The Eagles song Don Henley considered to be underrated

When a band reaches the same level as the Eagles, it’s difficult to believe that their fanbase underrates any of their songs. During their brief collaboration, Glenn Frey and Don Henley wrote some of the most celebrated American rock songs. Their compositions ranged from the balladry of ‘Desperado’ to the enduring classic ‘Hotel California’. Despite their vast body of work, Henley believes their fanbase underappreciates a few of their songs.

They were still finding their feet as songwriters during the band’s early years. Even though the group could deliver tracks like ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’ and ‘Take It Easy’ magnificently whenever they played them live, Frey and Henley would not form a creative team until the next album, when they wrote their first song together, ‘Tequila Sunrise’.

Even though Henley was famous for being meticulous in the studio, he had to admit that some of the songs they started with weren’t particularly memorable. When working on their self-titled debut, Henley described ‘Earlybird’ as corny. This was due to the various effects they chose to add to the mix near the end of the track.

Don Henley, determined to win the band’s respect as a serious musician, crafted Desperado as a bold conceptual statement. So, he spent hours crafting the best lyrics to fit the mood of each song. Despite a strained relationship with producer Glyn Johns, the band regained momentum during the creation of the album On the Border. This occurred while working on the songs for One of These Nights.

Despite creative differences with guitarist Bernie Leadon, the band had produced some of their biggest hits. It includes the massive soul sounds on the title track and Randy Meisner writing their first chart-topper, ‘Take It To the Limit’. Towards the end of the album, Don Henley thought they should get in touch with their bluesy side.

Henley wrote a quasi-sequel to the BB King blues classic ‘The Thrill is Gone’, titled ‘After The Thrill is Gone,’ in which he reflects on what to do when emotion stagnates in a relationship. Even though the song lacks the dramatic lift of some of the group’s most well-known songs, Henley considered it a personal highlight.

When speaking in The Very Best of the Eagles, Henley considered the piece as overshadowed by their classics. He said, “‘After The Thrill Is Gone’ is something of an overlooked song that I believe is very good. Glenn and I are working together. He completed the verses with a little help from me. I completed the bridge. As exciting as the Eagles were at times, the luster was starting to wear off. We were combining our personal and professional lives through song.”

While their creative partnership frayed, they were about to start on their most ambitious sonic venture yet, “Hotel California”. Even though the band released its best material on the album, it became the sacrificial lamb for their catalog. This resulted in them spending months trying to come up with material for a follow-up.

Releasing the album “The Long Run,” the group experienced creative disintegration. This resulted in a backstage brawl at a benefit concert that ultimately broke up the group. While ‘After the Thrill is Gone’ was written years before their untimely demise, it is hauntingly prescient. The song reflects on the cost of such a great collaboration.