Album Review: Long Road out of Eden

Eagles (2007). Long Road out of Eden Photo source: Eagles

Behold the bitten apple, the power of the tools

But all the knowledge in the world is of no use to fools

And it’s a long road out of Eden

—Don Henley, Glenn Frey,
and Timothy B. Schmit

It seems like forever since Eagles released a studio album. I know Long Road out of Eden has been out for a while, but I just got around to buying it. I didn’t buy the later release with the two bonus tracks, but I can’t complain about a two-CD package with 20 songs for $11.47 plus tax—only about 60 cents more than they want for the download.

Now that I have listened to it all the way through, I must say that this album is just nice. If you’re an Eagles fan, you gotta get it. If you simply like the band, there is nothing outstanding here—other than the harmonies that made them famous in the first place; this is a worthwhile addition to your collection. If you dislike Eagles, why are you reading this?

One thing that is different in the harmonies—perhaps it is just the production quality since Eagles is now its own label—you can now hear distinct voices on many of the tracks. On older recordings, I could hear individual parts but not voices. On this effort, I hear both.

The 20 tracks are all solid. I can’t even say anything bad about the tracks I don’t really care for. The production quality is excellent. But only a couple of them reach out and grab you by the neck and make you listen. Still, the trademarked Eagles cynicism rings true throughout. This is not an uplifting album.

Each of the singers is featured on at least one track. Joe Walsh even has one on each disc. I like Joe.