Remember in THE BIG LEBOWSKI, when Jeff Bridges as "The Dude" complained so much to his cabbie about turning off "Peaceful Easy Feeling" because "he hates the F-ing Eagles, Man"! That rant got him evicted from his cab and earned him a long walk home from Malibu to his crappy apartment. Was it worth it? Well, The Dude just might change his tune if he checks out the new documentary HISTORY OF THE EAGLES currently running on Showtime.
I recently watched both parts over two days, and it was well worth the time spent. Even though I never really was a big fan, I can most assuredly say that these guys were truly the biggest American band of the 1970's. Pretty much every album from their 1st through Hotel California was a part of the soundtrack of my teenage years. And as Don Henley mentioned in the beginning of Part 2, with the advent of classic rock radio in the early 80's, they've been constantly with us all the way through 2013. The songs were so good that we just never get tired of them.
As far as the movie goes, much like the recent Scorcese long film about George Harrison and P. Bogdanovich's nearly 4-hour marathon on Tom Petty, it's all good. I'm convinced cable TV is the best way to show a rock doc., as you really get to tell and see it all with numerous interviews of those who lived it, without having movie theater time constraints and/or box office totals to worry about. And wow, did the Eagles have a whole bunch of video which I'd never seen. Some of it's great, much of it is "disposable", but almost all of it fascinating for fans.
I read some of the comments on the IMDb board bashing Henley and Glenn Frey for coming off as "pompous a-holes". And while they did seem a bit overly protective of their cut of the band's fame and fortune, they have the right to. THEY STARTED THE BAND!
Watch this film if you've ever yelled along while driving with the woo-hoo-hoos on "Already Gone", as it will flash you back nicely to the fun of the mid-70's.
P.S.-And Dude, I know you once did your wacky dance to The First Edition's "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)", but you may want to skip over the part in the film where Kenny Rogers discusses helping Henley's pre-Eagles band Shiloh try to get started in LA. You will not recognize Kenny and may be a bit frightened with the condition his face's condition is in these days!
I recently watched both parts over two days, and it was well worth the time spent. Even though I never really was a big fan, I can most assuredly say that these guys were truly the biggest American band of the 1970's. Pretty much every album from their 1st through Hotel California was a part of the soundtrack of my teenage years. And as Don Henley mentioned in the beginning of Part 2, with the advent of classic rock radio in the early 80's, they've been constantly with us all the way through 2013. The songs were so good that we just never get tired of them.
As far as the movie goes, much like the recent Scorcese long film about George Harrison and P. Bogdanovich's nearly 4-hour marathon on Tom Petty, it's all good. I'm convinced cable TV is the best way to show a rock doc., as you really get to tell and see it all with numerous interviews of those who lived it, without having movie theater time constraints and/or box office totals to worry about. And wow, did the Eagles have a whole bunch of video which I'd never seen. Some of it's great, much of it is "disposable", but almost all of it fascinating for fans.
I read some of the comments on the IMDb board bashing Henley and Glenn Frey for coming off as "pompous a-holes". And while they did seem a bit overly protective of their cut of the band's fame and fortune, they have the right to. THEY STARTED THE BAND!
Watch this film if you've ever yelled along while driving with the woo-hoo-hoos on "Already Gone", as it will flash you back nicely to the fun of the mid-70's.
P.S.-And Dude, I know you once did your wacky dance to The First Edition's "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)", but you may want to skip over the part in the film where Kenny Rogers discusses helping Henley's pre-Eagles band Shiloh try to get started in LA. You will not recognize Kenny and may be a bit frightened with the condition his face's condition is in these days!