on 2xLPs 180g Vinyl

On their first four albums, the Eagles were at pains to demonstrate that they were a group of at least near-equals, each getting a share of the songwriting credits and lead vocals. But this compilation drawn from those albums, comprising the group's nine Top 40 hits plus "Desperado," demonstrates that this evenhandedness did not extend to singles -- as far as those go, the Eagles belong to Glenn Frey and Don Henley. The tunes are melodic, and the arrangements -- full of strummed acoustic guitars over a rock rhythm section often playing a shuffle beat, topped by tenor-dominated harmonies -- are immediately engaging. There is also a lyrical consistency to the songs, which often concern romantic uncertainties in an atmosphere soaked in intoxicants. The narrators of the songs usually seem exhausted, if not satiated, and the loping rhythms are appropriate to these impressions. All of which means that, unlike the albums from which they come, these songs make up a collection consistent in mood and identity, which may help explain why Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) works so much better than the band's previous discs and practically makes them redundant. No wonder it was such a big hit out of the box, topping the charts and becoming the first album ever certified platinum. Still, there must be more to it, since the album wasn't just a big hit, but one of the biggest ever, becoming one of the very few discs to cross the threshold of 20 million copies and competing for the title of best-selling album of all time. There may be no explaining that, really, except to note that this was the pervasive music of the first half of the 1970s, and somehow it never went away.

With the Eagles having officially disbanded in May 1982, leaving behind eight Top 40 hits that followed the release of the spectacularly successful Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, Asylum Records naturally compiled a second hits collection for fall 1982 release. Seven of those hits were included (the exception being the seasonal "Please Come Home for Christmas"), along with three LP tracks, one each from One of These Nights, Hotel California, and The Long Run. Disdained by longtime fans and by the Eagles themselves, the collection was perfect for listeners who knew the band through number one radio hits like "New Kid in Town," "Hotel California," and "Heartache Tonight." It also spared them having to buy mediocre albums like The Long Run and Eagles Live just to have copies of the best-known songs from those releases. No wonder, then, that over the years, Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 achieved multi-platinum status.

Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975    
Take It Easy    3:29
Witchy Woman    4:10
Lyin' Eyes    6:21
Already Gone    4:13
Desperado    3:33
One Of These Nights    4:51
Tequila Sunrise    2:52
Take It To The Limit    4:48
Peaceful Easy Feeling    4:16
Best Of My Love    4:35
Eagles Greatest Hits Volume 2    
Hotel California    6:29
Heartache Tonight    4:25
Seven Bridges Road    2:58
Victim Of Love    4:10
The Sad Cafe    5:32
Life In The Fast Lane    4:45
I Can't Tell You Why    4:54
New Kid In Town    5:04
The Long Run    3:42
After The Thrill Is Gone    4:41