It's The 'Hotel California' Thread!

[The Heartical Don]

What do you think of this album? I had it long ago, then sold it during my 'punk period'. I quite often contemplate the LP. I still see the fine artwork in my mind (the CD photo can't hold a candle to the super glossy LP fold out and inner sleeve). I can mentally smell the odor of the carton, and the freshly minted LP.

The music. It gets 5 stars on Allmusic.com. Others found it not so good. The title track has been played to death. The group was praised to high heaven, and cursed for being a troupe of cynics, making good money with scathing songs about their own lifestyle. It was superb, it was pathetic bombast.

And somehow... the fact that I often reflect on it must mean something. I can't really dismiss it for the above reasons. Too much self-consciousness can still produce fine art. I wonder: did they really feel trapped that badly? Were they cokeheads? Alcoholics? The cover shows that hotel at early morning, neon light still on. The time of day all junkies dread the most. Joys of the night (drugs, booze, whores, the lot) still far away. For junkies, that is.

But something says me that they weren't really making a parody of something, like, say, Randy Newman could so brilliantly.

Just my 2 cents on what is for my still a mysterious platter, really.

What do you think?

[Wilsonista]

I love this album more than any other album that the Eagles ever recorded. Don Henley's observations about America's decadence (seen through the eyes of Southern California) would prove to be prophetic. That, I think, is why a lot of critics still have issues with the band - they despise the fact that the band (in their own words) pointed out that "we haven't had that spirit here since 1969'. I think others blame the Eagles for destroying the Laurel Canyon counterculture vibe, when in fact, they were commenting (with no sense of irony) on the lifestyle. 

The 3 hits are overplayed to death admittedly. But heard within the context of the album, Hotel California, New Kid In Town, and Life In The Fast Lane still pack some very high (no pun intended) emotional highs. The real heartbreaker of the album is the album closer "The Last Resort", an stirring orchestral ballad  that serves as an elegiac and angry indictment of Manifest Destiny.

They never topped this no matter how much Don Henley and Glenn Frey tried.

[TdHabib]

I always loved Hotel California, great lyrics and their melodies were never stronger. I can't go into all of the in's-and-out's of the lyrics and I don't think Henley would want me too , but their harmonies are seriously good on this album. Cut the Eagles down all you want, they put out a heck of an album with this one. I never cared for "Wasted Time," but oddly like the instrumental reprise.

[donald]

Song HC.  It was great at the time.   And again on Hell Freezes Over with Walsh and Felder cookin that double lead.  I think they spoke for a lot of people who saw the "spirit of 69" quickly dissolve into coke fueled self absorption.  Somehow it doesn't make for good nostalgia. 
But it hit the spot in it's day.

[The Heartical Don]

Great replies, thanks to all. I hope others will chime in too. Perhaps the album will still be around in some form in 50 years time, as an era-defining moment.

[Loaf]

not a fan of the eagles, i don't like Henley's whiny nasal voice. I tend to agree with David Crosby on the Eagles (see the Laurel Canyon BBC doc based on Barney Hoskyns' book).

However, that line about '1969' is just as true about Crosby and Stills as it is about the Eagles, so maybe the truth hit a nerve?

[Mike's Beard]

 I think "Hotel California" is the only great Eagles album they ever made. I do wonder if Henley realised he was singing about himself when he wrote"The Last Resort"? It's a shame HC was only made after Bearnie Leadon left because I love his country influence on the earlier stuff but a quick listen through The Eagles back catalogue reveals that most of the other records before HC were patchy as hell. Don't get me started on "The Long Run".

[Uncomfortable Seat]

As far as i'm concerned, the Eagles were really good before they fired Glyn Johns.  Then they added Don Felder, which was worse.  Once Bernie Leadon left, that was it.

[Mike's Beard]

I rank Felder as an amazing player, infact all the guitarists in The Eagles were amazing.  When I bought The Eagles Boxset I noticed how few Bernie compostions were included, obviously at the expense of getting as much Henley/Frey songs on as possible. Most of his songs for The Eagles picked up right where The Flying Burrito Bros left off.

[Uncomfortable Seat]

I like all 7 of the cats who were in the Eagles, but in terms of musical style, I only really dig the early stuff.

[runnersdialzero]

I hate this song/band.

[donald]

"The album was A MOMENT.  A still photograph of the time.  And one I was very taken by AT THE TIME.  Never listen to it now.  As I said in my last post on this, this stuff is not the stuff of pleasant nostalgia.  Neither is it timeless.  The title cut might make a good centerpiece for a film drama on those times.   And the band then descended into hippie/disco hell.  It was inevitable.  Fortunately, good music and poetry emerged from the ashes.  Some new, some older but finaly getting noticed after being ignored during the hippie come cokehead disco era.

[Big Bri]

"The Last Resort"
Still holds up strong after all these years. I've always been a fan of this LP. In fact, it's the ONLY Eagles album I ever owned. Strong songs and as Donald just said it was a moment in time. 1977 to be exact.

Bri