Review Summary: Man, come on, I had a rough night
Even though the Dude famously hated the Eagles enough to get kicked out of a cab,
Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) remains the highest selling album of all time in the United States. At a time when the idea of creating a cohesive album-long statement was king, The Eagles of the early 70s weren’t known for their studio albums; instead they mainly relied on their singles, most of which fared well on radio. By the middle of the decade though, the band was reaching a new level of success, as all four of the singles they released in 1975 peaked in the top five, with two hitting #1. But, even as they soared to the top of the charts, there was no easy way for their fans to collect all their best songs on one record. The label, with the reluctant approval of the band, released this compilation, hoping to capitalize and change the Eagles’ fortunes in selling album-length LPs.
The album, adorned with its iconic painted eagle head on a sky of light blue and wispy silver, was an immediate success. The main reason for its success was that unlike the Eagles previous studio albums, these ten country-rock tracks flowed effortlessly together with no skips, and became the only Eagles’ album that you needed to have in your home. Its relaxed tone, impressive vocal melodies and harmonies appealed to the masses, crossing genre lines, touching on country, singer-songwriter, folk, ballad and rock. Lyrically, this collection of mainly acoustic guitar based songs evoked images of the west - cowboys, driving with the windows down, and long, warm sunny days. It is all too easy to get lost in simple and carefree songs like “Tequila Sunrise,” “Lyin’ Eyes,” “Take It Easy” and “One of These Nights.”
Since its release, the members of the band claimed that the idea of collecting their successful singles into one album was nothing more than a ploy by the record label to line their own wallets, and from a commercial standpoint, the album far exceeded any expectations, selling nearly 40 million copies. For the band, this compilation became so much more than a cash cow, though. At the time of its release in early 1976, it afforded them more time to create their next studio album (which would end up becoming
Hotel California). In the long run, this compilation, along with
Hotel California, brought the band to stratospheric levels of fame, solidifying their place as one of the most important and most successful bands of the 1970s.
