Word: albums
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...gave the show away. Some ingenious record company executive had pasted a sticker to the cellophane wrapping, a sticker graced by Stanley Clarke's evaluation of Diana Hubbard's music. There is only one problem. In his glowing tribute, Clarke failed to note that he too played on this album...
...could forgive the obvious bullshit involved if the presence of Clarke--and his Return to Forever colleague, Chick Corea--had somehow managed to make this album worth listening to. But they are no more than sidemen on LifeTimes. Diana Hubbard, on her first album, runs the show, playing piano, (Corea isrelegated to the synthesizer on the one cut he graces) and writing all the music. But unfortunately Hubbard lacks emotion, technique; in fact, she lacks any creative vision beyond a vague desire to "contribute to a renaissance in romanticism...
...when the Eagles get off the ground, they soar. Joe Walsh spits out "In the City," perhaps the best cut on the album, with an anger that eclipses the past "Take It Easy" style of social commentary. The song works because it's a logical evolution from the old sound--not a self-conscious deviation from it. And in "King of Hollywood," Henley and Glenn Frey reiterate the old themes, but without the Hotel California gloss; this one is straightforward and un-hyped...
...dimension to the Eagles, tempering the fury of The Long Run with his romantic "I Can't Tell You Why." Schmit's haunting tenor elevates run-of-the-mill lyrics to a sensitive, convincing level. In fact, the cut epitomizes what makes the good songs on this album click: they're from the heart, reflecting the experience and professionalism of the band members--they indicate the Eagles' ability to work creatively witnin the framework of their talents...
...denying that we can now expect more from the Eagles--they've checked out of Hotel California and they've gained a perspective on life in the fast lane. But at present the band is still groping for a new identity to replace the old sound. Their latest album reaffirms the Eagles as one of mainstream rock's best bands. But The Long Run is, ironically, a good album for the short run--better things are sure to come...