Just because something is true doesn’t necessarily make it easier to swallow, and Don Henley’s thoughts about releasing new music are certainly no exception. Despite the Eagles having a career that spans virtually every incarnation of the modern music industry, Henley doesn’t necessarily feel more adept at navigating the trends and platforms of the 2020s.
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In fact, Henley all but resigned his desire to keep up with the times in 2019—a professional stance that, while completely understandable, was undoubtedly disappointing to lifelong Eagles fans.
Don Henley’s Thoughts On New Music
Aside from the obvious COVID-19 cancellations of 2020 and 2021, the Eagles have enjoyed a rigorous and well-attended live performance schedule well into the 2020s. However, the band hasn’t released an album with new material on it since their 2007 release Long Road Out of Eden. During a 2019 interview with Classic Rock, Henley made it clear that he has no plans to change that discography lineup.
“I’m not sure I care anymore,” Henley admitted. “We could make the best album we’ve ever made in the history of this band, and it wouldn’t get played on the radio simply because it’s all about demographics now. It’s about marketing youth to youth.”
Bandmate Joe Walsh added, “There are no albums; the internet ate ‘em. There is no side two. If we made new music, it would be for us.”
Three years later, bassist Tim Schmit sang a similar tune. Schmit told Classic Rock he “sincerely doubted” there would ever be new music from the Eagles. “We toured behind our last album, Long Road Out Of Eden, and put in five to seven of those songs. But we don’t do them anymore because there wasn’t a big reaction. When people come to see the Eagles, they want to hear Best Of My Love, One Of These Nights, all these things. So, we give it to them.”
An Unsurprising (But Still Somewhat Disappointing) Perspective
For people who have been listening to the Eagles for years, Don Henley’s thoughts on new music can come as a disappointment, albeit an understandable one. The idea that new music sells youth to the young inherently cancels out an entire demographic of listeners in their 40s and beyond who would enjoy hearing new creative contributions from their favorite band. Luckily, Henley’s perspective on new music doesn’t change his opinion on the Eagles’ top hits.
“The songs have taken on a life of their own,” Henley told Classic Rock. “We’re only curating them. We’re just the vehicle for presenting these songs to the people—we’ve come to realize what these songs mean to people and how they’re part of their lives. You could call it nostalgia, and there’s nothing terrible about that, especially in times like these when things are so unhinged and crazy. I think it gives people two and a half hours of relief from the crazy, chaotic world outside—especially in America.”
Fortunately for all of us, a reprieve from the chaos of everyday life doesn’t have an age limit.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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