BoomerDT I saw the Eagles in concert back in the summer of 77 (Linda Ronstadt opened!) at KC's Arrowhead Stadium, when the Eagles were at their peak, shortly after "Hotel California" had been released. Fast forward about 4 years, early fall 1981, I was hung-over in the afternoon after having celebrated my bachelor party the previous evening. I would be getting married in about 5 hours and was scared shitless. So I popped a beer, lit up a joint, threw a steak on the grill and listened to the HC album as it was the perfect background music for my brain as I tried to get a perspective on where I had been and where I was going. (BTW, still married to my love) The Eagles and their music were the perfect soundtrack for my life during the 70's when my priorities were girls, booze, recreational drugs, girls, bars, music, cars and girls.So I was and remain a huge fan, although not interested in paying $200 plus for decent tickets to see them in concert (I might have paid $10 in 1977) and I've viewed the SHO doc about 4 times, recently for the first time since Frey's passing. I assume virtually everyone reading this page has also viewed it, so all can do is offer a few thoughts on a solid documentary about a what was a truly great band.As is with most of these type of documentary's, the most interesting part are the early years, when the Eagles formed a group after being sidemen for various bands in the LA music scene of the late 60's and early 70's. Henley made an excellent observation about making it big but realizing that there were other musicians and writers, just as talented, but for one reason or another didn't get the big career break. Sometimes it's just being in the right place at the right time and for the Eagles, the wave broke just perfectly. After hitting the band hit superstardom with HC, Henley and Frey would align to take creative control of the group, which would ultimately cause the departure of two of the other originals, guitarist Bernie Leadon and bassist Randy Meisner. Lead guitarist Don Felder joined the band on album #3 "On the Border" (my personal favorite) and kicked the band up a notch with his blistering work, plus wrote the music for tune "Hotel California" (Henley & Frey try to minimize his contribution.) And it seems after HC everything pretty much went into the shitter as far as their relationships with one another as greed, arrogance and drugs devoured the band.Some nice reflections by Joe Walsh, who was already a big name in rock when he joined the group for HC, replacing Leadon. Walsh almost killed himself through years of drug and alcohol abuse. He was able to clean himself up when the group reunited in 94 after 13 years and was able to tolerate the arrogance of Henley and Frey. Felder wasn't willing and ultimately would be fired by Henley, Frey and their manager Irving Azoff, the consigliere of the band. In retrospect Felder may have made the mistake that many make, overvaluing their contribution and importance to their organization. He did file a lawsuit for breach of contract that was settled by both parties and wrote a book about his experience that ultimately left him persona non grata to Henley and Frey and not in consideration for any further work with the band.To this day the Eagles are still touring, with only Henley left from the original lineup. More power to them,but maybe we would be best left with just our memories of perhaps the most outstanding band of the greatest era in rock.

grantss Great documentary on a great band.Made in 2013, a documentary on the Eagles, from the early days of Glenn Frey and Don Henley to the (then) present day. Includes interviews with the band members at different times in their lives, including in the mid-1970s. No narration, the movie is effectively narrated by the interviews. Not your simple chronological telling of their story either, there is an examination of the impact of their music. Quite emotional at times.Also quite bluntly told too. The frictions within the band are often examined and the truth is not sugar-coated.A wonderful musical and emotional journey.

Mr-Fusion Don't walk into "History of the Eagles" expecting an actual history of the band. This is a story steeped in revisionism, told from the perspectives of Glenn Frey and Don Henley. And you don't get far into the film before you start to wonder what's been left out. This is a band with an almost legendary period of drug use, infighting and unchecked egos, and only a fraction of the bad stuff is paid any lip service; just a formality so they go back to self-praise. Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon don't receive any attention once they've left (no insight or commentary). Two integral founding members are but a memory. But the film's biggest disappointment is the short shrift given to Don Felder. We don't get much in the way of input from him as Frey and Henley continue telling the story. He had legitimate issues with the way the band was being handled (power being taken away from himself, Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh, getting screwed out of song credit and royalties), but they're summed up with "Felder was unhappy".But I was surprised to hear the audio between Frey and Felder as they were figuratively at each other's throats in 1980. Equally surprised that David Geffen flat-out stated that Don Henley is a malcontent (not that anyone else was lining up to say anything less than flattering about the man). The Eagles are the quintessential American band, and their story deserves to be documented in full. This is little more than a puff piece. Which is hilarious because Glenn Frey still comes off as a dick.5/10

dunsuls-1 Maybe the best "American"band in history.They started in the late 60's broke up in the 80's reunited in the 90's and are still around today.Only the Rolling Stones are around longer and they are not American. Showtime has put together a great 2 part documentary totaling 3 hours of the story of this bands history and turmoil and the music.There are now 4 members and 3 ex members.Not bad for this super group that still counts its 2 songwriters as there through it all.Glenn Frey, Don Henley.Their personnel life and relationships are not delved into,but the story doesn't shy away from drugs and booze. They may not have be as edge as other bands but their music was unique in the harmony and melodies unlike the harder edgy songs of the times.As someone said in the film,what the country also needed was someone saying"Take it Easy"which had a great lyrics and romantic overtones that everyone needed and that song provided.The solo artist and close friend of Frey contributed to the song with the lyric, "Well, I'm a standing on a corner In Winslow, Arizona "and Frey added "And such a fine sight to see It's a girl, my lord In a flatbed Ford Slowin' down to take a look at me "and thats also when I became a fan back in the day.Nostalgic ? Yes. Important,hell yes. If you like the music from the are 60's and 70's you'll flash back to as someone else said in the film,the 70's as you remember them even if thats not the way they really were.