40. The Long Run by The Eagles

 40. The Long Run by The Eagles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skC2GToR1uY&list=PLs9vIZChB0tcwRDcPSBPf3ugKtsZ_D-8c&index=1

The Long Run was another 8-track album abandoned by Renda when she went of to college. Released at the end of 1979, it was the last album the Eagles released before their break-up. Well, actually, they had kind of already broken up with Don Felder leaving the group in 1977. While the album had some hits, some critics said the album just wasn't as good as Hotel California. Yeah. They're right, of course. That's because Hotel California is FRICKIN' HOTEL CALIFORNIA! If you're going to compare the rest of The Eagles work to an epic album like that, then yeah, you're going to find lots wrong with it.

But lets talk about what's right with The Long Run. First, there's the song "The Long Run," which is a good song by most people's standards, but it's an excellent song by the standards of high school boys that run the mile and two mile in track. 

Second, if you can't immediately tell why "I Can't Tell You Why" is a masterpiece of late-night love-makin' yacht rock, well, then I can't tell you why. 

Third, "In the City" is the best Eagles song with Joe Walsh as the lead singer. That's because it features his signature voice AND signature guitar sound. "Pretty Maids All in a Row" on Hotel California is a good vocal song for Joe, but you don't get to hear his guitar playing on that song. And that's it. Those are the only two songs he sang lead on--until they put out another album in 2007, in which he got to sing two more. But let's be real, we're talking about classic 70s Eagles albums and songs here, and 2007 is about 30 years too late. 

Fourth, while I admit I don't find the music all that appealing, there is something completely irresistible about a song titled "The Disco Strangler." So, yeah, the title saved the song for me on this one.

Fifth, "King of Hollywood" is a scathing portrait of Hollywood producers that use their positions to satisfy their insatiable lusts and narcissistic cravings for power. But in my teen years it mainly reminded me of a few of the older guys I worked with at the swimming pool who were just the biggest man-whores you could ever imagine. 

Sixth, if you've never turned up the volume knob to full blast and tried to sing harmony as loud as you can on "A Heartache Tonight," then you simply just don't get The Eagles. On top of that, it's got the mother of all hand-clap-along drum beats, excellent Joe-Walsh steel guitar wailing, and there's a really fun "Woo-Hoo!" and a spoken "Break my heart" at the end. But the best part for a teenage boy is, of course, the fact that you can replace the word "heartache" with "fartache." 

Seventh, and the most important reason of all, is "Those Shoes" is the best damn Eagles song for jilted 17-year-old teenage me. I used to cue up this song on the 8-track, then I'd play "Miss America" and immediately afterwards pop in "Those Shoes." It was just the best song combo ever! And one night, decades later, as I was driving to Boise late at night and listening to the radio, I heard "Miss America" and thoroughly enjoyed it, but then I was thinking to myself as it came to a close, "I wish they'd play Those Shoes now." And they DID! It came on immediately after with no commercial breaks, just like how I listened to it in my basement in Arimo all those years ago. I nearly lost my mind! 

Eight, jilted 17-year-old teenage me was always delighted to belt out the lyrics to "Teenage Jail" while imagining it was a song about those girls that had done the jilting. 

Nine, "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" is a monster of a party song! Also, for a teenager boy, it was especially fun to sing the lyrics "You got down and did the gator, and half an hour later, you were barfing all over your girlfriend's shoes." As a teenager, I thought there just weren't enough good rock songs with the word "barf" in them. And adult me still thinks that's the case today. Gator!

Ten, while teenage me didn't have much love for "The Sad Cafe"--although when I was in a really depressed mood, it seemed to fit the bill quite well--the current old-man me thinks it's a pretty damn good song. And it becomes exponentially better if you imagine that "The Sad Cafe" is actually "Rand's Cafe" in Arimo.

The clouds rolled in and hid that shore
Now that Glory Train, it don't stop here no more
Now I look at the years gone by,
And wonder at the powers that be.
I don't know why fortune smiles on some
And lets the rest go free

Maybe the time has drawn the faces I recall
But things in this life change very slowly,
If they ever change at all
There's no use in asking why,
It just turned out that way
So meet me at midnight baby
Inside the Sad Cafe.
Why don't you meet me at midnight baby
Inside the Sad Cafe.

(Sax solo!)