History of the Eagles (2013)

★ 7.5 3h 5m 1 Seasons 47 votes IMDb

Documentary

Alison Ellwood’s intimate, meticulously crafted patchwork of rare archival material, concert footage, and unseen home movies explores the evolution and enduring popularity of one of America’s truly defining bands. This exceptional two-disc set includes History of the Eagles Part One and History of the Eagles Part Two, as well as Eagles Live At The Capital Centre - March 1977, featuring never-before-released performances from the Eagles’ two-night stand at Washington, D.C.’s Capital Center Arena during the legendary Hotel California tour.

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Cast

Don Henley as Self Age 78 · Gilmer, Texas, USA Donald Hugh Henley is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and founding member of the Eagles. He was the drummer and co-lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971 until the band broke...

Glenn Frey as Self Died 2016 · Detroit, Michigan, USA Glenn Lewis Frey (/fraɪ/; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American musician. He was a founding member of the rock band Eagles, for whom he was the co-lead singer and frontman, roles he cam...

Timothy B. Schmit as Self Age 78 · Oakland, California, USA Timothy Bruce Schmit (born October 30, 1947) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He has performed as the bassist and vocalist for Poco and the Eagles, having replaced bassist and vocalist...

Joe Walsh as Self Age 78 · Wichita, Kansas, USA As a member of the Eagles, Walsh was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001. The Eagles are considered to be one of the most influential ba...

Randy Meisner as Self Died 2023 · Nebraska, USA Randall Herman Meisner (born March 8, 1946) is a retired American musician, singer, songwriter and founding member of the Eagles. Throughout his professional musical career, Meisner's main role was th...

Director Alison Ellwood

Cast Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmit, Joe Walsh, Randy Meisner, Bernie Leadon, Don Felder, Jackson Browne, JD Souther, Bob Seger

Seasons & Episodes

Season 1

Episode 1 Episode 2

Now playing: Season 1, Episode 1

Grant English 7/10 Nov 04, 2014

At over 3 hours long (187 minutes), the film delivers the history of The Eagles primarily from the perspectives of the founding members and unquestionable leaders of the band – Don Henley and Glen Frey.

Along the way, we get treated to both archival footage, concert footage, archival interviews as well as current interviews with former bandmates. We hear from jilted bandmates, abandoned producers and record labels. Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Brown, and Bob Seger all make appearances as well.

What is great about the film are the ugly parts. We get to see the egos clash, the drug use, the alcoholism, the women-chasing, and even the back-stage nasty contract negotiations. David Geffen, founder of Asylum records and later Geffen records shows his dark side in the film as The Eagles and him fought for years over the rights of the songs.

The dynamic between Glen Frey and Don Felder is even more explosive. There is even footage from the last concert that Frey and Felder played together before the band broke up in 1980. The conversation is absolutely incredible and it’s like watching a train wreck. You just can’t believe they got this on film and you can’t walk away. What makes the whole thing even MORE compelling are the jump cuts to the modern-day perspective of Frey and Felder which still shows there isn't a lot of love lost between the two.

Henley and Frey are compelling story tellers. They have the ability to be objective and biased at the same time. It's unreal to watch it in action. This is the big draw of the film - the raw, authentic, story telling.

From a cinematography point of view, there is nothing spectacular about it at all. It’s basic, it's not a distraction but there is nothing spectacular about it either. The editor did a great job in breaking these shots up among the live footage.

If you are an Eagles fan – this is a must. If you are a music fan – you need to see it. For the rest of the populace - it's an interesting perspective on a great band. It's not to the level _20 Feet From Stardom_ or _Muscle Shoals_ but it's definitely worth a watch.