Eagles classic first album,along with their five other studio classics and the double Eagles Live have all been remastered and the sound quality is incredible! It's like hearing them for the first time ever.The acoustic guitars and Eagles trademark harmonies float out of the speakers with breathtaking clarity.Randy Meisner's harmony vocals on Take It Easy are so clear you'd swear he was in the room.The original Eagles cd's were done from the compressed album masters and a quick A/B comparison test with those and the remasters will astound you.If you don't own any Eagles cd's pick them up in order, you can't go wrong! I haven't seen the two Greatest Hits cd's remastered yet but forget them and pick up the original albums. There are just too many great tracks that aren't on those like Saturday Night, James Dean, Ol'55, After The Thrill Is Gone, Visions, Midnight Flyer, Doolin' Dalton, The Last Resort, and many many more.The cd's were remastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York City in March of 1999. Finally we can hear these classics in all their sonic glory!

Contrary to the last reviewer, I recommend this one as THE introductory Eagles album. It has a diverse and genuine feel that ranks up there with the Flying Burrito Bros. groundbreakers and The Byds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo. After Bernie Leadon left, this band was reduced to an over-produced, slick, formulaic clone of itself. This record is legendary - it is responsible for much of the country music you are hearing today.

The self-titled debut album by The Eagles laid the groundwork for their country-rock sound. Following in the tradition of Buffalo Springfield, Gram Parsons and The Flying Burrito Brothers, the one time backing band for Linda Ronstadt, they show that they could write great songs. The songs like the seminal "Take It Easy" have a country flavor, but more of a rock edge than true country-rockers. "Witchy Woman" is an AM radio classic and "Peaceful Easy Feeling" is a pretty ballad. "Take The Devil" has a hard sound while "Nightingale" and "Earlybird" have a bluegrass feel. The standout track on the album is the majestic "Train Leaves This Morning". The album is prelude for the greatness that would soon follow.

With this stunning debut album, the Eagles immediately wrote music history, thanks to a number of very succesful hit singels: Take It Easy, Witchy Woman and Peaceful Easy Feeling. But they aren't, in my opinion, the most interesting songs; instead I would like to strike a blow for Glenn Frey's acoustic ballad "Most of Us are Sad", with its incredible vocal harmonies (but with lead vocals by bassist Randy Meisner!) and Bernie Leadon's "Train Leaves Here this Mornin" (co-written by Gene Clark during Bernie's spell with Dillard & Clark in the late 60s).

It is hard to belive that the album, with its strong american country sound, actually is recorded in London (by the genius producer Glyn Johns, who also in the same studio -- his own Olympic Studios -- produced and recorded McGuinnes Flint a couple of years earlier, among others). It was also Glyn Johns who "created" the band's sound and made them aware of their vocal harmony skills and country roots, although some of the members wasn't quite happy with the musical direction. Glenn Frey is said to have been the strongest opponent to the country sound, due to his own aim to lead the band into a more straight forward rock'n roll and white soul band. Thank [goodness] Glyn Johns didn't give in.

...if one -- like myself -- already has heard milestones like "Hotel Californa", this album could turn out as a surprise, and even maybe a disappointment, because it is so musically different from the music of the Eagles that are mostly played on the radio or on TV. Despite of the very commercial sounding and succesful hit singels on the album, this Eagles debut requires a number of listenings until one can fully appreciate it, like for example the hard rock tune "Chug All Night" or Meisner's Woodstock-sounding psykadelic song "Take the Devil". But when you do, and if you give it a chance, you will soon find it to be their most interesting album, much better than the highly over-rated "Hotel California" (yes, I am serious!!). A genuine classic!

this album is indeed a classic. it is the perfect sign-post at the crossroads between what had been in country rock, and what was coming. it does have a country vibe because of bernie's playing, has perfect pop (peaceful easy feeling and take it easy), and does have a bit of henley's darker edge on tunes like witchy woman, which foreshadows what was to come on the hotel california and long run albums. i love this record, and it particularly showcases the talents of randy meisner, my favorite eagle. by the way, to marc booth: the great songwriter jack tempchin has in fact released several albums...