On the Border followed in 1974, on the heels of its illustrious predecessor, Desperado (1973).
When I first heard the songs on the album, I felt optimistic. It seemed a lot less freewheeling than Desperado, for one, and indeed much sunnier. It also had some really good rock songs, which the Eagles did not manage to top through the rest of their career.
After Desperado, much was indeed expected, and they were joined by Don Felder for On the Border. This brought a guitarist, songwriter and more importantly, another ego into the mix. Egos were beginning to matter, as the first signs of success appeared. The sound began to settle down a lot more, after the harsh, sparse, unforgiving material of Desperado.
In many ways, On the Border seems a paradox. On some songs, the finest POSSIBLE Eagles sound is heard. On others, it is obvious the decline had set in. There is true greatness but also paltriness and washed-out blandness. One of the biggest problems, one with great bearing for the future, was that the country-rock vein that had made the first two albums so creatively rich and inspiring, ominously began to become a thing of the past, abandoned.
The move towards rock, particularly groove-rock, while seemingly making for a "better" (interpret as "more recognisable) sound, actually stripped creativity and fun from the music. It was a move towards laboured, superficially heavy, disillusioned, ultimately empty and bland rock.
The slick, golden-haired sunny boy in California image started in this album. It was not a better thing, and I respectfully cannot agree with people who say that On the Border showed us a BETTER Eagles than the first two albums. What they probably mean is that it showed us the more ACCESSIBLE, RECOGNISABLE Eagles - the predictable Eagles. I’ve heard the Hotel California album and I can truthfully say it is the Eagles firmly set in decline, except for the title track and the mercurial "Life in the Fast Lane". I say this with all due respect to a certain Mr. Joe Walsh, genius of a guitarist that he indeed was :)
That said, none of the original four were disillusioned just yet, and the cancer that rot the later albums inside out was just beginning on On the Border. So, on to the good things on the album. The Eagles display an impeccable and accurate sense of which song to cover. Of the covers on the album, one of the best is "Ol’ 55", written by Tom Waits. His comment that their version is "antiseptic" is absolutely correct, but that doesn’t take away from their respect for the song, and it shows.
The edge has gone off the song but what remains is a good, warm memoir - syrupy harmony, soaring vocals and good piano. There’s also "You Never Cry Like a Lover", written by John David Souther, from the Souther, Hillman, Furay Band. Souther would continue to write for the Eagles in later albums. The song is piano-driven, and like most of Souther’s music, it is grand, breathtaking and also absolutely pointless in concept. The considerable high points are the harmony and piano on that absolutely awesome bridge, and the wonderfully lyrical guitar solo that follows. After the bridge, though, the song dies suddenly.
Other covers include the Eagles’ best-ever rock-bluegrass song, "Midnight Flyer", written by Paul Craft. It’s impeccably performed, driving mandolin and guitar, with absolutely soaring, lovely harmony. It is one of my favourite Eagles tracks. There is also "James Dean", a kind of rock’n’roll boogie, written by Jackson Browne, Souther, Henley and Frey. The last Jackson Browne-Eagles collaboration, it isn’t a total success, but it has enough to recommend itself (not least its material - James Dean can be comfortably compared with the Eagles). The twin guitar solo at the end has a good, healthy, garage-band-improvised sound. Alas, it also cries out for a certain Mr. Joe Walsh who would not arrive till 1976.
The other superlative cover (the best rocker track on the album) is "Already Gone", written by Jack Tempchin and (Richard)? Strandlund. It is superior rock music, well performed and beautifully instrumented. The riff has just enough country roots to remain credible.
Of the songs written by Eagles members, "My Man", a Bernie Leadon folk jangler walks away clean with all the honours. The song is Bernie’s long-overdue tribute to the absolute genius of Gram Parsons, and is the album’s best written track. The refrain, "My man’s got it made, he’s gone far beyond the pain...we who must remain go on living just the same" just shows a songwriter at the height of his craft. Then there is "On the Border", the title track. A good, bluesy rocker, with probably too much groove. The new guitar power probably played a role here. The song is carried off well, though it is a portent of things to come. At least it has enough creativity in the chords and songwriting, to help us ignore the too-insistent groove.
The other three tracks are, well, ordinary; they show us that a rot had begin to set in. "Is it true", Randy Meisner’s entry, just flicks the dial, but too little for life. The chords are superlative and performed well, but there is no bite in the lyrics and the delivery is too well-rounded and grooved to be credible. "The Best of My Love", by Henley and Frey with Souther, is the album’s biggest hit; it is also its most insipid, tasteless, bland song. The romance in the song just goes through the motions. I know that a number of people hold it in high regard but it has absolutely no edge - like a liquid lunch.
That brings us to "Good Day in Hell", a straightforward rocker. Or should I say straightforward "raucer" - it is raucous, loud, insanely grooved and its only purpose seems to be the one "Out of Control" served on the "Desperado" album - a venting room. But whereas "Out of Control" was creatively out of control, "Good Day in Hell" is neither creative nor inspiring - just loud and noisy.
The year was 1974, and the Eagles seemed poised for greatness, now that they had all but abandoned their country-rock roots in favour of the hard-edged rock sound. Their pot of gold was round the corner. Egos swelled; more egos would be added. By 1979, it had become an obese, bloated float just waiting to burst, and it did, ending in a spectacular explosion of disillusionment and incurable bitterness. "The Sad Cafe" on their last album The Long Run, has this to say.."thought we could change this world with words like love and freedom".......hark back to the heady early days when music was indeed fun, creative and totally satisfying - the days of Desperado and On the Border.
I never feel an urge to replay any of the later Eagles albums - One of these Nights (1975, after which Leadon and Meisner left, and Tim Schmidt came on), Hotel California (1976) and The Long Run (1979). But I often feel like listening to Desperado and On the Border - their finest hours were here.