Eagles Hotel California vinyl record album 1976 Asylum 7E1084 Classic Rock
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August 23, 2020
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Eagles Hotel California vinyl record album 1976 Asylum 7E1084 Classic Rock . Condition is Used. Shipped with USPS Media Mail.
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Country: Released: Genre: Style: , Tracklist A1Hotel California6:30A2New Kid In Town5:04A3Life In The Fast Lane4:46A4Wasted Time4:55B1Wasted Time (Reprise)1:22B2Victim Of Love4:11B3Pretty Maids All In A Row4:05B4Try And Love Again5:10B5The Last Resort7:25 Companies, etc. Pressed By – – \S Mastered At – Credits Mastered By – * Producer – Vocals, Bass – Vocals, Drums, Percussion – Vocals, Guitar – Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards – , Notes pressing as indicated by "CSM" on labels and "S1" in runouts.
Released in a gatefold sleeve with a folder poster inside of group in B&W sepia and custom inner sleeve with credits. Barcode and Other Identifiers Matrix / Runout (Side A label): 7E-1084-A CSM Matrix / Runout (Side B label): 7E-1084-B CSM Matrix / Runout (Side A, variant 1 etched, except "STERLING" is stamped): 7E 1084 A -4 RE CSM "IS IT SIX O'CLOCK YET? STERLING LH 1S Matrix / Runout (Side B, variant 1 etched, except "STERLING" is stamped): 7E-1084 B -4 RE CSM "V.O.L. IS FIVE PIECE LIVE" STERLING LH 1S Matrix / Runout (Side A, variant 2 etched, except "STERLING" is stamped): 7E 1084 A - 3RE CSM "IS IT SIX O'CLOCK YET? STERLING LH 1S Matrix / Runout (Side B, variant 2 etched, except "STERLING" is stamped): 7E-1084 B -5RE CSM "V.O.L. IS FIVE PIECE LIVE" STERLING LH 1S Matrix / Runout (Side A, variant 3 etched, except "STERLING" is stamped): 7E 1084 A-2 RE CSM "IS IT 6 O'CLOCK YET?" A3 STERLING LH 2S Matrix / Runout (Side B, variant 3 etched, except "STERLING" is stamped): 7E 1084 B-2 RE CSM "V.O.L. IS FIVE PIECE LIVE" C2 STERLING LH 1S Matrix / Runout (Side A, variant 4 etched, except "STERLING" is stamped): 7E-1084 A-5 RE CSM "IS IT 6 O'CLOCK YET?" STERLING \S Matrix / Runout (Side B, variant 4 etched, except "STERLING" is stamped): 7E 1084 B-5 RE CSM "V.O.L. IS FIVE PIECE LIVE" STERLING LH \S Other Versions (5 of 376) () (LP, Album, Spe)7E-1084US1976 (CD, Album, RE), 103-2 (253 051), R2 119036USUnknown (CD, Album, RE)1032AustralasiaUnknown (19xFile, FLAC, Album, RM, 40t), none2017 (LP, Album, Gre), , AS 53 051, AS 53051, 7E-1084Netherlands1976
Hotel California is the fifth studio album by American band the . The album was recorded by at the and studios between March and October 1976, and then released on in December. It was their first album with guitarist , who had replaced founding member , and is the last album to feature bassist . The front cover is a photograph of by David Alexander.
Hotel California topped the US chart. At the , the Eagles won a for "", which won , and for "". The album was nominated for but lost to 's . Three singles were released from the album, with two topping the , "New Kid in Town" and "Hotel California", whilst "" reached No. 11.
A 40th anniversary special edition of Hotel California was released in November 2017. Hotel California is one of the . It has been certified in the US, and has sold over 32 million copies worldwide, making it the band's best-selling album after . It has been ranked as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2003 and 2012, it was ranked number 37 on 's list of "".
Contents Theme[]The first song written for the album was "", which became the theme for the album. Henley said of the themes of the songs in the album:
They're the same themes that run through all of our work: loss of innocence, the cost of naiveté, the perils of fame, of excess; exploration of the dark underbelly of the American dream, idealism realized and idealism thwarted, illusion versus reality, the difficulties of balancing loving relationships and work, trying to square the conflicting relationship between business and art; the corruption in politics, the fading away of the Sixties dream of "peace, love and understanding."
On the title "Hotel California", Henley said that "the word, 'California,' carries with it all kinds of connotations, powerful imagery, mystique, etc., that fires the imaginations of people in all corners of the globe. There's a built-in mythology that comes with that word, an American cultural mythology that has been created by both the film and the music industry." In an interview with the Dutch magazine shortly before the album's release, said:
This is a concept album, there's no way to hide it, but it's not set in the old West, the cowboy thing, you know. It's more urban this time (…) It's our bicentennial year, you know, the country is 200 years old, so we figured since we are the Eagles and the Eagle is our national symbol, that we were obliged to make some kind of a little statement using as a microcosm of the whole United States, or the whole world, if you will, and to try to wake people up and say 'We've been okay so far, for 200 years, but we're gonna have to change if we're gonna continue to be around.'"
Composition[], who was the principal country influence in the band, left the band after the release of the previous album . For Hotel California, the band made a conscious decision to move away from country rock, and wrote some songs that are more rock & roll, such as "Victim of Love" and "". Leadon was replaced by who provided the opening guitar riff of "Life in the Fast Lane" that was then developed into the song. The title for "Life in the Fast Lane" was inspired by a conversation between Frey and his drug dealer during a high speed car ride.
The melody of the title track, "Hotel California", was written by . Don Henley wrote most of the lyrics, with contributions from . Henley noted that hotel had become a "literal and symbolic focal point of their lives at that time", and it became the theme of the song. Frey wanted the song to be "more cinematic", and to write it "just like it was a movie". Henley sought inspiration for the lyrics by driving out into the desert, as well as from films and theatre. Parts of the lyrics of "Hotel California" as well as the song "Wasted Time" were based on Henley's break up with his then girlfriend .
Frey, in the "Hotel California" episode of , spoke about the writing of "". Frey said: "It was the first time that Don took it upon himself to write an epic story and we were already starting to worry about the environment… we're constantly screwing up paradise and that was the point of the song and that at some point there is going to be no more new frontiers. I mean we're putting junk, er, garbage into space now."
Recording[]The album was recorded between March and October 1976 at , and , , and produced by . Although the band favored Los Angeles, the producer Szymczyk wanted to record in Miami as he had developed a fear of living on a fault line in Los Angeles after experiencing an earthquake, and a compromise was then struck to split the recording at both places. While the band were recording the album, were recording in an adjacent studio at in Miami. The band was forced to stop recording on numerous occasions because Black Sabbath were too loud and the sound was coming through the wall. The last track of the album, "" had to be re-recorded a number of times due to noise from the next studio.
For the title track "Hotel California", after the arrangement and instrumentation had been refined, several takes were recorded. The best parts were then spliced together, in all 33 edits on the two‑inch master, to create the final version. In contrast, "Victim of Love" was recorded in a live session in studio apart from the lead vocal and the harmony on the choruses which were added later. Don Felder initially sang the lead vocals in the many early takes for the song, but the band felt that his efforts were not up to the required standard, and Henley then took over as the lead.
According to Henley in a 1982 interview, the Eagles "probably peaked on Hotel California." Henley said: "After that, we started growing apart as collaborators and as friends."
Artwork[] Eagles performing "Hotel California" in 2010 with the image from the album cover in the backgroundThe front is a photograph of shot just before sunset by David Alexander with design and art direction by . According to Kosh, Henley wanted him to find a place that can portray the Hotel California of the album title, and "portray it with a slightly sinister edge". Three hotels were photographed, and the one with The Beverly Hills Hotel was selected as the cover. The photographer shot the image 60 feet above on top of a . As the image was taken from an unfamiliar vantage point in fading light, most people did not initially recognize the hotel. However, when the identity of Beverly Hills Hotel was revealed, the hotel threatened legal action over the use of the image.
The rear album cover was shot in the lobby of the Lido Hotel in . The gatefold image shows the same lobby but filled with members of the band and their friends. Henley said: "I wanted a collection of people from all walks of life, It’s people on the edge, on the fringes of society." A shadowy figure appears on the balcony above the lobby, which led to speculations over the person's identity.
Kosh designed a Hotel California logo as a which was used on the album cover and in its promotional materials. As it proved difficult to bend real neon tubings into the desired shape of the script, the neon effect of the logo was achieved with by Bob Hickson. Additional portraits of the band used in the album package and promotional materials were shot by .
Release[]The album was released by on December 8, 1976, in , and formats. It was considered for release in early 1977, but this idea was dropped following the demise of the quadraphonic format. On the album's 25th anniversary in 2001, it was released in a Multichannel 5.1 disc. On August 17, 2011, the album was released on a hybrid in Japan in , containing both a stereo and a mix.
Original vinyl pressings of Hotel California (Elektra/Asylum catalog no. 7E-1084) had custom picture labels of a blue Hotel California logo with a yellow background. These also had text engraved in the run-out groove of each side, continuing an in-joke trend the band had started with their third album . The text reads: Side one: "Is It 6 O'Clock Yet?"; Side two: "V.O.L. Is Five-Piece Live", indicating that the song "Victim of Love" was recorded in a live session in studio, with no overdubbing. Joe Walsh and Glenn Frey confirm this on the inner booklet of . This only referred to the instrumental track, however; the lead vocal and harmony for the chorus were added later. This was in response to those who criticized the Eagles' practice of copious overdubbing of instruments and that they were too clinical and soulless in the studio. They wanted to demonstrate that they could play together without overdubs if they wanted to.
A 40th anniversary deluxe edition was released on November 24, 2017. The set includes the original remastered album, and a second CD that features 10 live tracks from the concert at , recorded in October 1976 two months before the original release of the album.
Critical reception[] Retrospective professional reviewsReview scoresSourceRatingBHotel California was met with generally positive reviews. critic felt it was their "most substantial if not their most enjoyable LP", while Charley Walters of felt it showcased "both the best and worst tendencies of Los Angeles-situated rock". Both critics picked up on the album's California themes – Christgau remarking that while it may in places be "pretentious and condescending" and that "Don Henley is incapable of conveying a mental state as complex as self-criticism", the band couldn't have written the songs on side one "without caring about their California theme down deep"; Walters in contrast felt the "lyrics present a convincing and unflattering portrait of the milieu itself", and that Don Henley's vocals express well "the weary disgust of a victim (or observer) of the region's luxurious excess". Billboard gave the album high praise: "The casually beautiful, quietly-intense multileveled vocal harmonies and brilliant original songs that meld solid emotional words with lovely melody lines are all back in force, keeping the Eagles at the acme of acoustic electric soft rock." It noted that, even though the album did not try out any new departure other than the "-type" title track, "the album proves that there's a lot more left to explore profitably and artistically in the L.A. countryish-rock style."
Retrospective reviews have also been positive. of the , writing after the band broke up, called the album "a legitimate rock masterpiece", in which the band "examined their recurring theme about the American Dream with more precision, power and daring than ever in such stark, uncompromising songs as "Hotel California" and "The Last Resort"." William Ruhlmann from later said "Hotel California unveiled what seemed almost like a whole new band. It was a band that could be bombastic, but also one that made music worthy of the later tag of 'classic rock', music appropriate for the arenas and stadiums the band was playing." Steve Holtje, writing for CultureCatch in 2012, felt that even though "an awful lot of the album is snarky whining from co-leaders Don Henley and Glenn Frey, two guys who didn't really seem like they had that much they could legitimately complain about", in the final analysis "Hotel California and the underrated concept album Desperado stand as the group's greatest statements".
Accolades[]Hotel California was the Eagles' sixth album (including ), and fifth of original material. It became a critical and commercial success. In a poll of rock critics and DJs in 1987, it was ranked 48 out of 100. In a public poll for the 1994 edition of , it was voted number 107, and then number 67 in the 2000 edition. In 2001, the TV network placed Hotel California at number 38 on their 100 Greatest Albums of All Time list. Hotel California was ranked 13th in a 2005 survey held by British television's to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 37 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of , maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list.
The song "Hotel California" was ranked number 49 on Rolling Stone's list of "", in 2004 and again in 2011.
Awards and nominations[]The album was nominated for several Grammy awards in 1978 and its title track "Hotel California" won the Record of the Year. The band manager however refused requests by the Grammy producer for the band to attend or perform at the ceremony unless a win was guaranteed. The band therefore did not appear at the ceremony to collect their awards. Henley later said: "The whole idea of a contest to see who is 'best' just doesn't appeal to us."
YearAwardNomineeCategoryResult1978Grammy for "Hotel California"WonEagles for "New Kid in Town"WonEagles for Hotel CaliforniaBest Pop Vocal Performance by a GroupNominatedEagles for Hotel CaliforniaNominatedBill SzymczykNominated Commercial performance[]The album first entered the US at number four, reaching number one in its fourth week in January 1977. It topped the chart for eight weeks (non-consecutively), and it was certified platinum by the (RIAA) in a week of release. In its first year of release it sold nearly 6 million copies in the United States, and by July 1978 it has sold 9.5 million copies worldwide (7 million in the US and 2.5 million elsewhere internationally). On March 20, 2001, the album was certified by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting shipment of 16 million in the United States, and had sold over 17 million copies in the US by 2013. Worldwide the album has sold 32 million copies. On August 20, 2018, the album was certified 26× platinum by the RIAA for 26 million units consumed in the United States under the new system that tallies album and digital track sales as well as streams.
The album produced two number one hit singles on the US : "New Kid in Town", on February 26, 1977, and "Hotel California" on May 7, 1977.
Track listing[] Side oneNo.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength1."" Don Henley6:302."" Henley Frey Glenn Frey5:043."" Henley Frey Henley4:464."Wasted Time" Henley Frey Henley4:55Side twoNo.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength1."Wasted Time" (Reprise) Henley Frey instrumental1:222."Victim of Love" Henley Frey Felder Souther Henley4:113."Pretty Maids All in a Row" Walsh Joe Walsh4:054."Try and Love Again"Randy Meisner5:105."" Henley Frey Henley7:2540th Anniversary Edition Bonus Disc (Live at the LA Forum October 20–22, 1976)No.TitleLength1."" 2."" 3."New Kid In Town" 4."" 5."Good Day In Hell" 6."" 7."Funk #49" 8."" 9."Hotel California" 10."" Personnel[]Adapted from AllMusic.
Eagles
– , – guitars, backing vocals, , – , , lead vocals, backing vocals, – , backing vocals, lead vocals, – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocalsProduction
Bill Szymczyk – producer, mixing Allan Blazek, Bruce Hensal, Ed Mashal, Bill Szymczyk – engineers – string arrangements, conductor Sid Sharp – concert master Don Henley, John Kosh – art direction – design David Alexander – photography Kosh – artwork – poster design Kevin Gray – CD preparation – mastering and remastering – original LP mastering Charts[] Weekly charts[] ChartPosition1Austrian Albums Chart9112Italian Albums Chart1221132US 1US 53 Year-end charts[] Chart (1976)PositionAustralian Albums Chart59Chart (1977)Position4Austrian Albums Chart122Dutch Albums Chart1French Albums Chart5Italian Albums Chart45Japanese Albums Chart2UK Albums Chart9US Billboard 2004Chart (1978)PositionDutch Albums Chart76 Certifications and sales[] RegionCertification/salesAustralia ()8× Platinum560,000^Austria ( Austria)Gold25,000*Canada ()Diamond1,000,000^Finland ()Gold30,933France ()Diamond1,000,000*Germany ()Platinum500,000^Hong Kong ( Hong Kong)Platinum20,000*Italy ()sales since 2009Gold30,000*Japan (Oricon Charts)—493,000Netherlands ()Platinum275,000New Zealand ()[]9× Platinum135,000^Norway—120,000Spain ()4× Platinum400,000^Switzerland ( Switzerland)2× Platinum100,000^United Kingdom ()6× Platinum1,800,000^United States ()26× Platinum26,000,000SummariesWorldwide—32,000,000
*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone
