Glen Frey, R.I.P.

[richardfinegold]

My favorite Eagle. He grew up in Royal Oak, Michigan, a few miles from me. The Eagles were the top band when I started College down the road in Ann Arbor, and and Ann Arbor boy Bob Seger used to play with them.
RIP. I hope he went out with a peaceful easy feeling

[DracoM]

Major figure in country rock. Inimitable voice and manner. Oh dear, another good one goes.

[Conchis]

Everyone saying this, but it really has been a terrible start to the year.

[verismissimo]

So sad about Glenn Frey. Decent singer. Real composer. Soundtrack of the late 70s and 80s. As rfg wrote: I hope he went out with a peaceful easy feeling.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

As rfg wrote: I hope he went out with a peaceful easy feeling.

[BBMmk2]

Yet another bites the dust. When will this stop? RIP Glen

[cloughie]

Sad to think he's 'Already Gone' and he's younger than Lemmy and Bowie.
RIP Glen

[Lat-Literal]

Sad news.

Again, personal recollections are designed to shine some light on broader considerations, generational and in respect of location. First, I think of being surprised at the substantial differences between British and American singles and albums charts in the mid 1970s on the occasions that the American ones were published. There were a lot of artists who were popular across the Atlantic who were not especially well-known to many of us. Secondly, that was the decade of the birth of commercial radio in Britain (ILR). Much of it had a North American hue in presentation style and content. Many found the development disappointing, especially as those stations were intended to be local. By the early eighties it had been dropped on the grounds that it was cliched and outmoded. But what the passing of time has shown is it did set a standard that wasn't often met subsequently. And the Eagles were the sort of very American band that managed to sell well here partially because of support from the Canadian trained Roger Scott and similar commercial radio broadcasters.

Between the ages of 10 and 17, they seemed a bit maudlin to me. The claustrophobic and neurotic track "Hotel California" actually gave me the creeps as it still does. A far more appealing version of Stateside was in America's expansive "Ventura Highway". But then in the earlier years of that period, I did veer more towards British folk rock and art rock. I would reach my 20s declaring that one of the few genres I just couldn't take to was, quote "country and western". A notable term given what later became the obvious distinctions between c and w, pure country music and country rock. Sometime later in the 1980s, I took to buying albums of 1970s' artists that I had often dismissed earlier and with disposable income an Eagles compilation was almost inevitably among the purchases. It probably took a trip to Ireland circa 1990 to hear them being played everywhere. With it, I acquired an understanding of how a country music strand runs alongside folk through rural areas in the British Isles. Then of course there was the blossoming of alt-country later in that decade which linked indie music to country. By 1997, I was sitting with friends in a cafe just up from St Just in Cornwall and the Eagles accompanied us again. And it was only at that time that I thought "I really love this stuff - I can see why it became so popular". I am sure that many people of my generation were on a similar trajectory, if not those in my crowd.

The beauty of this forum is that one can learn so much more from very long-term enthusiasts. It is only comparatively recently that I have fully converted to country music both instinctively and with others' guidance. I am completely persuaded by it, even if I spent some years laughing it off as a sign of reaching older age. And what I learnt was that the Eagles are from the purists' perspective a bit too commercial; too manufactured. I understand that point but my background is such it needn't trouble me too much. RIP Glenn Frey.

The Eagles:

New Kid in Town ('76) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7TVh7clM50
Waiting in the Weeds - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3UEIIonYew

[EdgeleyRob]

So,so sad.
Great musician.
the Lennon to Don Henley's McCartney someone said.
Last saw The Eagles in Manchester 8 (?) years ago,Long Road Out Of Eden Tour,awesome session.

RIP Glen

[Lat-Literal]

It's a pity that on News at 10 they have just pronounced his name as "Fray".

The same thing has been happening sporadically on radio throughout the day with the wrong pronunciation mainly from younger presenters!

[richardfinegold]

Sad news.

Again, personal recollections are designed to shine some light on broader considerations, generational and in respect of location. First, I think of being surprised at the substantial differences between British and American singles and albums charts in the mid 1970s on the occasions that the American ones were published. There were a lot of artists who were popular across the Atlantic who were not especially well-known to many of us. Secondly, that was the decade of the birth of commercial radio in Britain (ILR). Much of it had a North American hue in presentation style and content. Many found the development disappointing, especially as those stations were intended to be local. By the early eighties it had been dropped on the grounds that it was cliched and outmoded. But what the passing of time has shown is it did set a standard that wasn't often met subsequently. And the Eagles were the sort of very American band that managed to sell well here partially because of support from the Canadian trained Roger Scott and similar commercial radio broadcasters.

Between the ages of 10 and 17, they seemed a bit maudlin to me. The claustrophobic and neurotic track "Hotel California" actually gave me the creeps as it still does. A far more appealing version of Stateside was in America's expansive "Ventura Highway". But then in the earlier years of that period, I did veer more towards British folk rock and art rock. I would reach my 20s declaring that one of the few genres I just couldn't take to was, quote "country and western". A notable term given what later became the obvious distinctions between c and w, pure country music and country rock. Sometime later in the 1980s, I took to buying albums of 1970s' artists that I had often dismissed earlier and with disposable income an Eagles compilation was almost inevitably among the purchases. It probably took a trip to Ireland circa 1990 to hear them being played everywhere. With it, I acquired an understanding of how a country music strand runs alongside folk through rural areas in the British Isles. Then of course there was the blossoming of alt-country later in that decade which linked indie music to country. By 1997, I was sitting with friends in a cafe just up from St Just in Cornwall and the Eagles accompanied us again. And it was only at that time that I thought "I really love this stuff - I can see why it became so popular". I am sure that many people of my generation were on a similar trajectory, if not those in my crowd.

The beauty of this forum is that one can learn so much more from very long-term enthusiasts. It is only comparatively recently that I have fully converted to country music both instinctively and with others' guidance. I am completely persuaded by it, even if I spent some years laughing it off as a sign of reaching older age. And what I learnt was that the Eagles are from the purists' perspective a bit too commercial; too manufactured. I understand that point but my background is such it needn't trouble me too much. RIP Glenn Frey.

The Eagles:

New Kid in Town ('76) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7TVh7clM50
Waiting in the Weeds - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3UEIIonYew

The Eagles were a Country Rock band, not a Country Music band. The difference is considerable

[Lat-Literal]

The Eagles were a Country Rock band, not a Country Music band. The difference is considerable

Yes indeed.

I suppose in the mid 1970s I would have heard them as country-ish Americana.

Certainly not country and western but the outlook on it all was much the same.

Later one goes back to Gram Parsons and a whole host of others.

Or at least I did.

Linkages - and distinctions - became clearer with more knowledge in later decades.

[richardfinegold]

Yes indeed.

I suppose in the mid 1970s I would have heard them as country-ish Americana.

Certainly not country and western but the outlook on it all was much the same.

Later one goes back to Gram Parsons and a whole host of others.

Or at least I did.

Linkages - and distinctions - became clearer with more knowledge in later decades.

Here, the difference was considerable back then. Country rock bands ran the risk of being beaten if they tried to ply their wares in traditional country music venues. ( e.g., The scene from the Blues Brothers movie, where Jake and Elwood somehow wind up booked into a Southern Illinois rural bar, the waitress informs them before they go on that "Here we play both styles of music. Country and Western." The terrified Band proceeds to do a 2 hour set consisting of the theme from 'Rawhide.')

[Lat-Literal]

Here, the difference was considerable back then. Country rock bands ran the risk of being beaten if they tried to ply their wares in traditional country music venues. ( e.g., The scene from the Blues Brothers movie, where Jake and Elwood somehow wind up booked into a Southern Illinois rural bar, the waitress informs them before they go on that "Here we play both styles of music. Country and Western." The terrified Band proceeds to do a 2 hour set consisting of the theme from 'Rawhide.')

There was some understanding of that sort of thing on this side of the pond but I was just 7 when the 1970s started and barely 17 when they ended so it was my age as well as any geographical/cultural difference. One point I did grasp along the way was the controversy seen/felt in slightly lefty country music artists but now you mention it I guess it is obvious the introduction of a rock element would have been challenging to traditionalists just on its own.

[alywin]

Yet another bites the dust. When will this stop? RIP Glen

I don't know about anybody else, but it's starting to feel like 1977 to me. First it was Elvis, then it was Marc Bolan. Add Claude Francois for the French among us, and someone else who escapes me at the moment ...