I
had the pleasure of interviewing former Eagle
Randy
Meisner
a couple of years ago and found a guilty pleasure
in digging for dirt. There have been a few books
detailing early versions of the band incorporating
all the typical rock n' roll clichés' -
too much booze, drugs and young women. Meisner
says the juicier stories were about the dynamics
within the band members, Glen (Frey) and I got
into a little fight but it's something that just
happened and we kind of got mad at each other
and took a swing at each other in Knoxville Tennessee,"
said Meisner with a nervous laugh.
It's
important to note that this was 1977 after
"Hotel California" and just before
Meisner left the band for good. Meisner adds,
"At the time to me it was just like two
guys fighting but it got really bad so at
that point I just decided to leave because
I just didn't like what I was doing anymore."
The
first thing you see opening this new two CD
greatest hits set are pictures of Meisner
in the first incarnation of the eagles with
Frey, Bernie Leadon and Don Henley sporting
his old balloon afro. It's a good reminder
that the framework of this supergroup was
put together with that original banjo pickin,'
harmonizing quartet. Because the eagles only
released six album of totally new material
each album is well represented here - there
are six tunes from most of the records. Meisner
told me Henley was, "such a stickler"
in the studio but revisiting "One of
These Nights" or their signature tune
"Hotel California" makes you happy
he was.
It
would be redundant to describe any of these
hits - you know them well and after all the
eagles "Greatest Hits Volume One"
even surpassed Michael Jackson's "Thriller"
as the biggest selling album in North America.
It's easier to say that the only Eagles hit
missing on this one is Henley's "Learn
to Be Still" from their comeback "Hell
Freezes Over." It's a great collection
and the bonus DVD of the single "Hole
in the World" though short is pretty
good icing. Does Meisner ever listen to those
old Eagles albums?
We'll
leave him with the last word, "The funny
thing is after we made those albums I never
listened to them and it is only when some
one comes over or I am at some body's house
and it gets played in the background that
is when I'll tell myself, "Damn, these
records are good." - by John Beaudin
