Glenn Frey – Live at The Paradise, Boston – October 3, 1982 (Early show) –
Glenn Frey (1948-2016). Founding member of The Eagles, whose distinctive and evocative sound defined the evolution of West Coast Rock in the 1970s. A mix of rock, country and folk, The Eagles became one of the most popular bands to come out of the U.S., with a string of memorable hits; songs which became the soundtrack for a generation and added a new phrase to describe the Southern California state of mind; laid-back.
And Frey was at the center of it. As writer of some of the most potent and lasting songs of The Eagles, you didn’t think of the Eagles without Glenn Frey and you didn’t think of Glenn Frey without The Eagles.
But even when The Eagles broke up in 1980, and the band members went separate ways, Glenn Frey quickly established himself as a solo artist and launched into a career that also included branching off into acting with numerous appearances on popular TV series of the day and eventually breaking into feature films.
But it was still his solo career that was at the center; the unmistakable talent and gift of writing that continued with him.
And when The Eagles reunited in 1994, it was like they never left. The audience never forgot, and those who weren’t around in the 70s were discovering them, and it was all new again.
This concert, recorded during Glenn Frey’s solo period, comes from a gig at The Paradise in Boston on October 3, 1982. The demise of The Eagles were still a recent memory, but it was this new phase in Frey’s career, with early successes and singles riding high on the charts. It was a new chapter and a new phase in a career that continued until earlier today.
It’s been a strange and tragic year so far – so many names and faces we swore up and down would be around for a very long time are leaving us way too soon. We were hoping there would be more to say, more interesting twists and discoveries – new songs – more pivotal and shaping moments.
But it’s not meant to be – all we’re left with are the songs and the memories and the times. And maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be – further evidence nothing ever lasts – but further evidence the power of music and those eloquent, evocative words and turns of phrase, will never die – they will just mean different things to people over time – and that is the beautiful, universal and eternal message of music.
And we have Glenn Frey to thank for that.
