re: Hotel Calilfornia

'Hotel Califonia' and 'Take It Easy' are both great songs, and I'm 22.

no one has mentioned them ripping the base of HC from Jethro Tull

listen... We Used To Know

Ian Anderson on it:

SF: Your song “We Used To Know” is certainly an influence on “Hotel California.” Can you talk about that?

Ian: It was a piece of music that we were playing around the time… I believe it was late ’71, maybe early ’72 when we were on tour and we had a support band who had been signed up for the tour, and subsequently, before the tour began, had a hit single. The song, I believe, called “Take It Easy.” And they were indeed the Eagles. We didn’t interact with them very much because they were countrified laid back polite rock, and we were a bit wacky and English and doing weird stuff. And I don’t think they liked us, and we didn’t much like them. There was no communication, really, at all. Just a polite observance of each other’s space when it came to sound checks and show time. But they probably heard us play the song, because that would have featured in the sets back then, and maybe it was just something they kind of picked up on subconsciously, and introduced that chord sequence into their famous song “Hotel California” sometime later. But, you know, it’s not plagiarism. It’s just the same chord sequence. It’s in a different time signature, different key, different context. And it’s a very, very fine song that they wrote, so I can’t feel anything other than a sense of happiness for their sake. And I feel flattered that they came across that chord sequence. But it’s difficult to find a chord sequence that hasn’t been used, and hasn’t been the focus of lots of pieces of music. It’s harmonic progression is almost a mathematical certainty you’re gonna crop up with the same thing sooner or later if you sit strumming a few chords on a guitar.

There’s certainly no bitterness or any sense of plagiarism attached to my view on it, although I do sometimes allude, in a joking way, to accepting it as a kind of tribute. It’s a bit like this tribute Rolex that I’m wearing.

SF: (laughing) You can get those in New York City.

Ian: Well, a counterfeit, or a knockoff, I’m making the obvious joke. That’s just getting a laugh on stage. Fair game.
LINK

When Felder and Walsh were doing their thing, they were money. Listen to the 77 tour where they absotely killed Turn to Stone.

Seven Bridges Road

quote:

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It's like people saying they hate 'Stairway to Heaven' or something (not comparing the to)

But I feel there's lots of old classics that people loathe if only for the fact that we get them rammed down our throat decade after decade and in turn we end up loathing the band
and their entire sound

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There's always a contrarian backlash to anything deemed "One of the Greatest..." when backed by majority opinion. But the problem with taking the road less traveled is that the contrarian eventually gets exposed when you find out his list of "The Greatest....", which in this particular case is probably some dude who grew up on Jewel or the Spin Doctors and hates whatever his dad liked.

I'm not even a big Eagles fan, but here's why Hotel California is One of The Greatest Songs of All-Time. It is filled with cryptic metaphorical lyrics that takes on various interpretations for various individuals. It has haunting but melodic composition of notes. It has an epic 12-string intro and one of the most memorable guitar solos in rock history.

Is it slightly stale? I think you could make that case for any 35 year old oft-aired "classic", but just the fact that it is still being talked about proves it is a building block of Rock N Roll history which in turn negates the casual "it-sucks!" dismissal by some misguided tards.

[quote]I'm not even a big Eagles fan, but here's why Hotel California is One of The Greatest Songs of All-Time. It is filled with cryptic metaphorical lyrics that takes on various interpretations for various individuals.


Anton Levay is rolling over in his grave.

I have seen Joe Walsh live many times. If you ever get the chance....go see him. Great show.

eagles suck though

I have it in my collection but it is lame. I love the album cover and back cover. It really is Anton Levay on the ledge in the background shot. He was the founder of the first church of satan.