When one is high on Heroin you are checked into The Hotel California an old slang term for feeling golden The song is about Heroin Addiction is iconic.
@@loumorrow0903THIS! Joe Walsh is/was the only tolerable thing about this self-indulgent tedious mess of a band. And that solo is classic and, again, the only redeeming part of the song (and TBH, the band's catalog, save "Take It Easy," which had to be mostly Jackson Browne's doing.
It's metaphoric. there is no hotel. The hotel is California. People go to chase their dreams but get bogged down and stuck there in the addiction, greed, sex etc etc.
When One is high on Heroin one is checked in at the Hotel California an.old term.And atheist @ Mauro Biglino & the 5Th kind channels no God but aliens.
I’ve always believed Hotel California is a metaphor for the music industry. They draw you in with the beautiful women, drugs, jewels and money. Then young naive artists sign their lives away. You can check out any time you like but you can never leave. Your contract gives them possession of your name, likeness, voice and art in perpetuity throughout the universe.
Wake ZUp Hotel California is about Heroin Addiction when You are high on Heroin you are checked into the Hotel California. "They stabbed it with their steely knives but the just can't kill the beast".
You don’t pause or ignore the greatest guitar jam in music history. It was always good but when the already legendary Joe Walsh joined the band (the one without the double neck guitar) his genius turned good into greatness that famous bands still try to replicate to this day. Those two men, with Walsh adding a spark created an aural masterpiece I could listen to forever and you don’t even hear it.
Get over it. You wanna listen to the song go listen to it by yourself. We're here to get their reaction. We can listen to the song itself someplace else if we wanted to.
Gotta watch the really short video clip of the 5 of them warming up before going on stage and they are in one of the locker room showers, the 5 part harmony even in those terrible conditions is absolutely amazing.
BTW yes Don Henley is in the group he IS the drummer. And no he was not "the" lead singer. Nearly every member of this group sang lead. This particular timeline featured Don Henley, Glen Frey, Joe Walsh, Don Felder,, and Randy Meisner. All brilliant artists.
@@mamabear9325 No, they were not the Stone Poneys. Not a single member of any Eagles configuration were ever in The Stone Poneys. Ronstat gets much credit for discovering Glen and Don, but really, they got known through hanging out at the Troubadour Club, like many others at that time.
Don Henley says it's going from innocence to experience. It's not haunted. Everybody has their own interpretations. Eagles are my favorite band and Don Henley, the lead singer is my favorite Eagle, his voice is amazing! He's not the only lead singer but he sings most of their songs.❤😊
The Eagles were known for studio quality live performances, tight 5-part harmonies and dueling lead guitars (one Gibson and one Fender). One of America's greatest bands who imploded in front of our eyes over a couple decades due to money and power.
I feel like you guys were so caught up in the lyrics you didn't really listen to the music itself it's one of the most amazing live performances you'll ever hear!
Must be the case. Impossible to pause it during the closing guitar solo/duet otherwise. I scream at the car radio when they start the next song before the album version fades all the way out.
Here is what the band said the meaning is behind the song: While there have been many theories that contemplate what the song represents, the Eagles' band members have revealed in multiple interviews that the true meaning behind "Hotel California" is a commentary on the hedonism and self-indulgence of America. “It’s basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about,” Henley said in a 2002 interview with "60 Minutes." In 2005, Henley further explained the meaning of the song to Rolling Stone magazine, which placed "Hotel California" at no. 49 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. “We were all middle class kids from the Midwest," Henley said. "'Hotel California' was our interpretation of the high life in L.A.”
Well Glen Frey's explanation was far simpler "We decided to create something strange just to see if we could do it. Any meaning it has is unintended rather than hidden." In other words just nonsense like some of the Beatles tunes. I kind of think Henley's version was just to give an answer to shut everyone up or at most that was the meaning he had behind it. But in the same interview with Frey he said "The atmosphere of a man in an unfamiliar rural setting, unsure about what he's witnessing, mimics - says Frey - the 1965 novel The Magus."
The Eagles had a multitude of talent. Writers, musicians and vocals by the individuals in the group. Just one of the reasons their music has stood the test of time. Such outstanding talents.
Man, brother, you were so hung up on the meaning of this song that you failed to appreciate THEE most famous performance OF this legendary song. The spooky vibe, the KILLER musicianship, the gorgeous background vocals, the excellent drumming, and the iconic dueling guitars. You can always look up the meaning later. Also, who cares what it REALLY means? This is poetic storytelling with some abstract imagery. Like a painting where you could derive your OWN meaning. Stop and smell the roses, brother!
I'd go further. The whole album is a metaphor for the failing "American dream" . What's crazy, and sad is that it was written mid 1970s and it's actually (still) coming true. . Edit. Listen to "The Last Resort".
Good God! You stopped the iconic guitar solo to discuss the lyrics! Those of us who were teenagers in the 70's just went with the vibe and figured it out for ourselves as to what we thought it meant. Same with "Stairway".
I was a senior in high school in 1977 and I think it was what you said. Everyone figured it out for themselves. I think it can be compared to lots of things.
This is one of my favorite EAGLES songs. I took my on to a concert a few years back. When they played this song, my son pulled me into the isle and danced with me. It is a memory I hope I naver forget.
You'll hear 50 different translations, all are correct. I was there, here's mine. California is Hotel Ca. - San Francisco to LA it drew in people by the thousands. Many wishing to become famous. "We are all just prisoners here of our own device." (addiction) "Then she lit up a candle & showed me the way" (Showed me how to do it.) "They stab it with their steely knives" (Needles) "But they just can't kill the beast." (Drug addiction.) "You can check out any time you like." (die) "But you can never leave." (California)
"You can check out any time you like. but you can never leave." I don't think this is about death, I think 'checking out' is about walking away from that lifestyle with the illusion of 'getting clean', but in reality most are likely to relapse, so 'you can never leave'...i.e. kick the addiction.
I like your description. The only thing I would add and that's the older predators taking advantage of the young and innocent. Think Matt Gaetz and his wingman paying young college girls to come to parties for drugs and sex.
Don Felder was working in a music store when a 13-year-old Tommy Petty came for guitar lessons. What if you could tell them both they would be in the Hall Of Fame
A collitas is a flower that blooms on a type of cactus at night. When you're traveling through the desert in spring, you can really smell them blooming... but only at night.
Oh, l love the dueling guitars. The dude in black, and the red kerchief is a showman. He's wailing on that thing, making it scream. Talented artists all around.
Can't believe you guys didn't mention the amazing musical talent on display in this performance! Yes, the lyrics are brilliant, but it can't be denied that they were also a phenomenal live band. The kind of ability to sound that great live is rare these days. Once again, it makes me feel so lucky that I grew up with music from the 60's, 70's and 80's!❤ (Yes, I'm an old lady😅)
@b1jou123 From one old lady to another, they were here in KY a few months ago. Sad that Glenn Frye wasn't with us but his son, Deacon, was and sound pretty close. It was an awesome night. Vince Gill was playing Glenn's part. Vince did it well. Joe Walsh and Timothy Smidt (sp) were spot on as well. UT was an awesome night.
You people have known this song for 50 years and you know what to expect. BP is hearing it completely for the first time. He said before it started he wanted to know what it was about. That was his focus. He will get to the music the next time. We may not see it but, oh well.
Nope that's not what this songs about ! It's nit about no drugs , It's about A woman Ghost lost and don't know where she's at nor knowing she's A Ghost
In any song people will tell you not to pause in the solo, BUT this song, in particular is just a great excuse to listen to the duelling guitars at the end of the song. I listened to this song for years without trying to figure out what the words were trying to say just to listen to the solo. So,the words, they are about the Entertainment industry and how it looks all glamorous and sexy but when you look underneath all the shine it’s not real. The lifestyle is full of one addiction or another. “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave”
Hotel California is about the entrapment that fame brings... All these cool things seem to be happening, until you realise you are in the belly of the beast. But when you try to escape... "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" A cautionary tale
California was the center of the hippy movement... peace, freedom, sex, drugs. 1969 was the Woodstock festival and pinnacle of more socially relevant music... but by the time this song was released in 1977, the hopes of the baby boomer generation were disappearing. Instead, lives of excess were what they ended up striving for with greed for possessions, big homes, and cars. He's definitely feeling trapped in the current situation and wants to go back to the earlier hopes.
always thought it was the. best metaphor for drugs. Like once your hooked it’s a wrap. “Heaven or hell” “Some dance to remember.. others to forget” “Prisoners of our own device” “You can stab with our steely knives but can’t kill the beast” “You can check out anytime but can never leave”
I saw them in Houston TX performing this music in 1977 - unbelievable! They were with there with Jimmy Buffett! - an outdoor concert with people sitting on blankets on a beautiful night.
You all blew this reaction. Im actually disappointed you stopped the guitar solo and took a very simplistic view of the legendary group and song. You should have to do a redo
First of all this song is a masterpiece! Secondly, every member of the band sings and that’s what makes this band so special besides the instruments voices, etc. every member sings so everything always sounds unique and different. When you said hotel California is purgatory that was a perfect description!
In the 70’s concept albums ruled. The album was about California and how it changed from happy and easy going to the greed and darkness. Think of 70s emerging from free love that shifted to Manson, to the 80s and greed is good.
Don Felder (double guitar) wrote the music to this. Don Henley had a tape of the chord progression playing over and over on his car deck. He left the Whiskey A go-go one night, drunk, and drove to Needles CA to find some peyote. On the way there, he wrote these lyrics. Passing by lots of Teddy bear cholla, and lonely desert hotels, he came up with a story about someone losing their innocence. Going from adolescence to adulthood, and knowing once you do, you cannot go back. The Eagles have MANY LEAD SINGERS, depending on the song. Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner (their biggest hit Take it to the limit) or Timothy Smith, and Joe Walsh all sing lead on songs that have hit it big. Like the Beatles, if you cannot sing or write, you are not good enough for the group. Ringo Starr, Roger Taylor (Queen), Phil Collins, and Levon Helm (The Band) all were singing drummers.
I'll be 70 next month. 1973 I hitchhiked to San Jose from Seattle. Loved the sun, the vib and the hippies I hung with. Never will be another time like that.
First time I listened to this song, I found it so disturbing that I didn’t want to listen to it again for a while. Then finally, I could listen and really hear the words and music.
One thing I find on UA-cam reactions is generations born since the 1990's or so are obsessed with finding the "meaning" in songs to the point that seem unable to enjoy them without explaining them. When songs came out in the 1960's, 70's and 80's, we didn't worry about that they meant. Many of them were just creative works where the artists themselves weren't thinking of meaning. It's a bit sad.
YES!!! Just take the lyrics and apply all or parts of them to your life. Or do nothing at all and just enjoy the song. Even if they specifically are talking about the California music scene it does not mean that you cannot apply them to not getting involved in something that leads you down a bad path. Take the lyrics as a word of warning.
They don't feel the music the way we do. They also don't understand the build up, they're always surprised. I wish they would just close their eyes and listen but they're trying too hard to equate that time with today. Light years of difference
Maybe it's the fact that sex was a natural thing for us and now it's so stupid the way people interact with each other it's unnatural. Let's put it under a microscope and dissect it until all meaning is lost. They hear it but they're not listening. Close your eyes and feel the music.
@@TheGILBERTnetwork, probably a double entendre then. Given the other desert references (colitas being something everyone from the desert is familiar with) and Don Henley being big into drugs, I can see that.
WIKIPEDIA The term "colitas" in the first stanza ("warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air") has been interpreted as a sexual slang or a reference to marijuana. "Colitas" means "little tails" in Spanish; in Mexican slang it refers the flowering buds of the cannabis plant.
I'm 65 and had just graduated from High school in 1977 when this first came out. My mother was from Puerto Rico and I am perfectly fluent in Spanish. From day 1 I always heard that one line as the warm smell of Eucalyptus rising up through air. The other line you guys seem to have trouble with is ...in the masters chambers they gather for the feast. They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
Vince Gill plays with the Eagles Vince Gill is country great singer ,song writer, and guitar player. "Go Rest High On That Mountain "is on he wrote . Give it a listen He joined the Eagles 2017, after Glenn Frey Died.
My favorite line “ you can check out anytime you like but you can never leave” that always tells me that once you have gone there, it’s with you forever. Remember, he was trying to find his way back to where he was before this experience. And that’s when the Nightman told him he could check out, but he can never leave.
Thank you for taking me back to a balmy night at the Miami baseball stadium in 1977 attending an eagles concert. Do not read too much into the lyrics of this song. We were not deep thinkers back then. However, we were a lot of fun.
No they didn't start as her back up band.. It just never happened. And no Eagle was ever in The Stone Poneys, or a member of Ronstats band. She introduced them around the Troubadour during the era when most all the stars and rising stars played and hung out there, sat in on each other's sets on stage, partied, went to each other's houses. They were known before they ever became a group.
@@lovestreet2675 I was 13 when this came out and still look back in amazement at the music and the groups that came out or really made the careers back then. There was always something coming out almost every month.
And, what a lot of people don't realize, the second half of the solo is a harmonized improvisation and not even the way it was recorded. That makes it even more epic; they changed it up while playing live. For one guitarist to do that is impressive enough, they had to synch up their playing to continue to harmonize, all while Don Felder set the stage for the improv... and Joe followed suit like it was nothing.
It was funny listening to them in my teenage years. I loved many songs on the radio then found out most were by the Eagles!! Just different singers on different songs 😂 Don Henley was my teenage crush!! 💜
Yes they are still touring, and they had orchestras with them. Last year one stop was in Tampa, where my cousin is in the Tampa Bay Symphony. The shows were very well received. The musicians were not allowed to take photos or record anything. They had minimal contact with the Eagles, but she loved doing it anyway.
Stopped in the middle of the guitar solo 🎸 (which may very well be the best part of the song), to discuss the meaning of a song that even Don Henley doesn’t know. 😅✌🏼😎
I am 61 yrs old. You young ones need to remember what time in society this was. All of us were told told that smoking pot would make you jump Off a building from tripping and this generation decided that guys could have long hair and girls could have short hair and once we discovered that smoking pot didn’t make you crazy it was a place that you could “check out of, but never leave “. This was TRULY the greatest time to grow up in.
Joe Walsh & Don Fender duo - never a greater team! 💖 Joe Walsh once told me that this song is about the allure of fame. I don't know - it's just what he told me. And a colita is a flower grown in warm areas & also a fruity drink with a flower 🌸 in it.
Seen them live in Hell Freezes Over Tour. They got back together to do this tour. Made millions. Been a fan of the Eagles since way back in the 70s. Seen Don Henley 2 times as a solo artist. He is absolutely amazing. Texas boy! He sounds the same in person as in the recording studio. A true talent. I believe this song is about Hell! He is in Hell in the song and can not leave. He Has so many good songs on his own. Check out In A New York Minute.... It is beautiful... Just found your station. Great job...
Don explained the story behind the song to him, and said he was amused at the wide varieties of interpretations the song had developed over time. According to the source, The "Hotel California" is actually, L.A. itself. The song and album take you on a trip though the music industry in L.A. in the late sixties early seventies, when agents and studios controlled artists like puppets. Back in the late sixties, 1969 to be exact, there was a major onslaught of artists being signed left, right and center, and artisit at the time were often known to basically "sell their soul" to a record company executive in order to get a recording contract. Many times these artists were given little if anything for their music, and thus ended up basically a victom to their love of music. Just imagine the scene at the time, it's late 60's, you are on your way to L.A. to strike it big with dreams of glamour and fame...and you basically are prepared to sell your soul of you have to to attain it. I must admit, when I first heard this explaination, I was a little skeptical...but trust me....listen to the WHOLE album again, start to finish and keep this definition in mind when you do it. Every song ties together in one big story, finishing off with the Last Resort which gives you a clear summery of the whole album and idea. I don't deny that drugs and addiction have a lot to do with the lifestyle and results of the quest for fame. All I ask is to keep an open mind and think of "The Hotel California" as L.A., and you may be surprised.
Definitely Don Henley on the drums. This epitomizes that era. Everyone is searching for fame and gets sucked into a culture of hedonism ( you can check out whenever you want...but, you can never leave). It looked glamorous at first but then...The musicianship is absolutely genius.
The Eagles were a very tight band musically. The two guitar players, Don Felder and Joe Walsh, are among the greatest guitar combinations in rock history. Both are guitar virtuosos. Hearing them play together, especially on a classic song like this, is magical.
The Rapper's 1st impression soon as the vocals begun is priceless, it's that "Damn! these guys are nasty" look on his face I'm sure ya'll noticed it yourselves, at the least it's an honest reaction👍
The drummer in this song is Don Henley. Most of the time he is standing at the microphone singing. Sometimes he plays the drums while singing. Henley, Randy Meisner (RIP- on the far left of the stage), Glenn Frey (RIP- next to Meisner) are mostly the lead singers. When Meisner left the group then Timothy B Schmit took over and sang lead vocals in many songs. Joe Walsh and Don Felder are the two dynamite guitar players in the band.
Every time I ever saw them in concert (and I saw them a lot), Henley was the drummer. I NEVER saw him standing at a mic. Where did you see him do this? I'm fascinated - and who was drumming? Very cool
@@SAM-dg3vd Their tiny little reunion tour sometime in the 90's, Don sat on a stool just like everybody else. I have no idea who was on the drums but Don still sang this song while doing nothing with his hands. There was a joke spoken into the mic by one of the guys, about 'the band never broke up; we just went on hiatus...for...fourteen years...' lol
She lit up a candle because she didn't want him to see what he was walking into. The voices are temptations from the entertainment industry. You can check out anytime you want but you can never leave means that you can kill yourself but you can't get away from them. Don understood this at the time. That's why he is so protective of his art.
There is one line in the song that most people don't seem to understand. "We haven't had that Spirit here since 1969." I remember the interview that they had with the eagles back in the late 70s. One of them had mentioned the meaning behind that line. He said that it was a tribute to Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones. The other line that I like is "They stabbed it with thwur steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast." The clue to who it's referring to in that line is "Steely".
I was lucky enough to attend this concert at the Capital Centre. It was located in Landover, Maryland, but it had a Largo zip code. The Eagles have many great songs, but like most, this has always been my favorite. Those lyrics make you feel like you're walking into the Hotel California. I always thought of the Steely knives as needles because of something I went through for years after my brother killed himself. This song means many things to many people. That's what makes for a great song.
Eagle’s “Hell Freezes Over” concert was the best concert I ever went to. So glad to see you react to this! Loved your take on the concept of the song! More Eagles for sure!❤️🔥✌🏻🫶🏻
All I know is.. I blessed enough to see the original Eagles.. front row in Chicago.. in the 90's.. They were a little b4 my time.. I knew Glen Fry and Don Henley from the 80's but Joe Walsh was literally right in front of me.. my husband was 10 yrs older than me and freaking out... it's Joe Walsh.. I was like.. who's that.. lol.. but it was an amazing concert.. I did know most of the music and know even more now. But the Joe Walsh in 1977 didn't look like the Joe Walsh I saw in 1998.. I couldn't figure out how this OLD MAN was playing such great guitar solos. lol
I love when BP decided that Hotel California is purgatory. Yep it sure could be. That's the thing about these more "abstract" lyrics that you seem to get hung up on sometimes. They are whatever the "receiver" makes of them and why they can speak to so many people anywhere anytime.
BP I gotta say I really _really_ appreciate this discovery tour you're on. Not only is it all to your credit and shows what a great character you have in being open to learning but the integrity in exposing your 'natural' ignorance (by that I mean it's simply a matter of circumstance and exposure) but also the dedication and diligence you show in hitting the greats to make sure you miss as little as possible. By all means keep it up - we love it coz it tickles all the nostalgia spots so we here for it right with you
Several comments on what i was gonna say. Beautiful Musicianship! Fantastic lyrics and voice. It's about going to your DREAMS OF STARDOM in CALIFORNIA, and you are locked into a contract, and can't get out. Musicians, movie and TV celebraties. It's a beautiful TRAP!
Check out my new music video “Mind, Body and Soul” ua-cam.com/video/Gfak2dE6Kp0/v-deo.htmlsi=t4tjzQgvtNcN8y6o🙌🏽
I did and it's good y'all, check it out!
You CANNOT!!!! pause during one of the best guitar solo ever! And then didn't go back to get all. Disrespectful!
When one is high on Heroin you are checked into The Hotel California an old slang term for feeling golden The song is about Heroin Addiction is iconic.
@@loumorrow0903THIS! Joe Walsh is/was the only tolerable thing about this self-indulgent tedious mess of a band. And that solo is classic and, again, the only redeeming part of the song (and TBH, the band's catalog, save "Take It Easy," which had to be mostly Jackson Browne's doing.
The acoustic live version is great too. A nice little flamenco style intro, and the acoustic sound is great.
It's metaphoric. there is no hotel. The hotel is California. People go to chase their dreams but get bogged down and stuck there in the addiction, greed, sex etc etc.
Well put.
When One is high on Heroin one is checked in at the Hotel California an.old term.And atheist @ Mauro Biglino & the 5Th kind channels no God but aliens.
This
Checked in at the Hotel California is being high on Heroin feeling golden an.oldvslang term.
👍🏻
I’ve always believed Hotel California is a metaphor for the music industry. They draw you in with the beautiful women, drugs, jewels and money. Then young naive artists sign their lives away. You can check out any time you like but you can never leave. Your contract gives them possession of your name, likeness, voice and art in perpetuity throughout the universe.
That's exactly what I read.
Don Henley has said more or less as much intheir documentary on The Eagles.
It is a metaphor for the Hollywood lifestyle. They bring you in and trap you. A lot of this is coming out in todays headlines.
Wake ZUp Hotel California is about Heroin Addiction when You are high on Heroin you are checked into the Hotel California. "They stabbed it with their steely knives but the just can't kill the beast".
Until you become Eagles or Metallica. The power flips.
You don’t pause or ignore the greatest guitar jam in music history. It was always good but when the already legendary Joe Walsh joined the band (the one without the double neck guitar) his genius turned good into greatness that famous bands still try to replicate to this day. Those two men, with Walsh adding a spark created an aural masterpiece I could listen to forever and you don’t even hear it.
I can't even...... Paused during the guitar solos! WHAT???? Wow. Just wow.
Gotta remember, UA-cam is a robotic police state.
Calm down, you’ll blow a gasket
@@ceejay1794 ok, boomer
@@sassy59750 it’s definitely not a bad thing ✌️😎😂
Get over it. You wanna listen to the song go listen to it by yourself. We're here to get their reaction. We can listen to the song itself someplace else if we wanted to.
Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!! You NEVER stop in a guitar solo, especially this one, the beautiful duet between a Gibson SG and a Fender telecaster.
Facts!! This!!⬆️⬆️
YEP!!
Too hung up on the lyrics😂
It always kills me when someone is so distracted to enjoy the solo and they pause it. 😂
That’s one of the reasons I have a problem with reactors that think their voice is more important than the music they should be reacting to
You will hear this time and again, but, never break away in the middle of a guitar solo 😢
Major party foul!
especially Joe Walsh. lol
6:22 sacrilegious
*tiny violin.gif*
Every member of the band is a lead singer.
Gotta watch the really short video clip of the 5 of them warming up before going on stage and they are in one of the locker room showers, the 5 part harmony even in those terrible conditions is absolutely amazing.
@andrewschliewe6392 yes, I think they sing Seven Bridges Road.
@@jwgtx5841 ua-cam.com/video/OAn8piPPX_Y/v-deo.html
Except Felder. Glenn Frey was crystal clear on that point.
There is no dead wood on that stage.
One of the best lines ever, "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave."
BTW yes Don Henley is in the group he IS the drummer. And no he was not "the" lead singer. Nearly every member of this group sang lead. This particular timeline featured Don Henley, Glen Frey, Joe Walsh, Don Felder,, and Randy Meisner. All brilliant artists.
And dont forget about Timothy B. Schmidt
@vlharmon
He's not on that stage lol he replaces Meisner in a later time line in 1977
Don actually become the lead singer through the years, Glen thought he had a more appealing vocals compared to himself
way back with Linda Ronstat. I think they were The Stone Ponies?
@@mamabear9325 No, they were not the Stone Poneys. Not a single member of any Eagles configuration were ever in The Stone Poneys. Ronstat gets much credit for discovering Glen and Don, but really, they got known through hanging out at the Troubadour Club, like many others at that time.
Never pause during a guitar solo…it’s sacrilegious 🖖🏻🇨🇦
Its "Never pause a David Gilmour guitar solo".. 🎸
Don Henley says it's going from innocence to experience. It's not haunted. Everybody has their own interpretations. Eagles are my favorite band and Don Henley, the lead singer is my favorite Eagle, his voice is amazing! He's not the only lead singer but he sings most of their songs.❤😊
The Eagles were known for studio quality live performances, tight 5-part harmonies and dueling lead guitars (one Gibson and one Fender). One of America's greatest bands who imploded in front of our eyes over a couple decades due to money and power.
I feel like you guys were so caught up in the lyrics you didn't really listen to the music itself it's one of the most amazing live performances you'll ever hear!
Sigh, did they even listen to the song/melody?
Must be the case. Impossible to pause it during the closing guitar solo/duet otherwise. I scream at the car radio when they start the next song before the album version fades all the way out.
it is mixed well
You missed by a mile . AND you paused it during the greatest guitar dual ever recorded. I'm not sure if I can forgive you both.
I totally agree. Nothing about the actual music
"You can check out any time you like but you can never leave". Amazing lyric
Classic
Have you 2 Checked out Stair Way to Heaven by Led Zeppelin live Madison Square Garden 1973 Another huge 70s masterpiece, Enjoy the 70s
They got the line Tiffany on my mind wrong it is She is definitely out of her mind.
@@theodoreritola7641 will do!
Henley isn't just the drummer. He so much more in this band. You can't not love this song!
Never, ever stop in the middle of a guitar solo, you will hear it from many, it's sacrilege.
Here is what the band said the meaning is behind the song:
While there have been many theories that contemplate what the song represents, the Eagles' band members have revealed in multiple interviews that the true meaning behind "Hotel California" is a commentary on the hedonism and self-indulgence of America.
“It’s basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about,” Henley said in a 2002 interview with "60 Minutes."
In 2005, Henley further explained the meaning of the song to Rolling Stone magazine, which placed "Hotel California" at no. 49 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
“We were all middle class kids from the Midwest," Henley said. "'Hotel California' was our interpretation of the high life in L.A.”
Grow Up when you are high on Heroin You're checked into the Hotel California. Geez Miami vice did a show about in the the 1980's.
They totally missed it because they wanted a literal meaning instead of the intended metaphors....
The irony signing of greed and excess, I suppose given they were living it at the time, their perspective gives the song way more weight.
Well Glen Frey's explanation was far simpler "We decided to create something strange just to see if we could do it. Any meaning it has is unintended rather than hidden." In other words just nonsense like some of the Beatles tunes. I kind of think Henley's version was just to give an answer to shut everyone up or at most that was the meaning he had behind it. But in the same interview with Frey he said "The atmosphere of a man in an unfamiliar rural setting, unsure about what he's witnessing, mimics - says Frey - the 1965 novel The Magus."
Thank you
It's a shame that no one in the comments even mentioned Don Felder, he's the one who deserves more credit here!
100% He wrote the music and solos for this
Agreed. Fuck Don Henley. I love this guitar duet, one of the best ever. Love Joe Walsh so much too.
True. The biggest thing to me is the dueling guitars. So important to rock music history.
AMEN! One of the least appreciated guitarist out there....
He was my favorite member... and yeah, no one remembers him. I saw them live at the Forum in 1975 and they were great
The Eagles had a multitude of talent. Writers, musicians and vocals by the individuals in the group. Just one of the reasons their music has stood the test of time. Such outstanding talents.
Man, brother, you were so hung up on the meaning of this song that you failed to appreciate THEE most famous performance OF this legendary song. The spooky vibe, the KILLER musicianship, the gorgeous background vocals, the excellent drumming, and the iconic dueling guitars. You can always look up the meaning later. Also, who cares what it REALLY means? This is poetic storytelling with some abstract imagery. Like a painting where you could derive your OWN meaning. Stop and smell the roses, brother!
Pauses mid solo, 'Hotel California is purgatory' 🤣
Pausing during a solo is purgatory 😂
And the real California is hell.
I'd go further.
The whole album is a metaphor for the failing "American dream"
.
What's crazy, and sad is that it was written mid 1970s and it's actually (still) coming true.
.
Edit.
Listen to "The Last Resort".
@rogerstarkey5390 big Eagles. Know everyone of their songs, I thought anyway. I found last resort years later. That song is a great story
Good God! You stopped the iconic guitar solo to discuss the lyrics! Those of us who were teenagers in the 70's just went with the vibe and figured it out for ourselves as to what we thought it meant. Same with "Stairway".
Seriously, that’s what music is all about, how it speaks to each individual!
I was a senior in high school in 1977 and I think it was what you said. Everyone figured it out for themselves. I think it can be compared to lots of things.
@@Judj1678 Same. My senior year was 1977. This is my life, and yours!
This is one of my favorite EAGLES songs. I took my on to a concert a few years back. When they played this song, my son pulled me into the isle and danced with me. It is a memory I hope I naver forget.
You'll hear 50 different translations, all are correct. I was there, here's mine. California is Hotel Ca. - San Francisco to LA it drew in people by the thousands. Many wishing to become famous. "We are all just prisoners here of our own device." (addiction) "Then she lit up a candle & showed me the way" (Showed me how to do it.) "They stab it with their steely knives" (Needles) "But they just can't kill the beast." (Drug addiction.) "You can check out any time you like." (die) "But you can never leave." (California)
Yes. Said it way better than me! [Drug addiction. Heroine. 😂]
Stab it with their steelie knives could also be a razor cutting coke on a mirror. There are lines on the mirror and lines on my face.
I remember it as taking a “trip”.
"You can check out any time you like. but you can never leave." I don't think this is about death, I think 'checking out' is about walking away from that lifestyle with the illusion of 'getting clean', but in reality most are likely to relapse, so 'you can never leave'...i.e. kick the addiction.
I like your description. The only thing I would add and that's the older predators taking advantage of the young and innocent. Think Matt Gaetz and his wingman paying young college girls to come to parties for drugs and sex.
Don Felder was working in a music store when a 13-year-old Tommy Petty came for guitar lessons. What if you could tell them both they would be in the Hall Of Fame
Tom & Don used to play out on the lawn at Tom's house & in local dives here in Gainesville - we miss our son
A collitas is a flower that blooms on a type of cactus at night. When you're traveling through the desert in spring, you can really smell them blooming... but only at night.
Blooms on chronic marijuana and high on Heroin is checked in at the Hotel California.
It also means small tail in spanish. Tails of marijuana smoke
Ty; that’s interesting
Take It To The Limit, you'll love it. You can never go wrong with The Eagles. Also America is another amazing band from this era.
NEVER pause during a guitar solo!
Especially this one!
Glossed over one of the most captivating guitar solos ever
Rap guys
@@misstlc7136yep, one of my issues with rap, no one plays instruments.
@@nickbarber3315 Thanks for the warning I will stop watching before they get to that point ............bloody disrespectful eejits !!
I cannot BELIEVE you did that! Wow! 😮😒
@@misstlc7136who understands those rap guys anyway?
Guys…the frigging guitar solo is epic…just sit back and take it in!!!
What a moment to pause a guitar solo 🤯
Oh, l love the dueling guitars. The dude in black, and the red kerchief is a showman. He's wailing on that thing, making it scream. Talented artists all around.
Joe Walsh is the guy in the bandana. He has some solo work and was in the James Gang
Don henley said it was simply a song about the journey from innocence to experience in the LA music scene in the nineteen seventies.
Can't believe you guys didn't mention the amazing musical talent on display in this performance! Yes, the lyrics are brilliant, but it can't be denied that they were also a phenomenal live band. The kind of ability to sound that great live is rare these days. Once again, it makes me feel so lucky that I grew up with music from the 60's, 70's and 80's!❤
(Yes, I'm an old lady😅)
@b1jou123
From one old lady to another, they were here in KY a few months ago. Sad that Glenn Frye wasn't with us but his son, Deacon, was and sound pretty close. It was an awesome night. Vince Gill was playing Glenn's part. Vince did it well. Joe Walsh and Timothy Smidt (sp) were spot on as well. UT was an awesome night.
@@josmith4405 WOW, sounds like an amazing event!
We are never old 😉
Watch itvagain guys, kick back and feel it. You will get it then. 😊
You people have known this song for 50 years and you know what to expect. BP is hearing it completely for the first time.
He said before it started he wanted to know what it was about. That was his focus.
He will get to the music the next time. We may not see it but, oh well.
Addictions is spot on. Glen Fry, Joe Walsh and Don Henley on the same stage! Amazing.
Nope that's not what this songs about ! It's nit about no drugs , It's about A woman Ghost lost and don't know where she's at nor knowing she's A Ghost
1977! What a great year! I was 17. Best decade for music ever!
One of the most famous guitar solos in rock history
Geez, guys. NEVER stop the video in the middle of the guitar solo!!!!!!!!😔😨
NEVER pause a video in the middle of a guitar jam!
In any song people will tell you not to pause in the solo, BUT this song, in particular is just a great excuse to listen to the duelling guitars at the end of the song. I listened to this song for years without trying to figure out what the words were trying to say just to listen to the solo.
So,the words, they are about the Entertainment industry and how it looks all glamorous and sexy but when you look underneath all the shine it’s not real. The lifestyle is full of one addiction or another. “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave”
Don Henley as well as Phil Collins are two of the greatest drummer/lead singer's that have ever been. PERIOD!!!
Don’t forget Levon Helm
NO PAULINA VILLAREAL IS IN THAT LEVEL OF BETTER.
Karen Carpenter.
Phil could play a single snare drum & sound better than Don playing a full set !
Yup...cannot forget Levon Helm nor Karen Carpenter.
Hotel California is about the entrapment that fame brings...
All these cool things seem to be happening, until you realise you are in the belly of the beast.
But when you try to escape...
"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave"
A cautionary tale
Nailed that shit! Comment WIN!
California was the center of the hippy movement... peace, freedom, sex, drugs. 1969 was the Woodstock festival and pinnacle of more socially relevant music... but by the time this song was released in 1977, the hopes of the baby boomer generation were disappearing. Instead, lives of excess were what they ended up striving for with greed for possessions, big homes, and cars. He's definitely feeling trapped in the current situation and wants to go back to the earlier hopes.
always thought it was the. best metaphor for drugs. Like once your hooked it’s a wrap.
“Heaven or hell”
“Some dance to remember.. others to forget”
“Prisoners of our own device”
“You can stab with our steely knives but can’t kill the beast”
“You can check out anytime but can never leave”
😳 imagine being a rapper, and dare talking during, than pausing during this awesome guitar solo 🫣
I saw them in Houston TX performing this music in 1977 - unbelievable! They were with there with Jimmy Buffett! - an outdoor concert with people sitting on blankets on a beautiful night.
In the line "they stabbed it with their "Steely" knives"... it was their tip of the hat to the band Steely Dan.
Correct, Steely Dan mentioned the Eagles in one of their songs, so it's a round about way to return the shout out.
You all blew this reaction. Im actually disappointed you stopped the guitar solo and took a very simplistic view of the legendary group and song. You should have to do a redo
First of all this song is a masterpiece! Secondly, every member of the band sings and that’s what makes this band so special besides the instruments voices, etc. every member sings so everything always sounds unique and different. When you said hotel California is purgatory that was a perfect description!
He speaks as California as the entire state. You may want to leave but it captivates you back.
In the 70’s concept albums ruled. The album was about California and how it changed from happy and easy going to the greed and darkness. Think of 70s emerging from free love that shifted to Manson, to the 80s and greed is good.
Don Felder (double guitar) wrote the music to this. Don Henley had a tape of the chord progression playing over and over on his car deck. He left the Whiskey A go-go one night, drunk, and drove to Needles CA to find some peyote. On the way there, he wrote these lyrics. Passing by lots of Teddy bear cholla, and lonely desert hotels, he came up with a story about someone losing their innocence. Going from adolescence to adulthood, and knowing once you do, you cannot go back. The Eagles have MANY LEAD SINGERS, depending on the song. Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner (their biggest hit Take it to the limit) or Timothy Smith, and Joe Walsh all sing lead on songs that have hit it big. Like the Beatles, if you cannot sing or write, you are not good enough for the group. Ringo Starr, Roger Taylor (Queen), Phil Collins, and Levon Helm (The Band) all were singing drummers.
Vince Gill, too, an excellent musician, toured with the band in recent years.
And Dave Grohl
Karen Carpenter
Sheila E.
@@annecox944 , sigh...they always forget the extraordinary women drummers who sing spectacularly, too.
Karen Carpenter,
I'll be 70 next month. 1973 I hitchhiked to San Jose from Seattle. Loved the sun, the vib and the hippies I hung with. Never will be another time like that.
First time I listened to this song, I found it so disturbing that I didn’t want to listen to it again for a while. Then finally, I could listen and really hear the words and music.
One thing I find on UA-cam reactions is generations born since the 1990's or so are obsessed with finding the "meaning" in songs to the point that seem unable to enjoy them without explaining them. When songs came out in the 1960's, 70's and 80's, we didn't worry about that they meant. Many of them were just creative works where the artists themselves weren't thinking of meaning. It's a bit sad.
Like trying to interpret an abstract painting.
YES!!! Just take the lyrics and apply all or parts of them to your life. Or do nothing at all and just enjoy the song. Even if they specifically are talking about the California music scene it does not mean that you cannot apply them to not getting involved in something that leads you down a bad path. Take the lyrics as a word of warning.
He just did this with Stairway to Heaven. Good Luck!
They don't feel the music the way we do. They also don't understand the build up, they're always surprised.
I wish they would just close their eyes and listen but they're trying too hard to equate that time with today.
Light years of difference
Maybe it's the fact that sex was a natural thing for us and now it's so stupid the way people interact with each other it's unnatural.
Let's put it under a microscope and dissect it until all meaning is lost.
They hear it but they're not listening.
Close your eyes and feel the music.
Colitas was a slang Mexican tern for a Cannabis plant or Buds, so the Smell of buds, or Mary Jane.
No, it's a strong smelling flower that only blooms at night. You can smell them on the wind while traveling in the Mojave at night.
@@johndeeregreen4592wrong Colitas are Bud, when talking about the quality of it. You ask about the colitas and the size let’s you know
@@TheGILBERTnetwork, probably a double entendre then. Given the other desert references (colitas being something everyone from the desert is familiar with) and Don Henley being big into drugs, I can see that.
@@johndeeregreen4592 and high.on Heroin is checked in at The Hotel California an old slang term for feeling golden.
WIKIPEDIA
The term "colitas" in the first stanza ("warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air") has been interpreted as a sexual slang or a reference to marijuana. "Colitas" means "little tails" in Spanish; in Mexican slang it refers the flowering buds of the cannabis plant.
I'm 65 and had just graduated from High school in 1977 when this first came out. My mother was from Puerto Rico and I am perfectly fluent in Spanish. From day 1 I always heard that one line as the warm smell of Eucalyptus rising up through air. The other line you guys seem to have trouble with is ...in the masters chambers they gather for the feast. They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
Vince Gill plays with the Eagles
Vince Gill is country great singer ,song writer, and guitar player.
"Go Rest High On That Mountain "is on he wrote . Give it a listen
He joined the Eagles 2017, after Glenn Frey
Died.
Much as I enjoy your insights - PLEASE don't stop songs in the middle of guitar solos - especially one of the most iconic solos OF ALL TIME ! 😉🤣
My favorite line “ you can check out anytime you like but you can never leave” that always tells me that once you have gone there, it’s with you forever. Remember, he was trying to find his way back to where he was before this experience. And that’s when the Nightman told him he could check out, but he can never leave.
Thank you for taking me back to a balmy night at the Miami baseball stadium in 1977 attending an eagles concert. Do not read too much into the lyrics of this song. We were not deep thinkers back then. However, we were a lot of fun.
I'm so glad I was a teenager when this came out. Amazing song. We had amazing music back then. Yes, Don Henley is their drummer.
Glen Fry and Don Hendly started as Linda Ronstadt back up band
The stone ponies
@@loydingle7088 no this was after she left them and started her solo career
@elizabethfranco1284 but they started off with her. It was her idea to do their own thing. She basically said go or I'll fire you so you will
@@andreadeamon6419 I know that what’s your point? They still weren’t in the Stone Ponies
No they didn't start as her back up band.. It just never happened. And no Eagle was ever in The Stone Poneys, or a member of Ronstats band. She introduced them around the Troubadour during the era when most all the stars and rising stars played and hung out there, sat in on each other's sets on stage, partied, went to each other's houses. They were known before they ever became a group.
Best dueling guitar solo
Agreed, and years ago before I saw this video since the solos are played in different channels you can tell who's playing by the sound.
Yeah love it! Boston is equally amazing with the dueling guitar masterpieces!
@@lovestreet2675 I was 13 when this came out and still look back in amazement at the music and the groups that came out or really made the careers back then. There was always something coming out almost every month.
Yes, and they didn't say a word about it!😭
And, what a lot of people don't realize, the second half of the solo is a harmonized improvisation and not even the way it was recorded. That makes it even more epic; they changed it up while playing live. For one guitarist to do that is impressive enough, they had to synch up their playing to continue to harmonize, all while Don Felder set the stage for the improv... and Joe followed suit like it was nothing.
It was funny listening to them in my teenage years. I loved many songs on the radio then found out most were by the Eagles!! Just different singers on different songs 😂 Don Henley was my teenage crush!! 💜
Yes they are still touring, and they had
orchestras with them. Last year one stop was in Tampa, where my cousin is in the Tampa Bay Symphony. The shows were very well received. The musicians were not allowed to take photos or record anything. They had minimal contact with the Eagles, but she loved doing it anyway.
Stopped in the middle of the guitar solo 🎸 (which may very well be the best part of the song), to discuss the meaning of a song that even Don Henley doesn’t know. 😅✌🏼😎
I am 61 yrs old. You young ones need to remember what time in society this was. All of us were told told that smoking pot would make you jump
Off a building from tripping and this generation decided that guys could have long hair and girls could have short hair and once we discovered that smoking pot didn’t make you crazy it was a place that you could “check out of, but never leave “. This was TRULY the greatest time to grow up in.
I'm 62 and totally agree, This was an amazing time to grow up, especially for the music, cars and a much more simple life.
Joe Walsh & Don Fender duo - never a greater team! 💖
Joe Walsh once told me that this song is about the allure of fame. I don't know - it's just what he told me. And a colita is a flower grown in warm areas & also a fruity drink with a flower 🌸 in it.
Seen them live in Hell Freezes Over Tour. They got back together to do this tour. Made millions. Been a fan of the Eagles since way back in the 70s. Seen Don Henley 2 times as a solo artist. He is absolutely amazing. Texas boy! He sounds the same in person as in the recording studio. A true talent. I believe this song is about Hell! He is in Hell in the song and can not leave. He Has so many good songs on his own. Check out In A New York Minute.... It is beautiful... Just found your station. Great job...
"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" became part of pop culture.
Bad time to break😮one of the most recognised guitar solos ever. 🎉
You literally have to do things like that or UA-cam will never allow it.
Playing a solo so clean in unison with another guitarist will be mind blowing to me every time.
All the Eagles are talented especially the late Randy Meisner (take it to the limit) is worth making an episode.👍👍👍
Hotel California is open to interpretation. It’s what ever you want it to be.
I just kept wanting you to recognize the legendary Joe Walsh!
"An interesting bunch of guys" 😉
Don explained the story behind the song to him, and said he was amused at the wide varieties of interpretations the song had developed over time. According to the source, The "Hotel California" is actually, L.A. itself. The song and album take you on a trip though the music industry in L.A. in the late sixties early seventies, when agents and studios controlled artists like puppets. Back in the late sixties, 1969 to be exact, there was a major onslaught of artists being signed left, right and center, and artisit at the time were often known to basically "sell their soul" to a record company executive in order to get a recording contract. Many times these artists were given little if anything for their music, and thus ended up basically a victom to their love of music. Just imagine the scene at the time, it's late 60's, you are on your way to L.A. to strike it big with dreams of glamour and fame...and you basically are prepared to sell your soul of you have to to attain it. I must admit, when I first heard this explaination, I was a little skeptical...but trust me....listen to the WHOLE album again, start to finish and keep this definition in mind when you do it. Every song ties together in one big story, finishing off with the Last Resort which gives you a clear summery of the whole album and idea. I don't deny that drugs and addiction have a lot to do with the lifestyle and results of the quest for fame. All I ask is to keep an open mind and think of "The Hotel California" as L.A., and you may be surprised.
Definitely Don Henley on the drums. This epitomizes that era. Everyone is searching for fame and gets sucked into a culture of hedonism ( you can check out whenever you want...but, you can never leave). It looked glamorous at first but then...The musicianship is absolutely genius.
The Eagles were a very tight band musically. The two guitar players, Don Felder and Joe Walsh, are among the greatest guitar combinations in rock history. Both are guitar virtuosos. Hearing them play together, especially on a classic song like this, is magical.
"Life In The Fast Lane" , great Eagles song too.
The Rapper's 1st impression soon as the vocals begun is priceless, it's that "Damn! these guys are nasty" look on his face I'm sure ya'll noticed it yourselves, at the least it's an honest reaction👍
This song is a reunion to the musical industry that y it's so good just can't kill the beast
The drummer in this song is Don Henley. Most of the time he is standing at the microphone singing. Sometimes he plays the drums while singing. Henley, Randy Meisner (RIP- on the far left of the stage), Glenn Frey (RIP- next to Meisner) are mostly the lead singers. When Meisner left the group then Timothy B Schmit took over and sang lead vocals in many songs. Joe Walsh and Don Felder are the two dynamite guitar players in the band.
Every time I ever saw them in concert (and I saw them a lot), Henley was the drummer. I NEVER saw him standing at a mic. Where did you see him do this? I'm fascinated - and who was drumming? Very cool
@@SAM-dg3vd Exactly he's the drummer not the Lead singer...Yes he sings a lot songs but so does Glen Frey
@@SAM-dg3vd Their tiny little reunion tour sometime in the 90's, Don sat on a stool just like everybody else. I have no idea who was on the drums but Don still sang this song while doing nothing with his hands. There was a joke spoken into the mic by one of the guys, about 'the band never broke up; we just went on hiatus...for...fourteen years...' lol
Quit thinking about 70's music so hard! It's only rock and roll, and I like it!
the song is a masterpiece , yes. That guitar solo ending is untouchable.
Love this song, i was 10 years old when i heard this for the first time. Still love it.
She lit up a candle because she didn't want him to see what he was walking into. The voices are temptations from the entertainment industry. You can check out anytime you want but you can never leave means that you can kill yourself but you can't get away from them. Don understood this at the time. That's why he is so protective of his art.
I am 75 and I never really tried to dissect the song. Just enjoy the incredible song,.
Happy happy birthday to ren!!
Yes this year will be epic!
You are doing amazing work ❤✌🏼
There is one line in the song that most people don't seem to understand.
"We haven't had that Spirit here since 1969."
I remember the interview that they had with the eagles back in the late 70s. One of them had mentioned the meaning behind that line.
He said that it was a tribute to Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones.
The other line that I like is "They stabbed it with thwur steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast."
The clue to who it's referring to in that line is "Steely".
I was born in 1961 and never thought that much into it!!😂
We were too busy listening.
I got to see them in concert . One if the greatest bands in the 70s. ❤
I've seen them three times...every note sounds just like the studio recordings...best band ever.
-awesome !-
💯🤘🔥
@@freakiestshayms💯🔥🔥
I saw them on The Hell Freezes over tour. I’m not much of a live fan BUT they were as good as studio. No joke.
Absolutely
The 70's..what a Great time to experience music!! ❤
I was lucky enough to attend this concert at the Capital Centre. It was located in Landover, Maryland, but it had a Largo zip code. The Eagles have many great songs, but like most, this has always been my favorite. Those lyrics make you feel like you're walking into the Hotel California. I always thought of the Steely knives as needles because of something I went through for years after my brother killed himself. This song means many things to many people. That's what makes for a great song.
He is NOT talking about drinking spirits but individual people's spirit, their attitude- 1969> Free Love, Peace, Hippies-, Communes and THAT spirt.
That was 1967, Charles Manson changed the zeitgeist with his killing spree.
Eagle’s “Hell Freezes Over” concert was the best concert I ever went to. So glad to see you react to this! Loved your take on the concept of the song! More Eagles for sure!❤️🔥✌🏻🫶🏻
I also went to the "Hell Freezes Over" concert, and you're not wrong!! Incredible concert!
I'm on my 5th C.D. of Hell Freezes Over and have another waiting if this one wears out too! Best road trip C.D. ever...2nd is Stevie Nick's Timespace!
All I know is.. I blessed enough to see the original Eagles.. front row in Chicago.. in the 90's.. They were a little b4 my time.. I knew Glen Fry and Don Henley from the 80's but Joe Walsh was literally right in front of me.. my husband was 10 yrs older than me and freaking out... it's Joe Walsh.. I was like.. who's that.. lol.. but it was an amazing concert.. I did know most of the music and know even more now. But the Joe Walsh in 1977 didn't look like the Joe Walsh I saw in 1998.. I couldn't figure out how this OLD MAN was playing such great guitar solos. lol
The Eagles were one of the GOAT American bands. Don Henly carried the torch for several years after they split up. They're still worth a listen.
I love when BP decided that Hotel California is purgatory. Yep it sure could be. That's the thing about these more "abstract" lyrics that you seem to get hung up on sometimes. They are whatever the "receiver" makes of them and why they can speak to so many people anywhere anytime.
When high on Heroin you are checked into The Hotel California is a slang term for feeling golden.
BP I gotta say I really _really_ appreciate this discovery tour you're on. Not only is it all to your credit and shows what a great character you have in being open to learning but the integrity in exposing your 'natural' ignorance (by that I mean it's simply a matter of circumstance and exposure) but also the dedication and diligence you show in hitting the greats to make sure you miss as little as possible. By all means keep it up - we love it coz it tickles all the nostalgia spots so we here for it right with you
Several comments on what i was gonna say. Beautiful Musicianship! Fantastic lyrics and voice. It's about going to your DREAMS OF STARDOM in CALIFORNIA, and you are locked into a contract, and can't get out. Musicians, movie and TV celebraties. It's a beautiful TRAP!