidt contributes the soft and tender "I Can't Tell You Why" and his backing vocals are the rest of the album add a new dimension to the band. Joe Walsh chimes in with the crashing "In The City". The album has a dark and ominous tone with the best examples being the menacing "The Disco Strangler" and the corrupt power of "King Of Hollywood" in which Mr. Henley sings from the perspective of a Hollywood producer bent on abusing his power. "Heartache Tonight" was the band's fifth and last number one single and is a high octane affair co-written with Bob Seger. "Those Shoes" has an almost funky beat and "Teenage Jail" follows the dark theme. "The Greek Don't Want No Freaks" is a goofy number that lightens things up with Jimmy Buffett singing backup vocals. The album closes on a pensive note with the longing "The Sad Cafe". The band would break up not long after their tour to support the album and the song is an appropriate final chapter to one of the biggest bands of all time.

Released in September of 1979, "The Long Run" is the last Eagles album (not counting the "Eagles Live" album) prior to their initial disbandment, and what a fascinating way to go out. You've got to give the Eagles credit--they really put a lot of edgy, ballsy music on here, and though the album certainly is flawed, there's actually not a weak song on the entire album. Some folks are simply not willing to embrace the doom-laden atmosphere of much of the album, and that goes a long way to explaining its mixed reviews.

The album does start off with a pair of big hits which I presume most folks are ultra-familiar with--the title track is an upbeat and catchy mid-tempo pop-rocker; and the Timothy B. Schmit spotlight "I Can't Tell You Why" is a sumptuous haunting ballad. There's another huge hit that topped the US singles chart with the early rock 'n' roll-styled "Heartache Tonight"--it's undeniably catchy, but the sugariness and bombast of the arrangement do make it annoying. There's also the Joe Walsh spotlight "In The City" which is a pretty good laidback rocker, though it's generic and kind of dull.

As for the rest, there's some really intriguing stuff that finds the Eagles branching out. The peppy, stuttering rocker "The Disco Strangler" has a great "intentionally annoying" repetitive melody that fits perfectly with the amusingly sarcastic lyrics and Don Henley's cleverly-phrased vocal. "King Of Hollywood" is an arresting, hypnotic mood piece with Glenn Frey, Don Felder, and Walsh all contributing some seriously tasty guitar work. The supremely creepy downbeat rocker "Those Shoes" is definitely super cool, although on this album version of the song, Henley's vocal is weirdly buried in the mix, and the "oh no" harmonies sound wimpy--don't miss the live version of "Those Shoes" from the "Selected Works" box set which totally kicks ass and gets the edge over the version here. The super slow "Teenage Jail" has a compelling 'waking-up-with-a-hangover' vibe to it; it does have some laughably "vicious" spoken vocals from Henley, but it's still a damn good track. The surf rock-flavored "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" is silly, but still pretty fun. The album-closing ballad "The Sad Cafe" is a bit dull musically, although it's still a nice song with effective lyrics that make for a fitting finale both to the album and to the Eagles initial run.

All in all, there's a lot of really impressive creativity on "The Long Run", and for serious listeners, this is a solidly recommended album.

After the massive commercial and artistic success of their 1976 touchstone, 'Hotel California', the Eagles see bassist/vocalist/ founding member Randy Meisner leave the group, supposedly after no longer being able to tolerate drummer Don Henley and guitarist Glenn Frey anymore. The band then hires Meisner's replacement from his previous group, Poco, Timothy B. Schmit take a 2 1/2 year hiatus from the rock scene, and emerge in 1979 with their final studio album, 'The Long Run'.
To call this album a dissapointment would be an understatement. Not only did they completely abandon the country-rock format that made them turn heads in the music world in the early 1970's (no "New Kid In Town" on this record), the band that was one of few that boasted 4-5 different yet interesting vocal stylings decide to make Henley the apparent frontman. The degeneration of splitting the lead vocal duties equally from their 1972 debut is complete here. I like to call this album 'The Long Don'. Don Henley's ego has him forcing Glenn Frey to let him sing 65% of the lead vocals on this album and the entire project seems lopsided because of it. Oh sure, you get to hear everyone do a lead on one track (minus Don Felder, whose only lead vocal with the Eagles is featured on the album 'One Of These Nights'), but for the most part this feels more like a Don Henley solo album rather than an Eagles release.
Some positives are "I Can't Tell You Why", which gives the album a dark mood felt throughout and portrayed perfectly with the cover art. Other highlights include "Heartache Tonight", which demonstrate Frey's talent songwriting and vocal-wise which are sorely underused on this record, and the tantric rythyms of "Those Shoes", with absolutely spectacular guitar work by Joe Walsh. Walsh also, left his stamp on this record with his trademark guitar sound saturated throughout the album. After a few listens it becomes obvious that Walsh and Henley were the only two band members on the record to have any real say on the sound and the direction of the recording. Gone is the triple guitar interplay from "Hotel California" and the acoustic tinged tour-de-forces a la "Lyin' Eyes" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling". It is no wonder this contrived effort became the band's final studio album. It clearly sounds like the entire band was not only not getting along, but the pressure to follow up a masterpiece left all five band members dissatisfied with this, their swan song - 'The Long Run'.

"The Long Run" is the last Eagles studio album, and aftermath of three long years of bickering and rivalry among the bandmembers. There was a lot of tension involved in finishing the project, and towards the end of the album one can tell that the Eagles wanted to be released from one another and go their separate ways. The introduction of Timothy B. Schmit helped heal the dying soul within the band. It is ironic that positive songs like "I Can't Tell You Why" and "The Long Run" are on this album. "The Sad Cafe" seems more appropriate for the mood behind making this album. Joe Walsh's "In The City" is a nice contribution but seems out of place with the rest of the songs. "King Of Hollywood" is a dark song featuring Don Henley singing in a much lower range, adding a nice touch to Timothy and Glenn's harmonies. They performed this song during their 1979-80 tour and it sounded just like the studio cut. "Heartache Tonight" and "Those Shoes" are easily recognizable as they are often played on the radio. The remaining three songs I have not mentioned, "The Disco Strangler," "Teenage Jail," and "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" should not have been included on the album. They are mediocre in comparison to the lyrical and melodic efforts of the other tracks. "The Long Run" has a polished production, further explaining the amount of time it took to complete the album. Great album, and highly recommended. Check out Eagles Live too if you want to hear some of these tracks with a harder punch.

An interesting record. Some very good songs, but they just don't seem to go together well. The record doesn't have the feel or flow of Hotel California. When taken individually, though, most of the tracks measure up quite well.

Took a long time to come out and the results were mixed. More cynical rock from the guys who did it best back then. However, there is no standout cut on this album (Hotel California consisted of almost ALL standouts). This was their last effort before that live album they did a few years ago. However, judging by the quality of this album and subsequent solo works, it is difficult to see what all of the fuss was surrounding the breakup.

As the seventies came to a close, it was only natural the some of the musical staples did as well. And so it was with the Eagles on their "Long Run" album. As a follow-up to the wildly successful "Hotel California", it was going to be compared to that work, and found wanting. Because of the internal struggles in the group, and the changing of the musical universe to "New Wave" and "Punk", it was perhaps time for the quintet to ride off into the sunset. As this was going to be the album (other than a soon to follow "Eagles Live" and a second "Greatest Hits" album)that would fulfill their obligations to Elektra/Asylum, I feel that they rushed this one into print. The four songs that get the most airplay ("Heartache Tonight", "In the City","The Long Run",and "I Can't Tell You Why") were staples of AM/FM radio in 1979 and 1980. Sadly, with the exceptions of "King of Hollywood" and "The Sad Cafe", the rest of the album suffers by comparison.