Thank God for Joe Walsh, I thought as I watched 1994’s Eagles: Hell Freezes Over.
The Eagles were one of my Dad’s favorite bands, along with Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Steve Miller Band. I can still remember being little and sitting in the back of our van and hearing Hotel California playing as we actually drove through California. It’s a nice memory. When I went away to college, I heard the rumor that the band was named after the mascot of the University of North Texas. It’s true that Don Henley attended UNT (or North Texas State University as it was known back then) but none of the other members of the band did. For whatever reason, I doubt that the quintessential California band decided to pay homage to a Texas college when they were selecting their name.
The band was formed in 1971 and they had several hits through the 70s. The members of the band were as famous for their fights as their music and the Eagles broke up in 1980. The members of band spent 14 years pursuing solo careers and Don Henley famously said that “Hell will freeze over” before they ever all played on the same stage again. In 1994, it appears that Hell did just that because the Eagles reunited. They toured. They released a live album. Most importantly, they made some money. MTV produced a special, Eagles: Hell Freezes Over, which featured the band performing in a Burbank film studio.
Earlier today, while sitting out on a deck overlooking Lake Texoma, I watched the special on YouTube. Watching the members of the band perform with each other for the first time in 14 years, I could understand why they broke up. Each member of the band was undeniably talented. They sounded good. But they didn’t have much onstage chemistry. Everyone did their part and they did it professionally and they got through the show without cursing each other out but, at the same time, there was very little warmth to be found on the stage. No one seemed particularly enthused about being on stage with his former and current bandmates. They came across like a group of people who didn’t particularly like each other and who had mostly shown up for the paycheck.
The other thing that I noticed is that the music itself, when taken as a whole, was kind of boring. I hate to say that because my dad loved this band. And the songs certainly weren’t bad. They were good songs but, when heard one after another, it was hard not to notice that the mellow California sounds got dull after a while. Heard on its own, Desperado is a classic piece of Americana. Unfortunately, if you hear it immediately after listening to New York Minute, In The City, and Get Over It, Desperado loses its edge. Even the opening performance of Hotel California was a bit of a slog. By the time this special was recorded, it was obvious that the members of the band had decided they were fine with nearly leaving the Hotel California.
And that’s why I’m thankful for Joe Walsh, the guitarist and not the self-important jackass former congressman. Because Walsh, almost alone amongst the group, still seemed to be having fun on stage. The performance of Life In The Fast Lane is one of the rare moments when this special really comes to life and it’s almost entirely due to Joe Walsh and his guitar. Life In The Fast Lane was also my Dad’s favorite Eagles song so, on his behalf, I’ll just say, “Thank you, Joe Walsh.”
