(Credits: Far Out / Derek Russell)
Mon 22 December 2025 20:44, UK
For a band with as many hits as the Eagles, there comes a point where there needs to be some quality control.
Even though songs like ‘Hotel California’ and ‘Desperado’ might be able to pack stadiums until the end of time, Don Henley and Glenn Frey were never satisfied with having any filler material, constantly trying to make every track matter whenever they entered the studio. While the group may have had a firm grip on what they wanted to sound like, Henley thought one of their songs never quite came together.
Before the Eagles started making their first album, their backs were already against the wall. After doing a showcase for Asylum mogul and future industry titan David Geffen, the country rockers were sent to Aspen to rehearse, not thinking they were in good enough shape to record an entire album of material.
Even when the group got to work with Glyn Johns, the legendary producer wasn’t impressed, only signing on when he heard the band’s soaring harmonies in the rehearsal room. Once the group took time to record their debut, though, the reception was rapturous, with critics and fans loving the sounds of tracks like ‘Take It Easy’ and ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’.
After making their first stabs at radio hits, the Eagles’ idea for a loose concept record centred around outlaws quickly sank like a stone. While Desperado may not have struck a nerve with the public, the follow-up On the Border would recover very nicely, having cornerstone tracks like ‘Already Gone’ and ‘Best of My Love’, the latter of which would become one of their first number one hits.
The Eagles’ biggest critic? (Credits: Far Out / TIDAL)
Even though the band focused on reeling things back, Henley was still interested in pushing the envelope lyrically. Instead of the typical love song fodder that popped up in every other rock number, the title track was written during the waning days of the Watergate scandal, as President Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace. “We were addressing Nixon,” explained Henley of the track, “because at that time it was pretty clear that he was on his way out, so that was our little kiss-off to Tricky Dick.”
While they had strong feelings about the recent political discourse, Henley thought that the track’s final version worked much better on paper. Looking to take the sounds of R&B and blend them with their usual country sound, Henley was disappointed with the final result, thinking that most of the track sounded half-hearted.
Recalling the time that they worked on the track, Henley thought that ‘On the Border’ still felt something was holding it back, saying, “There was a clash of styles and influences in that song, and I’m not sure it ever became what it could have been, musically”. For all of the scattered sounds coming from the one track, the accompanying album would prove to be a turning point in the group’s career.
It should be noted that Henley might well be the Eag;es’ biggest critic. The singer and drummer is notorious for being perhaps a little harsh on the band’s songs, but he might well be right on this one. The song does feel like a cacophony of ideas vying for attention.
Drafting in Don Felder behind the fretboard for two songs, the album would feature the band slowly growing out of their first phase, with Johns eventually breaking off on bad terms with the group later. While the supposed “clash of styles” was admirable on the group’s part, it would also spell disaster once the next album started.
Thinking that the outfit were reaching beyond their comfort zone, guitarist Bernie Leadon would quit soon afterwards, only to be replaced by guitar legend Joe Walsh. The Eagles may have had the reputation of being everyone’s favourite mellow country band, but ‘On the Border’ is still a perfect example of what they could do outside of the world of twang.
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