I'm a fan of the music group, The Eagles.
The group's been around for a long time. Their first single, Take it Easy, was released on May 1, 1972.
They were on the charts for most of the 70s, even during the much-hated Disco abomination. Their, Lyin' Eyes, was nominated for the Record of the Year Grammy in 1975.
Their album, Hotel California, is the third best selling album of all time. That album, which is not their best selling, was released in 1976. They produced one more album before they broke up in 1980.
They reunited with the Hell Freezes Over album and tour in 1994 and have been touring off and on...more on, since.
I have a few Eagles rants...And, I'm quarantined.
The group touring now is, in my opinion, essentially, nothing more than a cover band. It's quite a cover band, without a doubt. Vince Gill? Vince Gill! Only Don Henley among the original members of the band is still in the group. I actually had a dust up with Mike Stallons, from my WTS days, on Facebook about that a few years ago. Steuart Smith. SHEESH!
Glen Frey, a talented songwriter and world-class egotist, died in 2016.
Frey booted out two of the original members: Randy Meisner, the original bass player and high voice in the harmonies...
...and the original lead guitarist, Bernie Leadon, who actually was the first to leave.
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Leadon drove the California Rock, Country sound of the group in its early years.
Bernie Leadon is a genius.
His contribution to the sound of the group was subtle and powerful.
Leadon left after an argument with Frey when Frey demanded that the group change musical direction, away from the California sound that defined its style on its first albums.
My favorite Eagles music came from the Bernie Leadon era, before Hotel California.
After Leadon, the music lost its charm and subtlety and, in my snooty opinion, sold out to what was popular for the sake of popularity.
Leadon introduced understated, but important, country touches to most of the best of the Eagles early songs.
Perhaps his most notable achievement was on the Eagles' first song to reach the top spot on Billboard's Hot 100, Best of My Love, which featured strong notes from his pedal steel guitar, making it my favorite of the group's songs.
I love his contribution to the aforementioned Lyin Eyes. Listen as the track progresses and you'll hear, briefly, Leadon's mandolin. A nice touch. "Did she get tired or did she just get lazy," right about there.
Notice the banjo in the background of Take it Easy. Good stuff. Leadon.
He's everywhere in the early music.
As popular as the album, Hotel California is, it's not the Eagle's best seller. The music album that has outsold all others, by many millions, is The Eagles: Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)--the Bernie Leadon era.
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Leadon was replaced in the band by Joe Walsh. Walsh, and an earlier fifth band member, guitarist Don Felder, suited the musical rebranding envisioned by Frey. Walsh is, no doubt, beloved by fans of the group. Walsh is charismatic and eccentric and whimsical. He may well be the best-loved member of the current band. His Life's Been Good is hilarious. It's included in the (cover) band's concerts to this day. And, I do love it. And, him.
Many, except the group's most serious, and geezerly, fans may have forgotten Bernie Leadon. No doubt, many don't know that he was even in the group.
But, he was.
And, the music's never been the same.
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Like the title of this post announced. Unimportant. But, I care.
And, I am quarantined.
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