Whistle Stopper - Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001)

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Manufacturer: Wiley

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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 782.42166092
EAN: 9780470289068
ISBN: 0470289066
Label: Wiley
Manufacturer: Wiley
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 352
Publication Date: 2008-04-21
Publisher: Wiley
Studio: Wiley

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Summary: Much better than expected...
Comment: I tend to assume that celebrity bios are ghost-written, and this one at least credits the co-author. Given that, it's a much better read than I expected, well put together and coherent. Don Felder makes a good "unsung hero", and for an unsung hero getting his chance to speak, he does a good job of taking the high road. He makes a noticeable effort to be fair to all the members of the Eagles with whom he played, and as a result he doesn't come off as petty or whining. I have always enjoyed and admired his guitar playing, and now have a sense that he may also be a pretty decent person. Worth reading.

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Summary: Eagles dirty laundry
Comment: Great book, everybody mentioned in this book are geniuses in their own right, ego's are always a huge factor in any group, and without a defined leader, people naturally push to get things done the way they feel is best, the Eagles were no different. Entertaining to see how their music and personal lives evolved over the years, Felder writes from the heart, and his personal experience in the band sheds a light on how power and money changed the environment that was once totally music driven, to one that tried to maintain the music standard, and add the big business aspect.Great reading, enjoyed it all.

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Summary: Sympathy for the Doormat
Comment: This is basically another tale of domestic abuse--this time with a '70s country-rock soundtrack. Oh, and not one but TWO abusive husbands: Henley and Frey. I do understand how Felder's situation put him in a tough position within the band, but I really do think someone should have shaken him really hard at some point, maybe by the early '80s, and shown him how the sacrifices he was making with his marriage, family, health, and musical talent were in no way worth the cash and any financial security he ended up with.

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Summary: The Money Was Heaven; Henley and Frey Were Hell
Comment: I always figured Don Henley and Glenn Frey were egomaniacs...Don Felder's tell-all book called Heaven and Hell not only confirmed my assumption but provided loads of details to back it up. Wow. I know the money was great and all but I still can't understand how Felder survived all those years with these guys.

When I first opened this book I assumed I would skip whatever pre-Eagles coverage Felder offered and jump right in to the Hotel California era. I also thought I'd cut it short and not bother reading much beyond the band's first breakup. Much to my surprise, I started reading about Felder's childhood on page one and was immediately hooked. The guy has led a fascinating life and it's remarkable how many other well-known musicians he's stumbled across over the years. Growing up in Gainesville gave him access to bands like The Allman Brothers and he was even Tom Petty's first guitar teacher.

While the early years of Felder's life were more interesting than I originally figured, the book really shines when he hooks up with The Eagles after they've had a taste of success in 1974. Hotel California is one of my favorite albums and probably the only one I care much about from The Eagles. The story of how that album was made, and how that song was written, is riveting. Felder takes you behind the scenes of tours, studio sessions and traveling with the band. You get the impression you're right there in the same room with these guys. The book is exceptionally well-written.

I finished reading it last night and I'm still marvelling at how Henley, Frey and the band's manager (Irving Azoff) railroaded Felder into a much smaller cut of the proceeds towards the end. And yes, I realize Henley and Frey were the two "faces" of the band and they had much more successful solo careers than Felder, but still...I'll bet Paul and John never hosed George and Ringo like that. When you see these mega-bands from the '70's reuniting for "one final farewell tour" and ticket prices are well north of $100 it's hard to look at it as anything other than greed. Heaven and Hell will reinforce that notion, particularly when it comes to Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Irving Azoff. No matter how much you liked (or even disliked) The Eagles, Heaven and Hell is a very worthwhile read and sheds much light on the '70's music scene.

Customer Rating:

Summary: This could be heaven, or this could be hell....
Comment: It is an interesting read, but towards the end it just seems that Felder is whining about how unfair he was treated - yes, he probably was, but I don't think he minds spending all that money that he made. His continually referring to Henley and Frey as "the Gods" got a little old. I don't doubt the truth of this book, but Henley and Frey were the most talented songwriters, proven by their solo careers. The background of Felder's life only proved that he should have been grateful for the opportunity he got to be in such a successful band, even as talented as he was, he had not succeeded to that level before the Eagles. He seemed to want the audience to believe that he really didn't like doing drugs or women, but he still did it. His honesty about why his marriage fell apart was refreshing, and Susan was definitely the best thing that ever happened to him - too bad it was too late when he really realized it. I do believe that he was treated unfairly, as was Meisner and Leadon before him. At least they were all inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - something they can always be proud of.

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Editorial Reviews:

The inside story can finally be revealed

The Eagles are the bestselling, and arguably the tightest-lipped, American group ever, and Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975 is the bestselling album of all time in the United States. Through breakup and comeback, arguments and lawsuits, their popularity has continued to soar for more than three decades. Now band member and guitarist DonFelder finally breaks the Eagles' years of public silence to take fans behind the scenes— -where drugs, greed, and endless acrimony threatened to break up the band almost daily.

In Heaven and Hell, Felder shares every part of the band's wild ride, from the pressure-packed recording studios and trashed hotel rooms to the tension-filled courtrooms where he, Glenn Frey, and Don Henley had their ultimate confrontation. Yet, beyond the mayhem and clashing egos that have become standard-issue in rock-and-roll memoirs, Felder also remembers the joy of writing powerful new songs with his bandmates; the magic of performing in huge arenas packed with roaring fans; and the hard work, dedication, and creativity that each band member brought to the music, even in the worst of times.

Offering even-handed and perceptive portraits of every member of the Eagles, Heaven and Hell is a thrilling and thoughtful, raucous and bittersweet tale about the love of music and the price of fame.