Hotel California certainly is the best record of The Eagles, and it’s hard to follow in its footsteps. That’s how perfect Hotel California was, and it took them two years making The Long Run.
The Long Run is a drug-fuelled album that made the group dive into hendoism in 1980.
“We made ourselves ill,” Don Henley said.
One great thing about the album though, the Eagles’ country root remains – and led them to release one of their US number one hit Heartache Tonight. But not only that, of course, the deluxe MOR ballad I Can’t Tell You Why is one of the best tracks on the album sung by Randy Meisner’s replacement Timothy B Schmit. The album also includes a great dance-rock song written by Don Henley, The Disco Strangler.
The Eagles were in a bad situation during those times, not a dangerous one but they were a danger to themselves, still, they managed to pull a great record next to Hotel California.
Though some people consider it as a great record, others, however, described it as “turning throwaway, half-baked songs into an art form.”
The overall outcome of the album was somehow satisfying, and saddening at the same time. It became their last number one album of the 70s which leads as well to the Eagles ending.