Eagles - Hotel California

an excellent album by an excellent band;I wish they could last forever

My computer is down so this is David's wife, Kathleen, writing this review. On any album or compilation of music, there are usually one or two songs that the buyer doesn't really like that well. On this album, there are none. Our son and daughter are eight years apart in age and they like this album. I had an old fashioned record of it that I wore out, as well, but that was in ancient times and not so uncommon. I am very careful of my CDs. If one accidentally gets soiled (and it's truly not my fault), I just wash it in light washing liquid and tepid water, carefully rubbing any spot that doesn't come out in the correct way. When I first noticed this CD sounding kind of muffled, I checked it for dirt or fingerprints but there were none. Then I blamed it on the system I was using. When I put it into our Bose system and it still sounded muffled, I realized, I'd worn out a CD! When the new CD arrived, it sounded just the way it should have so I guess the old one had run its course! I am very happy to have a new version of this Masterpiece to play and highly recommend it to anyone who likes Eagles' music. Even if you don't, give it a try. You'll be in for a treat - it's a combination of soft rock, ballads and a bit of harder rock; but the best thing is that it's a great album from the Eagles when they were at their very best!

The CD itself is ok but the case was cracked during shipping so be careful of that

Great Album!

This is a review of the Japanese-import SACD version of the album. In short, it's great. I previously owned the DVD-Audio version of this surround mix but decided to sell it after it went out of print and prices skyrocketed. Unfortunately, I missed having the album in 5.1; fortunately, the SACD version is just terrific. In fact, it may even be better. The DVD-Audio was amazing, but I actually prefer the slightly softer feel of the SACD. The mix, as far as I know, is identical to the one that was done for DVD-A, but SACDs just seem to have a bit more warmth. Of course, you don't get the visual extras, which included some nice photos and one of the most attractive DVD-A menus I've ever seen. If your focus is the music, that obviously won't matter to you. And for those who don't remember or weren't around ... well, the Eagles were probably at the creative peak on this album. The title track, "New Kid in Town," "Life in the Fast Lane," Victim of Love," "Try and Love Again" and "The Last Resort" all became FM radio rock standards, and in fact were so overplayed in the 1970s and 1980s that some fans (myself included) needed a long break. But there's no denying the talent on display here. Drummer/singer Don Henley was at his swaggering best. Bassist Randy Meisner's songwriting contribution ("Try and Love Again") was the best of his career. Glenn Frey, Henley's most frequent writing partner, was often overshadowed in the band, both instrumentally and vocally, but his wistful vocal on "New Kid in Town" and wicked Clavinet on "Fast Lane" were superb. Finally, the dual leads of guitarists Joe Walsh and Don Felder just shredded everything in their path. Felder would later be dismissed by Henley and Frey, with the result being a legal mess. Walsh returned to the fold after many years, but my understanding is that, financially, he's never been a full partner. Tim Schmidt took over bass duties for Meisner after this record, playing on "The Long Run." The latter was a decent album, but it didn't stand up to its predecessor. There were a few great songs ("King of Hollywood," for example) but also a few too many few duds -- "Teenage Jail," the duh-hey "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks." "Hotel California," by contrast, is the Eagles signature record. The 5.1 mix isolates the instruments beautifully; on every nearly every song, there is at least one moment that emerges as breathtaking: 1. The separation of the acoustic and electric guitars on the title track, plus Henley's ghostly percussion. 2. Walsh's first organ riff on "New Kid." 3. The opening-note onslaught of the electric guitars on "Fast Lane." 4. Henley's vocal on the final stanza of "Wasted Time"; he sounds both suitably exhausted and engaged. 5. The clarity of the orchestra at the end of "Wasted Time (Reprise)." 6. The ENTIRETY of "Victim of Love." On the runoff track of the original pressing of the album, the careful eye could find this message: "V.O.L. is five-piece live," meaning there were no studio overdubs. The performance of the song was spot-on and crackled with energy. 7. Walsh's battered, nasal but somehow perfectly suitable voice on "Pretty Maids All in a Row." 8. Meisner's entirely unbattered, stratospheric singing on "Try and Love Again." 9. And finally, Frey's glorious but restrained piano on "The Last Resort"; on the 5.1 mix, you can actually hear the hammers striking the strings in one passage. Great album, great mix, and a great look back at one of the landmarks of 1970s rock.

Like listening to the album for the first time. Nice and spatial experience.

I have several different versions of the (poorly recorded) classic. This is the best

This was a gift for a former employer, he absolutely loved the gift and came in perfect condition. It arrived a day early which was perfect day when it arrived.