When you boil down the music of the Eagles to its most basic elements, it is typically American music. There may be a few more acoustic guitars than usual. The band has covered a wide range of styles over the years, all held together by angelic vocals of Don Henley. Don Henley had beef with artists who referred to them as “country rock“.
When you break down the band’s signature hits, however, there is no other title to call it. Country influences have always been present in the band’s classic songs. Making a Western theme concept album like Desperado did nothing to shake their reputation for being the rock band that the cowboy sort could listen to.
The band didn’t hide their influences. As much as they drew inspiration from the biggest names in rock, such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, they were also heavily influenced by everyone from Kenny Rogers to Gram Parsons. Particularly in the way Henley and Glenn Frey told stories through their songs.
That was only a small piece of the puzzle for Henley, who stated in The Very Best of the Eagles. “Even now, the Eagles are thought of as a country-rock band.” The music industry and the media saddled us with that label from the start. And no matter how diverse our musical tastes, we’ve been unable to shake it. At the end of the day, we’re an American band. We’re a musical mutt with influences from every genre of American popular music”.
While it’s difficult to detect the band’s alternative influences all the time, Henley has a valid point. Compared to the band’s early iteration with Bernie Leadon, Frey had always envisioned the band as a cross between traditional country music and rock and roll. This is a guy who started out playing songs like ‘Satisfaction‘ and refused to give up on his dreams.
When Joe Walsh arrived, it was easier to determine when the band could start jamming. The lick to a song like ‘Life in the Fast Lane’ may sound dated these days. But it’s still badass as hell. Especially coming from the band whose heaviest song up to that point may have been ‘Witchy Woman’.
If you look through their back catalog, you’ll notice a few flirtations with R&B sounds. The backing vocals on ‘One Of These Nights’ could be mistaken for a horn section. And the heavy use of keyboards and minimalist arrangement on ‘I Can’t Tell You Why’ sounds like something out of a modern soul ballad.
At the same time, it’s never a bad thing for a band to have a signature sound. And when you hear a song like ‘Take it Easy‘ or ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling‘, it’s easy to imagine yourself driving down the highway in the heart of America, wind in your hair. Henley may have been lenient about accepting typecasting. But sometimes when you rely on what you know, you can make something that resonates with millions of people.
