A Good Day In Hell - The Official ILM Track-By-Track EAGLES Listening Thread

"Wasted Time"

http://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/images/eaglesHCOdd.jpg

http://youtu.be/uy32Rbovk1U

this song sounds current. kinda. like i could hear it on the radio by someone now. i don't know who, but someone.

the kind of songs singers like. a showcase. doesn't do much for me personally.

Attn: s1ocki

http://i.snag.gy/Arrsj.jpg

GLENN: It’s a Philly-soul torch song. I loved all the records coming out of Philadelphia at that time. I sent for some sheet music so I could learn some of those songs, and I started creating my own musical ideas with that Philly influence. Don was our Teddy Pendergrass. He could stand out there all alone and just wail. We did a big Philly-type production with strings — definitely not country rock. You’re not going to find that track on a Crosby, Stills & Nash record or Beach Boys record. Don’s singing abilities stretched so many of our boundaries. He could sing the phone book. It didn’t matter. We had Golden Throat [laughs appreciatively]. Jim Ed Norman, Don’s old college buddy and former bandmate — and now President of Warner/Reprise Records/Nashville — wrote all of our string charts. He was right there with us in terms of wanting to do something like Thom Bell. It was definitely us loving Thom Bell.

Oh, shit, I was composing my magnum opus on "Life in the Fast Line" and xposted all the posts about today's selection. God forbid any of my genius go to waste so:

I love the opening riff on this, and I love that when I read "Life in the Fast Lane" I hear it loud and clear in my head. I think people are right on about the lyrics being smarmy, but I have always liked the line "He was too tired to make it/she was too tired to fight about it" less for the content (which, come on) but more for the delivery and they rhythm. Same with "They didn't care they were just dying to get off and it was (chorus)." I also like what happens to the guitars at 2:30.

But overall, there's something inherently cheesy about the song, mostly the really goofy bounciness to the whole song, and a lyrical cheesiness epitomized by the delivery on the line "Doctor says he's coming but you gotta pay him cash." Basically, if this song comes on the radio I will leave it on and enjoy the parts I like very much, but I would never seek it out on purpose.

"Wasted Time" is surprisingly lovely, but goddammit if the condescension of the lyrics fucks it all up. And really, they're not that condescending, but if I didn't already know they were condescending misogynistic dickshits I wouldn't mind/notice the condescension in this song as much.

Just in that verse alone:

Well baby, there you stand / With your little head, down in your hand

She's gotta be a baby. She's gotta have a little head.

And girl-hatin' aside, any editor would've ripped that up. She's holding a little head in her hand? He says "down", implying that she's not just palming her forehead like she's had a V-8 either.

Your baby's gone, and you're all alone / and it looks like the end.

So the baby's upset because her baby's gone. Babies get upset and cry easily, I'll give Donald that.

You're afraid it's all been wasted time

I know individual threads usually don't have descriptions out beside them, but in this case....

i think i always thought this was solo henley

You can tell Meisner wasn't long for the band. Check out his thousand-yard stare in that photo.

Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.
Don was our Teddy Pendergrass.

There's just this bridge the Eagles couldn't cross. Teddy Pendergrass says to turn off the lights and light a candle, and before you know it, we're all in between the silk sheets with him. Had Henley tried to turn off the lights, we would've collectively gotten out our mace sprayers.

Spray him right in his little head.

(uh, not a euphemism.)

Trying hiding your lyin' eyes from THIS! PSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHT

Enjoy life in the MACE LANE!

Well baby, there you stand / With your little head, down in your hand
Your baby's gone, and you're all alone / and it looks like the end.
You're afraid it's all been wasted time

What if - and I apologize for the nightmares this will surely inspire - the first "baby" is a dude, and the second baby - "Your baby" - is a girl? Maybe he's saying that the dude is mournfully masturbating while thinking of his lost love...

"tears" on your shoulder....

No that's wrong, later on in the verse he said "but you just can't hold your man" and it's very clear he's only addressing one person in the verse

Now quick run along someone just called Mikey racist

your man = penis

yep, definitely abt masturbation

i like the phrasing, it's an ok song but it's waaaay to pleased with itself for what it is

^^ yes! that is it exactly.

"We did a big Philly-type production with strings — definitely not country rock. You’re not going to find that track on a Crosby, Stills & Nash record or Beach Boys record"

yeah, no big productions w/strings on any Beach Boys records. You wonder sometimes if Frey ever listened to anything but his own masters.

*makes shitty cheesesteak sandwich*

"Ha! You've never seen Graham Nash eating one of these!"

*dresses as Philadelphia cop, beats innocent bystander, frames them for murder*

"I'd like to see Crosby try THAT!"

CROSBY: Ooooh! I eat cheesesteak sandwiches like you for BREAKFAST!

FREY: Oh yeah? I bet you have to EAT YOUR LUNCH ALL BY YOURSELF!

*claims he served in Vietnam*

"Like Stills would ever do this--oh wait..."

imagining scenario where Frey buttonholes Thom Bell at a party and makes him listen to a rough mix of "Wasted Time." "we've beat you at your own game, man!"

"Wasted Time": Seems to me to be too labored. They've got some of the Philly moves down, but Henley is such a tight-ass singer here, with none of the ease or authority of Pendergrass, Phillippe Wynne etc. Henley supposedly played this over the phone to woo back an ex-girlfriend (she of "Hotel California" and leaving the Donster for Bernie Taupin fame) and she told him to fuck off despite his insistence that the song wasn't about his wasted time spent with her, but them together wasting time 'wasting time' (like watching tv or eating sandwhiches instead of doing blow and fucking, I guess). Smooth move ExLax.

with none of the ease or authority of Pendergrass, Phillippe Wynne etc.

This is otmfm, and I actually like Henley's vocal here. But imagining Phillippe Wynne singing this...that would put this song on a whole other level.

you know who could have killed with this song? guns n' roses.

i don't think i EVER would have thought of philly soul if he didn't mention it in the interview.

someone else said it upthread but i too always thought this was a Henley solo jawn from like 1989

i think henley actually did invent the 80's with this song. or the 90's! a man with a vision.

yeah i figured it was an album track off end of the innocense

I get them all confused, two in particular. One is "The Sad Cafe" and the other one isn't.

This is really excellent. Henley can sing. It isn't Philly Soul though; I guess it could pass as something at the Elton end of Elton's Philly Soul phase. Only with stiffer drumming. I like it a lot.

Philly Cream Cheese soul amirite

def prefer early poco-lite eagles to late period elton-eagles

but then i fucking hate elton john

FIELD REPORT: heard "Already Gone" on the radio on my way home from my first class today. I'll admit it. It sounded alright. I even sang along a little bit.

they were no hall & oates. let's put it that way.

gourmet sandwich joint playing not terribly exciting live version of take it easy

'Gourmet' sandwich joint, or 'EAGLES' sandwich joint?

Once Frey shows up, it's an Eagles sandwich

Meisner and Leadon look at each other and go eewwwww.

http://memehuffer.typepad.com/meme_huffer/images/2007/08/29/rotten_sandwich.jpg

http://rollingspoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Don-Henley-Chili.jpg

Don Henley's beer...
in a cowboy boot glass

Disgusting food, tacky beverage... but the flatware is actually kinda cool!

^ The Story of the Eagles, check local listings.