The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over (DVD)

It was the biggest question for years,will they or wont they?Im truly glad they finally did get back together and they did it with a bang.
The dvd begins with short interviews with the band members,who were excited but very tense at the prospect of performing live again after so long.There were so many things to be rehearsed,They had an orchestra that were not quite getting the drift on one song which didnt help the overall atmosphere,plus ...
...werent up to The Eagles standards.
They had a lot of brand new material which would be heard for the first time and all this just added and added to the ever increasing tension that could be seen on each of their faces before they took to the stage,with Don Henley appearing the most tense of all.

When they took to the stage amidst rapturous applause the acoustic guitars of Don Felder and Joe Walsh filled the air with a beautiful ... more

It was the biggest question for years,will they or wont they?Im truly glad they finally did get back together and they did it with a bang.
The dvd begins with short interviews with the band members,who were excited but very tense at the prospect of performing live again after so long.There were so many things to be rehearsed,They had an orchestra that were not quite getting the drift on one song which didnt help the overall atmosphere,plus when they rehearsed their harmonies,even though they sounded amazing, they werent up to The Eagles standards.
They had a lot of brand new material which would be heard for the first time and all this just added and added to the ever increasing tension that could be seen on each of their faces before they took to the stage,with Don Henley appearing the most tense of all.

When they took to the stage amidst rapturous applause the acoustic guitars of Don Felder and Joe Walsh filled the air with a beautiful latin solo which slipped straight into the intro to "Hotel California".Henleys vocals were unmistakable and the audience rose as he sung the first few lines,in appreciation to their biggest hit.When the harmonies kicked in at the 1st chorus they went wild with applause.They performed it beautifully as if to remind the audience that hell finally did freeze over.

Glen Frey then sang "Tequila Sunrise",and introduced this song as one of the first that was written by Henley and himself.Again performed wonderfully.Frey has one of these voices that I can listen to whether he sings or just talks,He's got such a relaxing tone Im sure he would have made a great pyschiatrist.

"Help Me Through The Night" was the next song and to be sung by Joe Walsh,Joe too,has a voice that Ive liked for years and despite being in the company of 2 of the best vocalists that modern music has to offer,this song was made for him and him alone.Its a beautiful track with beautiful changes and harmonies and for me one of the highlights of the entire concert.

Don Henley returned with "Heart Of The Matter",a song from his solo career and one that says so much on so many levels,A classic for me and proves that Don Henley is a world class songwriter.Beautiful lyrics and music,another highlight and only 4 songs in.

Timothy B Schmidt was introduced to sing a new composition called "Love Will Keep Us Alive".This song is another amazing product with beautiful 5 piece harmonies,although he did seem tense as he started his first song as lead vocalist he certainly delivered,he's such a talented vocalist and got a hell of a reaction from the audience.

Don returned to sing "Learn To Be Still",a song that I didnt pay much attention to the first time but on the 2nd listen when I turned the volume up I finally got it.Henley again,puts his unique mark on it and delivers in the Henley tradition,Great song.

Joe Walsh then sings "Pretty Maids In A Row",another song that asks a lot of any vocalist and shows what kind of power exists in Joes voice.great harmonies and another highlight.

Glen Frey then introduces "The Girl From Yesterday",a new composition of a country genre,Its a beautiful song with a great story and sang to perfection once again.

Don Henley performs another new track called "Wasted Time".This song for me is an epic,a classic song,great lyrics and story and Henley gets to show just what he can do with his voice.Highlight.Highlight Highlight!

Timothy was then back with "I Cant Tell You Why",another high voice favourite among fans and sung once again to perfection.Im turning up my volume more and more just to hear those heavenly harmonies.

Probably the most political of all the band, Don Henley composed "New York Miniute",a song that tells just how quickly life changes,a song of appreciation telling us to protect eachother......while we can.Henley could have had no idea that this song would become the most played song in and around the disaster of 9/11, making it exist on a different level for so many and cementing its place in music history as a classic,The orchestra got this one right on the night.

One of the most enjoyable songs to listen to here is "The Last Resort",Its only got 3 chords but the arrangement between band and orchestra makes this performance memorable,with Henley once again telling the story of American Evolution.Great!!

"Take It Easy" was the song that started it all for the Eagles,and Glen Frey acknowledges this before belting into a fantastic version with extended solos and pure harmonies,The acoustic guitars were now gone,The guys were on their feet as were the audience and the sound was now electric.Yeehaww!

The riff for "Life In The Fast Lane" started with Felder and Walsh doing some guitar harmonics,These guys can truly play and had fun performing this track,It was fun to watch as well as the pure undiluted talents of musicianship and vocal ability powered through.Another highlight.

"Get Over It" was written by Don Henley,again another song aimed at people of influence and power,with Henley once again unafraid to say whats on his mind,Fantastic Song,Brilliant lyrics,Great performance.

The show finishs with "Desperado",What a song.Dosent need to be introduced as the piano intro is so unmistakable.Great song that will remain timeless and will always have fans singing it great lyrics.

This was a fantastic DVD,that captures the beauty of perfection,The tension of the band that remained till the shows end,and the 100% concentration that they put into this concert,There are no special features except a DTS Audio version of "Seven Bridges Road",another great song full of harmonies but after a concert like this,you dont need em,.Gotta give this another big thumbs up,and remember if you do put this dvd into your recorder,Turn up the volume and Enjoy!!!

 

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