The Eagles have been around for so long they mean something different to several generations.
For some, the Eagles were the soundtrack of the 1970’s and one of the decade’s best live acts.
For others, the Eagles are known through Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), the bestselling album of all-time in the U.S. and the fourth best selling worldwide.
Another generation knows the Eagles as the band that performed “Desperado,” the song that captivated Elaine’s boyfriend’s attention in the Seinfeld episode, "The Checks."
As for myself, the country-rock band from California has two diverse meanings.
The Eagles are legends of American rock music. They successfully fused country and rock music, wrote some of the greatest songs of all-time and were exceptional musicians—Eagles’ live shows have always been highly acclaimed.
However, the Eagles, along with other California musicians of the 1970’s—Jackson Browne, Fleetwood Mac, Poco—symbolized the safe and bloated corporate pop music that comprised rock and roll at the time.
With the major acts of the 1960’s either disbanded (the Beatles), dead (Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison) or struggling with drug addiction (The Rolling Stones), rock and roll drifted away from its revolutionary roots and became a mass-media marketing tool meant to sell albums and t-shirts. Instead of being destructive, Rock and Roll was constructive.
It was bands like the Eagles that inspired bands like the Sex Pistols and the Clash to pick up guitars and play as loud as they possibly could. Teens quickly grew tired of hearing well played chords and opted for the discord of untalented musicians and shouting front men with Mohawks and multi-colored hair.
While it may be a reach, I don’t think it’s preposterous to theorize that the Eagles helped inspire this new rebellious form of Rock and Roll called punk music.
Of course with the passage of time, politics fade. You can only listen to distortion and yelling for so long before it loses its vivaciousness. Good music stays, while fads fall to the wayside.
The Eagles have definitely stayed. They are Rock and Roll legends and their enduring music has transcended not only their own era but their genre as well.
Still, every time I hear the Eagles, whether it’s one of their seven studio albums or in concert, I can’t help to marvel at how good they are and how much they’ve influenced, whether positively or negatively, rock music.
Besides, the Eagles rock and how many bands can still say that?
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
The Killers Concert Tour 2009
The Killers are going on tour across the world. From Europe to Canada and the U.S., The Killers are goin' muderin' again and this tour is supposed to be great. Look below to see if they plan on visiting your city.The Killers Scheduled U.S. Tour Stops
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