Eagles began as a backing group for Linda Ronstadt, then realised they
had the potential to strike out on their own. All being accomplished
vocalists, musicians and songwriters, they jointly set themselves the
goal of 'number one singles and albums, great music, and a lot of
money'. With guitarist Glenn Frey and drummer Don Henley as the combined
driving force, by 1975, they had topped the singles and album charts at
home, found major success in Britain and across the world, and
established themselves as America's foremost band. The global success of
Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and Hotel California, to this day the
first and third best-selling albums in America of all time, proved
impossible to surpass, and after line-up changes, they disbanded in
1980. A 'resumption' in 1994 was cemented with the live/studio album
Hell Freezes Over and their first studio album for 28 years, Long Road
out of Eden, followed in 2007. After Frey's death in 2016, they
recruited new members, with a live schedule lasting into the 2020s
post-pandemic era. This book recounts the rise, fall and rise again,
with a detailed look at every track on each studio and live album, and
an overview of original songs and cover versions recorded but never
officially released.
