Hotel California

Not The Eagles, man!
But this was actually OK: it turns out the title song has been overplayed, but the rest has been underplayed.

I was raised on the Eagles, so I guess they bring out the defensive side of me. It's perfectly valid to like or dislike them. I've decided, however, that hating them excessively is the most boring opinion in music.

No, they're not cool. Yes, The Dude hates them. Yes, Henley and Frey are/were assholes. So are at least 2/3 of YOUR favorite artists. But I feel like the performative hate they receive comes from people who feel like they need to take the default "cool guy" position. What is so hateable about them? That they're really good at their instruments? That their harmonies are just "too clean"? I feel like any criticism of the actual music boils down to broad, purely subjective adjectives like "soulless". Well, Mr. Eagles Hater, I think you're a poseur. Quoting The Dude in your review does not make you The Dude.

Anyway, this album rips. Not a weak track among them.

sanded balsa

Another band where I don't understand the extremity of the reactions to them. It's OK. Maybe if I'd had to hear everywhere all the time growing up I'd feel different.

"I hate the fucking Eagles, man!”

Everything that's wrong with American post industrial capitalism in little under an hour . Utter toss

I won't pretend that the title track or "Life in the Fast Lane" are my favorite songs ever, or even that I ever have the urge to put them on, but I do enjoy them well enough when they're playing. Combined with the overall inoffensiveness of most of the album, they're enough to not sink it below 3 stars. But I just...don't care. It's honestly funny to me that people have such strong opinions about this band, positively or negatively, in the first place. Perhaps this is my privilege talking as a child of the 90's who didn't need to deal with their onslaught of fame in the 70's. Anyway...it's fine.

3/5

I don't want to spend any time on this. Some of the guitar solos are memorable. Another reviewer here said that this is the type of thing that gave rise to punk rock and I couldn't agree more.

Hotel california is a good song, but man is it overplayed.
The rest of this album is a snoozefest of dad rock. 2* mainly because hotel california.

Always a classic.

Absolutely love the Eagles. I own their greatest hits 1971-75 on vinyl too, absolute classic :)

I feel like most people stop listening to this after the first three songs. The fourth song called Wasted Time aptly describes the rest of the album. I don’t like the Eagles. Hotel California is a good song.

Most people on the planet recognize at least the title song, and a good percentage at least one or two others. It’s a classic for a reason! Good songwriting, great melodies and harmonizing.
There are a few weaker songs at the end. It’s probably a 4+ album, but I’m going to round up to compensate for the reviewers who are hating on it just because it’s popular with an older crowd. (or because of a fictional character ‘s opinion!)

I don't even know what to say... it had a unique 70s vibe that I couldn't hear from any other album, but it was such a drab aspect of 70s music. I think some of the songs were nice, and some of the others were really annoying, boring, and just plain dull. And 'Life in the Fast Lane' is one of the most annoying songs to have ever hit my eardrums. God how I want it to disappear off the face of the Earth.

Some classic songs

I think this is as close to a guilty pleasure I have. I hate the people that listen to this band and I hate the members of this band, but this is such a solid, emotional album. I probably listen to it a couple times a year.

I hope I made my parents proud

Hotel California er en banger. Det var sjovt at høre dem jamme på de fleste af numrene

One of the best sounding records I've ever heard. But it's just that. I just don't like the crying rockerman ballads. Sorry dads

Majority of the album is missing from YouTube music.

I was not expecting much from this. I have only really known the title track over the years, and even that I have always thought was just OK rather than amazing. So I came into the full album with fairly low expectations.

It surprised me.

There is a real polish and confidence to this record. The songwriting is tighter than I expected, and the production has that warm mid 70s California sheen without feeling overblown. New Kid in Town is excellent, smooth and melodic with a great vocal, and Life in the Fast Lane has real bite and energy.

Across the whole album there is a strong sense of craft. The musicianship is superb and the songs feel carefully constructed rather than thrown together. It flows well and never drags, which I did not anticipate.

I will definitely listen again, which is not something I thought I would be saying beforehand.

Favourite song: Life in the Fast Lane
Least favourite song: None. All strong tracks
Album artwork: Great cover. Instantly recognisable and perfectly suited to the mood of the music