CoronaVinyl Day 458 (E): One of These Nights by The Eagles

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "E," and as with many letters, I don't have any albums by unique artists left -- and there aren't that many "E" artists to begin with -- so I listened to the Eagles' fourth studio album, 1975's One of These Nights.

By 1975, the Eagles were starting to establish themselves as one of the biggest bands around.  Off the heels of their first #1 song, 1974's "Best of My Love," they kept the momentum going with One of These Nights, which was not only the band's first #1 album in the U.S., but also their first Top 20 album.  It also started a run of four consecutive #1 studio albums for the band.

One of These Nights features more of their blend of country, folk, and rock.  All five band members sing lead vocals on at least one song, and all five wrote or co-wrote at least two songs on the album.  It was the band's their first album to feature three Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and their only album to have three Top 5 hits.  The title track -- which certainly plays on the nascent disco scene -- was their second #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.  They followed that up with "Lyin' Eyes" (#2) -- which also garnered the group their first Grammy, for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals -- and "Take It to the Limit" (#4).  The album eventually went quadruple platinum in the U.S.

The album also represented more of a shift from country rock to mainstream rock, to the dissatisfaction of founding member and guitarist/banjoist/mandolinist Bernie Leadon, who left the band following this album, to be replaced by Joe Walsh for the band's follow-up album, the iconic Hotel California.

While I'm not a huge Eagles fan, the album cover is pretty cool, and certainly more hardcore than the music within it, with a raised cow skull with wings and feathers coming out of it.  And the early pressings of the album (which includes the copy I have) contain text etched into the run-out grooves on both sides, with "Don't worry" on Side 1 and "Nothing will be OK!" on Side 2.

Favorite Song on Side 1:  "Too Many Hands"
The Eagles songs I like the most are the ones that are more rock than country, and this qualifies.  Written by Don Felder and Randy Meisner, with Meiser on lead vocals, "Too Many Hands" has strong guitars, and a western rock vibe.  It reminds me of the sublime Loggins & Messina song "Angry Eyes."

Favorite Song on Side 2:  "Visions"
This is another more rocking song, although it has plenty of country in it.  Co-written by Felder and Don Henley, with Felder on lead vocals, with help from Henley, Glenn Frey, and Leadon, it comes close to southern rock.