Works of Art Series - Volume 2

Eagles – I Can’t Tell You Why

(Paul says:)

I could’ve chosen “One of These Nights” (or a number of other Eagles songs), but I wanted to choose one that wasn’t one of my favorites. The Eagles are famous for their songcraft, as would be necessary when there are three guitar players in a lighter-sounding rock band.

Like “My Love’s Leavin’”, the other offering (so far) in my “Works of Art” series on this blog, I came to appreciate this more by listening to it with headphones. While I like most of the bands’ songs, the somewhat effeminate vocal offering from Timothy B. Schmidt was something I underappreciated. The song is introduced with a single bass note followed by two keyboard chords (the first being played on beats 3 and the “and” beat, the second on the 4 beat; the bass adds a note the second time and is embellished in subsequent measures. When the vocal begins, the guitar comes in with a delay of about ½ of a beat (or a 1/8 note, if you prefer). The “live note” is played on the left channel, but the delay is in the left channel. This guitar plays higher chords (embellished chords, which give it a sort of jazz feel), but the other guitar plays the solo and the turnaround riff, and it is more of a traditional rock sound. I like the background vocal during the second verse because it doesn’t repeat or mimic the lead line, but instead offers different lyrics and melody. Cool stuff. Throughout, of course, the background vocals are excellent (as you would expect from a group where nearly everyone takes a lead vocal turn frequently). During the outro solo, the high-pitched chords get even higher, and the solo is one of my favorites from this band. According to the liner notes from “The Very Best of Eagles,” the guitar solo and the counter-melodic background vocal previously referenced are both credited to Glenn Frey. No surprise there – the man’s a genius. The song fades after a while, but the listener is only bored with the drums. (Most drummers I know don’t care much for Don Henley’s prowess as a drummer, and while he’s no Neal Peart, at least he’s economical.)

I hope to be able to learn from this type of songwriting – basic is great with really cool (but basic) embellishments that enhance the whole product. This song is truly a work of art, but this band has a large number of them over a long period of time (which becomes apparent when you listen to the two-disc retrospective that I previously referenced.)

P