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World Hotels - To the Limit: The Untold Story of the Eagles
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List Price: $16.95
Our Price: $12.38
Your Save: $ 4.57 ( 27% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 780
EAN: 9780306813986
ISBN: 030681398X
Label: Da Capo Press
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 420
Publication Date: 2004-12-28
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Release Date: 2004-12-28
Studio: Da Capo Press
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Editorial Reviews:
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For the first time in paperback, and fully updated-the definitive history of the most popular rock-and-roll band of all time, the Eagles. The Eagles are the most popular, enduring rock band in America. With singles and albums hitting the top of the charts for a quarter century and a greatest hits collection that has sold more copies than any other recording in history, the Eagles have entered the pantheon of pop music. To the Limit is the unauthorized account of the group from its earliest years through the breakup, solo careers, and reunions. Blending the country and folk music of the late sixties with the melodic seductiveness of Detroit-style roots rock, the Eagles brought a new sound to a stagnant music scene. Under the brilliant management of David Geffen, the Eagles projected a public image of unshakable camaraderie-embodied by the cerebral, brooding Don Henley and the intuitive, self-destructive Glenn Frey-bolstered by the gorgeous harmonies of their songs. Behind the scenes, however, there was another story. At turns revealing, inspiring, funny, and shocking, To the Limit is the chronicle of a time, a place, and a group that succeeded in changing forever the world of popular music.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Reads like a textbook
Comment: After reading Don Felder's whiny autobiography, I thought this might provide some objective views on the Eagles. It does for the most part, but there are glaring errors throughout that any person with cursory knowledge of the Eagles will see immediately. Also, it almost reads like a textbook in some places, as if this book was written for an Eagles 101 course. The author doesn't help his cause by writing an addendum dumping on Don Henley, who apparently was not pleased with the book. And the fact that there is no first-hand information from Glenn Frey doesn't help either. The bottom line is that it's interesting, but not as good as I had hoped.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Through a jaundiced eye.
Comment: Marc Eliot has written a detailed book about a rock group whose members have shunned personal publicity of any type. It was interesting to read about the backgrounds of each of the members, and it added a lot to understanding the persons they became. His descriptions of drug use and sexual promiscuity were stunning. Are they accurate? To a great extent his reports are confirmed by Don Felder in his autobiography, although Felder tended to minimize the drug use, no doubt because of his involvement.
It was absolutely fascinating to read how Don Henley and Glenn Frey were radically changed by their use of cocaine, although he never comes right out and says "Look how they've changed." His description of the orgies in the "Third Encore" makes me wonder if they owned stock in a pharmaceutical company for all their STDs. It is also fairly clear that their manager, Irving Azoff, condoned and enabled them to continue their destructive behavior. Eliot painted such a vivid picture of an obnoxious, arrogant little man that I hope I never meet Azoff. It is truly a miracle that they all survived.
If you're like me and read everything you can find about The Eagles, this is worth adding to your collection.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Peaceful Easy Feelin'
Comment: If you don't know the story of the Eagles, this seems to sum it all up, and the writing's not bad, if a bit overly profound at times. The band is put in context of the southern California moment of the '70s with some interesting insights into how west was eclipsed by east as the 80s came along with disco, Bruce Springsteen, then New Wave, punk etc. Henley cooperated with the author, but Glenn Frey didn't, so the tale can be a little lop-sided at times. The tunes have held up well, which is why this book is worth reading if you are a music fan or historian.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Comment: I don't trust Eliot. He describes the background the Jackson Browne's "Ready Or Not," but he calls it "Sooner Or Later." He describes MCA's deal with Motown in 1980, "a distribution deal with the Detoit-based company," (page 213). Motown hadn't been in Detroit for 10 year at that point.
Eliot can't decide whether he is a biographer, a music critic, or an editorialist. The basis of this book is biography, which is meant to be fact. He shouldn't be critiquing the music, - I don't care what he thinks of the tracks on The Long Run frankly - although admittedly it is what all rock biographers seem to do, Dave Marsh included.
He shouldn't be giving us his opinions. (Page 247: The paragraph beginning "Meisne's comments are wistfully unrealistic." is a good example.)
And Eliot should learn to tame his purple prose. Page 164: "The conversation gradually faded, and they continued on in silence until Henley, staring straight ahead, quietly said, "Everything's changed." This is one of Eliot's embarrassing attempts at profundity. Get over yourself. Just tell the story.
It would also help if Eliot learned basic English composition. The book is full of split infinitives, sentence fragments, and mismatched pronouns. I will have to find a better Eagles biography than this.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable read for a fan
Comment: I am an Eagles fan, and really enjoyed this book. It's not deep reading, but you will enjoy it.
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