The Very Best of the Eagles [2003]

( 15 )

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Lydia Vanderloo
This double-disc collection paints a more focused portrait of one of the biggest-selling American rock acts of all time than the Eagles' exhaustive box set, Selected Works: 1972-1999, but one with finer detail than the band's two mega-platinum selling greatest hits packages. Very Best includes all 20 songs found on those two albums -- from the easygoing rock of "Take It Easy" through the live "Seven Bridges Road," recorded in 1980 and spotlighting the group's rich, four-part harmonies -- and much more. Deeper album tracks, such as the soaring Tom Waits cover "Ol' 55," the Don Henley-sung, Philly soul-influenced "Wasted Time," and the Joe Walsh rocker "In the City," ...
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Lydia Vanderloo
This double-disc collection paints a more focused portrait of one of the biggest-selling American rock acts of all time than the Eagles' exhaustive box set, Selected Works: 1972-1999, but one with finer detail than the band's two mega-platinum selling greatest hits packages. Very Best includes all 20 songs found on those two albums -- from the easygoing rock of "Take It Easy" through the live "Seven Bridges Road," recorded in 1980 and spotlighting the group's rich, four-part harmonies -- and much more. Deeper album tracks, such as the soaring Tom Waits cover "Ol' 55," the Don Henley-sung, Philly soul-influenced "Wasted Time," and the Joe Walsh rocker "In the City," offer a richer appreciation of a band always game to stretch their stylistic reach. The set is fleshed out by the Eagles' more-soul-than-blues version of Charles Brown's holiday ballad "Please Come Home for Christmas," originally released in '78, and two studio cuts from the 1994 reunion album, Hell Freezes Over -- and brings fans up to date with Henley and Glenn Frey's 9/11 think piece "Hole in the World," a fittingly subdued ballad with intertwining vocals. The booklet includes detailed track notes and extensive, track-by-track commentary from Henley and Frey. Initial copies of the set also include a bonus DVD featuring the video for "Hole in the World," a "Making the Video" segment, and rare behind-the-scenes footage.
All Music Guide - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The problem with assembling an Eagles collection in 2003 is that there already is a perfect Eagles collection: 1976's Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975. Although it spanned a mere ten songs and summarized only the first five years and four albums of their career, it pulled off a nifty trick by making the albums it summarized -- and by extension, the band -- seem better than they actually were. By concentrating on big hits and substituting album track "Desperado" for "Outlaw Man," a single that didn't receive much chart action, the collection captured the band's peak, making a convincing case for the band's strengths while providing a compulsively enjoyable listen. Of course, the Eagles continued to have hits after the 1976 release of Their Greatest Hits, scoring the biggest proper album of their career that very year with Hotel California. After that, egos and infighting hampered the band, leading to just one more album in 1979's The Long Run before a disbandment in 1982, which was followed 12 years later by a reunion, charmingly dubbed Hell Freezes Over, since most pundits predicted that's when the band would reunite. This isn't much new ground to cover for a compilation, as the spotty 1982 The Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 illustrated, but even with a box set like 2000's Selected Works, there was room for a collection that contained all their big hits on one or two discs: hence the birth of Warner Strategic Marketing's 2003 double-disc Eagles collection, The Very Best Of. There's little question that The Very Best Of does its job well, containing nearly all of the group's charting singles -- including the non-LP seasonal tune "Please Come Home for Christmas" and omitting the purposely ignored "Outlaw Man" along with a couple of reunion-era singles that didn't make much impact -- and filling out the margins with album rock staples such as "Doolin-Dalton," "Ol' 55," "Victim of Love," "In the City," and "Those Shoes." It's a good collection, eliminating the need to own actual Eagles albums by containing all the key songs from each effort, including the highlights from Hell Freezes Over. If there are quibbles, the biggest is that the first disc isn't nearly as compulsively listenable as Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, which covers the same ground, with the second being that after Hotel California the collection runs out of steam a little bit, as the Eagles sound more like a collective of solo performers instead of a band -- but that's the run of their career, too. In any case, The Very Best Of is an excellent way to get all the Eagles' songs that matter on one collection. [The Very Best Of was also released as a limited-edition three-disc set with the third disc being a bonus DVD containing the video for the new song "Hole in the World," as well as a making of the video featurette and "Backstage Pass to Farewell 1."]
Rolling Stone - Parke Puterbaugh
It's a dream package that unerringly documents Henley and Frey's Eagle-eyed view of the 1970s.
Blender - RJ Smith
This double CD casts back to a time when Don Henley had a 'fro and the Eagles were defining the Southern California sound.

It's a dream package that unerringly documents Henley and Frey's Eagle-eyed view of the 1970s.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 10/21/2003
  • Label: Elektra / Wea
  • UPC: 081227397128
  • Catalog Number: 73971
  • Sales rank: 365

Album Credits

Performance Credits
Eagles Primary Artist
Don Henley Percussion, Drums, Vocals
Randy Meisner Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Guitarron
Joe Walsh Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Slide Guitar
David Sanborn Alto Saxophone
Don Felder Guitar, Steel Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Slide Guitar
Scott Crago Percussion, Drums
Glenn Frey Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Slide Guitar
Willie Hollis Piano
Bernie Leadon Banjo, Guitar, Mandolin, Pedal Steel Guitar, Vocals, Slide Guitar
Jim Ed Norman Piano
Jay Oliver Keyboards
Timothy B. Schmit Bass, Vocals
Sid Sharp Concert Master
Steuart Smith Electric Guitar
Technical Credits
Charles Brown Composer
Steve Young Composer
Jackson Browne Composer
Jim Capaldi Composer
Paul Carrack Composer
Eagles Producer, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
Don Henley Composer
Randy Meisner Composer
Tom Waits Composer
Joe Walsh Composer
Barry De Vorzon Composer
Don Felder Composer
Jack Tempchin Composer
Tom Winslow Engineer
Allan Blazek Engineer
Michael Braunstein Engineer
Hugh Brown Art Direction
Steve Churchyard Engineer
Paul Craft Composer
Don Davis Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
Biff Dawes Engineer
Glenn Frey Composer
Glyn Johns Producer, Engineer
Bruce Hensal Engineer
Rob Jacobs Producer
Kelly Kotera Engineer
Bernie Leadon Composer
Ed Mashal Engineer
Jim Ed Norman String Arrangements
Jay Oliver Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
Gary Peterson Discographical Annotation
James Raitt Graphic Design
Gene Redd Composer
Elliot Scheiner Producer, Engineer
Timothy B. Schmit Composer
Bob Seger Composer
J.D. Souther Composer
Robb Strandlund Composer
Bill Szymczyk Producer, Engineer, Remixing
Buddy Thornton Engineer
Peter Vale Composer
Michael Verdick Engineer
Billy Youdelman Engineer
Cameron Crowe Liner Notes
Carl Glanville Engineer
Charlie Bouis Engineer
Andy Grassi Engineer
Don Wood Engineer
Jeri Heiden Art Direction
Mike Harlow Engineer
Steve Woolard Discographical Annotation
Tom Trafalski Engineer
Ken Villeneuve Engineer
Randy Edwards Video Editor, Video Director
Martyn Atkins Video Director
Andy Ackland Engineer
Howard Woofinden Video Producer
Richard Anthony Davis Engineer
William Bullen Video Editor
Manny Merchan Video Editor
Ryan Raitt Video Editor
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 15 )
Rating Distribution

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(12)

4 Star

(3)

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Sort by: Showing all of 15 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    out of eden was next

    well this was a very fine collection of songs.but let me specifically comment on LONG ROAD OUT OF EDEN: an also five star collection with tim schmidt's voice getting finer with time. this new album sounds like the eagles of old.also of note is joe walsh's DREAMED OF VACATION.this tongue and cheeck do-dad is a nice throwback to the carefree, drunken jimmy buffet days of the late 1970's.enjoy both cd's!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    cute cd

    GOT THIS FROM MY SISTER,AWESOME CD WITH ALL MY FAVORITES TUNES AND I LOVE THE BOOK,I JUST GETS HOT BY LOOKING AT THOSE CUTE PHOTOS ON THEM.MY DEAREST DON HENLEY WRITES SO THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THE SONGS, I LOVE YOU DON. I WILL NEVER FORGET STOCKHOLM 2001 2 ND ROW

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Two Truly Fantastic CD's.

    This is absolutely the finest collection of songs I've ever heard on two CD's. Just pop these into your CD player and you will be transported back to the carefree 70's by one of the greatest groups to evolve during that decade. Who wouldn't enjoy reminising to songs like "Lying Eyes", "One of These Nights" and "Hotel California"? If there were a six star rating, The Very Best of the Eagles 2003 would surely deserve it.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    It's time to Update your Eagles Collection

    For those of us who have collected all there LP's and haven't had a chance to update to CD's now is the time. This collection rates with some of the Best Greatest Hit Collections on the market. A must have for all those old time Eagle fans.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    One of the Best Cd's Of 2003

    I think that The Very Best of the Eagles is one of the best cds that has come out this year!! If you like the kinda laid back music this is the cd for you although there are some upbeat songs on this album. It is a very colorful cd. It is well worth your money.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    flying high in the large eagle sky.

    this is one awesome collection put toghter. by the eagles/has lots of great songs/ including/hotel california/take it easy/ life in the fast lane/get over it/ and lots of other eagles faviortes/plus the new song hole in the world. witch is a great and touching song. this is a must for any eagles fan.

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