'Long Road Out Of Eden'

In February of 2001, Don Felder was fired by the Eagles. He was replaced by Nashville session guitarist Steuart Smith. Also added to the touring band in 2001 were Will Hollis and Michael Thompson on keyboards. Scott Crago remained on drums and percussion from the Hell Freezes Over tour.

Following the events of September 11th 2001, Don Henley and Glenn Frey composed the song "Hole In The World", which was released in 2003 on The Very Best Of Eagles compilation. Soon after, The Eagles embarked on their Farewell 1 Tour. Throughout this time. The Eagles spent time in the studio working on a new album.

Longtime Eagles producer Bill Scymczyk was brought in to be one of the producers on the new album. Henley and Frey say he was brought in to act as a mediator since Henley and Frey had learned to produce themselves. All the Eagles, in addition to touring band members, Steuart Smith, Richard F.W. Davis and Scott Crago are credited as producers.

The finished album Long Road Out Of Eden was released on October 30th 2007. It was initially only sold through retail chain Wal-Mart and the bands website for the first 12 months.

The album opens with the harmony-laden "No More Walks In The Woods" featuring all four members. The lyrics are adapted from a poem by John Hollander, Music is credited to Henley and Steuart Smith.

"How Long" was a song written in the early 70s by friend of the band and sometime collaborator J.D. Souther. It originally appeared on his self-titled debut album. The Eagles themselves performed it during the One Of These Nights tour. They finally recorded it for this album in 2007 where it was the first single from the album.

Up next is the album's second single "Busy Being Fabulous" sung by Henley, Next is the album's third single "What Do I Do With My Heart" about the aftermath of a bitter breakup. It is sung mostly by Frey with Henley providing some parts as well.

"Guilty Of The Crime" sung by Joe Walsh was written by Frankie Miller and Jerry Lynn Williams. It is an upbeat number with signature Walsh guitar solos as well as some tasteful piano playing as well as a fun sing-along chorus.

"I Don't Want To Hear Anymore" is written by Paul Carrack who had previously recorded it with Timothy B. Schmit and Henley on backing vocals. On this version Schmit takes lead vocal duties.

"Waiting In The Weeds" is written by Henley with touring guitarist Stuart Smith. In this authors opinion, due to his contributions to the album and the live show Smith should have been given Official Eagle status but what do I know. Smith plays the prominent mandolin and guitar parts on the song while Henley sings lead vocals. The song ends with a long instrumental passage sweetened by harmonies from the group.

The next song "No More Cloudy Days" written by Frey was performed during the 2004 Farewell 1 Tour and the studio recording was released as a single with the tour's official DVD, Live at Melbourne. a good two years before the Long Road album was released.

"Fast Company" is written by Henley and Frey. It is a guitar jam with a straightforward drumbeat by Scott Crago and shakers by Luis Conte and horns from the "Mighty Horn" section.

"Do Something" is written by Henley with Schmit and Steuart Smith and sung by Schmit with Henley on harmonies. The verses feature a cross-stick beat by Scott Crago. The lyrics are a bit self-righteous but it is a pleasant enough song.

Frey's "You Are Not Alone" is next. It features great snare rolls by Scott Crago. There is a tambourine audible on the backbeat played by either Lenny Castro or Luis Conte, The two credited percussionists on the album.

Disc 2 begins with the 10 minute long title track. It opens with the sound of howling winds which leads to some middle-eastern style instrumentation. This leads to an organ riff which leads into the main song. Another Henley critique of modern American culture similar to "The Last Resort" from Hotel California. It features epic guitar solos and drum fills. It is especially critical of the Bush Administrations "War on Terror" and the waste in lives and resources that the war brought. Toward the end of the song Scott Crago is let loose for a militaristic drum roll.

Following that epic is Frey's instrumental "I Dreamed There Was No War" which won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

"Somebody" is written by longtime collaborator Jack Tempchin with John Brannen. It is sung by Frey and features prominent guitar solos.

"Frail Grasp On The Big Picture" is written by Henley, Frey and Smith. It is about how humanity makes the same mistakes "over and over and over again". Over a bed of organ Henley preaches about the Lord "Who we know is American."

A guiro followed by congas, timbales, marimbas and shakers set a percussive backbeat that Walsh performs "Last Good Time In Town" over. The song is written by Walsh with J.D. Souther. The middle and end features signature Joe Walsh guitar solos. The song ends with a timbale solo.

"I Love To Watch A Woman Dance" is written by Larry John McNally. The instrumental bed features accordion by Michael Thompson, Mandolin by Steuart Smith and Scott Crago playing the drums with brushes. It is a slow waltz-type song.

"Business As Usual" is a critique of American Capitalism and market worship.

"Center Of The Universe" is written by Henley, Frey and Smith. It features an instrumental bed of acoustic guitars, accordion, shakers and claves. It also features exquisite harmonies from the band.

"It's Your World Now" written by Frey with Jack Tempchin" is a marimba accordion and horn laden sign off from Frey to the next generation.

Three weeks after it's release Henley stated that The Long Road Out Of Eden would be the bands final album.

The Long Road Out Of Eden tour crisscrossed the world from 2008 until 2011. In 2013 a documentary about the band History Of The Eagles was released this was followed by another tour of the same name with original member Bernie Leadon re-joining the band. Randy Meisner would have been invited too were he not ill at the time. The History tour lasted until 2015. In January 2016, Glenn Frey passed away from Pneumonia. He was honored at the 58th Grammy Awards with a performance of "Take It Easy" by the surviving Eagles including Leadon and the song's co-author Jackson Browne. The Eagles re-united without Leadon in 2017 with Deacon Frey filling in for his father and country singer Vince Gill now a member of the band. The band has toured continually since then and are currently on a tour called "The Last Goodbye" which is expected to be their final tour.