On The Border
	Produced by Bill Szymczyk (track 2 and 10 by Glyn Johns)
	Released on March 22, 1974
	US CHART POSITION #17 . . . GOLD RECORD (6/5/74), 2x PLATINUM (3/20/01) . . . UK CHART POSITION #28
	Find it at GEMM
7E-1004 cover [high resolution photo]

T his is somewhere on the border between country rock (The Byrds) and sophisticated studio rock (Steely Dan). The range is remarkable sometimes, by design. Eagles were patterned after bands like The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield who had an arsenal of ideas (and styles) at their disposal. Not surprisingly, it’s Don Henley and Glenn Frey who make the biggest mark. Henley’s “The Best of My Love” gave Eagles their first #1 hit while Frey’s “Already Gone” coasted comfortably into the Top 40. (It remains one of the great “kiss off” songs of all time.) The rest of the record has its moments. “James Dean” deflates the legend with a cranky cuteness (sorry, that’s best I could do), Randy Meisner contributes the likeable “Is It True” (with shades of George Harrison’s country delivery) and Don Henley puts on his city clothes for the sophisticated title track (which would have been my choice for the third single). Personalities begin to crystallize on this record that cover the full spectrum from country to rock: Meisner and Leadon at the one end, Henley at the other, with Frey in the middle (and Felder in the background). Personally, I’m less interested in the country stylings of “Midnight Flyer.” But when the band plays country with a clean studio attack (“My Man”) it’s no less effective than Steely Dan’s steel guitar opi (“Pearl of the Quarter,” “Fire In The Hole”). On The Border also marked the beginning of the band’s relationship with producer Bill Szymczyk, who re-recorded most of the tracks that Glyn Johns had already done. The result was a punchier, cleaner sound that would serve them well throughout the ‘70s.

7E-1004 back cover

TRACK LISTING

1. ALREADY GONE    (Jack Tempchin/Robb Strandlin)    4:13
2. YOU NEVER CRY LIKE A LOVER    (John David Souther/Don Henley)    4:02
3. MIDNIGHT FLYER    (Paul Craft)    3:58
4. MY MAN    (Bernie Leadon)    3:30
5. ON THE BORDER    (Don Henley/Bernie Leadon/Glenn Frey)    4:28
6. JAMES DEAN    (Jackson Browne/Glenn Frey/John David Souther/Don Henley)    3:36
7. OL' '55    (Tom Waits)    4:22
8. IS IT TRUE?    (Randy Meisner)    3:14
9. GOOD DAY IN HELL    (Don Henley/Glenn Frey)    4:27
10. BEST OF MY LOVE    (Don Henley/Glenn Frey/John David Souther)    4:35

CREDITS

DON FELDER -- electric guitar, slide guitar
GLENN FREY -- vocals, guitars, piano, slide guitar
DON HENLEY -- vocals, drums
BERNIE LEADON -- vocals, guitars, banjo, steel guitar
RANDY MEISNER -- vocals, bass
Al Perkins -- pedal steel guitar (7)
Bill Szymczyk -- engineer, remix engineer
Glyn Johns -- engineer (2,10)
Gary Burden for R.Twerk & Company -- art direction & design
Henry Diltz -- photography
Beatian Yazz -- cover painting
Rick Griffin -- lettering

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Did you know...

...the album credit at the end of On The Border ("Extra special thanks to Paul Ahern for leaving town") refers to Asylum promotions man Paul Ahern? Of course, I couldn't tell you if it's tongue-in-cheek or not.

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