"But You Can Never Leave...": An Artist's Notes
Author: Glenn Frey
Publication: Selected Works 1972-1999 Booklet
Date: October 2000
Abstract: Glenn's comments from the Selected Works Booklet. He talks about his career with the Eagles - how he tried to escape it, but now embraces it.
When the Eagles disbanded in 1980, it was with a whisper, not a bang. We did not go out in a blaze of glory. There was no "Farewell Tour," no "Final Concert," a la "The Last Waltz." It was more like we were put on stretchers and removed from the slopes of Mt. Moolah before we succumbed to the elements. Sleep deprived and lyric depleted, we were in every way exhausted. Our five-year climb to the top of the rock pile, and the four ensuing years spent trying to stay there, had taken a heavy toll on all of us. More tired than angry, more spent than last week's paycheck, we could soldier on no more. A year later, when asked how he felt at the time of the breakup, Don Henley said it was "a horrible relief." He's always had a way with words. For myself, I longed to return to sea level for a while. Having breathed the rarified air of the highest altitudes, I came to understand that no one can, or should, stay on the top for very long. Like climbing Mt. Everest, it's nearly impossible and, more importantly, you could die trying. So I went to Hawaii to recuperate from a nine-year fame and fortune bender. I remember being convinced at the time that the Eagles were over. I was sure I had strummed my last strum and oohed my last ooh in the aviary. I was positive my time as an Eagle had ended. I could not have been more wrong.
While the band did break up in 1980, our music continued without us. In the early '80s, "Classic Rock" radio stations started popping up all across the country. They played our songs constantly. Meanwhile, MTV was in its infancy and looking for videos of any kind to fill its 24-hour-a-day format. They found the live Hotel California film shot in Washington, D.C. by Vicki Hochberg, and they also dug up staged performances of The Long Run and I Can't Tell You Why, and put them in their rotation. It seemed like we were everywhere. It was becoming increasingly apparent to me that no matter where I went or what I did, for the rest of my life I would always be an Eagle. The band was not going away.
During my early solo days, I bristled at the two questions that seemed to be asked every time I turned around: "Why did you guys break up?" and "When are you getting back together?" My short form answer was something like: "It's none of your business" and "Never." As the 1980's wore on, my response to these oft-asked questions changed some. It was more like, "There were many reasons for the breakup -- too many to get into right now. But even if I were to explore this subject in depth, I doubt that you would understand. As far as us getting back together, well, the stars would have to line up just right... but I've learned to never say never." By the early '90's, the same questions were still being asked, but my answers changed yet again. I remember saying to someone, "I don't want to get into the negative stuff; it was only a small part of a much bigger adventure. Most of the time, we had a lot of fun." The words came out of me like an idle guitar chord. The almost sentimental thought surprised me. Another surprise at the time was the success of the LP, Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles (Eagles songs recorded by country artists). It was becoming evident to me that a lot of people in "The Great Out-There" still couldn't get enough of those songs, going back now more than twenty years. The stars were lining up. Just before Christmas, 1993, the Eagles agreed to appear together in Travis Tritt's Take It Easy video. It was an enjoyable day. The setup couldn't have been more perfect. We spent the day shooting pool, drinking beer and jamming. It was a good hang with old friends. The stars were now completely aligned.
As most of you reading this probably know, the Eagles reunited in 1994 to record and film the Hell Freezes Over project and then proceeded to tour the world for almost two and a half years. What you might not know is that our plan was to tour for only six months. We stayed together for an additional two years because we were having... gulp -- dare I say it -- FUN!!
Granted, there was beaucoup cabbage involved but the main ingredient was fun -- plus the fact that we were playing and singing better than we ever did in the '70's.
On August 4, 1996, in Edinburgh, Scotland, we played our last concert. As tired as we were after six weeks on the road in Europe, it was still a great show. No one left the stage unhappy or pissed off. There was no dark cloud hanging over the band. We shook hands, hugged and congratulated each other on a job well done. There was no talk about the future; we all knew we needed a break. For me, it was very satisfying. We had pulled off what some called the biggest reunion ever and we succeeded beyond our wildest expectations. Everyone was pleased. The Eagles saga would now have a happy ending. The final chapter written, we could all move on.
Well, not exactly. The Millennium was just around the corner and as early as 1998, our manager, Irving Azoff, began prepping us for a possible New Year's Eve concert in Los Angeles. You remember the Millennium and the accompanying Y2K scare, don't you? The world was supposed to come to a screeching halt and everyone's money would be lost in some computer black hole. There would be no water or power -- and NO CABLE! I've yet to hear an apology, public or private, from a single one of those Y2K alarmists admitting their "Chicken Little" mistakes. I still wonder what they're going to do with all the canned tuna and toilet paper they amassed.
New Year's Eve 1999 was a unique time for musicians all over the world. Everybody had a gig. When the Eagles began rehearsing right after Thanksgiving, we all agreed we wanted to change our set list. We decided to work up songs we had seldom, if ever, played in concert. Those Shoes, Ol' 55, Please Come Home For Christmas and Funky New Year were all added to the set. We changed the arrangement for The Best Of My Love, reworked the jam on Funk 49 and revived Take It To The Limit with yours truly singing lead.
Five weeks later, after two warm-up shows in Las Vegas, we set our sights on Los Angeles. What troubled me most before that New Year's concert, besides the world possibly coming to an abrupt standstill, was the threat of terrorism. One of those "gutter-ific," television tabloid shows listed our Millennium concert at Staples Center as one of those top five sites for terrorism. Thanks a lot.
In my humble opinion, December 31, 1999 was the best 24 hours of live television ever. Afflicted as I was with bomb squad paranoia and screeching-halt syndrome, I turned on CNN that morning to see how the world was doing. I believe the first image I saw on the screen was of these beautiful dancers, live from Thailand. CNN then proceeded to show New Year's celebrations from around the globe -- time zone by time zone, country by country, continent by continent. I think I watched for about four hours -- and it wasn't even football! When midnight changed "snafu-free" in Moscow, I figured so much for the screeching halt theory. I showered and headed for sound check.
It rained the whole time during my drive to Staples Center. It was as if Los Angeles was cleaning up for her big night. I walked into the arena and suddenly realized that the Eagles were going to be the house band for the last and biggest party in town. I was overcome with emotion. I thought about luck and love, fame and failure. I thought about what our songs had meant to people throughout the years. I thought about the journey I had been on with my friends and how our friendships had survived and defined that journey. I felt deeply grateful.
The Eagles have always been a "Big-Show" band. Whenever we have had an important concert, we have, with few exceptions, risen to the occasion and responded with an inspired performance. For New Year's '99, we did truly save the best for last. The band has evolved and nowhere is that more evident than onstage. We now have a much greater appreciation of each other's talents. We share a keener awareness of one another onstage and we have a deeper grasp of what our music is all about. In perhaps our final hour, we had our finest hour. If there had to be a last show for the Eagles, I'd want that one to be it. Now, I'm not saying that was our last show. I know better. The stars could be doing a number again right now and, as always, I'd be the last one to know. There might even be some totally cool unwritten songs floating around in the cosmos that might want to zoom in on a Henley/Frey songwriting session. We had the last part of a millennium to get our act down, and a whole new thousand years just opened up. You never know how things can go... I'll just keep my eyes on the stars....
