Hatchlings3 Out Of 5 Stars
Convened as refugees from Linda Ronstadt's backing band, the 1972 "Eagles" was a calling card of the easy going California rock scene. At this point, the Eagles were something of a democratic quartet, with the members each getting shots at lead vocals and writing credits. Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner all came from varying backgrounds and different bands, including Bob Seger (Frey), Flying Burrito Brothers (Leadon) and Poco (Meisner) in addition to Ronstadt, so the dominant musical theme was countrified mellow rock. Having Jackson Browne as a friend and co-writer kind of cemented that deal.
"Eagles" reflects that combination of talents. The calling card first single, "Take It Easy," was the perfect blend. Frey sings it as a breezy song about just relaxing into what comes your way while Leadon adds a banjo solo. "Witchy Woman" highlighted Henley's gruff singing style and was the first of many Eagles songs about wicked women. Then there was the ballad, "Peaceful Easy Feeling," which again was a precursor to many of the Eagles' greater successes. The formula worked for the bulk of the album, with the true wonder of the band being their exquisite vocal harmonies.
However much "Eagles" wanted to be a rock band album, though, the band just wasn't there yet. The most memorable non-single is "Train Leaves Here This Morning," a country ballad sung by Leadon (and one of the few non-hits played on the 40th Anniversary tour). The one attempt at a bona-fide rocker is "Chug All Night," which is generic bar-band stuff. Meisner's "Tryin'" fairs just a bit better. Tack on the dreadfully annoying bird whistle intro on "Earlybird," and you hear a band still finding its footing. They'd make a major leap when releasing "Desperado" (which also began Henley's ascent into the groups main voice) the following year, but "Eagles" remains a decent album of it's time and an interesting introduction to a band that would ultimately evolve into one the biggest bands in history.
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