Mini-Reunion is Success for Fans of the Eagles
Author: Louise King
Publication: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Date: June 17, 1993

ANYONE wishing for an Eagles reunion had cause to celebrate Sunday night as two-fifths of that seminal country-rock band's most famous incarnation got together for a "Party of 2" concert at Riverport Amphitheatre. Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh may not be ready to bury the proverbial hatchet with the other members of their former group, but they sure LOOKED chummy clowning around on stage. More importantly, the music they made together - whether material from either's solo career or vintage Eagles tunes from the '70s - was prime quality in selection and delivery. Neither attempted to hog the spotlight, although it appeared that Frey orchestrated most the the musical arrangements, with Walsh just along for the ride with his drummer of umpteen years, Joe Vitale, being the only member of the duo's backup band to take the stage when Walsh did, four songs into the set. In fact, the feeling that pervaded the show more than any other was that these two fellows are really very different pieces from the same puzzle. One dapper and staid, the other scraggly and wild, but fitting together perfectly to complete the picture. They are complementary in every respect, and one gets the feeling that each brings out the best in the other. While both Frey and Walsh had fairly new records to tout, they concentrated for the most part on the classics. The recent material demonstrated the vast differences in their styles, but the Eagles' tunes were a testament to how much they still have in common. Close your eyes on "New Kid in Town" and you can hear the quintessential soft rock sound in the close vocal harmonies and tasty guitar fills. With apologies to Mr. Henley, this outfit was lacking for nothing on '90s versions of "Lyin' Eyes" and "Life in the Fast Lane." Although age has rendered the top end of Frey's vocal range a bit weak and no one can accuse Walsh of trying to put any polish on his inimitable "singing" style, together they gave a 110 percent effort. Sounding even stronger following intermission, Frey held court on "You Belong to the City," one of several tunes to feature his trademark saxophone work. In fact, most of the second half of the evening (what Frey dubbed the "urban" portion of the show) was replete with the soulful stylings of a four-piece horn section, which added credibility to mundane numbers, such as "True Love" and barn burners like "Life's Been Good" and the James Gang's "Funk #49." As the show neared its climax, it was evident that Walsh's compositions would dominate, the untamed end of the rock 'n' roll spectrum taking precedence over the more sedate pop side that has been Frey's bailiwick. In the end it was clear that with Walsh by his side, Frey took a few more chances. Likewise, with Frey sharing the stage, Walsh was more focused on his performance. The result was one of this season's finest concerts.