Mexican Bolero.
That's what Don Henley originally wanted to call the song we all now recognize as "Hotel California". Not quite the same ring, eh?
Don Felder was a full fledged member of the group The Eagles, whose main contributions were lead guitar and penning "Hotel California". After being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Following a suit against his former band mates (namely his manager, Don Henley and Glenn Frey), Felder began composing this autobiography about his rise in the music biz and his life with The Eagles.
Heaven and Hell: My Life with the Eagles was originally published in 2008. I won't really go into the whole summary of it (you can click right there to read's Amazon's summary); that's not why we're here, now is it?
What did I think of it?
I like it. Sure enough, it was a great detail into a great guitarist's growth and career, and fall from grace. I found myself really enthralled with Felder's simplicity. This isn't going to win any big time author awards; Felder's a guitar player and songwriter. There's a common-man-telling-his-story realness to it that made for quick and enjoyable reading. Felder's not abashed to share that much of the time in bands revolved around drugs (marijuana, cocaine, and more). He discusses how he would meet his wife, Tom Petty, and many other musicians that would help to give a sound to the 1970's.
What was bad? Here's probably the most interesting part. For me, as I was reading it, I kept going back to the 60 Minutes interview from a few years ago where Don Henley and Glenn Frey were interviewed and the awkwardness of much of the situation. Felder's release was under some really interesting conditions, depending upon your view. And that's the problem with this book. If you are a hard core Henley and/or Frey fan, you probably won't like what this book has to say. What's worse is that you'll probably find yourself shaking your head with a weird disbelieve and saying "I don't doubt it." While I don't know Henley or Frey (but I do like their singing and playing), both are control freaks. This has lent itself to their success, but also to the alienation of many of their band mates (namely Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner).
Read the various reviews found on Amazon. Most are 4 stars or more, there are a few that bash Felder for...well, bashing his former bandmates (read: Henley and Frey) for giving him the boot. This schism makes reading and buying into Felder's perspective more difficult (I didn't say impossible).
If you've heard "Hotel California", it's worth your time to give this book a check. If you are of the belief that Don Henley does no wrong, you'd best keep on to the next book in the music aisle.
It's a fast read for the most part, with pictures from various points in Felder's life.
Enjoy.
C, thanks for your kind words earlier; you really motivated me to finish this review.
Shazam!
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