Disco de Eagles: “Long Run”

If you have to go out, you should go out with a bang. The Eagles did that with this album, which yielded three singles: "The Long Run", "Heartache Tonight", and "I Can't Tell You Why". The three songs may sound similar to some, but the third song was a mellow ballad, the second had a fast beat with solid percussion, and the first song, as much as I enjoyed it, I always thought of as The Eagle in molasses. A good song, but I always thought the song strained to be sped up.

Not to be overlooked on this album is the last song, "The Sad Cafe", which is a swan song for The Eagles much like "The Long and Winding Road" was The Beatles' swan song. The bluesy, sad song ends the 1972 to 1979 run of The Eagles nostalgically. Coincidentally the end of The Eagles coincided with the end of the decade, the eminence of disco and the transition to New Wave and the techno driven pop of the 80s. Looking back, perhaps it was time for The Eagle to move on to other things (though I still don't think so).

The rest of the album is decent, generally listenable. Six of the songs were co-written by at least three people. The other four songs were written by two people. Glenn Frey and Don Henley contributed the most, but I still think that the huge difference between "Hotel California", "The Long Run" and what came before shows the influence of Joe Walsh. After the break up of The Eagles, Glenn and Don were considered sufficiently up-to-date to have their music selected for the then extremely stylish and modern "Miami Vice". Quite a change from the early cowboy boots and rattlesnakes era of The Eagles.

Perhaps this album wasn't their best. I think it would be more fair to say it is not my favorite Eagles' album. But who cares? We all have our own favorites. The question is whether the album is worth owning. I think it is. I prefer this album over the second greatest hits collection that was largely from "Hotel California" and "The Long Run". If you are influenced by the other reviews to be concerned that you might not like many of the songs on this CD, then buy the second volume of The Eagles' greatest hits and pass this one by. I think it is a good album and worth having in my collection.

Hotel California pushed the band from stars into mega-stars. They went on a long tour to support the album and due to increased drug use, tensions within the band increased. Founding member, bassist Randy Meisner could no longer stand it and left the band after the tour. He was replaced by former Poco member, Timothy B. Schmidt and the band took time off to refuel. After three long years, they finally released The Long Run in late 1979. While not as strong as Hotel California, the album still is something special. The band treads into new territory with the title track, which is a slice of Memphis Soul Stew in the Stax/Volt vein. Don Henley gives a spirited vocal and shows he has tremendous range. Mr. Schmidt contributes the soft and tender "I Can't Tell You Why" and his backing vocals are the rest of the album add a new dimension to the band. Joe Walsh chimes in with the crashing "In The City". The album has a dark and ominous tone with the best examples being the menacing "The Disco Strangler" and the corrupt power of "King Of Hollywood" in which Mr. Henley sings from the perspective of a Hollywood producer bent on abusing his power. "Heartache Tonight" was the band's fifth and last number one single and is a high octane affair co-written with Bob Seger. "Those Shoes" has an almost funky beat and "Teenage Jail" follows the dark theme. "The Greek Don't Want No Freaks" is a goofy number that lightens things up with Jimmy Buffett singing backup vocals. The album closes on a pensive note with the longing "The Sad Cafe". The band would break up not long after their tour to support the album and the song is an appropriate final chapter to one of the biggest bands of all time.

After the massive commercial and artistic success of their 1976 touchstone, 'Hotel California', the Eagles see bassist/vocalist/ founding member Randy Meisner leave the group, supposedly after no longer being able to tolerate drummer Don Henley and guitarist Glenn Frey anymore. The band then hires Meisner's replacement from his previous group, Poco, Timothy B. Schmit take a 2 1/2 year hiatus from the rock scene, and emerge in 1979 with their final studio album, 'The Long Run'.

To call this album a dissapointment would be an understatement. Not only did they completely abandon the country-rock format that made them turn heads in the music world in the early 1970's (no "New Kid In Town" on this record), the band that was one of few that boasted 4-5 different yet interesting vocal stylings decide to make Henley the apparent frontman. The degeneration of splitting the lead vocal duties equally from their 1972 debut is complete here. I like to call this album 'The Long Don'. Don Henley's ego has him forcing Glenn Frey to let him sing 65% of the lead vocals on this album and the entire project seems lopsided because of it. Oh sure, you get to hear everyone do a lead on one track (minus Don Felder, whose only lead vocal with the Eagles is featured on the album 'One Of These Nights'), but for the most part this feels more like a Don Henley solo album rather than an Eagles release.

Some positives are "I Can't Tell You Why", which gives the album a dark mood felt throughout and portrayed perfectly with the cover art. Other highlights include "Heartache Tonight", which demonstrate Frey's talent songwriting and vocal-wise which are sorely underused on this record, and the tantric rythyms of "Those Shoes", with absolutely spectacular guitar work by Joe Walsh. Walsh also, left his stamp on this record with his trademark guitar sound saturated throughout the album. After a few listens it becomes obvious that Walsh and Henley were the only two band members on the record to have any real say on the sound and the direction of the recording. Gone is the triple guitar interplay from "Hotel California" and the acoustic tinged tour-de-forces a la "Lyin' Eyes" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling". It is no wonder this contrived effort became the band's final studio album. It clearly sounds like the entire band was not only not getting along, but the pressure to follow up a masterpiece left all five band members dissatisfied with this, their swan song - 'The Long Run'.

An interesting record. Some very good songs, but they just don't seem to go together well. The record doesn't have the feel or flow of Hotel California. When taken individually, though, most of the tracks measure up quite well.

As the seventies came to a close, it was only natural the some of the musical staples did as well. And so it was with the Eagles on their "Long Run" album. As a follow-up to the wildly successful "Hotel California", it was going to be compared to that work, and found wanting. Because of the internal struggles in the group, and the changing of the musical universe to "New Wave" and "Punk", it was perhaps time for the quintet to ride off into the sunset. As this was going to be the album (other than a soon to follow "Eagles Live" and a second "Greatest Hits" album)that would fulfill their obligations to Elektra/Asylum, I feel that they rushed this one into print. The four songs that get the most airplay ("Heartache Tonight", "In the City","The Long Run",and "I Can't Tell You Why") were staples of AM/FM radio in 1979 and 1980. Sadly, with the exceptions of "King of Hollywood" and "The Sad Cafe", the rest of the album suffers by comparison.