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Hotel California |  | Artist: Eagles
Label: Elektra Records
Category: Digital Music Album
Buy New: $6.99
as of 9/7/2010 20:46 CDT details
Seller: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Rating:  217 reviews
Sales Rank: 1133
Genre: album-oriented-rock-music
Media: MP3 Download
Running Time: 2603 Minutes
ASIN: B0011Z78R6
Release Date: September 12, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 I didn't think it could get any better... August 18, 2010
Miss L R Palmer (London, United Kingdom)
So much extra depth and detail on the SHM it's like a newer, better, version of the original. If you like the album, buy it, if you're a fan, it's a must have.
Brilliant; the Eagles have never topped this one May 24, 2010
Ken (Olathe, KS, U.S.A.)
The Eagles have never been able to top Hotel California. The record was a diamond(ten times platinum) seller, a Grammy Award winner, and the first--and so far only--Eagles album to produce two #1 pop hits: "New Kid In Town" and the title track "Hotel California" were this record's #1 hits. The album was also the first Eagles record to feature Joe Walsh as a member along with Don Henley, Don Felder, Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner. Joe, who replaced Bernie Leadon, is brilliant on both guitar and keyboard, and this record features some excellent work by him on both instruments. Though I think Desperado is the Eagles' best overall record, Hotel California comes awfully close.
Quick synopsis of the title track: A guy driving in the desert finds a place to spend the night. He's not sure where he is("This could be heaven or...hell," Don Henley sings). He gets a warm greeting from his hosts("Welcome to the Hotel California") and orders wine, only to be told, "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969." In the end, our hero discovers that Hotel California is not what he thinks it is and tries to escape, but the night clerk tells him, "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." And then Don Felder and Joe Walsh chime in with their dueling lead guitars. "Hotel California" to this day remains a classic, with its great story and awesome musicianship. "New Kid In Town", the other #1 hit off this album, is a throwback to the Eagles' early country-rock days, with Glenn Frey singing lead and Don Felder's lead guitar sounding a little mellower than it does on "Hotel California". "Life In The Fast Lane", Hotel California's third hit song and the only Eagles hit song featuring Joe Walsh as a co-writer, is self-explanatory. "Life In The Fast Lane", with Joe getting in some great guitar licks, is a perfect description of the fast-paced, drug-and-booze-laced Southern California lifestyle: "They knew all the right people, they took all the right pills" and "Life in the fast lane surely makes you lose your mind," sings Don Henley. "Wasted Time" is a tender ballad about lost love, life on the street, and the passage of time. The "Wasted Time" reprise leads into "Victim Of Love", another rocker featuring Joe's terrific lead guitar work. Joe, whose biggest non-Eagles hits--"Funk #49", "Rocky Mountain Way", "Walk Away", "Life's Been Good", and "All Night Long"--were all rockers, contributes a great ballad, "Pretty Maids All In A Row", to Hotel California. Randy Meisner's career as an Eagle ended with this album; he left the Eagles in '77, a year after Hotel California's original release. Randy's contribution to the record, "Try And Love Again", doesn't quite match up to his best Eagles songs: "Certain Kind Of Fool", "Too Many Hands" and the hit "Take It To The Limit". Still, it's a pretty solid number. "The Last Resort" tells about the massive migration to Southern California in the '50s and '60s, and Don Henley even gets in a jab at the religious hypocrisy he saw going on: "You can see them there on Sunday morning/Stand up and sing about what it's like up there/They called it paradise and I don't know why/You call someplace paradise/Kiss it goodbye."
With Hotel California, I think the Eagles reached their peak. Although the album is a brilliant record, with Joe Walsh's ascension the band became dominated by two members: Joe and Don Henley. The band's earlier records were a team effort, but on Hotel California, Don H. sings lead on most of the tracks, and Joe plays guitar and/or keyboard on nearly all the songs. Those two guys, Joe and Don H., are great singers and musicians, but their practically dominating the vocals and musicianship made the Eagles less of a team. Still, Hotel California is the Eagles' high point. Even with the records they've released since reuniting after a long hiatus--Hell Freezes Over and Long Road Out Of Eden--the Eagles haven't topped Hotel California.
It never gets old May 10, 2010
May Hasenoehrl
I am finally at the point in my life where I can start collecting nice things and not feeling guilty about the expense. I have gotten a lot of pleasure in regathering the songs and albums that my husband and I enjoyed back 20 years ago when we were dating in highschool. This album plays with a clarity that you just couldnt get from the radio back in the late 70's. It is truly a pleasure to listen to the Eagles once again.
Truly amazing April 22, 2010
L. Conrado Barajas Pedraza (Monterrey, NL, Mexico)
This is one of the best dvd audio discs available, the voice is crystal clear and the guitar is very clean, also the drums, it has enough mid-bass in the 5 channels and not only on the sub-w channel. The price is super high but... they're not going to do more. By the way, if you have an Acura, the guy (Elliot Scheiner) who mixed this album is the same guy who designed the sound system (ELS stands for his name) in your car, so it sounds flawless.
Second copy April 5, 2010
Stephanie Meeker (Syracuse, NY)
My origional Hotel California went missing. This was my replacment. Great music...great lyrics. Great music to drive to!
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