Eagles - Hotel California [180g, Gatefold] (LP) Vinyl

Hotel California is the fifth studio album by the American rock band the Eagles, released on 8 December 1976 by Asylum Records. It was the band's first album with guitarist Joe Walsh, who replaced founding member Bernie Leadon, and the last to feature founding bassist and vocalist Randy Meisner. Produced by Bill Szymczyk, it marked a deliberate move away from the country rock of the band's earlier records towards a harder, more urban rock sound.

The Album

The band began writing and recording in March 1976, working at Criteria Studios in Miami and the Record Plant in Los Angeles through to October. The title track was written first and set the theme for the record: Don Felder wrote the chord progression and basic melody, and Don Henley wrote most of the lyrics with contributions from Glenn Frey. Joe Walsh contributed "Pretty Maids All in a Row" and Randy Meisner wrote "Try and Love Again" entirely on his own, the only two songs on the album not written with Frey and Henley. Jim Ed Norman arranged and conducted the strings, with Sid Sharp as concert master. The sleeve photograph of the Beverly Hills Hotel was taken by David Alexander, with art direction by Don Henley and John Kosh.

Reception

Hotel California was an immediate critical and commercial success. It reached number one on the US Billboard 200, where it spent eight non-consecutive weeks, and number two on the UK Albums Chart. Three singles were taken from it: "New Kid in Town" and the title track both topped the Billboard Hot 100, while "Life in the Fast Lane" reached number 11. At the 20th Grammy Awards the title track won Record of the Year and "New Kid in Town" won Best Arrangement for Voices; the album itself was nominated for Album of the Year. It has since been certified 6x Platinum in the United Kingdom by the BPI and 28x Platinum in the United States by the RIAA, with sales of more than 42 million units worldwide. Rolling Stone placed it at number 37 in its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time lists of 2003 and 2012, and at number 118 in the 2020 edition.

This Pressing

This is the Asylum reissue, catalogue number RRM1-1084 (Rhino 8122796161). It is a single black vinyl LP pressed on 180 gram vinyl, presented in a gatefold sleeve that replicates the original album packaging, with a printed inner sleeve carrying the song credits. A replica of the full colour poster of the band by Norman Seeff, from the original album, is included. The release is marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing, a Warner Music Group company.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Hotel California (6:30)
2. New Kid in Town (5:04)
3. Life in the Fast Lane (4:46)
4. Wasted Time (4:55)

Side B

1. Wasted Time (Reprise) (1:22)
2. Victim of Love (4:11)
3. Pretty Maids All in a Row (4:05)
4. Try and Love Again (5:10)
5. The Last Resort (7:25)