The Eagles. Why did people love this band, out of all the other options for easy listening, country-inflected rock in the 70s? Were each of them talented on their instruments? Sure: Don Henley on drums, Joe Walsh on guitar, and Glenn Frey on vocals. They made a lot of albums, did a lot of tours, and put a lot of bums in seats. They captured a laid-back, faded jeans spirit of the time of post-hippie California that struck chords with millions of people. They were huge at the end of the 70s and likely could still fill North America’s hockey arenas today, where REO Speedwagon are on the casino circuit. But I never got it, and I still don’t.
