Defend the Indefensible: Glenn Frey

"Sexy Girl" is just pathetic. When I reconsider why I despise my least favorite band of all time, I realize that Glenn Frey's voice and songs have much to do with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiygf5b5zC0

this is not a defense

"Disco Strangler"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43RxoAcWIBQ

is this better than Billy Joel's "River Of Dreams" in that its easier to forget? Is that a defense?

true, he sang many of my least favorite Eagles tunes ("Already Gone", Heartache Tonite", etc) but he also sang many of my most favorites ("Lyin' Eyes", "New Kid In Town")...and who among us doesn't like to "Take It Easy" every now and again?...plus, he's a Michigan boy...'nuff said!

"Are you going to stay with the one who loves you, or are you going back to the one you love?"

Sounds like someone who learned from the "you can spend all your time making money, you can spend all your money making time" school of songwriting.

so that's where "got my mind on my money, and my money on my mind" comes from...

I await the inevitable Who's Your Favorite Eagle poll.

My vote: Walsh. Second place vote: Felder

I'd plunk for the "sixth Eagle": J.D. Souther

When I reviewed an Eagles show a few years ago Glenn Frey wore a pink sports coat without a trace of smugness. That's a compliment!

masculine confidence...another plus!

But wasn't "Disco Strangler" actually one of Henley's, Shakey? He sang it, after all. Great track either way. Not that it matters, really: one great track and a coupla decent '60s garage singles on Hideout aren't enough to rectify the man's eternal status as the most boring musician Michigan ever produced. Too dull to hate, even.

(And "Miami Vice" always sucked massively.)

YouTube doesn't own any of Frey's masterful workout tapes.

My dad went to a Cheech and Chong wrap party in the 80s where Frey jammed on guitar while a midget played drums and OJ and Nicole Simpson mingled in the back.

This was the wrap party he made after he missed the gayest party in the history of the modern Western world (The Village People's Can't Stop The Music's wrap party/concert in San Francisco, circa 1979). Thank God!

Glen Frey was the main reason why the first two Eagles albums were their best. Later, he came up with such gems as "Lyin Eyes".

I am usually not a fan of country, but The Eagles were always better when they made country-tinged music. And Frey was the one who provided those songs.

If Otis Redding had not perished 20 years earlier and if Glenn Frey he might have covered some of those songs on Soul Searchin'. Minus G.F.'s voice and the substantial barrier of VH-1 1989 production, the songs aren't the worst.

Plus, Frey is a class act on this show compared to the act that comes before him.

cut that "if Glenn Frey" above, and now that I see the video afterwards too, I think Glenn has the best of these three "r&b" videos from 1988.

he did the mellow early 70s country rock thing well (his rockers, esp. late eagles and solo career, SUCK)

I actually remember "True Love." Then and now it sounds like a shameless bid for Steve Winwood bread.

Makes Johnny Rivers look like James Brown

He's not even "beneath contempt", he's beyond it.

Still, he makes more money than I do.

JD Souther could write a better wistful country jam than Glen Frey any day of the week, with one hand tied behind his back, blindfolded

Actually Disco Strangler is usually the reason I cite for the Eagles' suckage - Frey's in the writing credits, but yeah I don't know what for specifically

But listen: with whom would you rather be seated on a 24-hour flight to, say, New Zealand: Don Henley, Joe Walsh, or Glenn fuckin' Frey?

who's got the blow??

RIP dude

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jan/18/glenn-frey-eagles-guitarist-dies-67/

always had good hair

Well, y—ah, fuck

takin' it easy with james dean in heaven.

No Funeral Allowed

old school until the end. no excuses. no quarter. full throttle. livin' the life.

http://ll-media.tmz.com/2014/01/09/010914-tmz-tv-glenn-primary-1200x630.jpg

not dead?
http://en.mediamass.net/people/glenn-frey/deathhoax.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRwPhBLh3hs

No hoax. Complications due to a litany of illnesses, it reads.

It's all about some elaborate tax loophole if he can be dead for 24 hours.

No longer living, right?

Funny how Henley's statement mentions Irving Azoff instead of other Eagles.

Didn't know he named two of his sons "Deacon" and "Otis".

I think he named a son Fish.

yeah, youngest kid. Nicknamed him "Small"

restless kid, named Stir.

Sweet Potato

the introverted one was called Deep.

Stephin Merritt pays tribute:

Glenn Frey’s importance -- at least in my life, and probably in the lives of most people -- is, in a way, more important than the entire gay rights movement. Frey is about the freedom to have any identity you want, not just gendered. Recently divorced guy, import/export manager in over his head -- it’s all tied together, and it’s all sorts of fun.

the introverted one was called Deep.

― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, January 18, 2016 4:41 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

In a way, I've always been waiting for this day.

Some people, they just don't get a joke.
Glenn Frey

“I was riding shotgun in a Corvette with a drug dealer on the way to a poker game. And the next thing I knew we’re going about 90 miles an hour, holding - big time. I say, ‘Hey, man, what are you doing?’ And he looked at me and he grinned and he goes, ‘Life in the fast lane.’ And I thought, immediately, Now there’s a song title.”

yes but do they hate the Eagles

Please continue your studies and see if they've discovered fire or the wheel yet.

Maybe poke them with a stick?

recognized the Fame and Let's Dance riffs from samples but not the actual songs

solitary posts that sum up 21st century music

"Warm smell of colitis rising up through the air"

― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, January 19, 2016 11:06 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Should I take the gloves off because he's been dead for less than 24 hours? Like it was ok when he was alive since he could've defended himself?

Hell no. Roach threw the first punch with that Take It Easy crap and going on from there for 40 years.

Gonna save my piss for Henley's grave tho'

Glenn not only had the knowledge, the wisdom, the insight and the soul to understand that, he actually implemented that," Ellwood says. "A lot of the myth of rock & roll is that it's seat of your pants. . .but these guys worked hard. And Glenn had a vision."

It was a vision for both the band's albums and Ellwood's film. She says that when her team approached Frey with audio of his infamous onstage blowup with Felder in 1980 — in which Frey threatens to kick the guitarist's ass — he offered no hesitation in using it in the documentary.

"We told Glenn we had it, and he said, 'Go for it, man,'" Ellwood says. "He was brave."

I enjoy the music of the Eagles, I am, at 31 years old, technically a millennial.

Completely impossible to care about any of the members dying though.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-glenn-frey-influence-dawes-father-john-misty-jenny-lewis-20160119-story.html

They were always playing Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles and the first three Springsteen records and Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks in the record store, and I wasn’t real excited about listening to them. Whether something was interesting musically wasn't really my deal, I mainly wanted to know was it fast and did it have distortion. Sabbath had some slow ones but, you know, aggression. It's the only aesthetic value.
― tremendous crime wave and killing wave (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Tuesday, January 19, 2016 5:23 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I don't think Keith is speaking for anyone other than his adolescent self nor claiming that his adolescent self's passion for aggression was particularly wise or insightful. He gave me a similar quote a few years back for my Black Flag book and implied pretty heavily that his tastes were much broader now, though its possible he still doesn't like the Eagles much, I don't know, is that allowed?

I always found em pretty boring myself, after finding my dad's Eagles cassettes deep in the darker corners of his tape collection, though I loved the song that was adapted for the HHGTTG theme. They were totally ruined for me after the guitarists in a friend's teenage covers band spent an entire afternoon trying (and failing) to nail the twin guitar solo in Hotel California. But my dad was a big fan of The Heat Is On, and especially Sexy Girl.

the only link i've seen on facebook about glenn frey (vs the dozens i saw about bowie) was this one:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/glenn-frey-death-sad-eagles-lousy-band-article-1.2501461

"glenn frey death sad eagles lousy band article" -- sounds right

Hal Willner:

2 Things to be Thankful to the Eagles for: Glen Frey and his band with Henley , Walsh and all was very important to a lot of people - many that I respect - I've been met Joe Walsh a bit and he is a lovely funny man. I am sorry to see yet another important artist die so young --- that all said I personally had no use for the music of the Eagles and honestly actively disliked it - whatever let's appreciate two things - one is Tom Waits' ol 55" which they covered and was a massive hit which probably was very helpful to Tom's career and I'm sure his early finances (considering his management at the time this is not certain) and he is one of the great artists of our time so many kudos to Glen and co for that . Secondly in my theories of the pioneers and initial emotions of punk music , I would say that in the uK it was largely fueled by economics and politics and in the US it was a revolt against what became mainstream music of which the Eagles was a serious culprit and singled out in many an interview by musicians in that movement . So that hearing "Taking it Easy" or "Hotel California" way too many times could have ignited the rage of people who created all that great energy that We got to hear at Max's, Hurrahs, CBGB etc. is cause for us to give thanks to Glen and company - respect .

As much as I've enjoyed reading many of the obits and tributes from some of the/you usual suspects, kind of irks me how few note how beholden Frey and Henley, both solo and in the Eagles, were to outside songwriters and ringers for most/many of their hits. Souther, Browne, Jack Tempchin, Danny Kortchmar ... give Frey and Henley credit for recognizing the songs that work for them, whether from outside pros or within the band, and for shaping lyrics to match, but those dudes often really needed someone to bring the bread and butter before they assembled their boring sandwiches.

Not sure how fair of an observation that is, given that Frey and/or Henley wrote all but two of the songs on Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) and all but two on Hotel California.

co-wrote, I should have said.

I know what Josh is saying. In the Eagles listening thread, we learned that the number of middling to awful Frey-Henley songs >> fail to middling Tempchin, Kortchmar, Souther, Browne, etc cowrites. But it doesn't matter.

As a millennial who saw The Big Lebowski, hearing "I hate the fueling eagles" was like... FINALLY someone had the guts to actually come out and saw it.

heh.. fueling. You know what I mean

xpost Agree that it ultimately doesn't matter. Just irks me that those guys have songwriter cred they don't really deserve. When there are three guys credited to a song, and the third is a professional hired-hand songwriter, it's safe to say Frey and Henley's songwriting smarts lay at least as much in finagling credit as contributing music/lyrics. And again, don't want to discount the skill needed to recognize good source material when you hear it. Whether the "Hotel California" or "Life in the Fast Lane" riffs from their bandmates or Jackson Browne's unfinished "Take It Easy," Frey and Henley had sharp ears.

yr average twentysomething was probably 6yo when the Big Lebowski came out

Without checking, only a tenth.

With checking, none.

we are aware of the concept of home video, right?

The film came out in '98

Please continue your studies and see if they've discovered fire or the wheel yet.

― flappy bird, Tuesday, January 19, 2016 12:28 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Maybe poke them with a stick?

― flappy bird, Tuesday, January 19, 2016 12:29 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

no poking necessary they are my "friends", which are...geez well how to explain?

Posted by Josh in Chicago on the Springsteen thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h3ubC3PkTo

Still think he could have hit "Smuggler's Blues" out of the park - the phrasing, the details in the lyrics, plus his much fuller voice.

Oh, here's the whole thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=05ZF3Tjzki8

i'm glad that tho i've only seen maybe 14 Seinfeld episodes i will refer to that once ubiquitous crap song as "Witchaaayyy Woman."

The biggest Lebowski fan i know was born in '78; that's close to millennial, right? Not sure where he stands on the Eagles, but he's def into The Wedding Present and Nick Cave.

Not sure where he stands on the Eagles, but he's def into The Wedding Present and Nick Cave.

I'm going to guess he's ... anti-Eagles.

ran that through yr program pretty fast

he's from Texas so you never know

The biggest Lebowski fan i know was born in '78; that's close to millennial, right?

watch it, buddy

forgot about The H is O.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/540b145e5d/the-h-is-o-a-short-by-adam-mckay-from-adam-ghost-panther-mckay-will-ferrell-jimmy-fallon-and-ben-stiller?_cc=__d___&_ccid=6d8dc22eb8b81034&fb_ref=Default

^^The only time (outside of ILM) where Frey gets mentioned in the same space as Sleater-Kinney.

The Eagles documentary is a must watch for anyone with a peripheral interest in the band

NY Daily News columnist goes there

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/glenn-frey-death-sad-eagles-lousy-band-article-1.2501461

there is not one single solitary original thought in Kuntzman's thing…but then he has always been a midwestern style newspaper mediocrity in the NY market, going back to his time as the NYPosts' "Metro Gnome."

the following is a corrective to Kuntzman and every hack so pleased with themselves for citing that fucking movie that I've never liked (don't really like the Coens).

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6851078/eagles-hatred-explainer-defense-glenn-frey?curator=MusicREDEF

Huh so it sounds like per Azoff he was on a remicade or humera type medication for his arthritis... those are immunosuppressant therapies that can make you prey to serious bacterial infections

http://www.youtube.com/embed/GANjDKnIv3M?rel=0&start=93&end=133&autoplay=0

dammit.

I tried to write a piece that grappled with the Eagles inspired, which was far from peaceful easy feelings.

The warm smell of colitas: it’s just no match for turnpike musk.

We love you too, Billboard man.

http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2016/01/20/glenn-frey/

Shorter version: Glenn's a winner, and if you're a hater, you're a loser.

And despite the hit single, it was the era of album rock. So upon hearing the mellifluous tune you went out and purchased the Asylum LP and…you played it over and over again. Thirty seven minutes long, the debut had no clunkers, it begged to be heard. Take that modern music.

oh yeah...Lefsetz chugged all night

That acoustic guitar came out of the speaker in the dashboard and in the summer of ’72 all of America felt good.

In a flatbed Ford, made in Detroit. Where Glenn Frey emanated from.

"Emanated" is an odd word choice. Makes it sound like Glenn Frey was a toxic gas leak.

And now I realize it was the perfect word choice.

Cameron Crowe:

Glenn's jocular street wisdom was pretty addictive to a guy who'd never had a brother. It was easy to share your personal stuff with Glenn. He'd help you plot out the answers to your problems like a seasoned coach. He once laid out the psychology of getting and maintaining a buzz at a party. ("Two beers back to back, then one every hour and 15 minutes. ... You'll be loquacious, and all the girls will talk with you.")

I found that I went to him often for gender-specific advice that would have stumped or even horrified my sister. When I once told him about a girl I was in love with from afar, a girl I was sure I needed to impress with a better "act," Frey reacted hugely. "No!" he said with a pirate's smile. "You don't need an act — all you need is to be you." He leaned in close. "If she can't smell your qualifications, move on."

GLENN: And if I found I didn't like the smell of her qualifications, I chugged a couple more brews and got back to work down there!

DON: Well, yeah.

Glenn &
Don &
Donald &
Walter

try to find better bands to reevaluate. like Bread.