Customer Reviews

Selected Works: 1972-1999

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

but overall it is good rather than great.

First what is great is the sound quality of the digital remastering (far superior to originally released cds). Some reviewers complained about the non-chronological ordering of the songs but in my opinion this works really well, gives the set a sort of Eagles concert feel, and for long-time fans who are very familiar with the original albums, the sequencing is fresh and sheds new perspective on certain songs. The booklet of essays and photos are wonderful, as is the inclusion of previously unreleased live material on disc four (great versions of Peaceful Easy Feeling, Victim of Love and Best of My Love). And the set wisely ignores the relatively weak debut album, culling just the three "hits" plus Train Left Here This Morning.

However, what is bad about this set is that each disc runs 50-60 minutes (who's brilliant idea was that in an age of 80 minute capacity). This only serves to point out what is NOT included such as Seven Bridges Road, You Never Cry Like A Lover, I Wish You Peace, etc. The Millenium concert disc was particularly disappointing in this regard, since there was room for additional live versions of One of These Nights, Already Gone, Sad Cafe, Witchy Woman (none of which have ever been released whereas Hotel California is on every live release and could have been dropped) and at least one Frey solo song to help balance out the Henley material. Some reviewers complained about the inclusion of Dirty Laundry and other solo numbers, but I personally enjoyed hearing the Eagles play those tunes. Those fans are also forgetting that Walsh and Schmitt both orignally played on Don's first album (and maybe even on Dirty Laundry).

Casual fans should stick to the digitally remastered greatest hits volumes, hardcore fans should pick this up, and those in-between should find a used copy at a cheaper price.

This boxed set is a monument to greed. The Eagles WERE a class act, until this travesty. The "selected" music, 53 tracks, is spread over 4 CDs, with many notable omissions. This would have very easily made an excellent 2 CD set. Apparently the Holiday "fast buck" mentality prevailed. The remastering is fine, but what you are really paying for is a fancy cardboard box. The CDs themselves aren't even in regular jewel boxes, but open cardboard sleeves that insure maximum exposure to dust. The enclosed booklet is dominated by pictures, with little meaningful information or insight. If you are looking at boxed sets for gifts, there are many others far more worthy of your consideration. If you need prime Eagles, wait for their remastered individual albums. All of them won't cost much more than this turkey. "Selected Works" is only for those with a lot more money than sense.

Unless you need the millenium concert, this offers very little to anyone who already has the previously available releases. The Millenium Concert features yet another version of Hotel California (do we need this?) and several Don Henley solo tunes (not the time or the place...please) but also features a nicely updated version of Ol' 55. Also notable are Take It To The Limit and Best Of My Love. By and large, most people probably won't find this collection worth the money. All of the original CD's were recently remastered. As far as unreleased material goes, maybe it just doesn't exist...what does exist are some stellar songs from the Hell Freezes Over video that were left off the CD version (Heart Of The Matter, Help Me Through The Night) and Seven Bridges Road...none of which were included here. If you don't own any Eagles CD's, this is a good collection...(but if you don't own most of them by now, what kind of fan are you anyway?)

It seems that everybody owns at least one copy of "Eagles: Their Greatest Hits, '71-'75", but the band itself was a lot more than that compilation. This set shows it all. Every song from their landmark album "Hotel Californai" (an album which, incidentally, did not come out until after the Greatest Hits album) are included in this set. Even if you own every Eagles Album, this set is important because it includes one disc of selected songs from the Eagles Millennium Concert, including the never before on CD tunes "Please Come Home for Christmas" and "Funky New Year." The concert also contains a wonderful re-worked rendition of "The Best of My Love" (don't worry, you also get the original version of that classic ballad in this set) as well as Joe Walsh's "Funk #49" and Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" and "All She Wants to do is Dance." All of the music is separated per disc perfectly, with early works, the ballads and the fast lane for the edgier tracks. Only two glaring ommissions here: "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks", which is the most dancable Eagles tune ever; and the live concert staple, "Seven Bridges Road". But there is an out-take from "The Long Run" sessions entitled "Born to Boogie" with an unrecognizable Glenn Frey on lead vocals. This set covers the entire musically history of the band from their country roots to the evolution of one of the best rock bands of the seventies. A must have for anyone with any interest in the Eagles. And as far as the price is concerned, take a look at other box sets--this one is one of the least expensive ones available.

I grew up listening to the Eagles in the 70's. Never was a huge fan but they were always in the background and their hits are staples of that decade. I never purchased their individual cd's in the 80's because I had moved on to "modern" rock. With the popularity of career spanning Box Sets of super groups in the 90's, I was actually looking forward to this one simply for childhood nostalgia. Great set but could have used more history on each song such as how they became to be, a discography with album covers, song listings and release dates with Billboard charting info. One glaring omission is Seven Bridges Road and can anyone please explain the Don Henley solo songs for their 4th disc live set? I would have understood the seven bridges cut if pressed for time but they could have easily put another 7 or so songs into this collection. I would not have purchased had I already owned the 2 greatest hits discs (no hidden gems here). The packaging is great though and for the casual fan looking to capture some of the best of FM radio in the 70's, this will do the trick.

Owning The Eagles "Their Greatest Hits" is enough for all but serious fans. This boxed set really does just about everything wrong. It's way too shallow for hardcore fans. Nothing new here, just a compilation of readily available tracks. It's not even a particularly well-done compilation, as great, lesser-known tracks are skipped just to pad it out with more "hits". It would have been nice if it painted a more complete picture of the band, by say, including the amazing Bernie Leadon instrumental "Journey of The Sorcerer" or the breathtaking version of "7 Bridges Road" from "Eagles Live". The quality of the music, for the most part, is beyond reproach, but as far as the package itself goes, it's hard to recommend. For the hardcore fan, it's superflous- they'll own the vast majority of the material already. For the newcomer, it's either too much or not quite enough, depending on your point of view. There are ways to succesfully deal with commerical juggernaut-type bands in the box set format: take note of the amazing Tom Petty boxed set "Playback" which strikes a perfect balance: A great intro OR a great addition to a collection. Even the recent Queen and Led Zeppelin packages (just essentially repackagings of their complete studio recordings) make more sense than this weak collection.

This review refers to the Eagles.."Selected Works 1972 -1999" (4 CD set)....

I really think you can not go wrong with this excellent selection of these familiar and classic works spanning nearly 30 years of the Eagles' career. They gave us so many cherished songs and memories to savor. Their music transcends the generations. I am 50 something..when I recieved this as a gift, my 25 year old son, was immediatley all over it, wanting to borrow it before I even unwrapped the cellophane.

What's really nice about this set imparticular, is the way it is packaged. The 4 CD's each have their own theme. Pick your mood...feeling a bit nostalgic?..Disc 1 is "The Early Days" It includes such greats as "Witchy Woman", "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and "On The Border" Disc 2 is for dreamy days or restless nights. It is, "The Ballads", and has "Desperado", "Wasted Time", "Love Will Keep Us Alive" and "Lyin Eyes" to keep you company. If you're "Born To Boogie" or need to get pumped up on a long drive somewhere, take Disc 3, "The Fast Lane", on the road with you. Time will fly, and you won't mind being stuck in traffic and you'll have a great time with, "One Of These Nights", "Hotel California", "The Long Run" and of course.."Life In The Fast Lane". The 4th Disc is "The Millennium Concert" and is a great mix of all things Eagles, including "Victim of Love", "The Best Of My Love", and a great rendition of "Please Come Home For Christmas". A few songs from the first 3 discs are repeated, but, listening to them again from the live concert is a whole new expereince. There are 12 to 15 tracks on each disc, and they run about an hour or a little over. See buying infor for complete list of songs.

The CDs sound great. I was espcially impresssed by the Concert recording. A great 42 page book is included with lots of history, photos, and notes on the band and the selected works. The CDs are each in their own holder with cardboard covers(but seem pretty sturdy). They are very nicely boxed.

Long time Eagles fans will surely have any songs, not included on other CDs already. If you are one who is just getting around to upgrading your Eagles collection from cassette(this was my case), you will have a great head start with this wonderful set.

No Matter what your mood is, you can "Take It To The Limit" with this great set.


Thanks Santa, I love it!....Laurie

It was only inevitable that with the proliferation of box sets these days, the timeless music of the Eagles would be packaged in this form. The result: "Selected Works: 1972-1999".

I admit to being a die-hard Eagles fan, so I'm a bit of a "completist" when it comes to their music; I must purchase whatever comes out by them or by the individual artists. So, it was natural that I would get this despite already having all the Eagles CD's. Doubtless, there are many like me who did the same.

Compared to other box sets, "Selected Works" is put together very nicely. Whereas most sets go chronologically, this set takes a different tack by having "themes" for each disc. The first is a collection of their early songs, drawn primarily from their self-titled debut album and the follow-up concept album "Desperado". The second disc is their ballads from all stages of their career, as is the "fast lane" third disc that features their rock songs. Having the discs arranged this way is actually very nice, because if you want to rock, you have all those songs in one place, and if you want to listen to more "mellow" songs, you can pop in the ballads disc.

The fourth disc - a collection of songs culled from the 1999 millenium concert in L.A. - is perhaps the disc that most of us die-hards were waiting for. Yes, it's true that the Eagles sound just as good live as they do in-studio (one of the critics' favorite "attack" lines throughout the years), but it provides the fans great memories and great listening enjoyment. This one is excellent strictly because the songs are ones that weren't on the "Hell Freezes Over" disc (thus rendering that line of criticism invalid). The Eagles played some songs in the '99 concert that they haven't performed live for a long time. Glenn Frey is wonderful singing lead in a reworked version of "Take It To The Limit". They rock with the underrated track "Those Shoes", and perform a beautiful version of the Tom Waits-penned "Ol '55" (from the "On The Border" album).

There's only one true "unreleased" song on this set, that being "Born To Boogie". But included is a track called "Long Run Leftovers", which is a collection of instrumental tracks never used which producer Bill Szymczyk looped together. Also featured is a running track of "outtakes" from the "Long Run" sessions, which is mostly recordings of the band members hamming it up during the studio sessions. Interesting stuff for the fan, but perhaps not so much for the casual listener.

The book is also a nice complement. Inside its 40+ pages are written contributions from a Rolling Stone editor, Bill Szymczyk, and Glenn Frey, as well as pictures of the band through the years.

Most of the criticisms I've seen written about this box set is of a predictable nature. None really knock the music. Instead, most claim this is a waste of money because there's "nothing new" on this collection, outside of a few "minor" outtakes. Guess what? The Eagles weren't the first to do this! I could list dozens of artists who have compiled similar sets. Any artist's catalog could be purchased on individual CD's or in boxset form, and The Eagles - like most before them - have compiled this set to make it more simple for the casual fan. Another criticism is that this was purely a "money grab" for the Eagles. You could make a somewhat credible case for this, but again, one can't single out just The Eagles. The recording industry as a whole will package and re-package a catalog in various incarnate forms if there's a chance that the public will drop some money on it. Don't blame The Eagles...they're not the first, and they certainly won't be the last.

In the end, the music of The Eagles is as beautiful as it is timeless. The boxset is nice for the die-hard fan and the casual fan alike - perhaps more for the casual or new fan because it's a nice package that gives you the entire catalog all at once. Die-hards will get it mostly for the live disc, and that's OK too. It just boils down to a matter of personal choice, and whether you believe the critics who pan this strictly on the basis of it being old material re-packaged. I, however, recommend it to all audiences - the naysayers included.

The first Eagles greatest hits album is the biggest selling album of all time with some 26 million copies sold. It seemed only a matter of time before the band released a box set. The result is a superb compilation that has just about every Eagles song you could want. Unlike most box sets that simply fill each disk in a chronological order, the four disks here are broken up into themes. Disk one highlights the band's country-rock songs, two contains their ballads, three has the harder rocking songs and disk four is highlights from their Millennium New Year's Eve concert. There aren't really any outtakes, although disk three contains an outtake mix, the real treat for fans who have all the hits on other disks, is the live stuff. The band is in fine form and we get to hear them take on not only their hits, but group members solo songs as well. Their take on the James Gang's Funk 49 is inspired. In addition to the music, the set includes a great booklet that has some great pictures. As with any box set, the long time fans have most of the songs that are included, but with the live songs and the booklet, it well worth the higher price to have in your collection.

This collection brings together almost four hours of music, including a (too short) disc of live material, a few rarities, and thirty-some songs from the Eagles' six original studio albums.

Almost all the hits are here, as well as numerous album tracks, and the compilers have made some great selections, as well as a couple of inexplicably bad ones (why is the awful "King Of Hollywood" chosen over the beautiful "Doolin-Dalton / Desperado Reprise" from the "Desperado" album?).
Most of the lesser-known songs are excellent, though, like the beautiful acoustic shuffle "Train Leaves Here This Morning", the lovely mandolin-driven "Saturday Night", and Randy Meisner's "Try And Love Again".

The three studio CDs are divided into "The Early Days", "The Ballads", and "The Fast Lane" (i.e. most of the band's electric rock songs), and the third disc also contains what little unreleased material there is, but anyone hoping for greatness is going to be disappointed.

On the live disc, The Eagles have gone out of their way to perform songs out of their usual repertoire (and Glenn Frey takes over from the absent Randy Meisner and sings "Take It To The Limit"). It includes several solo hits (a dubious choice), and both sides of their 1978 seasonal single, "Please Come Home for Christmas" and "Funky New Year".
Much of this is minor or atypical material, though, and that's the main problem with this box set: It doesn't really offer anything to genuinely add to the legacy of the Eagles, and the serious fan, who probably has all the band's original albums already, won't really find too much of interest here.
Likewise, more casual fans would probably be better off with the Eagles' two orginal Greatest Hits-albums, or the new "The Very Best Of The Eagles" CD.

The music is superb, but it's hard to see why you should go out and buy this set at fifty-some bucks in order to get a mediocre live CD and a couple of unreleased (and unfinished) songs. If you want four hours of Eagles music, go get their original albums instead, and the fine, underrated "Eagles Live".
3 1/2 stars.