One of the first reviews I wrote for The Monthly was some ten years ago, as the Eagles released Hell Freezes Over.  Now, after more than a decade of Farewell Tours, personnel changes and television specials, they finally release their first studio album in 28 years.

Long Road Out of Eden is a lengthy double-album that makes use of everything Henley, Frey and company do well:  gorgeous vocals, wry lyrics on the state of the world, twang meets clang (that's country meets rock for the musically impaired) and well-oiled musicianship all around.

Thing is, while “No More Walks in the Woods” is an absolute jaw-dropper, full of technically perfect harmonies, there's just something soulless about the whole affair until the endearing, pensive “Waiting in the Weeds.”  Sure, all the patented Eaglisms are in place:  Frey does his best “Tequila” on “No More Cloudy Days,” Henley is smarter than all of us on “Fast Company,” but the album doesn't really warm up until half way through.

In fact, the real standout here is Timothy B. Schmidt's soaring tenor on pieces like “I Don't Want to Hear Any More” and “Do Something.”  It's not that Long Road'isn't worth having, it's that when you try to wrest art out of a corporation as huge as the Eagles, it can get lost in the memos and general soup a band this massive wades through.  If anything the Eagles could take a page from U2's handbook on staying vital through global domination.  While everything sounds in place on the new disc, it needs some edges to make it really roll.

The North Columbia Monthly provides news, views, humor and a calendar of events for an area that stretches from Nelson in British Columbia south to Spokane in Washington State and covers all points in between. A free (and free-thinking, progressive) magazine, The Monthly is available at several hundred spots throughout the region and now is also available on-line at www.ncmonthly.com. Published once a month since 1994, The Monthly is an independent magazine that often challenges contemporary wisdom by encouraging critical thinking about issues and attitudes in the region and beyond.

Featuring our one-of-a-kind "What's Happening" department, The Monthly provides the region's only all-inclusive, free listing of community events and is the first place many people check to find out about area arts, crafts, music, fairs, services and events of all kinds. Our open listing policy for the "What's Happening" department promotes diversity, cultural interaction, and the exchange of ideas and free expression. Also featured in the magazine are people, food, health, humor, and feature articles that keep readers coming back for more each month.

We can be reached by mail at The North Columbia Monthly, PO Box 541, Colville, WA 99114; by phone or fax at 509-684-3109; by email at editor@ncmonthly.com; and on the Web at www.ncmonthly.com.

©2008. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the contents or use in whole or part without written permission from the publishers is strictly prohibited. Views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publishers.

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