Glenn Frey Called This Eagles Album Their “Best-Sounding Record” (And Credits This Player for It)

The Eagles’ 1972 eponymous debut and 1973 follow-up, Desperado, include some of the band’s most iconic hits like “Take It Easy,” “Desperado,” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” but Glenn Frey still considers a different album altogether to be the band’s best. Of course, musical preference is largely in the eye, er, ear of the beholder. But Frey’s favorite record was different from the Eagles’ earlier albums for more reasons than just musical style.

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In fact, Frey could trace this record’s journey to the top of his list back to one person in particular.

Glenn Frey Said This Eagles Album Was The Best

The Eagles honed in their sound as they quickly rose in popularity in the early 1970s. What began as an easy listening country vibe soon turned into something grittier and rock-oriented, an evolution that kept the band successfully navigating the shifts in public taste as the decade progressed. For founding member Glenn Frey, no album demonstrated that stylistic shift quite like their third album, On the Border, which they released in March 1974.

“On the Border was the best-sounding record we ever made,” Frey said in a 1975 Melody Maker interview. “But that’s also experience. We’re starting to learn how to become recording artists, which is a little different from learning how to be a member of a band or how to become a singer/songwriter. There are definitely things we’ve learned slowly over a couple of years of making records.”

Frey said that on their previous album, Desperado, the band was consciously aware of maintaining a connecting thread through each song, which they first started with their 1972 debut. “After doing that one, when we went in to do On the Border, we tried to bring in the best elements from both the albums,” he continued. “That probably had something to do with it. I think we just progressed and played with a little more confidence. We stayed together.”

One Particular Player Helped Elevate Their Third Record

The band’s shift from country to straightforward rock ‘n’ roll wasn’t the only major change the Eagles underwent in the early 1970s. While recording On the Border, producer Bill Szymczyk suggested the band incorporate a slide guitar into the deep cut track “Good Day in Hell.” Eagles founding member Bernie Leadon immediately thought of his old friend and dexterous guitarist Don Felder, who later came to the studio and gave such a stunning performance that the band asked him to stay as the fifth member of their group.

Speaking to Melody Maker in 1975, Glenn Frey said Felder amped up their live performances that led to greater crowd response and better record sales. “He’s like Duane Allman,” Frey said. “He drives the band on certain songs. Some slide players, myself included, just slide along with the song. But when Felder plays slide, he drives the band, and the whole thing revolves around him. So, the year that we promoted On the Border, we had a much better show together.”

“Since we got Felder in the band, we’ve had a much better second half, the rock ‘n’ roll half, in our shows. The other part, the vocal harmony softer part, was always real good. But Felder nails down the harder stuff.”

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