Message From Don Henley Re: Eagles Reunion

[NoBozos5150]

As I read this message from him on the Eagles website, I couldn't help but think: What if this was from Eddie re: Van Halen? Wouldn't it be nice? Wouldn't anything be nice? Something?

Don Henley's Update to the Tour Program:
Almost a third of this year had passed when it suddenly dawned on us that it's the Eagles 30th Anniversary. Although this group first came together in the summer of 1971, we didn't hit the airwaves and the ears of the public-at-large until late spring of 1972. "Take it Easy" was our first single release and our first hit. We never expected to have a solid, nine-year run, but then we didn't expect a lot of things that eventually happened. We never thought that "the Long Run" album, released in 1979, would be our studio swan song and nobody expected everything to come to a screeching halt in the fall of 1980. Some has had never considered having solo careers, but we did. None of us would have ever believed that the Eagles would reunite fourteen years later for one the most successful tour in rock history. It appears that, while we were all going our separate ways, the fans and rock radio kept the torch burning; album sales continued to mount, averaging a million or more units a year. Our Greatest Hits (volume 1) has become the largest selling album (domestically) in music business history--or, so we're told by the people who keep track of such things. go figure.

Last summer, we had a grand tour of Europe and performed in Russia for the very first time. I remember peering down from my hotel window onto the rain-slicked Moscow street while the strains of "Theme from a Summer Place" wafted from the radio in my room. It was one of those odd, ironic little moments that stick in the brain. I just sat there with a goofy grin on my face.

On month and many miles later, the rain stopped, the clouds parted and we played, also for the very first time in Belfast, under a brilliant blue sky to an audience of 20,000 who had gathered on the intensely green lawn of Stormont Castle. That beautiful edifice serves as Northern Ireland's parliamentary building, and inside, history was being made only a hundred or so yards from our stage. First Minister, David Trimble, resigned and Parliament was disbanded that day. People were hanging out the windows of the Castle and we ran through our soundcheck and when the show began, Trimble and several other members ambled down the lawn, took seats in front and proceeded to enjoy the concert while knocking back several pints, It was a memorable day, filled with great beauty and mixed emotions....as Ireland always is.

I'll never forget the show we did two weeks later in the piazza of Lucca, an ancient walled city in Italy (another first for us). The crowd sang every work at the tops of their lungs--and in English.

I could go on, but you get the idea. These past three decades have been marked not only by hard work and travails, but also by tremendous reworks including a bird's-eye view of the world and the ability to do a few good things for its inhabitants--and it all started right here in the USA thirty years ago. The members of this group, both past and present, are products of what can loosely be defined as "the heartland of America" --the Midwest, the South, the Plains States and, finally, the West. Though the media has permanently labeled us a "California band," we hail from almost every corner of this country and brought with us to California the regional, musical influences that touched our individual lives from infancy. The sum of the parts is an American sound. We're not a musical hybrid; we're a musical mutt--and mutts survive.

Now, some twenty-three years after "the Long Run," we are working on our first collection of new material since that album. We never thought this would be happening either, but it is. It's happening because you, to our eternal wonder and gratitude, will not let us go--and we, in turn, can't let go of you either--at least not yet. Hopefully, we'll know when it's time to make our exit and we will exit gracefully. Meantime, cynics and pundits will continue to break journalistic wind, but we love what we do and acutely aware that you are the one who make it possible to continue. Don't ever think we don't appreciate it. "Thank you' seems inadequate, but--thank you. Thank you very much.

Don Henley
Los Angeles
May, 2002

[Burning Tires]

That's so cool!!!

[img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

If only...

[BrokenCombs]

Just read it, this is very cool! But then I've always liked The Eagles! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Executionor]

Eddie Van Halen is not mature enough to write something of this magnitude. He is the type of person that if everyone isn't doing things exactly his way, he won't be involved. Immature and selfish.

[The Full BuD]

Yeah, like kicking Don Felder out of the Eagles wasn't immature or selfish...

[Executionor]

Heh, you got me there, BUT that said, could you really tell me that you could see Edward sitting down and writing something like this? There is a limit to laying blame on everyone else and sooner or later you have to start thinking maybe you are the problem. (Not you Full Bud), I hope you get what I mean!>!>!>!

[Vince G.]

Not to be taken seriously, since I'm one of extreme many that are still holding out everlasting hope that these guys will eventually come to their senses. The music world needs a collective kick in the nuts as only Van Halen can deliver.

After reading Henley's piece, I realized just how much I miss Van Halen.

Vince

Edward Van Halen's Update to the Tour Program:

Almost a third of this year had passed when it suddenly dawned on us that it's Van Halen's (insert year here) Anniversary. Although this group first came together in 1974, we didn't hit the airwaves and the ears of the public-at-large until early 1978. "You Really Got Me", a cover of the Kinks' original tune, was our first single release and our first hit. We never expected to have a solid, 20-year run, but then we didn't expect a lot of things that eventually happened. We never thought that the "1984" album, released in 1984, would be our studio swan song before venturing into new musical territory with the emergence of "5150". Then, 11 years later, in 1996, history seemed to repeat itself when our second singer walked. Yes, HE walked, as I still maintain. And, nobody expected everything to come to a screeching halt in the fall of 1999 after the commercial failure of "III", which I consider to be the most artistically created album and material I have ever recorded, helped in part with singer #3, who had the voice of an angel and the balls of an elephant. A true soul mate. Some have never considered having solo careers, but one original member did, which is how we ended up with singer #2, until 1996 when that individual walked away. "Once a solo artist, always a solo artist", I always say. None of us would have ever believed that Van Halen would reunite (inset year here) later for THE most intense and successful tour in rock history. It appears that, while we were all going our separate ways, the fans and rock radio kept the torch burning; album sales continued to mount, averaging a million or more units a year, which was also helped by the release of our "Remaster Series" of the first 6 Van Halen albums. Our "Best Of Volume I" became one of the largest selling album (domestically) in music business history--or, so we're told by the people who keep track of such things. Go figure. It did help that we had singer #1 for 2 extra new tracks. Never mind the technical glitch we later discovered when we listened to the final playback of "Runnin' With The Devil"...the wrong tape had been used!!! AARRGGH! That'll teach us to to attempt this kind of shit while downing Heinekins and Egg McMuffins!

Anyways...last (insert time frame here), we had a grand tour of Europe and performed in our homeland of Holland for the very first time since 1995 on the "Balance Tour". I remember peering down from my hotel window onto the rain-slicked streets of Amsterdam while the strains of "Runnin' With The Devil" (the corrected version, I might add!) wafted from the radio in my room. It was one of those odd, ironic little moments that stick in the brain. I just sat there with my trademark goofy grin on my face.

On month and many miles later, the rain stopped, the clouds parted and we played, also for the very first time in Belfast, under a brilliant blue sky to an audience of 100,000 who had gathered on the intensely green lawn of Stormont Castle. That beautiful edifice serves as Northern Ireland's parliamentary building, and inside, history was being made only a hundred or so yards from our stage. U2's former lead singer, Bono, had just been elected as First Minister, and the existing members of Parliament had been replaced with the likes of Van Morrision, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr., The Corrs, Pierce Brosnan, and Lucky the Leprechaun of "Lucky Charms" fame. Sinead O' Connor had been appointed as Bono's Press Secretary. People were hanging out the windows of the Castle while we ran through our soundcheck and when the show began, Bono and several other members of his entourage drunkenly ambled down the lawn, took seats in front and proceeded to enjoy the concert while knocking back several cases of Guiness. It was a memorable day, filled with great beauty and mixed emotions....as Ireland always is.

I'll never forget the 3-hour show we did two weeks later in the Tokyo Dome of Japan, by far the coolest venue in that country to play a concert. The crowd sang every work at the tops of their lungs--and in Engrish!

I could go on, but you get the idea. These past many decades have been marked not only by hard work and travails, but also by tremendous reworks including a bird's-eye view of the world and the ability to do a few good things for its inhabitants--and it all started right here in the USA back in '74. The members of this group, both past and present, are products of what can loosely be defined as "the heartland of America" --the Midwest, back East, and, finally, the West, even though Al and I originally from Europe. Though the media has permanently labeled us as a "California band," as we so rightly are, we hail from almost every corner of this country and brought with us to California the regional, musical influences that touched our individual lives from infancy. The sum of the parts is a classic rock and roll American sound. We're not a musical hybrid; we're a musical mutt--and mutts survive, as we have so rightly proven. Where's disco? Where's punk? Where's new wave? They're gone. We're still here. Now, if only I decimate that fucking shit known as "rap music" I'd be insanely ecstatic. To paraphrase a former employee of ours, "Only time was able to tell if we were able to stand the test of time"....or some shit like that.

Now, some many years after "III" we are working on our first collection of new material since that album. I don't know exactly how "new" it can be considered, since most of the new material has been pulled from older material that most of you hardcore collectors have in your bootleg collections already. We never thought this would be happening either, what with LSD, golf, hip surgeries, neck injuries, rotating singers like new tires and shit like that interfering, but it is. It's happening because you, to our eternal wonder and gratitude, and sheer amazement, will not let us go--and we, in turn, can't let go of you either--at least not yet. The mighty dollar speaks! (Al typed that, not me. That'll teach me to leave my computer logged open around him.) Hopefully, we'll know when it's time to make our exit and we will exit gracefully. Meantime, cynics and pundits will continue to break journalistic wind, but we love what we do and are acutely aware that you are the ones who make it possible to continue. Don't ever think we don't appreciate it. "Thank you' seems inadequate, but--thank you. Thank you very much.

Edward Van Halen
Los Angeles
(Insert month and Year here)

[ June 13, 2002, 09:58 AM: Message edited by: Vince G. ]

[The Full BuD]

No I don't think Eddie is that well-spoken otherwise he'd be a singer/lyricist as well as a guitarist...

It sucks when you're not a lead singer and can't properly defend yourself against the wittiness of Dave & Sammy, I'd bet.

[SeriousDooDoo]

Originally posted by The Full BuD:
No I don't think Eddie is that well-spoken otherwise he'd be a singer/lyricist as well as a guitarist...

It sucks when you're not a lead singer and can't properly defend yourself against the wittiness of Dave & Sammy, I'd bet.

thanks for the post.

don henley is a class act in my mind mostly because of his willingness to mature as he and the Eagles have grown more famous. in fact, one of the reasons the band is now reunited is because they all decided to grow up a bit (although Joe Walsh will never truly be an adult

most bands do it just the opposite, ala Van Halen. the more famous they become, the more they tend to act like spoiled fucking brats that couldn't give two farts in the wind about eachother or their fans.

a questions for the Eagles junkies out there: what happended with Felder? did he really get kicked out or did he just opt out of this tour? the mind of DooDoo wants to know.

[NoBozos5150]

I heard he got kicked out and is suing the band right now...

I just saw them on opening night last week in Reno and boy, they sound AMAZING...30 songs and all of them were great! I reccomend this tour to anyone!

[therealdeal]

Excellent post...Thank you very much NB5150 for sharing this news...

You know, when a VH song comes on the radio I turn it up. When an Eagles song comes on the radio, I almost always turn the station (exception for "James Dean" and "On The Border" and "Those Shoes" and "King Of Hollywood", among a few others).

But that being said I went to the Eagles reunion show in December '94 and without a flinch acknowledge that it was one of the five best shows I ever witnessed. You don't see many shows where every single tune is a winner, and those guys played outstanding that night. I don't go to rock concerts to cry but I must have bawled through about half that show - it was that emotional. I was too young to catch the Eagles before they split in '81 (?), yet so much of that material constitutes an emotional attachment to phases of growing up in California/American culture. Henley's solo stuff is also really evocative of moments in my past. If you've never seen the Eagles, go see them on this new go-round!

Post-script: I've been to maybe 50 pro shows in the last 16 years, and I had never paid more $30 to see a show before shelling out $50 for the Eagles reunion show. I walked out of San Jose Arena knowing I could have paid $100 and still felt I got my money's worth. Now if only Don Henley would shut up about his f*cking stupid politics, Eagles shows would be the next-greatest thing to VH shows!

[img]smile.gif[/img]

The Real Deal

[ June 13, 2002, 02:23 PM: Message edited by: therealdeal ]

[VHND]

Originally posted by Vince G.:
Edward Van Halen
Los Angeles
(Insert month and Year here)

2021 if he copies Henley. The Stones will still be going strong and Van Halen will still be trying to get their shit together....

[JMJ]

moving to the music forum [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img] ...

JMJ