You Can Check Out Any Time You Like

Hotel California, as recorded by the Eagles on MTV in 1994, is an astounding display of austere professionalism and craftsmanship that rewards close listening. Caveat one–I don't particularly like the Eagles. It's not that I dislike them; I just don't like them. They're vanilla ice cream to me. It's fine, you know? Caveat two–I don't even like this song. Hotel California makes me think of shopping for school clothes at JC Penney. Take that as you will. However, this recording of this song by this band is so wildly impressive that I am compelled to listen to it over and over.

The song is good, OK? It's just not my cup of tea. Did you know the Eagles's greatest hits album, which came out in 1976 and sold 38,000,000 physical copies, is the best-selling U.S. album ever? That's A LOT of tea.

Here is something that is precisely my cup–whatever the MTV Unplugged production crews were doing in the early 1990's. In my book, this era of live performances captured on the series "MTV Unplugged" is the gold standard of live music recording, maybe even all audio recording.

MTV Unplugged captured legendary performances from not just the Eagles but also Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Mariah Carey, Tony Bennet, and 10,0000 Maniacs, to name just a few. These acts were all recorded live with incredible clarity, depth, separation, and presence. All those recordings I just mentioned went platinum, and there's much more for those inclined to listen. The MTV Unplugged series is an absolute embarrassment of audiophile riches.

So, back to Hotel California. I love a sneaky start to a classic. I'd wager the opening chords of Hotel California are immediately recognizable to a substantial chunk of the planet. So, you can't just start there. That is as boring for us as it is for the Eagles, who've played this song thousands of times live. It's more fun to riff a little, to ease into it, and the Eagles easing into Hotel California on this track is a sublime flamenco-inspired arrangement by Don Felder. The moment the crowd gets hit with the opening chords to the song's studio version is magic. The crowd goes wild when, all at once, they realize what has been building. I always dig that moment on live recordings.

Sonic perfection is what I'm recommending in this live recording of Hotel California. The stereophonic image is bananas-good on this record. It's like sitting in the front row at the most dialed-in concert ever. The production is arguably the best, period. The performance by the Eagles is flawless. Everyone is in the pocket, hitting their marks with aplomb. Multiple dueling guitars sparkle, swoon, and cascade against each other. Percussion drives the song forward with a calm power and precision. Don Henley's voice is soulful and emotive: smooth with a bit of gravel on the high end. Have you ever been moved by an egg shaker? I have.

This live version of Hotel California proves that sometimes things are worth revisiting. Dismissing something in my contrarian youth doesn't have to be permanent. A change in medium or context can make all the difference, particularly with something as subjective as my relationship with art. As the song goes, "We are all just prisoners here of our own device."

Data

Song: Hotel California (Live On MTV, 1994)
Album: Hell Freezes Over
Artist: Eagles
Genre: Soft Rock, Classic Rock
Year: 1994
Length: 7:12
Composer: Don Felder, Don Henley
Producer: Eagles, Elliot Scheiner, Rob Jacobs