The end was nigh for the Eagles. Sure, their career-defining moment had done incredibly well, as a generation of music listeners found their musical home in Hotel California (1976). The band weren’t faring very well at this point, having been totally burned out by a lengthy tour before recording this album. Originally intended to be a double album release, the band were still so worn out by everything that they could not accomplish enough material for a double album and recording sessions dragged on for well over a year, being spread over five different recording studios, mostly in Los Angeles. Randy Meisner also left the group after a serious argument back in 1977, which affected things. This was the last main Eagles work for many years as the group disbanded in 1980. However, this album needs to be covered as it is seen as a decent main career swan song by a legendary band. The album was produced by Bill Szymczyk and was released on Asylum Records on 24 September 1979. The Eagles at the time were: Don Felder (vocals, guitars and organs); Glenn Frey (vocals, guitars and keyboards); Don Henley (vocals, drums and percussion); Timothy B. Schmit (vocals and bass guitar) and Joe Walsh (guitars, vocals and keyboards). Let’s take a listen to this album which runs for 42 minutes long, and hopefully, it will sound good enough to enjoy.

1. The Long Run begins with some neat drumming and launches into a funky piece of music with some awesome slide guitar throughout. This piece is sung by Don Henley and sounds really great. This tune is a response to the music trends of the time and sounds like the Eagles attempting to make a Disco tune, which is fairly different. Nonetheless, this does sound really cool and great. The music has some awesome guitar work throughout and sounds fine, fresh and funky. The Eagles were top-notch musicians, and they proved on this album that they could deliver, time after time on their songs that they were better than what people thought about them. The guitar work sounds incredibly intricate on this song, and just simply sounds amazing to hear. All in all, a very sweet and articulate listen that blows away anything done in the name of Punk. A simply impressive tune to listen to.

2. I Can’t Tell You Why begins with a very 1970s organ sound, launching into another solid tune by the Eagles. String sections also emerge before the new bassist sings his song. This isn’t supposed to be a Disco Music statement, but this does follow a late 1970s, Disco Music-styled theme, ironically enough. This is another great song, however. The album so far is the perfect answer to their previous album, 1976’s Hotel California. In any case, this is a sweet song with a melt-in-your-mouth ear candy flavour. This is certainly a sensationally top listening experience. Joyous, fresh and wonderful throughout, this music has a genuine appeal to it all. The Eagles could easily work their musical magic, even in their degrading position as a band that could work well together. In any case, the guitar work in particular is worth noting, and Joe Walsh is the real star of these fantastic songs. All in all, this is very underrated music that, although is very polished, sounds fantastic. A true winner of a tune, one can only imagine many folks kicking back to this sort of music at the end of the day. Never dull nor boring throughout its nearly five-minute long length. A great listen.

3. In The City is a loud, punchy hard-rocking yet mid-tempo tune that sounds really cool. Joe Walsh sings this tune, and this is about travelling through a large city at night. A really cool listen throughout, this music has a loud and punchy feel to it all. This is a very nicely established Pop/Rock piece from 1979 that has flavour and character. A neat slide guitar solo is present in this song, and this sounds like a genuinely good piece of music, notably with the guitar playing throughout. Absolutely awesome to hear, this has positivity and awesome musicality throughout it all. The harmonies and singing are also very top. Towards the end, the slide guitar solo returns, and this tune comes mightily alive. A really top listen, worth your ears from start to finish.

4. The Disco Strangler is an acknowledgement of the current music trends back in 1979. It begins with some heavy and rocking guitars, with a downtuned guitar riff thrown into the mix as well. Don Henley sings this one, and this is a tune that rips apart the prevailing Disco Music trends of people taking drugs and dancing under neon lights. This is a good listen, but despite its cynicism, the Sex Pistols were more efficiently anti-Disco Music than the Eagles ever were. Also, this sounds remarkably like Disco Music, more so than one would expect. In any case, this short and sharp tune is definitely enjoyable and listenable. Complete with 4/4 beats, this is closer to Disco Music than one would perceive from the outset. A good and short song, however.

5. King Of Hollywood is a very LA-based song, complete with a faded intro. It sounds sweet and lush, having said all that. This is yet another cynical tune at the culture of the late 1970s. Think along the lines of the Roger Moore James Bond films and some of the intertwined Disco Music trends, and you are there. This tune has joint lead vocals and it is a good and chilled-out listen. There are delayed vocals, laidback guitars and a neat, snappy groove to listen to throughout. A good but lyrically nasty song about the dark side of Hollywood movies throughout. There is a lot of attention, to this very day, on the West Coast Hollywood USA film scene and this song rails against the dirty nature of that film industry. This is a good listen, despite its negativity, and has some awesome guitar playing to match. The solo section is very sweet and neat. This tune is different from the trashy Disco Music or the super aggressive Punk Music of the time. Instead, it is an excellent singer-songwriter tune that is played nicely by the Eagles. A solid gold listen, and better than what the critics had to say about this album. The guitar solos at the end are really sweet.

6. Heartache Tonight begins with some different Gary Glitter-styled drums and guitars, with some of the sweetest vocals over the top by Glenn Frey. It is a mellow-sounding tune, with some dark and nasty lyrics throughout. Obviously, the Eagles had learned their lessons from the onslaught of Punk and Disco Music styles and wrote some very Pink Floydian-styled dark lyrics to match their mood. This is a great listen, all the same. This song has a very Country Music feel to it all, mixed up with some Rhythm and Blues throughout. Fans of older styles of music in particular will enjoy this song about the young and the stupid. In the midsection is a glorious guitar solo section that sounds mint. Truly, this is the logical sequel to the place that is Hotel California (1976). This is a solidly produced and excellent listen, and in addition, this music is a really catchy and memorable tune. Pointing out the stupidity of one-night stands after hitting the Discotheque, this is catchy enough to listen along to. Decent for what this is. Another winner of a tune.

7. Those Shoes is a very straightforward-sounding song from the start. It has a vocoder imitating harmonies throughout, aka a talkbox device. In any case, this is a good listen, once again even if it has the Eagles at the crossroads with their music future. Nonetheless, this music is good for what it is and Don Henley sings nicely on this tune. This is another good listen devoted to a lady in the crowd at concerts who wears a particular type of shoes that is a turn-on for the men of the band. Rather nonsensical lyrically, but otherwise a good listen throughout. This may seem like filler to some, but it has some screaming vocoder soloing and performances that more than expected make up for the nonsensical lyrics. This was the era of mega Rock bands doing their thing, and this tune also articulates drug use (i.e. pills) and one-night stands from the Discotheque. This is a good listening experience about the perils at night.

8. Teenage Jail begins with some crunchy guitar playing and launches into a Heavy Rock tune about some youthful misfortune. This sounds a lot like Black Sabbath, done by the Eagles, of course. This three-minute-long song articulates the disastrous nature of being young and stupid. This continues the combination of decent music by the Eagles with some dark and menacing lyrics throughout. In any case, this music is sensationally sweet and lovely. A neck pickup slide guitar solo that sounds rather odd and mixes in with the stop/start music is present in the second half of this song. This is followed by a sweet and punchy guitar solo that simply sounds awesome. A good tune, although this is more about the music than the lyrics. Worth listening to, having said that.

9. The Greeks Don’t Want No Freaks is a weird song title matched with some rather cheesy music to go. This is again a scathing attack against Disco Music-styled culture and some of the people involved who make it seemingly bad. This is a very weird song, and it is simply a bit of a throwaway tune. Having said that, it is very entertaining to listen to, albeit nonsensical throughout. Handclaps and an instrumental section wrap up this two-minute-long song, finishing with pounding drums. Good to hear.

10. The Sad Cafe is the final song on this album. It begins with some soft organ playing, albeit cranked up to full volume. This is a five-and-a-half-minute-long tune that has some neat acoustic guitar and nimble bass guitar playing throughout. Don Henley delivers a sweet vocal throughout, and this magic music comes alive. This is a gentle, smooth and sweet listen about the memories that one has from a relationship throughout. This is matched with some of the best-sounding and most impressive music that one can hear from the Eagles. All in all, a magical and pleasing listen that is musically beautiful. Some acoustic guitar soloing is present in this song, and this tune sounds absolutely and wonderfully brilliant, all in all. This is definitely one of the better songs from this album, and it certainly is worth listening to. A representation of the best of the Eagles music talent, this is a beautiful mixture of intelligent lyricism, clean production and gorgeous instrumentation. Believe it or not, there is a sweet saxophone solo that plays as this song gradually wraps up. It is gorgeous to hear. This concludes a very good album that needs to be heard more often by the music-listening public. Awesome.

This is not the best album by the Eagles, quite clearly. However, having said that it is a whisker away from being as good as the solid gold Hotel California (1976). The flaws of this album? Very few, but the material obviously is not as strong as its predecessor. In any case, this is still a perfectly good album to listen back to, from time to time. Should you listen to this album? If you want a Classic Rock band to provide a real answer to the late 1970s trend of (mostly) junk Disco Music and (mostly) dumbed down and aggressive Punk Music, this is a good go-to album from back in 1979. Hardcore fans of Disco Music and Punk Music may wish to look elsewhere, however.

A very good effort in response to the music of the day.

8/10