Glenn Frey, an interesting guy.

The Stars keep falling. It shouldn't come as a surprise, everyone dies. Time is the great equalizer.

I can't write anything about Glenn that is new news. Anyone who knows the Eagles (or at very least, has seen the 3 hour long documentary) knows about Glenn's legacy. I'm not even really a huge Eagles fan. Maybe I was at one point, but it was a right of passage thing versus actual lifelong fandom. I tend to gear my interests toward the underdog (Don Felder is my favorite Eagle), and the Eagles are not in any way underdogs.

So how do I write a tribute to a man who needs no introduction? The only way I know how I guess. With a story about an experience I had listening to the Eagles.

I was 2 when Hotel California was released. My earliest memories of music did not include Album Rock. Mom dug Disco. I don't remember Hotel California being on in the background at any point of my early childhood. My first memory of the song was 9 years (or so) later, watching the live video on MTV's Closet Classics.

I can't speak for modern 11 year old kids today, but in 1986, a video from 1977 might as well been from 1950. These guys looked ancient to me then.

The song speaks for itself. However, the coolest part of the song/video was Don Felder and Joe Walsh dueling leads in the last act. They looked to be having a blast and made a beautiful racket.

Being a bit nerdy even then, I knew the "You Belong to the City" guy was strumming an acoustic on the stage next to the other guys. It peaked my interest. I remember thinking "How do you go from a "Hotel California" dude to "Smugglers Blues" narc?"

This is in no way a diss on Glenn's solo work. My frontal lobe was still very detached at the time, and an underdeveloped brain in an over-analytical stage goes weird places. Yngwie Malmsteen was my favorite artist back then, so forgive me.

Glenn's career was full of twists. From background vocals on a Bob Seger tune, to Miami Vice, with a stop off to be a founding member of the Eagles machine, is pretty impressive. Dude made a boatload of cash and had a huge impact on this crazy American culture, how many people can say that? 

I had the Eagles song "Take it Easy" on my mind tonight. I tend to let the sound of my own wheels make me crazy. It's good advice (taking it easy). 

Glenn, I hope you have as much impact in the next life as you did here. Godspeed and thank you.

Nago