On the Border
Studio album by Eagles
Released March 22, 1974
Recorded Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles, CA and
Olympic Studios, London in 1973
Genre Rock
Length 40:29
Label Asylum
Producer Bill Szymczyk, Glyn Johns
Professional reviews
* Allmusic 3/5 stars link
* Robert Christgau (B+) link
* Rolling Stone 4/5 stars link
On the Border is the third studio album by the American rock band Eagles, released in 1974 (see 1974 in music). Don Felder joined the band during the recording of this album, performing on only two songs: "Already Gone" and "Good Day in Hell".
For their album, On the Border, Henley and Frey wanted the band to break away from the country music style they were known for, moving more towards hard rock. Initially, the Eagles started off with Glyn Johns producing, but he tended to emphasize the lush side of their double-edged music. After completing only two songs, the band turned to Bill Szymczyk to produce the rest of the album. Szymczyk brought in Don Felder to add slide guitar to a song called "Good Day in Hell," and the band was so impressed that two days later they invited Felder to become the fifth Eagle. He appeared on only one other song on the album, the uptempo breakup song "Already Gone," where he performed the guitar duet with Glenn Frey. On the Border yielded a No. 1 Billboard single ("Best of My Love"), which hit the top of the charts on March 1, 1975, becoming the Eagles' first of five chart toppers.
Bernie Leadon's "My Man" is a tribute to Gram Parsons, who had died of a drug overdose in September of 1973. Leadon and Parsons had been members of the pioneering country-rock band The Flying Burrito Brothers.
Track listing
Side one
1. "Already Gone" (Tempchin, Strandlund) Ð 4:13
* Lead vocal by Glenn Frey, lead guitar (uncredited) by Don Felder, guitar solos by Glenn Frey and Don Felder
2. "You Never Cry Like a Lover" (Souther, Henley) Ð 4:02
* Lead vocal by Don Henley, lead guitar (uncredited ) by Bernie Leadon
3. "Midnight Flyer" (Paul Craft) Ð 3:59
* Lead vocal by Randy Meisner, slide guitar by Glenn Frey, banjo by Bernie Leadon
4. "My Man" (Leadon) Ð 3:31
* Lead vocal and pedal steel guitar by Bernie Leadon
5. "On the Border" (Henley, Leadon, Frey) Ð 4:28
* Lead vocals by Don Henley, T.N.T.S. by "Coach", claps by The Clapetts, lead guitar (uncredited) by Glenn Frey
Side two
1. "James Dean" (Browne, Frey, Souther, Henley) Ð 3:37
* Lead vocal by Glenn Frey, lead guitar by Bernie Leadon
2. "Ol' 55" (Waits) Ð 4:22
* Lead vocals by Glenn Frey and Don Henley, pedal steel guitar by Al Perkins
3. "Is It True?" (Meisner) Ð 3:14
* Lead vocal by Randy Meisner, slide guitar by Glenn Frey
4. "Good Day in Hell" (Henley, Frey) Ð 4:27
* Lead vocals by Glenn Frey, lead and slide guitar by Don Felder
5. "Best of My Love" (Henley, Frey, Souther) Ð 4:36
* Lead vocal by Don Henley, pedal steel guitar by Bernie Leadon
Personnel
Eagles
* Glenn Frey - lead vocals, lead guitars, slide guitar, piano
* Don Henley - lead vocals, drums, guitar
* Bernie Leadon - lead vocals, lead guitars, banjo, steel guitar
* Randy Meisner - lead vocals, bass
* Don Felder - electric guitar, slide guitar
Singles
* "Already Gone"/"Is It True" - Asylum 11036; released April 19, 1974
* "James Dean"/"Good Day in Hell" - released August 14, 1974
* "Best of My Love"/"Ol' 55" - Asylum 45218; released November 5, 1974
Charts
Album
Year Chart Position
1974 Pop Albums 17
This was the first Eagles album to chart in the UK reaching position 28.
Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1974 "Already Gone" Pop Singles 32
1974 "James Dean" Pop Singles 77
1975 "Best Of My Love" Pop Singles 1
1975 "Best of My Love" Adult Contemporary 1
None of the above singles charted in the UK.