The first Eagles segment is about camping in the desert.
According to Glenn Frey, "we were really into the mysticism of the high desert." There are some
really great photos of all the original Eagles camping with the
photographers who shot their first album cover (see right),
and a lot of great commentary on the bands' early experimentation with desert and Native
American culture. This segment has several interviews with Henley and Frey
on their early days with the band, when they were just learning the ropes and were trying
to show the industry who they were. It is really interesting to see what they were thinking back
then, way before I was born.
The second main Eagles series
deals with the shooting of the Desperado album. Apparently, the Eagles dressed up in costumes
with Jackson Browne and J.D. Souther and played cowboys for a couple of days in a ghost town.
The photos were used on the album cover (as seen on the
main page) and on the back jacket, and the many photos taken in between were placed on billboards
in L.A. promoting the album. This is a really interesting sequence to see, because
the Eagles just get out there and shoot it up with their producer and road crew. There is
also a behind-the-scenes look at a lot of the filming and photography process, and lots of
stories of mishaps and other miscellany. There are some very well-done videos of actual fight
scenes, along with lots of Eagles music to back it up, and again many interviews. This was
a really great piece, one I will watch over and over again.
 Don, Glenn, Bernie, and Randy were dressed up when they first came to town. |
 Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Bernie, Randy, Don, and Glenn chillin' outside the local saloon. |
 By this time, it seems that the Eagles got into a disagreement with the locals. This is from a video of Randy, Glenn, and Bernie shooting it up. |
So many stories are included on this disc
that it will be impossible to watch them all. One of the photographers was the official
photographer of both the 1969 and the 1994 Woodstock festivals, and so there are extensive
(and I mean extensive) stories and photos from both festivals. These segments are really
great, and include a lot of human interest as well as rock-n-roll shots. Also included on the
disc are stories from many many other bands and their albums, from Hendrix to Mama Cass to
CSN to Jackson Browne to J.D. Souther to James Taylor.
If
you are into 70's rock, this is definitely a CD for you. If you are a devout Eagles fan, like
me, this disc is a very
interesting look at them, one which I would have never expected. I love the disc, even though
I haven't looked through a quarter of it yet (and I've played on it for 6 hours). One thing to
keep in mind, though is that I got it free, so that may cloud my judgement. I am
not being swayed by this fact, I am simply not expecting as much as I would have if I had
paid for it. So if you love 70's music, definitely buy this!
