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Farewell I TourThe Eagles
Contrary to unsubstantiated rumors and misfires, the Eagles did not come and go when hell froze over. They just don’t come around as often as they used to. Here’s the truncated version: Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Don Felder and Timothy B. Schmit reformed the Eagles in 1994 for a highly publicized MTV special. They followed up with a gargantuan reunion tour, slotted in a couple of lackluster, never-to-be-heard-of songs next to their songbook of golden toasties, and hauled away a flotilla of dough. They went their separate ways, only to return again on New Years Eve of 1999 for an overpriced millennium concert in Los Angeles. Sporadic Eagles tours followed, but this time without clutch guitarist Felder on board. As a quartet, they decided to document the moment by filming a November 2004 concert in Melbourne, Australia. The ensuing Farewell 1 Tour DVD features almost three hours of the Eagles rising to the occasion with an electrifying performance. If you own the Hells Freezes Over video or DVD, this new two-disc set serves as the perfect companion piece. Hell Freezes Over is a greatest hits show where every Top Ten single is dusted off and given a fuzzy warm-over. Farewell 1 Tour rolls out the obligatory gems like “One Of These Nights” and “Already Gone,” but also takes a few desultory detours — drawing heavily from outside the Eagles’ shiny, yet slight repertoire. Walsh, largely responsible for the band’s edgier range, pulls liberally from the past, offering up “Walk Away” and ‘Funk #49” from his James Gang days as well as solo milestones “In The City,” “Life’s Been Good” and “Rocky Mountain Way.” Henley duly follows suit, trotting out stellar versions of “The Boys Of Summer,” “Sunset Grill,” “Dirty Laundry” and “All She Wants To Do Is Dance.” That barely leaves enough room for Frey’s “You Belong To The City” and the new “No More Cloudy Days.” He must derive some satisfaction in knowing he co-wrote the evening’s most popular numbers. Although Felder’s presence is missed at times (especially during “Hotel California”), the band employs four additional players and the ‘Mighty Horns’ horn section to fill in every nuance. Naturally, there's nary a sour note to be found. This allows the Eagles, like so many other active classic rock super groups madly issuing DVDs, to make the most of the 5.1 surround, high definition technology, sounding as slick and polished as the numerous gold and platinum records they have amassed since 1971. With that in mind, one can only speculate what’s in store for the Farewell 2 Tour DVD. It's doubtful we'll have to wait another 10 years to find out. ~ Shawn Perry ©Copyright 1997, 2008 Vintage Rock
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