Eagles: Before the Band (The Eagles Trilogy)

Eagles are an amazing phenomenon, not just as a band, but as an emblem of their time. There are numerous books about them and about the genre I am perfectly comfortable in calling Country Rock. (Because that’s exactly what it is.) Having read numerous books on this subject, I approached this one with some trepidation, concerned that there was nothing left to tell in the story of the Eagles or the genre in which they got their start. I need not have been concerned. The essential difference between this and any number of other works covering the same subject matter reduces to perspective. Instead of approaching the subject as a linear narrative, this book uses a series of vignettes which cover pieces of the story, but uniquely, seek to place these in the greater context. One comes away with a sense of what each person was doing so that we understand Walsh’s journey in parallel with Leadon’s, Frey’s, etc. The chapters are short and sometimes there is overlap, but this serves to firmly anchor each vignette in the overall context. You come away not only understanding where each piece fits in the puzzle, but also why it fits there. This adds dimension to every character and it becomes apparent that every individual member of Eagles was very focused and was looking for the perfect outlet by the time the band formed. After reading this book, I am convinced that Eagles was the perfect alchemy of artists and with any other lineup, the results would have not been as good as they were. Coming away from this book, I feel that I know more about the members as individuals than I ever had in the past. There’s a lot more to the story of this band than ‘four musicians who knew each other because of the Troubadour worked backing Linda Ronstadt and then started a band which all but dominated the ‘70s.’ Before that brilliant open G Major chord in Take It Easy ever rung in our ears, there was a steep learning curve both individually and eventually collectively. This book tells that story.

An easy read with context notes throughout. Wish I could go to the Troubadour in 1968… Doesn’t cover the breakup.

Ever wonder how a true legend of an American Rock & Roll band happens in the first place? The 20th Century's most prolific gross selling version, the Eagles, is meticulously laid out in chronological detail in Rik Fargo's first edition of a historical trilogy in "Eagles - Before the Band." A wondrous account of how the boys with a dream made it all come true. A fascinating look back to the roots of American's most prolific popular band measured by record sells is captured in this intriguing fascinating book. Whether you like the Eagles or not, this book will help you understand how it all happened for the legendary band that visited Hotel California, & experienced Life in the Fast Lane. A must read for anyone who loves rock & roll through the lives of the fabulous Eagles!

Cool, broad overview of rock during that time period, and where the individual members of the Eagles kind of fit in on the spectrum up to the band’s formation. But very general information about the members themselves, and it’s set up as almost a chronological encyclopedia instead of a biography. Other books and documentaries have already covered much of it and gone way more in depth. Not that it was bad, or unenjoyable. There’s just nothing new. Very introductory for someone who is just now getting into the band and their place in rock history.

Very in depth info and very accurate. A must read for anyone who is a true fan or just looking for knowledge of this iconic band’s past!

The good part of "Before the Band" is that it's pretty decriptive of the Eagles, and includes other information on Bob Seger, Linda Ronstadt, JD Souther and previous bands like Poco, Flying Burrito Brothers, Stone Canyon Band, The Poor, the Corvettes and others. The bad part about this book is that it's 244 pages, but could easily have been 144 pages. Too much information about the careers of Geffin and Irving Arzoff, which is incidental and not center stage. Two pages about Rolling Stone magazine with picture of Jan Wenner, also unneccesary. Much of the narrative is repeated ovber and over. There are places where an action or a situatiion is described at great length and two or three pages later, the same description is repeated. At the end of the book, there is an extra long index with a list of thousands of footnotes. Not really neccessary. All of that is too much. I'm not going to be purchasing the next two books in the series because this one was a disappointment. Most of the stuff described in "Before the Band" can be found on Wikipedia or numerous web sites.

I liked the format of "short stories"... just interesting stories, anecdotes, and both meaningful and meaningless details. An easy read that goes great with me switching the music on my JBL between whichever artist, song, or album I'm reading about.

Great read, lots of history, lots of memories. I was swept away by the journey of the music industry as a whole as well as the experiences of each band member as they grew into their creative roles and came together as an amazing band. Lots of work went into setting the stage for the changing world that the Eagles experienced before they became the Eagles. The book is very well organized and easy to follow. I enjoyed learning about their experiences and others that I had not known before. I'm planning to order more as gifts for family members who love the Eagles as much as I do.

It was an interesting to learn about different musicians and their evolution in their music careers through the sixties and seventies. But I guess I was more interested in reading more on the Eagles experiences through the seventies. Still very informative. Thanks!

Great book.

Decent book, but too much repetition of information, it becomes boring after a while.

Great read 😁

As a lifelong Eagles fan I thought I'd enjoy this, but dear oh dear - it's hard to know where to start with this. To be generous, it's obvious that the 'writer' is a fan and that this probably is a labour of love project. But this book badly needs an editor with a very large blue pencil. Why? Well, there are so many repetitions that the book would undoubtedly be at least one third smaller if they'd all been edited out. Some of the text is literally cut and pasted into 'highlighted' sections and is often on facing pages, so you read it all twice on two pages. It's a mess. It's also very heavy to hold and the format is far too big for a paperback. The cheap paper doesn't work with photographs. They'd have benefitted being on art paper in a dedicated mid-section. Much of the text is taken from other people's books and magazine content. If you know nothing about the band you might find the actual text of some interest but there isn't much for your average fan. The music industry machinations were of some interest to me as I used to work in it, but would likely prove dull to most readers. Unfortunately, in a moment of madness, I had also purchased Part two, thankfully second-hand, and will need a small crane I suspect to hold it upright and end up with wrist splints. It appears to be the same format. I later noticed it was published by Amazon, so it's a vanity publication. I hope the author hasn't given up the day job.