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Their Greatest Hits

 
Album Review: Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)

  • Artist: Eagles
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: February 17, 1976
  • Total Time: 42:58
  • Type: Compilation (best of)
  • Genre: Rock

Review

On their first four albums, the Eagles were at pains to demonstrate that they were a group of at least near-equals, each getting a share of the songwriting credits and lead vocals. But this compilation drawn from those albums, comprising the group's nine Top 40 hits plus "Desperado," demonstrates that this evenhandedness did not extend to singles -- as far as those go, the Eagles belong to Glenn Frey and Don Henley. The tunes are melodic, and the arrangements -- full of strummed acoustic guitars over a rock rhythm section often playing a shuffle beat, topped by tenor-dominated harmonies -- are immediately engaging. There is also a lyrical consistency to the songs, which often concern romantic uncertainties in an atmosphere soaked in intoxicants. The narrators of the songs usually seem exhausted, if not satiated, and the loping rhythms are appropriate to these impressions. All of which means that, unlike the albums from which they come, these songs make up a collection consistent in mood and identity, which may help explain why Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) works so much better than the band's previous discs and practically makes them redundant. No wonder it was such a big hit out of the box, topping the charts and becoming the first album ever certified platinum. Still, there must be more to it, since the album wasn't just a big hit, but one of the biggest ever, becoming one of the very few discs to cross the threshold of 20 million copies and competing for the title of best-selling album of all time. There may be no explaining that, really, except to note that this was the pervasive music of the first half of the 1970s, and somehow it never went away. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Take It Easy (Lyrics) Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey Eagles (3:29)
Witchy Woman (Lyrics) Don Henley, Bernie Leadon Eagles (4:10)
Lyin' Eyes (Lyrics) Glenn Frey, Don Henley Eagles (6:21)
Already Gone (Lyrics) Jack Tempchin, Robb Strandlund Eagles (4:13)
Desperado (Lyrics) Don Henley, Glenn Frey Eagles (3:33)
One of These Nights (Lyrics) Don Henley, Glenn Frey Eagles (4:51)
Tequila Sunrise (Lyrics) Glenn Frey, Don Henley Eagles (2:42)
Take It to the Limit (Lyrics) Randy Meisner, Glenn Frey, Don Henley Eagles (4:48)
Peaceful Easy Feeling Jack Tempchin Eagles (4:16)
Best of My Love (Lyrics) Don Henley, Glenn Frey, J.D. Souther Eagles (4:35)

Credits

Don Felder (Vocals), Irving Azoff (Direction), Bernie Leadon (Vocals), Steve Hoffman (Remastering), Glen Christensen (Design), Don Felder (Guitar), Bernie Leadon (Pedal Steel), Glenn Frey (Piano), Don Wood (Engineer), Ed Mashal (Engineer), Jim Ed Norman (String Arrangements), Randy Meisner (Vocals), Boyd Elder (Art Direction), Michael Verdick (Engineer), Michael Braunstein (Engineer), Allan Blazek (Assistant Engineer), Ted Jensen (Digital Remastering), Glenn Frey (Guitar), Don Henley (Drums), Bernie Leadon (Banjo), Bill Szymczyk (Engineer), Henry Diltz (Lettering), Allan Blazek (Engineer), Bernie Leadon (Guitar), Glyn Johns (Producer), Glyn Johns (Engineer), Randy Meisner (Bass), Glenn Frey (Vocals), Bill Szymczyk (Producer), Howard Kilgour (Assistant Engineer), Don Henley (Vocals), Glen Christensen (Art Direction), Boyd Elder (Design)
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Wikipedia: Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)
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Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)
Compilation album by the Eagles
Released February 17, 1976
Recorded 1971-1975
Genre Rock, country rock, folk rock
Length 43:08
Label Asylum
Producer Glyn Johns
Bill Szymczyk
Professional reviews
the Eagles chronology
One of These Nights
(1975)
Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)
(1976)
Hotel California
(1976)

Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) is the fifth album by the American rock band the Eagles, a compilation of singles released on Asylum Records in 1976. As of November 2009, 29,000,000 copies have been shipped[1] in the domestic market, making it the best-selling album of all time in the United States (tied with Michael Jackson's Thriller album). With an additional 13 million internationally, for a total of 42 million, it is one of the top-selling albums in the world.

Contents

History

Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) comprises nine best-selling singles released between 1972 and 1975, as well as "Desperado", which had never been previously released as an A-side. All single tracks but "Tequila Sunrise" charted in the Top 40, with five in the Top Ten, and "One of These Nights" and "Best of My Love" both topping the singles chart. With such airplay success in the span of a little over four years, the band became a formidable presence on American commercial radio in the 1970s, and Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 album chart upon its release.[2]

On February 24 1976, the album achieved the distinction of being the first to receive the RIAA Platinum award,[3] in recognition of one million shipments in the United States. On November 10, 1999, it became the all-time best-selling album in the United States when it was certified 26× Multi Platinum. It was certified at 29× Multi Platinum on 30 January 2006,[4] and has sold over 42 million copies worldwide to date.[5] Michael Jackson's Thriller is the only other album certified 29× Multi Platinum. Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) is listed at #1 on the RIAA's "Top 100 Albums".[6]

In a 2001 radio interview, Randy Meisner revealed neither he nor Bernie Leadon was even notified of the record-breaking award presented to them in 1999, and "...had to call and we finally received it."[7]

Track listing

Side one

  1. "Take It Easy" (Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey) – 3:32
  2. "Witchy Woman" (Don Henley, Bernie Leadon) – 4:11
  3. "Lyin' Eyes" (Henley, Frey) – 6:22
  4. "Already Gone" (Jack Tempchin, Robert Arnold Strandlund) – 4:13
  5. "Desperado" (Henley, Frey) – 3:33

Side two

  1. "One of These Nights" (Henley, Frey) – 4:51
  2. "Tequila Sunrise" (Henley, Frey) – 2:52
  3. "Take It to the Limit" (Randy Meisner, Henley, Frey) – 4:48
  4. "Peaceful Easy Feeling" (Tempchin) – 4:18
  5. "Best of My Love" (Henley, Frey, J.D. Souther) – 4:35

Personnel

Production

  • Producers: Glyn Johns, Bill Szymczyk
  • Engineers: Allan Blazek, Michael Braunstein, Glyn Johns, Ed Mashal, Bill Szymczyk, Michael Verdick, Don Wood
  • Assistant engineers: Allan Blazek, Howard Kilgour
  • Remastering: Ted Jensen
  • String arrangements: Jim Ed Norman
  • Front Cover photo: Tom Kelley

Charts

Year Chart Position
1976 Billboard 200 (138 Weeks) 1 (5 Weeks)

Singles

Year Single Charts
Billboard Hot 100 Country Adult Contemporary
1972 "Take It Easy" 12 - -
"Witchy Woman" 9 - -
1973 "Peaceful Easy Feeling" 22 - -
"Tequila Sunrise" 64 - -
1974 "Already Gone" 32 - -
1975 "One of These Nights" 1 - -
"Lyin' Eyes" 2 8 3
"Best of My Love" 1 - 1
1976 "Take It to the Limit" 4 - 4

See also

References

Preceded by
Desire by Bob Dylan
Billboard 200 number-one album
March 13, 1976 - April 9, 1976
April 17, 1976 - April 23, 1976
Succeeded by
Frampton Comes Alive! by Peter Frampton

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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