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Are you in an Eagles tribute band?

#21
I think many bands overlook the importance of vocals/harmonies. I think it's what separates a good band from a great band. I was in a band that didn't do much vocally. Great lead singer, the rest of us just didn't really try. Maybe 2 part sometimes. At the end of the run of the band we started messing around with 3 part vocals. What a difference - even if the voices aren't the best. Medicore in tune harmony beats perfect voice unison any day.

In an Eagles band you'd have to have really good vocals. All the time. Every tune. Period. The instrumental part of isn't that bad. Strummy easy chords.
 
#22
I saw an Eagles tribute band at the local house of blues. Great show, impressed. Harmonies in and pretty spot on music including solos. Saw another one later at casino. Terrible. Harmony train wreck, sloppy musically. Eagles are not AC/DC, lol; not plug and play. You gotta have the caliber of vocals and music and pay attention to arrangements.
 
#23
It just occurred to me that In all the 40+ years of playing live music in cover bands I've never once been asked to play an Eagles song. But whenever I do play one from my own choosing, the people always sing along. Eagles songs are listener friendly with easy melodies and great hooks. And that makes any song popular & memorable no matter who the artist is.

Stratus by Billy Cobham is an equally great song, but people can't sing along with it.

Mainstream music, or MOR, is by design, written to appeal to the mainstream audience.
And whatever the ratio of public love/hate might be to their music and band in general, the Eagles were masters at it. Still pisses me off that they fired Don Felder though.
Big money does have a way of screwing people up.
 
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#24
tbirdsp said:
Has anyone else noticed a lot of hate directed at the Eagles on social media lately? Not so much since Frey passed away, but before that. Their music is certainly better than a lot of the pop drivel that's out today. And I say that as a purveyor of pop drivel ;)
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I haven't noticed it on social media, but I have noticed it in real life.
 
#26
elgecko said:
I love the Eagles.

Having said that, I can see how some people don't. They skew into easy listening territory and that's not everybody's thing. You can also argue that they've been overplayed since the 70s but I think the biggest factor in the Eagles hate is that a certain Coen Brothers movie made it cool and trendy to hate them.
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The Big Lebowski is my favorite movie of all time, but yeah, they did the Eagles a bit dirty with the "I've had a long day, and I hate the Eagles man!" skit. Funny as hell, but the meme stuck and now we can't escape the fallout from it.

/"Excuse me while I go find a cash machine..."
 
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#27
Fat Steve said:
The Big Lebowski is my favorite movie of all time, but yeah, they did the Eagles a bit dirty with the "I've had a long day, and I hate the Eagles man!" skit. Funny as hell, but the meme stuck and now we can't escape the fallout from it.

/"Excuse me while I go find a cash machine..."
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Yeah, it's a great film but it almost feels like a lot of people who never even had The Eagles on their radar jumped on the bandwagon. It's funny but it would've been funnier if they had used Air Supply, REO Speedwagon, or some other similar band. :roflmao:
 
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#28
Seriously, I think much of the Eagles hate is bandwagon from people who just want to hate something...but...some people feel that the Eagles actually were extremely talented musicians who deliberately made a run for the middle of the road in an attempt to sell as many records (it was a long time ago) as possible. They've got a bit of the "could've been risk-takers but instead opted to sell safe product instead" about them. I respect their right to their choice, but I too have a feeling that they were capable of more than they let on musically.
 
#30
tbirdsp said:
Has anyone else noticed a lot of hate directed at the Eagles on social media lately? Not so much since Frey passed away, but before that. Their music is certainly better than a lot of the pop drivel that's out today. And I say that as a purveyor of pop drivel ;)
Click to expand...
The bigger you are the harder the hate.

I'm in a Gothic Metal Eagles tribute band.

Not really but it would be cool if I was.
 
#31
ThuzzleFump said:
Seriously, I think much of the Eagles hate is bandwagon from people who just want to hate something...but...some people feel that the Eagles actually were extremely talented musicians who deliberately made a run for the middle of the road in an attempt to sell as many records (it was a long time ago) as possible. They've got a bit of the "could've been risk-takers but instead opted to sell safe product instead" about them. I respect their right to their choice, but I too have a feeling that they were capable of more than they let on musically.
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I don't really get how they are/were a "safe product". They certainly had mass appeal. But so did the Beatles and Stones. Where the Eagles weren't necessarily groundbreaking, they certainly were talented in every sense of the word (writing/co-writing, marketing, playing, performing).

There's a reason they still get major airplay. Countless bands could only dream of being middle of the road, if Eagles are considered the benchmark.

I honestly I can't figure out what there is to hate about the Eagles. Their personalities?

Speaking of middle of the road... I can't speak for anyone else, but despite the popularity of hate towards Nickelback, I don't really hear them much like I did early 2000s (radio, elevators, stores, whatever), and haven't for years. I can't really say I hate any bands - maybe just indifferent. But when I hear Nickelback I want to claw my eyes out. From the first song I ever heard by them, I wanted to vomit. No one told me to hate them. I had never heard of them before that. I was just listening to the radio and some new song came on that was horrible in every way, which turned out to some band called Nickelback. I just knew when I heard it that I really didn't like it. And they certainly never got any better for me.

OTOH I don't think I've ever known anyone who truly cannot stand the Eagles, apart from just being sick of hearing them. I know I can't think of anyone who said they didn't like them when they first heard them.

Off topic, but I don't really get the hate toward Coldplay, either. Not my favorite band by any means, but they had a few songs I really like.
 
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#32
whatizitman said:
I don't really get how they are/were a "safe product". They certainly had mass appeal. But so did the Beatles and Stones. Where the Eagles weren't necessarily groundbreaking, they certainly were talented in every sense of the word (writing/co-writing, marketing, playing, performing).

There's a reason they still get major airplay. Countless bands could only dream of being middle of the road, if Eagles are considered the benchmark.

I honestly I can't figure out what there is to hate about the Eagles. Their personalities?

Speaking of middle of the road... I can't speak for anyone else, but despite the popularity of hate towards Nickelback, I don't really hear them much like I did early 2000s (radio, elevators, stores, whatever), and haven't for years. I can't really say I hate any bands - maybe just indifferent. But when I hear Nickelback I want to claw my eyes out. From the first song I ever heard by them, I wanted to vomit. No one told me to hate them. I had never heard of them before that. I was just listening to the radio and some new song came on that was horrible in every way, which turned out to some band called Nickelback. I just knew when I heard it that I really didn't like it. And they certainly never got any better for me.

OTOH I don't think I've ever known anyone who truly cannot stand the Eagles, apart from just being sick of hearing them. I know I can't think of anyone who said they didn't like them when they first heard them.

Off topic, but I don't really get the hate toward Coldplay, either. Not my favorite band by any means, but they had a few songs I really like.
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I'm with you on the whole. Eagles were definitely talented and proficient. I still have the feeling that they could've taken a few more risks and done more. OTOH, I don't care one way or another about Nickelback or Coldplay. Anyway, I know there's a lot of subjectivity in this, and frankly, of all the things people might choose to hate, any band is pretty low on the priority list.
 
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#34
Roger on the vocals- I have two very strong male vocals, one strong female, and another male and female that can do basic harmonies. What I don't have is period gear (or hair...)

I'm not wanting to go full costume and try to look like them, but I think I'd need us to at least look correct for the period. My five string LTD is probably not the base to have in that band, neither is my Hartke kickback, or Carvin 1x15, 2x10 setup.

Would be a bummer if I had to get different gear to do this right.

My goal would be to do two hour shows at private venues, wineries and such, or maybe at a bar if they booked us right.

I'm not ready to pull out four hours of the Eagles, and I'm guessing even the audience would get tired of it by then. So no typical 9:00-1:00 bar gigs for this band.

I'm not going to be able to do a mullet for this... (Shudder!)
 
#36
Zephrant said:
Roger on the vocals- I have two very strong male vocals, one strong female, and another male and female that can do basic harmonies. What I don't have is period gear (or hair...)

I'm not wanting to go full costume and try to look like them, but I think I'd need us to at least look correct for the period. My five string LTD is probably not the base to have in that band, neither is my Hartke kickback, or Carvin 1x15, 2x10 setup.

Would be a bummer if I had to get different gear to do this right.

My goal would be to do two hour shows at private venues, wineries and such, or maybe at a bar if they booked us right.

I'm not ready to pull out four hours of the Eagles, and I'm guessing even the audience would get tired of it by then. So no typical 9:00-1:00 bar gigs for this band.

I'm not going to be able to do a mullet for this... (Shudder!)
Click to expand...

Seriously? I'd be willing to bet that gear and clothes would not matter as much as the overall sound. The Eagles were a 70s country/rock/pop band. They wore jeans and t-shirts. Grow beards and call it a day.
 
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#37
41UyzDnhnVL._UX385_.jpg


$15 bucks at http://www.amazon.com/Super-Mullet-Wig-Costume-Accessory/dp/B001DBUG4U
 
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#40
SteveC said:
I think many bands overlook the importance of vocals/harmonies. I think it's what separates a good band from a great band. I was in a band that didn't do much vocally. Great lead singer, the rest of us just didn't really try. Maybe 2 part sometimes. At the end of the run of the band we started messing around with 3 part vocals. What a difference - even if the voices aren't the best. Medicore in tune harmony beats perfect voice unison any day.

In an Eagles band you'd have to have really good vocals. All the time. Every tune. Period. The instrumental part of isn't that bad. Strummy easy chords.
Click to expand...

As long as backing harmonies are on pitch, the fact that you don't have lead vocal chops isn't very important.
 
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