History of the Eagles (2013)

the leading man is my tpye

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

Fantastic!

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

It wasn't until Glenn Frey died that I discovered that he and the rest of the band members-past and present-did this documentary in two parts a few years ago. So I ordered both discs from Netflix. The first part covered the Eagles' heyday in the '70s with many of their hits accounted for like their first one-"Take It Easy" which is always my favorite of theirs-or "Take It to the Limit" which Frey mistakenly ID's as the group's first No. 1 single. (It was actually "Best of My Love" which, strangely, was one of the few hits not showcased in the film. "TITTL" actually went to No. 4.) In both parts, the emphasis is on Frey and Don Henley since they wrote most of the songs, were in the band for both runs, and had successful solo careers in between. Other current members Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit also frequently comment alongside former members Bernie Leadon who recently returned to the fold, Randy Meisner, and Don Felder. While I'll always admire Frey as a songwriter and artist, I can't help but think that he's the main reason some members left. I'd like to think they've all made peace with him before he passed. Certainly, I was very glad when Don H., Bernie, Joe, and Tim appeared on the Grammys several weeks ago in tribute to Glenn and performed "Take It Easy" with Jackson Browne-who co-wrote the song some 44 years ago-singing lead even though Browne forgot some of the lyrics. Anyway, I highly enjoyed History of the Eagles so that's a high recommendation.

Great documentary on a great band.Made in 2013, a documentary on the Eagles, from the early days of Glenn Frey and Don Henley to the (then) present day. Includes interviews with the band members at different times in their lives, including in the mid-1970s. No narration, the movie is effectively narrated by the interviews. Not your simple chronological telling of their story either, there is an examination of the impact of their music. Quite emotional at times.Also quite bluntly told too. The frictions within the band are often examined and the truth is not sugar-coated.A wonderful musical and emotional journey.

History of the Eagles is about how Glenn and Don arrive to southern California from humble beginnings, build a monster called the Eagles and are subsequently swallowed up by it. It is done entirely from a first person perspective of a wide range of interviewees who were critical to the Eagles success and then edited together into a single narrative. The editing was seamless and the sound mix did an outstanding job of creating emotional cues and adding context (i.e. Wasted Time during the breakup, Heartache Tonight during the Felder- Frye showdown). It was interesting to get the perspective from the Eagles as they were on top of the mountain (through archival footage and interviews) and then see how that perspective changed or didn't change forty odd years later. The honesty of the documentary was refreshing. There didn't seem to be any kind of censorship of interviewees when they described a feud they had with the Eagles but most discussed the events cordially… well except David Geffen. Even though this was a film commissioned by Glenn and Don it did not paint them entirely in a rose colored light. Glenn especially came off as a ruthless dictator that ruled through fear and intimidation. His was a name I kept hearing throughout the documentary as someone who would get into feuds with other band members, producers, execs, etc. Don Henley at times still seemed bitter, entitled, and full of resentment, often using "Mister" in a derisive way. Part of the narrative, it seemed, was to air some dirty laundry and settle old scores. While some was directed at older members the lion share was directed at Don Felder. There was an obvious attempt to downplay his contributions to the band, in particular Hotel California. From what I understand Don Felder wrote the entire song except the ending guitar solos at the end prior to giving it to the Don and Glenn. Don, JD and Glenn then wrote the lyrics and arranged the vocals. On the original album Don Felder's name is first next to the song indicating that they acknowledged, at the time, he wrote most of the song. In subsequent albums their names were added first. I found it interesting that when they described their own songwriting with each other or outside songwriters they were collaborating with little mention of who wrote the majority of what. Overall this was a really well made documentary and I recommend it even if you aren't an Eagles fan as I wasn't. It really gives you a new perspective, not just on the eagles, but on the music industry as a whole. We often think they are shrewd and calculating when in fact everyone runs around faking it until they make it. For instance I had always been told the Eagles were a commercial band created by a label. I learned from the documentary that in part that was true since Linda Ronstandt and her manager basically created the Eagles as a backup band. However, I think most of us had envisioned label execs sitting around a board room with head shots and files on local musicians.

There was a lot of speculation on the "Why the Eagles split up" and without giving too much away this does answer a lot.Some people have said in musical fields that Glen Frey is an ego- maniacal, glory-seeking, talentless musician. The reality is between Glen Frey, Don Henley, Timothy Schmitt, Randy Meisner, J.D. Souther and Jackson Browne, the Eagles possibly have more hits than most bands could hope for since the Beatles.There is a feeling of an arrogant man in the way Glen Frey presents himself and as the movie clearly states it was not until Frey decided he was ready that The Eagles could reform and play again. The different ventures each went on and the use of musicians in Henley's solo career such as Pino Palladino certainly give Henley more musical kudos in some circles than Frey will ever get, but the reality is together they wrote great songs. The same was said of Lennon and McCartney in other ways.Simply as the title of this summary says, he that writes owns. Any musician ever involved with any label or record company as it used to be known, knew that "He that pays owns". This is no different. So basically,they can do whatever they like. The glue that holds them together is the songs and if I was to pick the most likable person and peacemaking soul that holds the band together, where humanly possible, it would be Timothy B Schmitt who Frey could take some humility lessons from because he comes across as what his critics say in paragraph #2.All that said and done, it is one of the better historical and pedagogical films made and worth watching if you liked the Eagles music which I did. There are sad moments and one cannot help but feel sadness at youthful ignorance and the pitfalls of the industry, but it is a great eye opener and worth the money to buy the DVD. :)