Desperado - THE EAGLES***

Doolin Dalton/Twenty One/Out Of Control/Tequila Sunrise/Desperado/Certain Kind Of Fool/Doolin Dalton (Instrumental)/Outlaw Man/Saturday Night/Bitter Creek/Doolin Dalton-Desperado (Reprise)

Desperado was the follow up album from the country-rock group The Eagles. It is somewhat uneven and their music is best sampled on one of the many compilations. (US:41 UK:39)

“A solid country-rock classic. It's hard to deny the talent this band had; all highly proficient musicians who could sing and write great songs on album after album. This may not be my favourite set of Eagles songs, but the music stands the test of time, especially when heard in its entirety. This stands as a sort of concept album, with an interesting flow from the softer/slower tracks, to the mid-tempo rockers, and back and forth. The acoustic nature is what creates a classic western atmosphere.”

“I would rather listen to tracks like Tequila Sunrise, Desperado and Outlaw Man on their own or with a collection of their greatest hits. The rest of the tracks on here can be classed as mediocre filler, meeting the concept of the album but coming off as quite unappealing.”

“The songs are sometimes plodding, especially the rock material which did not compare to some of the cutting edge rock and country rock of the day. Tequila Sunrise is a terrific song well played with a timeless sentiment that still appeals. The concept of a Western record is very well achieved here.”

“The western concept album works out quite well and the title track is a stone cold beauty. There feels like a fair bit of filler present here too though.”

“Desperado was a concept album that was an ode to the Old West as it followed the exploits of the Doolin-Dalton gang. Under the surface, however, it told of the trials and tribulations of a rock ‘n’ roll band. It’s almost a perfect country-rock album. The harmonies, the production, the lyrics and the musicianship are impeccable and have a polish that was unprecedented in country or rock music in its day.”

“It's a mixture of rock ‘n' roll and country, some tracks mostly rock, some mostly country. The opening track, Doolin-Dalton, is a beautiful ballad without being sappy, and the same goes for the famous title track. The tempo is sometimes slow, sometimes fast, and as usual, each member of the group does lead vocals on at least one track.”