Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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197 of 215 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Long Road well worth the wait, October 31, 2007
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.
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60 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's Obviously Been a Long, Long Road..., November 3, 2007
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.
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72 of 87 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Old Sound; New Melodies, October 31, 2007
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.
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~ Eagles
~ Plant, Robert/Krauss, Alison
~ John Fogerty
~ Bruce Springsteen
~ Eagles
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by Eagles 
