The Eagles - Farewell 1 Tour - Live From Melbourne Reviews

• Best Eagle's Concert I've Seen

  
  By AW484C888BDQE on 2005-06-02
  I just watched the concert on NBC using my High Definition TV broadcast, and 5.1 surround sound audio. It was absolutely terrific.
  
  Every member of the group sounded great. Don Henley looked a bit heavy, and older, but sounded just fine.
  
  If your favorite Eagle is Joe Walsh, this is the concert for you.
  He sang more on this concert, and was great as always.
  
  This concert contained almost every one of their hits, and left out a lot of their lesser known materials. Don Henley mentioned in some of his commentary that they don't mind at all doing their hits, even though they've performed them hundreds of times, and in fact thinks they've improved the songs and their performances over the years. I agree. In my opinion, this is a better concert than Hell Freezes Over, and that was very good.
  
  How many bands can you name that have a country sound and are as popular with rockers as well as country, and have been around over 30 years?
  
  Just great!!! By the way, the video and sound quality are top notch.
  
  Jerry
  
  

• One Of The Best Bands around period.

  
  By AJZAJ7S963ZS6 on 2005-05-19
  I was fortunate enough to see this concert when they came to Philadelphia and I can easly say it was one of the all time best concerts i had ever been to - easily in my top 5. The songs and the performances were outstanding--should you expect anything less from such a legendary group of musicians....Hearing them perform these classics live brought chills to ones spine and the occaisonal tear to the eye....a rarety in concerts these days. I am so greatful that they decided to record one of these magical nights for all to see and the set list is impressive...If you are lucky enough to have them heading to your area in the next few months you have to see them-do NOT miss this oppertunity....this is one concert you will get your moneys worth and then some....But for those who cant make it and for the ones who have expreienced the Eagles Live this is going to be great to relieve those memories and classic songs all over again. If you are a music lover this is a MUST HAVE for your collection. Be prepared to be blown away by one of the best bands EVER. The Eagles. 'nuff said.
  
  

• Sorry ...

  
  By A10C5CJK1YKGV0 on 2005-09-07
  I was dreading writing this review, most people will click the negative review button on this just because they are Eagles fanatics and not be able to see this DVD unbiased. I understand that though, completely. I love the Eagles.
  
  1) The lack of Don Felder is obvious in the sound of the band. The 'Eagles' sound that we've listened to for years is lacking without him. Don Felder and Joe Walsh always played off of each other and now it just doesn't happen. Sorry.
  
  2) The overt and heavy-handed use of a horn section, another guitarist and another keyboardist is just too painful to listen to. The clean, vibrant and very-much in-the-pocket performances from 'Hell Freezes Over' DVD are gone, replaced by what seems to be an attempt to tour just for the sake of it and to keep the "proverbial" pool heated (a term concerning touring musicians once coined by Lars Ulrich). If it's just about making money now, then I'll prefer to keep mine, thank you. Sorry.
  
  3) The DTS mix DOES sound brittle as several other reviewers have pointed out. The DTS processing clearly wasn't completed with as much thought as the 'Hell Freezes Over' DVD. Sorry.
  
  4) Don Henley, Glenn Frey & Timothy B. Schmit looked a little too 'geriatric'. Joe Walsh seems to have a lot of problems just enunciating his words for some reason. It really looked as though he was wearing `Depends' under his sarong pants he was wearing onstage during the second nights performance. I hate saying this about the Eagles, seeing that I've always appreciated them for their ability to perform and make great music. Their albums and music though, thankfully will continue to be timeless, even if they're not. Sorry.
  
  5) If you own `Hell Freezes Over' DVD and own the `Selected Works' CD box set (which includes the Millennium concert that has a lot of songs that were played on tour but not on the DVD) then keep and cherish that as it really is the definitive work by these guys. Sorry.
  
  6) A lot of the performances by Don Henley (on this release) are just unwatchable because he's lost his ability to really carry the music and vocalize, gaining the weight maybe hasn't helped him much either. Sorry.
  
  Listen, I really love the Eagles in every way, but if you have to decide what you want to spend your $25 on, this aint it, get `Hell Freezes Over', and if you already own it, then be thankful and appreciate the previous releases. Sorry.
  
  

• Zzzzzzzzz.....

  
  By A2M0DI4G6FUPU3 on 2005-12-17
  I grew up with and loved the Eagles' music. Still love a lot of it, in fact. So, I was looking forward to seeing them in concert for the first time. I'd heard rumors that they were never a good live band, but I figured hey, it's the Eagles, it should be enjoyable, right?
  
  Wrong. This was the most boring live concert I have ever seen, bar none. Lifeless, sterile, humorless. No innovation, no chances taken, no spark whatsoever. I felt like I was watching a bunch of Disney animatronics.
  
  Sure, the sound was great. The songs sounded EXACTLY like they do on the record. Exactly the same notes, exactly the same vocal inflections, exactly the same harmonies, exactly the same arrangements, exactly the same guitar solos, exactly the same length.
  
  All the while, the band stands nearly motionless, except for "going through the motions" of playing the songs. This is the distinct feeling I got -- an extremely sterile, commercial display of a band that simply went through the motions, period.
  
  And so I ask you: Where the heck is the fun in THAT? If I want to listen to the record, I'll listen to the record. But I go to concerts to see the artists take some chances, do some things differently, and above all, to connect with the performers and the audience in a memorable way. The Eagles made no effort to connect with the audience. It was all so textbook-dry, I was actually looking at my watch, even during old classic songs that I liked.
  
  This was also one of the few rock concerts I've ever been to in Los Angeles where the audience sat down the entire concert. Hint: If you can't get an L.A. audience on their feet by the second or third song, something is wrong.
  
  Everything was just so boring and completely predictable. The only guy that threw a tiny (not much more than tiny, though) bit of fun into the proceedings was Joe Walsh. But even that seemed contrived. He was sort of the "designated funny guy" in the show, dressing up in a silly outfit and construction hardhat during one segment. I may be too cynical, but it was as if the band had thought all of that out beforehand. "Here, Joe, you be the 'light entertainment'."
  
  So in short: It was a real snooze-fest.
  
  OK, so one of my family members buys this DVD. Guess what? It is EXACTLY the same concert we saw (even though I saw them in Los Angeles and this concert is in Australia, and the fact that Don Felder wasn't present). But still, it's exactly the same concert. Right down to the supposedly "off the cuff" comments between songs. It's actually an amazing thing, because it seems that no human would be able to so completely script a live show, right down to exact word-for-word comments between songs, and right down to the cynical smirk on Henley's face. Yes, I believe they actually ARE Disney animatronics!!
  
  Buy this only if you're interested in seeing how a band can absolutely duplicate a studio sound in concert. That's the only part that actually is impressive from a technical standpoint, even if it is supremely boring. Or buy it, of course, if you need a good snooze.
  
  

• Still Retiring After All These Years...

  
  By A25JHXYK10F0A6 on 2006-03-17
  Back in the `70s, the Eagles latched onto something that seemed very creative at the time. The `country rock' sound that was developed by Gram Parsons and the Byrds in the late `60s got polished to a high-pitched sheen by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon, eventually abetted by Don Felder on lead guitar. Their first four albums were all crucial to their era, and brought `country-rock' to the forefront of popularity. By the time that they released "Hotel California," they were recognized as huge stars, and their creativity reached significantly beyond the standard arrangements of country rock. Then, `punk rock' attempted to change all that. The Eagles dismissed the do-it-yourself aesthetic of punk as a laughable aberration. Instead, they entered the recording studio for what seemed like years, only to emerge in 1979 with the most boring and ill-conceived album of their career, a poorly focused effort that was appropriately entitled "The Long Run." Judging by sales figures, the Eagles were right, though. Bands like the Buzzcocks and Stiff Little Fingers languished and then fell apart, while "The Long Run" went platinum. Still, though, the band recognized that their relevance was diminishing, and they disbanded soon afterward. They haven't released a studio album since then.
  Twenty-five years later, the band is touring and drawing crowds as if they had never left. In the interim, a collection of their greatest hits has become the best-selling album of all time, so in reality, they never really did go away. Without any considerable addition to their catalog of tunes, the band has toured sporadically, demanding outrageous ticket prices, and yet continually selling out stadiums around the world. This time around, the tour was mockingly entitled the "Farewell 1 Tour", and this DVD captures one complete show as performed in Melbourne, Australia. As this audience ascertains, fans of the band now consist of a mixed group of three generations, all of whom seem to think that the year is 1977, and "Hotel California" is still at the top of the charts. (As a side note, it is rather obvious that for this show at least, the band sent out roadies to ensure that the front row was filled entirely with attractive women, a rather transparent and ridiculous maneuver at this point of the band's career.)
  The strange thing, though, is that three of the five `original' bandmembers are no longer aboard, and their contributions are unacknowledged here, except for a performance of Meisner's "Take It to the Limit". Joe Walsh has been an Eagle for the last two albums only, and Timothy B. Shmit didn't join until the sessions for their last album, yet they now consist of 50% of the `official' band, along with leaders Glenn Frey and Don Henley. As a longtime fan, I will always consider Schmit as a member of Poco (with whom he released over ten records and wrote nearly one hundred songs) and Joe Walsh as a solo artist. From a historic perspective (but certainly not a financial one), their careers as "Eagles' seems secondary to me, but it is their presence that fleshes out what otherwise would have been reduced to a singing/songwriting duo.
  Interestingly, this collection relies heavily on the subsequent solo work of Frey and Henley ("The Boys of Summer", You Belong to the City" "Dirty Laundry"), and the previous solo work of Walsh ("Rocky Mountain Way", "Funk #49"). Classic tracks like "Peaceful Easy Feeling," "Life in the Fast Lane," "Lyin' Eyes," "New Kid in Town," "Hotel California" and "Already Gone" are the reason that people show up, though, and here, they sound like spit-and-polish versions of the original studio recordings. There is no doubt that this band has the goods to play these tunes to perfection. For me, though, the net result is that I really miss Meisner, Leadon and Felder. They were integral to the band when the band was at its most creative, and their absence is palpable. In this configuration, the performances are extremely tight and well-rehearsed, leaving virtually every note sounding processed to perfection. Apparently, this is exactly how their contemporary audience loves them, so I cannot deny the `new' Eagles their extended run of popularity. Still, though, I can't help but wonder how I could ever miss them if they won't ever go away. B Tom Ryan
  
  
• Brilliant
  By AZ88B3F4YXEYD on 2005-05-17
  These guys just keep getting better with age. This is a must for all Eagles fans. All I can say is: "Just buy it". You will not be dissapointed. The band brought out their own recording crew with them. The quality will be fantastic.
  
  
• "Eagles" - a band or a brand?
  By A3LG3IR32GCBCZ on 2005-07-27
  This is a well-produced HUGE SPECTACULAR show put on by 50% of a great American band once known as The Eagles. Unfortunately their success drove the other 50% of the band away. Ever since its been a Don Henley/Glen Frey solo project with whomever to help out with the instruments. Don and Glen are great, don't get me wrong. Love them! But please don't call this outfit The Eagles. The real Eagles, the four guys who wrote and recorded virtually all of their trademark songs, were Henley and Frey and Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon. The Eagles name was made by these four - in fact it was Bernie who came up with the name. After Bernie and Randy left the other two had every right to carry on performing the songs they wrote; they should have come up with a new band name. I just don't think it's right for other musicians to cash in on the work and the name of other people. (I will applaud Timothy B. Schmidt for paying tribute to Randy Meisner when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Randy was really moved by that gesture and it shows what a class act Timothy is.) Anyway, there have been lots of great old bands carrying on with new people under the old name, and I have never been okay with this. Great new musicians should have their own band name and let people judge them on their owm merits. Peace!
  
  
• Get this DVD and than go visit Poco listings
  By AL77QREI5GIV on 2005-06-03
  The concert was as good as I expected it. All four of the members held up really well. I enjoyed the new Glenn Frey song a lot. There is something about his voice combined with Henley's and Timothy B.'s that elevates solo-Eagle songs to a different level. On the NBC special Henley made the point that all solos songs could have easily been Eagles songs anyway and he is right.
  
  If you like this DVD, go to the music section and look up the listings for Poco. Last year Poco released a CD/DVD package that is only 13.99 on Amazon. The title you need to find is "Keeping the Legend Alive". You get a great concert DVD as well as a CD for the car. Many of you who like the Eagles will love this combo and you will also be surprised at the number of songs you actually know. Back in the late sixties and early seventies, when Glenn Frey was fresh off the stagecoach from Detroit, he used to sit at the foot of the stage at the Troubadour in LA and watch Poco perform. Richie Furay, Rusty Young and the others created the template for much of what the Eagles were able to do. Poco didn't rise to the heights that the Eagles did, but they provided a lot of inspiration and are a crucial step in the evolution of country and rock. Both of the bass players in the Eagles actually came from Poco.
  
  Since both groups share killer harmonies and great songs, why did the Eagles go on to become such giants and Poco didn't? Poco lacked Frey's sense of Detroit R&B. That was the key ingredient (IMHO). Well, that and a very, very aggressive management team.
  
  
• I saw enough - thank you very much
  By A3SVPGEH47ZCK9 on 2005-08-29
  I caught part of this on NBC the other night - that was more than enough for me.
  I always liked the Eagles as well as the solo work of Don Henley & Joe Walsh - they have great songs & were one of the first & best alt-country/ rock bands back in the day.
  But, as I tried to watch this performance, I couldn't help feeling as if everything was just too scripted, too planned, too ..... lame!!!! And what's with the extra guys they added to the band??? I mean, I could see getting another guitarist to replace Don Felder but why did they need another drummer plus a keyboard player plus backup singers plus a horn section??? It somehow reminded me of some nightmarish version of the Lawrence Welk Show Meets the Eagles circa 2005 . . . and a one-a & a two-a. Smile, boys, smile!!!!
  It looks to me like these guys are purely in it 110% for the scratchola at this point (not that I blame them as long as they can draw a crowd) - they might as well go set up shop in Las Vegas or Branson, MO & share the bill with Wayne Newton or Dolly Parton. So very sad to see . . . .
  
  
• I am a HUGE Eagles fan and musician....
  By A1J93EGDYK0IWA on 2006-10-21
  I am a HUGE Eagles fan and musician. I own most of the Eagles albums and a couple of thier videos. As a musician, I have a critical ear and I must say that this concert ranks with the very best of what they have done. In this DVD you get thirty songs all done with extreme attention to detail. The arrangements are phenomenal and the musicianship is top notch. For the money, this concert is a steal and a must have for any Eagles fan.
  
  
• BUYER BEWARE: Not worth purchasing if you don't have DTS
  By A1VRQ4L1SJ6AHT on 2005-12-04
  I'm not throwing any rocks and stones at the band. Their performance is top notch and the song selection is a true representation of their best. Perhaps Witchy Woman should have formed part of the set but only they know why it was not included.
  
  My main gripe about this purchase is that we are not offered a Dolby 5.1 surround sound track. The fine folks at Warner Music Vision & ERC have decided that if you do not possess a DTS system, you will be punished by being forced to listen to the DVD in 'glorious' PCM (2-channel speaker) stereo.
  
  Is there a legit reason why there is no Dolby 5.1 surround sound track?
  
  This is a true sign of disrespect towards not only the fans of The Eagles but to all consumers.
  
  Review by Brian Grindrod
  
  
• elders still flying high
  By A73DFWJE0CGY6 on 2006-08-14
  You'd never know from my music collection that I like The Eagles, singularly or as a whole;nary a cd to be seen, except for one old Joe Walsh entry. This DVD caught my eye as it was used to advertise a big-screen TV at my local video rental place, and on a whim I rented it. It brightened up my weekend considerably.
  
  It's comforting to see so many of the veteran performers still operating at such an energetic level, especially after self-proclaimed headlong charges toward oblivion. This is addressed eloquently by Joe Walsh ("I was drunk once - for twenty years")in a new song called "One Day At A Time" - an exhilerating and typically Joe Walsh song that caught my attention from the very first note. Joe has always been my favourite Eagle anyway; he seems to have the best approach to life, and certainly he would have to be in the running for Funniest Rock Musician. He'd definitely have my vote.
  
  This two-disc set covers The Eagles from the start, and incorporates all the individual high points. As already stated, the energy level is way up there; it was recorded in Melbourne, Australia, with an audience ranging from little kids to oldsters like me, and not only is it a packed house, everybody is singing and dancing. No dozers here. And on stage, you'd never know these guys are cruising toward that nasty word "old" (Joe Walsh will be 59 in November; Don Henley is already there, and Glenn Frey will be 58, also in November); they never were a group to gyrate and race around on stage, but here they get together on some of the songs and hop in time to the music, clearly enjoying each other's music and style.
  
  All the great songs are here; "One Of These Nights","New Kid In Town" "Peaceful Easy Feeling";one of my personal favourites, "Heartache Tonight"; along with a spate of Henley's most singable, best-loved songs, "Dirty Laundry", "Boys Of Summer" "All She Wants To Do Is Dance", and Glenn Frey's hits as well, "Take It Easy", "Desperado". Joe Walsh's music is also well represented, but Joe really only has to be there for it to be worth watching; he makes a party wherever he goes. During "Life's Been Good" here, he dons a hardhat with camera attached and films the audience.
  
  This is a high-powered, well-produced concert; makes me wish I'd been there. As a DVD, it's a keeper.
  
  
  
  
  
• Flying High
  By A3DC29AE55QAVV on 2005-05-29
  I was confined in the hospital for Diabetes Type 2 when the Farewell Tour came to Tokyo. Me and my wife already had the tickets before I checked in the hospital. When my doctor made his rounds 2 days before the concert, I told him about my disappointment of not being able to go. Guess what? He told me it's good for my health to go. So, he gave me a one day pass. When I got back to the hospital, I got 6 of the Eagles' Complete Greatest Hits to give away to the nurses. In that ward, I was the patient-who-went-to-the-Eagles-concert, and they all came to ask me how it was. What else can I say? I already gave it five stars!
  
  
• Okay, but....
  By A3UREGB8KL6CQL on 2005-06-12
  It's okay, but that's all. For most of us REAL Eagles fans from back in the day, it's nothing spectacular. The teeny boppers on the front row rudely standing in front of the older seated fans couldn't have POSSIBLY remembered anything from the 70's (kind of reminds me of a Heart concert I went to in '87...but I digress).
  
  I saw the Eagles in Louisville on their North American Tour in 2002 and thought then what I thought now...I miss Don Felder. Steuart Smith tries, but he will NEVER be an Eagle-especially playing weak and looking like Lyle Lovett!
  
  But all in all, it sounded okay, although not as good as their 2002 tour. And like someone else said...LOSE THE HORNS & FIDDLE!
  
  
  
  
• AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
  By A3F9CMU8KNAY1M on 2007-05-14
  We were not Eagles fans when they (and we) were younger, but after listening to this concert many times we definitely are now! It's 2 hours and 40 minutes long and they sound great on every song. Both the audio and the video are fantastic.
  
  
• It doesn't get any better than this....
  By A38CED18I7QJAF on 2005-06-02
  Farewell I - Live From Melbourne is a classic in the making. It features the Eagles (Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit), filmed live in Melbourne, Australia in November 2004. The energy of the group live today actually exceeds that of their initial success in the 70's, and they deliver a tight, polished performance that's sure to please everyone from the casual Eagles fan to the die-hard. All the hits are here: Hotel California, Take It Easy, The Long Run, Desperado, One Of These Nights, and many more. Also featured are two new Eagles tracks, Glenn Frey's beautiful ballad "No More Cloudy Days," and Joe Walsh's very personal and moving "One Day At A Time." The DVD also is set to include rare backstage footage, interview segments, and commentary from the band members themselves on the various songs. I've been lucky enough to see the Eagles play live 10 times, and this captures them like nothing else that's commercially available. If you liked Hell Freezes Over, you'll be blown away by Melbourne. This is a must-have DVD.
  
  
• Picture And Sound
  By A133OPO00R5TGZ on 2005-06-11
  Picked up a copy of this early and yes,it is in DTS 5.1 and 1.78 widescreen that is near perfection
  
  
• Eagles Do It Again
  By A3W1XR6747TRR2 on 2005-06-15
  Just got finished watching this, and I came away once again very impressed with the pure muscianship and attention to production. These guys are known perfectionists and it shows. Some say their live performances sound too much like the records, but on this one they spice it up a little more than on Hell Freezes Over, though there aren't many cool acoustic ones like on that DVD. This one is less stiff than HFO too. Don Felder is missing on this one (out of the band since '01), but the guy filling in does a OK job, though it's just not the same on Hotel California. I thought the best performance was Walsh's Funk #49. It demands to be rocked LOUD in DTS. As with HFO, the recording quality is superb with DTS as the only surround option (just as HFO & Henley's DVD). The Eagles do this as DTS is better than Dolby as it uses less compression, and they can increase the video resolution when the Dolby track is left off. In fact, I think this DVD sets the standard in sound quality for live mixes. I have the Hotel California DVD-Audio, and the mix and realism sounds better here due to more available tracks to mix from and it utilizes higher resolution digital recording (though nothing can touch the resolution on a DVD-Audio or SACD). Overall, there's more songs, and it's more of a rockin' set than HFO. Frey & Schmit look great while Henley, and especially Walsh, are starting to show their age (was that Hermes pajama bottoms Walsh was wearing?). Though Walsh's voice sounds the freshest. If you like great music, buy this. If you have a great sound system, buy this, as it will really show it off and make you glad you spent the big bucks. As a last note, the Eagles share my passion for wine. When their manager, Irving Azoff, shared some Lafite Rothschild with them in 1974, they began putting in their tour contracts that first growth Bordeaux would be in their dressing rooms. Some may say that this is a primadona request, but I can't think of a better perk.
  
  
  
  
  
• The concert is good but we need Don Felder there!
  By A391CWFKVDK9V9 on 2005-07-18
  I bought the DVD and also watched the live concert in Atlanta but the Eagles are not the same without the best guitarist in the band, Don Felder. No comparison with Hell Freezes Over granted they played 30 songs here. Don Henley sounded tight (I guess since he's older...) The replacement for Don Felder is never a comparison. 'I can't tell you Why' was different without Felder's accompaniment (Timothy Schmidt did a great job but his performance at HFO is better). Felder's rendition of Hotel California was awesome at HFO and the guy that replaced him just did not hit it off....this concert was good but HFO was far much better. Jow Walsh was great but jamming with that new guy is not the same as when he's jamming with Felder...Good concert in general but the originality (without Felder) was missing! Not an original band anymore....
  
  
• Not what I was expecting....sorry!
  By AA2XTREVFUULN on 2005-09-13
  I bought the DVD hoping for another good work like their Hell Freezes Over DVD, however, it wasn't such. The audio on the DVD lacks quality. I purchased it, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Sorry.
  
  
• Must have
  By A1Z6D0DR25SVRP on 2005-10-17
  Words can't describe how incredibly fantastic is this DVD. Quality is quality... the music is timeless. Generations before have, and generations to come will still be enjoying these songs. Every song and performance is top class. You feel you are right there in the concert. The audio and camera work supurb. There is just no end to describing how good is this.
  
  The only thing is that with my favourite song "Hotel California" I would have preferred to have had the guitor part played without the horns. There is just something about that guitor part that you just want to hear raw (if you know what I mean). Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it and so did the crowd. As I say "a good song is a good song". Still 5 out of 5 stars.
  
  This is a collector's item... a Must Have. Filled with all their best songs and also their latest. Do not hesitate. Go buy this DVD. I assure you, you won't be sorry. It will be one of your favourites now and still in years to come.
  
  
• Absolutely Fabulous!
  By AIOPVS9H0MGBE on 2005-10-20
  I can't listen to this DVD enough... The songs, harmony, guitar-playing and music are amazing. If you love great lyrics and great music, this DVD is a must. Sit back, relax and be amazed by great music for hours.
  
  
• ? good sound
  By A2ZBFUKB76OCVB on 2005-11-06
  The info on Amazon did not state this album only plays in stereo and DTS 5.1, not in Dolby Digital 5.1. Not much fun watching the old guys preforming in old stereo technology, so I only lasted part way through the first song.. Amazon needed to add that appropiate info.
  
  
• Sterilized Eagles
  By A17VI5JKD3AQFH on 2006-02-01
  I love the Eagles. I listen to the Eagles Live CD all the time. But watching this is kinda like waiting in the waiting lounge at the doctors office. It's not every exciting, in facts it very boring and you cant wait to get the hell outta there. OK, so the band sounds great, and all members are still at the top of their game, however its just all seems too sterile for me. It's like watching a Fleetwood Mac concert from 2004 as apposed to 1979. The 2004 version has the classic line up (except 1 Christine McVie) and a bazillion other musicians on stage trying desperately to re-create that studio sound. Thats the same thing here. It's all calculated, cued, perfectly executed rock that is never outta tune, messed up or spontaneous. While Fleetwood Mac has still retained some of their spontinuity, thanks heavily to Lindsey's atmospheric guitar jammimg, the Eagles just Take It Easy, literally. It's like their all playing on auto pilot. Yeah, that new guy on guitar, Steuart whachamacallhim is good, of course he would be, and yeah, he nails all on Don Felder's solo perfectly, but isn't that what he's suppose to do and suppose to play. I'm glad these guys are still around, especially Joe Walsh, but c'mon, I'd rather see (and hear) the Bomber (aka Joe walsh) perform solo than with the Eagles. It's more risky and exciting. Joe Walsh is a clown in concert, and he use to be like that with the Eagles, but now he's just takes it one day at a time. Like I first mentioned, I like the Eagles, they were exciting live when it was just the 5 guys on stage jamming, and probably under some kind of influence. Nowadays, it's like watching a classic rock band, if you know what I mean.
  
  
• watch the Eagles turn into the Beach Boys
  By A38IRL0X2T4DPF on 2006-03-17
  Didn't these guys used to play their own instruments? If it wasn't for all the backup musicians what would these guys do?, use prerecorded backing tracks? It used to be if the backing musicians outnumbered the actual band then you suffered the fate of the Monkees and were ridiculed for being a make-believe rock band. Nowadays the Eagles could care less about playing guitars. My guess is that their best musician, Don Felder got booted out for demanding that they give up their nostalgia act and get back to making and playing new songs. Simply put, this show is 90% slow vocal harmonies and 10% rock. If thats your idea of a good show then be my guest.
  
  
• Almost as good as Hell Freezes Over
  By A2TP5HZS7W99DU on 2005-06-02
  I got home late last night, but made it in time to see most of the concert. I thought it was great. All those guys still have their voices although I sensed that Glenn Frey was holding back a bit. There were some really high notes in the originals that he just left out altogether. Also, a couple songs sounded like they were in lower keys. Being a guitar player, I really missed Don Felder. He was without question the best guitarist in the group. Joe Walsh is great, but seemed to be holding back too. The new guy (Felder's replacement) pretty much just played a Strat all night except for a 12-string double neck on "Hotel California". He did a great imitation on that song, but the rest of his work was not really remarkable. I also noticed that he didn't sit with the big 4 (Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh & Timothy Schmitt), but was placed way over on the right. He also was not included in the final bow at the closing. Too bad. And I especially missed Don Felder's intro to "Hotel California" which they did with a trumpet instead of the original acoustic guitars. I also think it's a shame that they did not give credit or include 2 of the founding members, Randy Meisner ("Take It To the Limit"), and Bernie Leadon who did all the banjo work in the early days. They did a new song, written just for the show, but it left me pretty flat. Completely un-Eagles sounding and I don't think it will ever become the hit that their 1994 reunion song became. ("Love Will Keep Us Alive").
  
  So I had really mixed emotions about it. They're still the best 70's country-rock band alive today (IMHO), but I wish they could put their petty personality differences behind them and do a complete anthology that includes all the former members. I don't know about you, but hearing "Take It to the Limit" without Randy's voice, sounded dull and lifeless.
  
  6/16/05 -
  Ok, so I was wrong about Steuart Smith. The DVD arrived last night and a got to see the first half of the show that I missed before. And I have now changed my mind about Don Felder's replacement. I guess I was just upset because Don wasn't there and annoyed that they had cut the incredible intro to "Hotel California" that Don wrote. But I have to admit that Steuart really is a first class guitarist, even if he does spell his name funny. I was quite amazed, when trying to find the steel guitar in some of their early tunes, to find out that Steuart was doing it on a Strat-like solid body. Really good stuff. So please forgive me for reacting so rashly in my first review as I now consider this DVD to be every bit as good as "Hell Freezes Over". But I still think that if Randy couldn't do "Take It To The Limit", then they should have left it out.
  Bill
  
  
  
• A great band gives a better than average performance.
  By A1SG51GQM48LPF on 2005-06-03
  I have been an Eagles fan since their first album in 1972. I was just learning to play guitar then and I learned every song on that album. Unlike a lot of people, I consider their high point as a band to be "On the Border". It was still true to their roots, but showed they had some influences beyond Graham Parsons, Poco, and the Byrds.
  
  The performance in this concert is excellent for the aging hit-machine that the Eagles are. The songs have stood up well over time and the new songs show they've still got it in the songwriting department. As a showman, Joe Walsh is a treat to watch, as always. The rest of the band is fantastic, as usual, but, like others, I miss Don Felder. The "random schmo" on guitar referred to in another review is Steuart Smith, one of the finest session guitarists in all of music. He has played extensively in Nashville, as well as for Don Henley's solo projects. His playing is impeccable.
  
  Since the Eagles have always been known for their remarkable ability to duplicate their studio sound in concert, there were very few new things brought to the songs in this concert, but, as most fans would agree, that's not why we watched. We watched to see a great band perform songs that are timeless and that take us back to a time when we had fewer cares and worries. In this, they succeeded.
  
  
• HORNS & FIDDLE?
  By A16KRGGQ67CT0G on 2005-06-06
  THE EAGLES ALONG WITH AEROSMITH ARE AMERICA'S GREATEST BANDS. THE FAREWELL 1 BROADCAST WAS OK. DON FELDER WHO LAUNCHED THE EAGLES TO A HARDER EDGIER SOUND AFTER JOINING THE BAND IN'73 WAS DEFINATELY MISSING ON THIS PARTICULAR TOUR. ALSO ADDING HORNS TO ALL THE SONGS AND THE ADDITION OF A FIDDLE [VIOLIN!!] JUST TOTALLY SCREWED UP THE SONGS. IF IT'S NOT ON THE ORIGINAL RECORDING, DON'T ADD INSTRUMENTS. LISTEN TO THE LIVE DISC ON THE SELECTED WORKS CD AND THE 1980 EAGLES LIVE CD TO SEE HOW VALUABLE FELDER IS. THIS DVD WILL BE FOR DIE-HARDS, I'VE PRE-ORDERED IT, BUT GLENN & DON NEED TO RE-FOCUS THE FUTURE OF THE MUSIC IN CASE THEIR IS A FAREWELL 2 TOUR.
  
  
• Hell Has Been Replaced!
  By AWPODHOB4GFWL on 2005-06-06
  Eleven years after "Hell Freezes over", the Eagles deliver a better live set. All the guys are there, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Schmit, and Felder. All are in fine vocal form especially Joe Walsh whose voice has not aged a bit. With a 2-disc set, there are more songs and additional new ones. There are a total of twenty-nine (29) songs! It also includes the heart-rending "Hole In The World". Gone is the personal stiffness that seemed to overshadow "Hell Freezes Over" and each group member shares the spotlight with their own special song(s) and interplay. There is no shortness of levity or professionalism. The larger setting and the lightshow also is a huge improvement. Why this wasn't recorded in DTS 5.1 Surround Sound is a mystery, but it still sounds (and looks) great. It's just a peaceful, easy-feeling, good concert.
  
  
• DVD is a lot better than the NBC version
  By A1Z81QRK51OZBF on 2005-06-22
  When I first heard this on NBC, I thought the sound was horrrible. I originally reviewed this and gave it two stars. The horns and fiddle a out of place, but they're not as dominant as I originally thought. Stuart Smith, the new guitarist is good, but he can't even hold a candle to Don Felder. His presence is especially missed on "Love Will Keep Us Alive"; Smith doesn't play slide, so it don't sound right. The horns are out of place on every song except "the Long Run". Joe Walsh really sounds good, compared to his appearance on "Hell Freezes Over"; in my opinion, he's the only Eagle who's vocal performance since "Hell". Glenn and Timothy have dropped just a bit, and Don Henley sounds more like Bryan Adams on his songs (on "Wasted Time" especially). Don's voice has really gotten rough. The sounds much improved, but I perfered the strings that appeared on "Hell". I wish they would have done some of there other songs, like "Get Over It", "Victim of Love", or "Those Shoes".... ....oh, wait. Don Felder was vital to those songs. Just like Randy Meisner was to "Take It To The Limit" and "One of These Nights" (Randy did the high parts on "Nights"). The DVD is good. But by listening to "Live", "the Millenium Concert"(available on the "Selected Works" box set), and "Hell Freezes Over", you can see how important Don Felder is to the Eagles.
  
  

• The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over
• Chicago/Earth Wind & Fire - Live at the Greek Theatre
• Moody Blues: Lovely to See You (2005)
• Roy Orbison - A Black & White Night (DTS)
• Heart - Alive in Seattle