I’m 55, so I was young (in my 20s if you can imagine that!) when The Eagles had their first hits in the 70s. They were good then, and you might think that as they aged, they lost some of their edge. Not so! I received their new two CD album for Christmas and it has delighted me six or eight times already. There isn’t a song on it that I would put in the “bad” category, although I do prefer some more than others. Interestingly enough, some of the ones which have the best music don’t have the best lyrics and vice versa. If you like slow ballads, you’ll find them here. If you like hard rockers, you’ll find them here. If you like thoughtful lyrics, you’ll find them here.

You might also think that they had lost the parallel track between performance ability and song-writing ability with one being worse than the other now. Again, not so! Most are written by Frey and Henley, but Schmit and Walsh put in their songs, as well as a few others. The styles are almost a dead giveaway as to who wrote them if you’re a long-time follower of their music. Try guessing when you listen, then go to the liner notes and see how close you are. As for their voices, they are as good now as ever. Some songs remind me of the original Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young harmonies, they are so close and so perfect. Each voice complements the other.

Some of the lyrics I really like are in “Frail Grasp on the Big Picture.” It’s overtly political in places, with my favorite lines being:

• And we pray to our Lord, who we know is American
• He reigns from on high; He speaks to us through middlemen
• And He shepherds His flock
• We sing out and we praise His name
• He supports us in war; He presides over football games
• And the right will prevail; all our troubles will be resolved
• We hold faith above all, unless there’s money or sex involved.

I’m not sure about your spiritual beliefs, but the somewhat accurate picture painted of many people’s view of God in those lines reveals a God too petty for me. Mine is bigger than being an American!

If at any time in the past you liked at least one of the songs by The Eagles, then by all means buy this one and you will be pleased. I’m sorry to say that the last line of that song quoted above, about money being involved, wasn’t heeded by them in that they have an exclusive marketing deal with that evil empire of quasi-capitalism and rampant consumerism run amok, the giant Mart beginning with W. Aside from that, I’ll still recommend you get it.

I signed up for their email list [1] here and hope they come somewhere close to me soon, so I can part with some cash and see them live for the first time. Anyone want to go with me?

***** of *****