Hotel California by The Eagles



The Eagles have been often misunderstood, misrepresented and much maligned over the years. Most of that criticism has been undeserved. The album Hotel California remains a milestone record of the 1970's. It is a coded documentary of the times. Sadly, much of it is lost on the audience it laments.

As the exploits of the rock gods in the 60's became more public, they moved from shocking news, to entertainment pieces, to finally an expectation of the stereotype. It's not that they were different from
their jazz, blues, and rock 'n' roll colleagues of the 40's and 50's. It's just that the excesses became more public - to the point where it became part of their brand. What was hidden from the public in previous decades was now actively marketed to them. By the mid 1970's, the excesses of the rock and roll lifestyle were so ingrained in the culture, the only eyebrows raised were to those who did not over-indulge.

Enter The Eagles. Riding high on the crest of a successful wave, they wiped out all competition before them, thrilling fans and critics alike. They could do no wrong - at least in the eyes of others.

At some point they look in the mirror, and either don't like, or don't recognise who they see. Lost, they look at each other and their surrounds; strangers in a strange land. Now excess equates to less. Everything is nothing. What is the point of doing anything when no sensation registers at all? They have become uncomfortably numb.

Hotel California is a triumphant statement about California in the mid 70's and the wider American psyche. Hotel California is like a documentary on a life fuelled by excess retold in metaphors and allegory. And with Joe Walsh joining the line-up, the band finally had enough balls in the sound for the music to match the words. The result is a very dark, sometimes Gothic record.

The one problem with a record of this style is that it can be too sophisticated for its own good. With audiences unfamiliar with the approach or unwilling to explore the lyrics further, they settle for a literal interpretation. With the passing of time the misconceptions about this song have escalated from the bizarre to the absurd.

One consistent interpretation that refuses to die is that the song is about a cult, and a hotel where that cult sacrifices people. The Eagles are practising Satan Worshippers and the Hotel California is their sacred Headquarters. Hmmm...That must be the one down on Devil-Gate Drive?

How misguided can people be? America? Oh yeah, they sing the one about a horse. It doesn't have a name, so the rider can't tell it where to go. So they get lost. Don McLean? He sings that one about a guy who drives a Chevy. And he goes out with this girl who bakes pies. But he has to leave. But what's it got to do with the movie, dude? If it wasn't such an indictment on consumer-age literacy standards it would be laughable.

I am sure the band found it laughable too, in the beginning. God (or the other guy) knows what they think now. They do have a sense of humour. The album supposedly features Anton LaVey in the inner sleeve photo. They play up to the myth again with the naming of the "Hell Freezes Over" tour and album. Just enough of a whiff to keep the conspiracy nuts busy as they laugh all the way to the bank.

The song marvels as a stand alone track, a chronicle of the train wreck that was 60's idealism meeting 70's hedonism head on. However, it is best enjoyed as part of the complete package that is the album.

And so there it is. In all its raw, majestic and ragged glory. If you haven't been there for a while, book yourself a stay. Hotel California - a great place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there.

Fourteen Minutes And Fifty Two Seconds Of Fame (Almost)

Recently, I entered a radio contest - 15 Minutes Of Fame, to get my chance to be a DJ. The concept seemed simple enough. The radio station was giving listeners the chance to have their fifteen minutes in the sun playing the music of their choice, with the chance to play something that hadn't been heard for a while.

The contest asked for ten songs - clearly too many, but I guess they wanted to get a feel from the applicants. Most likely it was another way to gauge the demographics of the listener base.

I thought about my selections. No, they wouldn't be a list of my top ten songs, nor just any good songs I haven't heard in a while. They needed to be unified somehow - to make a statement.

My initial list was to tell the Rock story over the journey. There would be Shooting Star by Bad Company, and Rock And Roll Aint Noise Pollution by AC/DC, with It's Only Rock And Roll (But I Like It) by The Rolling Stones followed by Rock N Roll by Ryan Adams, and maybe finishing with My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue) by Neil Young.

I rejected this list. It needed to be more succint - fifteen minutes to be exact. And the Rock And Roll list deserved more respect than fifteen minutes anyway. There is at least an hour or two worth of killer tracks that should be honoured - God Gave Rock And Roll To You, It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock N Roll), and as they say on the ads, And Many More.

I decided to make it about the personal journey of the listener and not the music, in under fifteen minutes. It's a Classic Rock station, so they're playing everything from the 60's onwards. What better way to convey a love of music, and Rock in particular than from the perspective of teen years through to middle age?

I've been listening to the results of those fortunate enough to be selected, and they are all good songs. The problem is, most of them are already staple songs on the radio playlist. What's wrong with a bit of variety? What's wrong with a bit of exposure to alternative tastes? The other problem is they only take three songs. Three lousy songs, with time for about twenty seconds of intro for each.

I think it is pretty obvious by now that my list has not been successful. Never mind.

1: Thirteen by Big Star

Pop music begins at any age. Rock begins with your teens. Thirteen is a classic rock song, short, sharp, and complete with teenage angst and sexual frustration. You're thirteen, and you think everyone can see right through you. There are so many changes happening, and thoughts through your head, you think you might just explode.

2: Seventeen by The Sex Pistols

You're seventeen. You know everything, but you're not old enough to do them legally. You're bored. You're angry and frustrated. You want it all now. Parents and school didn't teach you much. Music is everything.

3: Eighteen by Alice Cooper

You're eighteen. You're out and about. You're a big shot, living it up. You can drink, drive, and vote. Hell, you can even get shot at or shoot someone. But you know you're not an adult yet, and you have a lot of growing up to do. Music helps you forget about everything for a while.

4: Twenty Eight by Tim Rogers & The Twin Set

(the video IS NOT Tim Rogers - I guess if it was more mainstream there would be a you tube video!)

Now you're twenty eight. You're still young enough to get out, but you have some more responsibility now - the job, the loan, maybe you're even married with a kid. You look forward to getting together with your mates, but it doesn't happen as much as it used to. Your cd and record collection brings back a lot of good memories. You're still young enough to dream of being a rock star. Just.

5: A Pirate Looks At Forty by Jimmy Buffett

Now you're middle aged. Yes, you've made mistakes, but you've lived a good life, too. You have some regrets, but you call them lessons now. Sometimes you shake your head in disbelief at the young folk around you. Sometimes you'd like to grab the 'You' from twenty years ago by collar and say, "Wake up to yourself! Savour every moment. Stop wasting time. Life is way too short." And now you crank up the radio in the car, sitting in the driveway, when one of your favourite old songs come on the radio. Life is different now.

Fourteen Minutes and Fifty Two seconds. Not bad...