the eagles?

[Dennis G]

I love the Eagles stuff. Great songwriting, great vocals and quality musicians. The only thing I detest is that the let themselves become exactly what they used to sing against. Which is to say a corporation where the bottom line is all that matters.

Last year I read "Heavan and Hell" by Don Felder. It's about the time he spent in the Eagles, and is a very interesting read if you're a fan. Henley and Frey are "The Eagles, Inc." and are the only two who share in the profits, everyone else is a salaried bandmember (it didn't start out that way). H and F are also portrayed as total egomaniacal a$$holes, each with their own issues.

 

While you might think that Felder had an axe to grind in writing the book, it really doesn't come off that way. It kind of soured me on them as a band, but I still like their stuff, and have seen them twice in concert, and probably would do so again.

[stein]

Last year I read "Heavan and Hell" by Don Felder. It's about the time he spent in the Eagles, and is a very interesting read if you're a fan. Henley and Frey are "The Eagles, Inc." and are the only two who share in the profits, everyone else is a salaried bandmember (it didn't start out that way). H and F are also portrayed as total egomaniacal a$$holes, each with their own issues.

 

While you might think that Felder had an axe to grind in writing the book, it really doesn't come off that way. It kind of soured me on them as a band, but I still like their stuff, and have seen them twice in concert, and probably would do so again.

If I understand that correctly, Felder does NOT have any rights to the Eagles music? The way I read that, it sounds like Henley/Frey would have ownership of "hotel California", and Felder receives no royalties.

[FirstMeasure]

Last year I read "Heavan and Hell" by Don Felder. It's about the time he spent in the Eagles, and is a very interesting read if you're a fan. Henley and Frey are "The Eagles, Inc." and are the only two who share in the profits, everyone else is a salaried bandmember (it didn't start out that way). H and F are also portrayed as total egomaniacal a$$holes, each with their own issues.

 

While you might think that Felder had an axe to grind in writing the book, it really doesn't come off that way. It kind of soured me on them as a band, but I still like their stuff, and have seen them twice in concert, and probably would do so again.

I try not to take sides in Famous Band Infighting. If you think about it, Frey and Henley haven't had time to write a tell all book because they're still oiling the Eagles Machine. It's just possible they had to take control or watch their project die an untimely death.

 

I imagine it's pretty hard to keep your ego in check when you're the founding members of The Eagles, brought the band and it's name from Nothing to Number One. Then the guys that came on board AFTER you are Selling Records and getting Air Play start telling you, "It's over, I'm not touring anymore and neither are you!" Sorry Mr. Flelder, you are a effectively a Hired gun in the Eagles, as is Joe Walsh and Tim Schmit. They were auditioned by Frey and Henley and hired by Frey and Henely. Everything that has ever happened to that band is because of Frey and Henley, Felder can take some credit for 1974-1980, Walsh 75-80 and Schmit 77-80. Even if there was a mutual agreement between all member to call it "OUR BAND", reality and the Cosmos dictate that it is Henley and Fey's band. They're just accepting reality and running with the rewards.

 

Also, I imagine the salaries they're paying out must be pretty nice, otherwise they couldn't hold down Joe Walsh.

[Dennis G]

I try not to take sides in Famous Band Infighting. If you think about it, Frey and Henley haven't had time to write a tell all book because they're still oiling the Eagles Machine. It's just possible they had to take control or watch their project die an untimely death.

 

I imagine it's pretty hard to keep your ego in check when you're the founding members of The Eagles, brought the band and it's name from Nothing to Number One. Then the guys that came on board AFTER you are Selling Records and getting Air Play start telling you, "It's over, I'm not touring anymore and neither are you!" Sorry Mr. Flelder, you are a effectively a Hired gun in the Eagles, as is Joe Walsh and Tim Schmit. They were auditioned by Frey and Henley and hired by Frey and Henely. Everything that has ever happened to that band is because of Frey and Henley, Felder can take some credit for 1974-1980, Walsh 75-80 and Schmit 77-80. Even if there was a mutual agreement between all member to call it "OUR BAND", reality and the Cosmos dictate that it is Henley and Fey's band. They're just accepting reality and running with the rewards.

 

Also, I imagine the salaries they're paying out must be pretty nice, otherwise they couldn't hold down Joe Walsh.

Not to argue, but read the book. Felder was an equal partner at one point and got screwed. And that massive salary to hold Joe W is $5K a week.

 

There is another book on the Eagles written by a third party, sorry but can't remember the title, but a 30 minute or so overview one day at Barnes & Noble showed the same side of Frey & Henley as Felder did. It's a very confrontational environment (as are a lot of bands). And for what it's worth, in a 60 minutes segment Henley was quoted as saying that "It's Glenn's band, it's always been Glenn's band, and it will always be Glenn's band" (paraphrasing). So it's just one more dysfunctional professional relationship LOL.

[FirstMeasure]

Not to argue, but read the book. Felder was an equal partner at one point and got screwed. And that massive salary to hold Joe W is $5K a week.

 

There is another book on the Eagles written by a third party, sorry but can't remember the title, but a 30 minute or so overview one day at Barnes & Noble showed the same side of Frey & Henley as Felder did. It's a very confrontational environment (as are a lot of bands). And for what it's worth, in a 60 minutes segment Henley was quoted as saying that "It's Glenn's band, it's always been Glenn's band, and it will always be Glenn's band" (paraphrasing). So it's just one more dysfunctional professional relationship LOL.

It might be confrontational, but dysfunctional is unfair. It's obviously a functional relationship between the remaining members. They're still functioning, after all.

 

And I'm not saying they're unfairly painted as controlling or unreasonable. All I'm saying is it's their band since the beginning, so it's theirs to unreasonably control. Apparently, having 5 full partners was dysfunctional. Not because I read a book from any pesrpective, but becasue when they broke up there were 5 partners. Now their touring and producing steadily for themselves and for all the little guys that work for the Eagles. That is fully functional. Perhaps, even though he may have been superbly talented, Felder was the one cook to many in the proverbial kitchen.

[Shnate McDuanus]

Tangentially relevant:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8p9JpDuQ-o

[cookieman15061]

Well all you have to do is look at the crap they've put out since parting company with Don to realize he was the reason they became a rock band and haven't been one since he left.

 

I've read all the books and seen all the interviews and Felder's not hurting at all. Although he's not a part of the current lucrative touring act he still gets royalties from the songs he co-wrote including Hotel Cali and invested wisely over the years.

 

As for Walsh, I love him as a player but lost a little respect for him after finding out he turned his back on the guy that helped get him sober.

[Guest rogerb]

Love em! Saw them at a sold out concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville last year.