There could be a lot to be said about the history of the Eagles, from when they formed in the early 1970s, to their previous album Long Road Out of Eden, released back in 2006. And on February 15th on Showtime, their story was told is a documentary titled History of the Eagles.
But given the fact the Eagles’ story spans over four decades, the whole story couldn’t be put entirely into one documentary. In fact, February 15th marked the premiere of part one, and it documents the band’s heyday throughout the 1970s. Yet there was plenty to talk about, in the two hour feature.
The History of the Eagles gave an insight of humble beginnings of the band’s two main members Don Henley and Glenn Frey, from their diverse musical influences that ranged in various genres including country, rock, and R&B, to their connection in the newly flourishing California sound, which would also include Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, and Joni Mitchell. But perhaps one if not the main element of this documentary, were the stories behind the classics including “Hotel California”, “Desperado”, and “Life in the Fast Lane”, as well as their six studio albums (although 1974s On the Border and 1975 One of these Nights, wasn’t talked about much). The documentary also gave an insight, of how the Eagles had more things in common with other musical acts in the 1970s, than some people seem to realize, especially when it came to the part of the decade’s excess and antics (in other words, the whole “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” mentality).
Along with current members Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit, the History of the Eagles also feature interviews from former members Bernie Leandon, Randy Meisner, and Don Felder, as well as other music contemporaries including Bob Seger, Jackson Browne, and David Geffen. Part two of the documentary premieres on Saturday February 16th.
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