Eagles

Hotel California

A Return To Form and Inspiration

Review Score:

(8/10)
Many feel that at this point the Eagles sold out. Sold out from what? They were never an underground band or a band that was on the cutting edge. Because of their desire to be the world's greatest rock band, the commercialism was always there from the first album. That doesn't mean that this is a bad record. In fact, it's one of their best.
After eighteen months of the revolving musicians shuffle and probably bunches of squabbles, the Eagles finally released "Hotel California" late summer in 1976. With guitarist Joe Walsh enlisted as a bona-fide member, the Eagles rock on with a much-improved album.
The title track `Hotel California' is truly inspired. A creepy sci fi storyline about a hotel that seems like paradise which turns out to be a negative Utopia) is sung over a relentlessly played killer guitar riff with variations in rhythm punctuation, dynamics and acoustics (instead of variations in melody, chord structure and key changes). But it works for this song: a relentless melody for a relentless storyline. Joe Walsh shows off some dynamite solo guitar work for the long fadeout. Yes, it fades out with the same relentless riff to indicate that you can't escape the final words "you can checkout anytime you like, but you can never leave."
`Hotel California' became to the Eagles what `Stairway To Heaven' is to Led Zeppelin. `Hotel California' is Don Henley's most inspired piece of writing and is the best song on the album. But don't let that stop you from enjoying the rest of the song s here.
Rockers like `Life In the Fast Lane' are first class. Two noteworthy ballads in Joe Walsh's gorgeous `Pretty Maids All In a Row' and Glenn Frey's hopeful `Try and Love Again.'
Two of the more disposable tracks are `Victim Of Love' and `New Kid In Town'. `Victim Of Love' plods along in typical competent Eagles fashion but offers no bonuses in development. The top ten hit `New Kid In Town' is a nice melody about being the latest famous flavor --poignancy for teenyboppers everywhere.
However `Victim Of Love' and `New Kid In Town' do keep the flow of the album going smoothly and are both ten times better (and less offensive) than the worst track on "One Of These Nights" - the hideous `Lyin' Eyes'. And that should count for something.
From this initial release with Joe Walsh, it seemed like the Eagles were on their way to a brand new productive phase. Releasing a great Christmas single shortly after with their tender rendition of Charles Brown's `Please Come Home For Christmas' backed with their own New Years from Hell in `Funky New Year'.

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