A lot of people seem to hate the Eagles, and it’s always been a bit of a mystery to me as to why. Maybe it’s because I discovered their music in a far-away land, at a far later time. Nonetheless, as best I can tell, people seem to hate the music because it’s so slick and polished; the softest of soft rock. However, what they don’t appreciate is how hard it is to sound so soft in the first place. It’s easy to turn up the distortion, strum the guitar violently and sing your heart out, but it’s much harder to play with precision, in a restrained manner, using tasteful harmonies. This is where the Eagles excelled. Indeed, if you were to look up the dictionary definition of a well-crafted song, it might just be New Kid In Town or Tequila Sunrise. The only thing that we all seem to agree on is that Hotel California is a masterpiece. Yes, it’s overplayed (perhaps another dictionary definition) and I’ll admit to it triggering my gag reflex when it comes on the radio, but a minute in or so I find myself vibing along as usual to the remarkable chord progression and latin influence. By the time the dueling guitar solos begin I don’t want the song to end.

So why are the Eagles so hated? In fairness, it does appear that Glenn Frey and Don Henley behaved like assholes much of the time. They approached the band like a business, and hence the other band members as low-level employees whom they treated accordingly. Nevertheless, unlike many of their peers on the country/folk/rock scene at the time, who became faded and jaded versions of their counter-culture personas, the Eagles aged like fine wine. Their last album (Long Road Out Of Eden) is a triumph of songwriting and execution, and has left a substantial mark on my setlist. Waiting In The Weeds, Do Something and It’s Your World Now are masterclasses in harmony and instrumentation, and deserve as much praise as Desperado or Lyin’ Eyes.

Glenn Frey died in 2016, and people practically danced on his grave. Nevertheless, the music that Glenn Frey and the Eagles created is timeless and will outlive them all. Maybe that’s why people hate them so much. Who knows? For me, though, their music will always induce a peaceful and easy feeling.

Please enjoy what I would consider to be the perfect setlist for a concert by Eagles. The last three tracks are the encore.