Wings Over America
Author: David Wild
Publication: Rolling Stone
Date: June 30, 1994
Abstract: Glenn Frey and Don Henley discuss topics such as how a reunion came about, why their ticket prices aren't really that outrageous, and legal wranglings.
"This tour is like driving a truck full of nitroglycerin from Los Angeles to New York, and you don't get paid until you reach New York, and there's no insurance," says Glenn Frey with a laugh as he relaxes in the lounge of Village Recorders, in Santa Monica, Calif.
The reunited Eagles are here mixing tracks from their recently taped MTV appearance and recording studio versions of four new songs before heading out on the road for the first time in 14 years. "Seriously, this is a huge and volatile undertaking," adds Frey, "but the truth is, we're all having a really good time."
And why shouldn't these kings of '70s California rock--Frey, Don Henley, Don Felder, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmitt--be sharing a peaceful, easy feeling? After nearly a decade and a half apart, the group is embarking on the Hell Freezes Over Tour--a nod to the notion that historic interband tensions would stop the Eagles from ever flying again--which is shaping up to be a highly popular and profitable road trip.
"I suppose the Hell Freezes Over name just seemed fitting, somehow," says Henley. Certainly the Eagle with the most successful solo career, Henley doesn't seem to be looking at the tour as simply a one-off event. "This feels more like a resumption to me," Henley says. "There's no reason why at this juncture we can't have the Eagles and have our solo careers, too. We could have done that in the first place if we hadn't been so overwrought about everything. Since Glenn and I are getting along and writing well together, the spark feels rekindled. Now we just really want to play well. We've done all that other stuff before." This may explain why the band considered calling this road show the We'll Play, You Party Tour.
A major catalyst for the reunion was the success of the album Common Thread, which featured various country artists interpreting Eagles chestnuts. "I think we have a heightened appreciation of what kind of legacy we created," says Henley.
Soon reunion talk began in earnest. "This has all been very spontaneous, really," says Henley. "In a sense, that made things easier. On the other hand, it made the tour very difficult to book because it's a very busy summer out there. But as Glenn has said, timing is everything. We've all grown up a lot. and we're not as prone to sweat the small stuff. We have a new song called 'Get Over It,' and we've sort of taken our own advice."
"Get Over It"--a biting sendup of the '90s victimization craze--was one of four new offerings the Eagles performed during the two impressive 22-song concerts taped by MTV before an invitation-only audience in April at a Burbank, Calif., soundstage. The MTV presentation is expected to be aired on the channel in late summer, well after the Eagles tour kickoff at California's Irvine Meadows Amphitheater on May 27. The set list for the MTV shows mixed a healthy number of Eagles classics, a few selections from band members' solo works and the new songs, which include the country-tinged "The Girl From Yesterday." Opening with a mostly acoustic set, the performances featured an extended section with orchestra backing, followed by a more hard-rocking conclusion.
In recent months, a number of music-industry lawyers have attempted to negotiate which label will release any new Eagles material, including the proposed late-summer album of songs from the MTV sessions and the new studio tracks. One possibility would be Geffen Records, which has filed suit against Henley for failing to deliver new product (Henley has countersued). More recently, Frey has experienced similar problems with MCA. "I think everything will be worked out in time," says Henley.
In fact, the Eagles recently won one legal battle, getting a temporary-restraining order against their old label Elektra to prevent it from releasing a new two-CD Eagles retrospective in North America. "Elektra tried to pull a sneak attack on us." says Henley. There are more legal battles ahead, but the band remains optimistic. "I think we're holding a lot of cards." he says. "Nobody wants to stop this thing from happening. Everyone just wants their piece of the pie--a large piece."
It should be a rather large pie, indeed, since top ticket prices for the tour are well over $100 apiece.
"I'm a Laker season-ticket holder, OK," says Frey. "One floor seat for one game to watch the under-.500 Lakers play costs $500. The Eagles get together once every 14 years, so I think $115, parking included, is not too much to ask. It's all relative. We're competitive with the Stones and Pink Floyd, and we're cheaper than Streisand. We don't have corporate sponsorship--we turned down millions for that because we're not a corporate rock band. And clearly the response has been tremendous. As far as I know, the only people who brought the issue up are press people who are getting their tickets for free."
Henley--known for his work on behalf of the Walden Woods Project--adds that a significant portion of the money from the tour will go to numerous charities, including Walden and Grass Roots Aspen Experience, with which Frey is associated. The tour is set to include approximately 70 shows, finishing up on Oct. 8 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. As they were with the MTV show, the Eagles will be augmented by a number of backing musicians. Henley says that the stage set will be a "post-Armageddon, after-the-earthquake kind of thing. It will be quite elaborate and quite large, but it will still focus on music."
Suddenly recalling a past critical slight, Henley breaks into a smile. "And as I believe your magazine once accused us," he says, "we'll all just be up there on stage loitering."
