Directed by Alison Ellwood
Part One **** (four stars) Part Two *** (three stars)
The music of the Eagles has been a part of my life for nearly the entirety of my life. They have provided a crucial piece of fabric to the patchwork quilt that is the musical soundtrack of my life so firmly and with such foundation, that if they were not present, that patchwork quilt would undeniably unravel.
I cannot even begin to imagine what my life would have sounded like with hearing those glistening vocal harmonies and shimmering guitars, not only on my favorite AM radio station, Chicago's WLS, but also on long family car trips from Illinois to Kentucky where the strains of "Lyin' Eyes, "Peaceful Easy Feeling," "Already Gone," and the soaring "Take It To The Limit" would fill the car from the 8 track player through the speakers to my very spirit with unabashed glory. Where would I have been if I had not spent so much time being mystified and mesmerized by the music and maddening themes of the epic "Hotel California" or finding a previously undetected melancholy inside of myself when hearing "New Kid In Town" or even being hysterically confused with the actual lyrics of "Life In The Fast Lane" (I honestly thought they were singing "Fighting In The Bat Plane," whereas my Mother though they were singing "Fighting Is A Bad Thang")?
The Eagles filled my childhood magically and have continued to remain a deeply influential musical presence as I have aged and my musical horizons have broadened vastly. They have always been there for me and I am certain that they always will be. And even so, the Eagles possess a certain mystery for me as they have so often baffled me as to how they could create such beautiful, exquisitely written, performed and sung music while seemingly existing as truly mercurial individuals.who are constantly at each others throats. Certainly the juxtaposition of the turbulent temperament of the artist and the beauty of the art they create is not exclusive to the Eagles but it is a major piece of their internal fabric as it does cut to the core of how they formed, fell apart and ultimately endured in the first place.
This past week, I was so excited to view "The History Of The Eagles," Director Alison Ellwood's, two-part, nearly four hour and often enthralling documentary. Ellwood's musical epic briskly and brilliantly chronicles the on-going evolution of the Eagles with a true storytelling mastery that makes for rich, compelling and frankly compulsive viewing that not only illuminates the music and the men who created it but also the era in which the band and the music entered the world. The film, which is currently in the programming rotation on Showtime, is also readily available on your standard home video formats of DVD and Blu-Ray, a package which also includes a bonus disc featuring eight songs from the band's 1977 concert performance at the Capitol Centre in Washington D.C. For die-hard fans of the band or even the most casual listeners, this documentary will indeed make for fascinating, and at times, surprisingly emotional viewing, during which you will undoubtedly find yourself singing along with the songs that now exist as timeless standards.
Like the Eagles' actual songs and songwriting, Alison Ellwood's film does not revolutionize or radicalize the documentary film genre but the magic firmly exists in how effectively she tells the story. The first two hours of "The History Of The Eagles" centers its attention around the birth of the band and moves forwards to their stratospheric success and ferociously bitter breakup in 1980. The film's second two hours follows the group from their 1994 reunion to their present day status that finds their popularity exponentially increased from their 1970's heyday.
Throughout the entirety of both halves, we are treated with bracing and insightful archived and current first person narratives from all of the main participants, which include, Glenn Frey (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Don Henley (vocals, drums, guitars), Joe Walsh (vocals, guitars, keyboards), and Timothy B. Schmidt (vocals, bass guitar) plus former members Bernie Leadon (vocals, guitars), the great Don Felder (guitars, vocals) and the angel voiced Randy Meisner (vocals, bass guitar and who is nearly unrecognizable from his boyish looks from the 1970s).
In addition, Ellwood and therefore, the Eagles themselves, grace us with a veritable wealth of archived material from concerts, music videos, film footage as well as previously unreleased home movies, raucous and raunchy studio chatter and even some extremely volatile stage banter. Like the massive amount of audio/visual material presented in Director Peter Bogdonovich's equally epic and excellent Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers documentary "Runnin' Down A Dream" (2007), Alison Ellwood utilizes these crucial and essential elements to widen the tapestry of the story of the Eagles with an often surprising sense of honesty, tension and poignancy.
Now after all of this praise, I am more than certain you may be wondering why I essentially gave this one film two star ratings. I should admit to you that I fully did not intend to recognize the film in this fashion. But as I was sitting down to write, it just seemed to me to be fitting.
Part One of "The History Of The Eagles" performed the very creative and artistic feats that signal to me that a movie has reached the "four star level," as least for my tastes and sensibilities. First of all, Alison Ellwood, as previously mentioned, proved herself to be a most effective cinematic storyteller that even though her film follows the standard music biographical documentary film format very closely, she always ensured that her film would remain fresh and vital. It was indeed impressive to me that she was able to take decades of material and sift them into a clear and concise narrative that was fully involving and never felt to be dry or stale. And beyond even that success, Ellwood shaped the material into a narrative that not only grew more propulsive and undeniably emotionally precarious, she somehow even made the hearing of extremely familiar songs feel as if you were hearing them for the first time.
When Glenn Frey speaks of how a song like "Take It Easy," his collaboration with longtime friend and musical compatriot Jackson Browne came into being, the story only enhanced and enlivened the song that I have heard countless times throughout the last 40 years of my life. I felt those same lightning bolts of recognition merged with the sensation of hearing rock music glory when the band members spoke of the origins and meanings of "Hotel California," the high flying beauty and enthralling ballad of perseverance that is "Take It To The Limit," the duplicity, heartache and perceptive gazes into the divide between men and women in the sorrowful "Lyin' Eyes" and dear readers, once the footage detailing the slow jam "I Can't Tell You Why" hit the screen, not only did the the hairs on the back of my neck rise to attention, I found myself also emitting the deepest sigh, saying to myself, "That song is gorgeous!"
Beyond even that superb quality, Alison Ellwood also found a way to make her film transcend the act of just existing as a film about this legendary rock band. In fact, and especially as we are watching this film being able to utilize the current state of the music industry as a reference point, "The History Of The Eagles" is essentially a film that smartly illustrates a time now long abandoned by the music industry. A time when artists were actually allowed to develop. To think that there was once a time when an artist's potential was not entirely judged and hindered upon making every conceivable red cent almost instantaneously. If that climate had not existed in the '70s, it is more than a possibility that an album like "Hotel California" (released December 8, 1976), the Eagles' sixth album, may never have been made!
Ellwood gives "The History Of The Eagles" ample time for us see how the band and its members grew as songwriters, musicians, performers, recording artists and even as entrepreneurs. We are given strong insight into the actual work it took for the members of the Eagles to build their collective skills, knowledge and overall independence from the beginnings to the point where they could push themselves to create an album like "Hotel California" and write songs with a greater sense of nuance, universality and timelessness as well as making intensely personal statements. And with that quality, "The History Of The Eagles" also explores the need for diligence and dedication to one's craft in addition to just being ambitious, a most necessary message to receive in this period of extreme instant gratification.
I was also completely fascinated with how Ellwood tailored "The History Of The Eagles" to examine the early 1970's music culture of Southern California and how folk, country, soul and rock and roll all merged together into this new style of music that was introspective, and sonically soothing when compared to the more combative counter-cultural music of the late 1960's. To discover that the Eagles emerged as a purposeful response to the horrors and turbulence of the world at that period in time gave me an entirely new perspective. To now understand that "Take It Easy" was purposefully designed to be an "It's gonna be OK" type of sound and one to assist with a sense of internal healing, gave something that has only existed for me as a pleasantry (albeit a TERRIFIC pleasantry), a greater sense of weight.
In describing the song "Hotel California," Don Henley succinctly states that it is a song about the journey from "innocence to experience." Like that song, Ellwood juxtaposes any notions of innocence with a host of decidedly R rated material within "The History Of The Eagles" as these young musicians who implored us to just "Take It Easy" habitually indulged in the darker sides of their personalities while on the road, a darkness which undoubtedly fueled their art and music. We receive copious tales of backstage debauchery including Joe Walsh's infamous hotel destructiveness, an explosively released id rivaled only by The Who's drummer, the late Keith Moon.
Even moreso, the members of the Eagles describe themselves as being a team of "Alphas," each of them (except for the truly tenderhearted Randy Meisner) all jockeying for the position as the leader of the pack, a title absolutely none of them would or could wrestle from Glenn Frey who is clearly the head Eagle. This even includes Don Henley, who is not only Frey's primary collaborator but also seemingly functions as his consigliere. With that "behind the scenes" aspect of the band, Ellwood is also able to depict how these young, starry-eyed and eager songwriters and musicians grew to become extremely shrewd businessmen. And furthermore, how the lines between the art of the Eagles and the business of the Eagles intertwined and even blurred.
The phrase that kept arising during the film when concerned with which certain elements in how the music was presented would be when band members spoke about what was "best for the Eagles" as opposed to perhaps functioning to serve an individual's self interests. While all of the band members provide rich vocals, we learn that Don Henley (easily the band's best, most vibrant singer) becoming the band's most featured and visible lead vocalist was a purposeful decision that was "best for the Eagles." How Frey and Henley remained the band's chief songwriters and even taste-makers was equally as purposeful. This particular factor undoubtedly led to the band's notorious and well documented inter-political tensions regarding whose song ideas would be accepted, who can sing lead vocals, and even what is performed in concert, serious points of contention, especially between Don Felder and Glenn Frey, which built towards not only the Eagles' 1980 break-up (audio footage from their on-stage argument appears in the film and provides a powerful highlight) but also Felder's subsequent firing in the 1990's. Even the soft spoken but golden voiced Randy Meisner could not escape the intensity as his crisis of self-confidence with being able to continuously hit those stunning high notes in "Take It To The Limit" led to a backstage confrontation with Frey that concluded very badly.
Where Randy Meisner was possibly too thin skinned, Glenn Frey and Don Henley are considerably thicker skinned and some would argue, somewhat unscrupulous and even embittered and Ellwood captures it all as the Eagles struggled with the excesses that surrounded them, from stratospheric album sales to drugs, alcohol and ever mounting expectations. By the conclusion of Part One, I was enthralled as well as emotionally spent, and left wondering exactly how do bands survive at all, let alone endure for an unusually extended amount of time.
As great as the film's first half is and for all the substantive material, themes, concepts and unwavering view of the inner workings of the Eagles, I have to say that I was a tad disappointed with the film's second half. I guess after the extremely candid "warts and all" presentation found in Part One, Part Two, by contrast, felt to be a tad too sanitized and even a little self-congratulatory, as if the Eagles themselves were standing over Ellwood's shoulders in the editing bay, ensuring that nothing too derogatory ended up in the final cut. Also, it felt as if after leaving no stone un-turned in the first half, I was just left brimming with more questions after viewing the second half.
As previously stated, Part Two of the the film goes in to (relative) detail about the Eagles' reunion in 1994, how it came to be, the now classic MTV "Hell Freezes Over" special and subsequent album and tour. That section also provides us a window into information about Joe Walsh's stint in rehab, thus signifying Ellwood's sly cultural commentary about the shift in lifestyle to be exhibited while on the road and as a functioning unit in the 1990's as opposed to the hedonistic 1970's.
But, I still had burning questions that Ellwood never delved into with the same amount of depth that was found in the first half. First of all, there is the subject of Don Felder's firing, which is broached. However, what struck me was how angry Frey still seemed to be and how hurt Felder still seemed to be and it all seemed to have very little to do with the actual music and almost entirely about (once more with feeling) the business of the Eagles. As a side note, there is also the subject of guitarist Steuart Smith, a touring member of the band who not only has filled Don Felder's role but who also has co-written and co-produced songs with the band. Yet even so, Smith proclaims emphatically, "I am not an Eagle," signifying that the inner circle of the Eagles organization is a decidedly closed one.
This is a point where I have begun to feel a sense of disillusion with a band that I have treasured for so long. Let's face it, the band members of the Eagles are all extremely wealthy men now. So, why is it that the Eagles could not find a way to function as say, a band like R.E.M. where their profits and publishing rights were famously split in an equal four parts? Why is it that Don Henley and Glenn Frey feel the need to have more money than the other members, all of whom certainly worked powerfully to create the exact same legacy through which they all benefit. Of course, you cannot have a band of leaders, as Frey attests and I understand. But even so, it places the money ahead of the music and also makes the social consciousness of Henley in particular come off as somewhat disingenuous.
And then, there is the question of exactly why do the Eagles keep doing what they are doing in the first place, which nowadays means touring endlessly upon their vast catalog of hit songs. Yes, they did record and self-released a terrific single, the gospel tinged "Hole In The World" (released July 15, 2003) as well as the very strong double album of all new material entitled "Long Road Out Of Eden" (released October 30, 2007) since the reunion but the Eagles have said time and again that it is most likely the last new music they will ever make, meaning the weight of material performed will forever be the classic 1970's hits and a smattering of 1980's hit solo music--thus, again doing what is best for the business of the Eagles and it is an extremely lucrative business indeed.
During the film's first half, at a tense exchange between Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner, Frey acknowledges that even though he is sick of singing the same songs every night, that there are fans who have waited years to hear them perform those batch of songs, so they have to deliver the goods. I can understand and appreciate the sentiment. But therein lies the question of why do they even continue when they do not even have to? If Frey was sick of singing the same songs night after night in the '70s, then it would seem that he is really sick of singing them now but Ellwood never gets into the depths of what relationships the Eagles have with their own songs and legacy in the 21st century as opposed to when they were musicians on the rise and dealing with their initial success. Is it really all for the money now? Or is it still something pure, as when the four primary members of the Eagles sit backstage and harmonize those stellar vocals on a song like "Seven Bridges Road," and they still sound as soul lifting as they ever did and you can see on their faces the joy they have with being able to hit and blend those notes so spectacularly.
Why Ellwood was unable to explore this avenue of the band in greater depth is beyond me as I do feel that it is all well worth exploring as part of what has made the Eagles who they are and what they will forever be, even long after every member has departed from this mortal coil.
Even with those criticisms, "The History Of The Eagles" is excellent viewing that serves as a mighty capper to an especially mighty musical legacy. At one point, during some 1970s backstage footage, Glenn Frey remarks that in regards to the audience's adoration, those feelings stem from the fact that the band members of the Eagles look and dress just like the fans, making the fans themselves build a comfort level as well as their own rock star dreams of standing upon the stage themselves.
Essentially, the men of the Eagles are human beings and not rock superheroes. They have failings just like the rest of us in the audiences in the stadium, or at home or in our cars or anywhere in the world where we can hear their music. And if we are indeed like them, we can all sing along together.
Maybe that is the magic of the music of the Eagles. The fact that they made music for themselves, for us and for all time with such grace, talent, sweat, grit, ascension, disappointment and everything we all experience to just live life.
That is what makes "The History Of The Eagles" soar so highly and proudly.
Essentially, the men of the Eagles are human beings and not rock superheroes. They have failings just like the rest of us in the audiences in the stadium, or at home or in our cars or anywhere in the world where we can hear their music. And if we are indeed like them, we can all sing along together.
Maybe that is the magic of the music of the Eagles. The fact that they made music for themselves, for us and for all time with such grace, talent, sweat, grit, ascension, disappointment and everything we all experience to just live life.
That is what makes "The History Of The Eagles" soar so highly and proudly.
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