Documentary Review: History of The Eagles – The Story of an American Band (2013)

Director: Alison Ellwood
Rated: No MPAA rating
Starring: Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit

History of the Eagles chases down the full story of one of the all-time greatest and most celebrated bands in history—and in so doing, puts in perspective chart-topping rock 'n roll hits from not just the 70s and 80s, but right up to the present time.

Parts 1 and 2 cover over 3 hours of material beginning in the early 1970s to the present. With the Eagles themselves telling their own story – with commentary from Kenny Rogers, Stevie Nicks, Bob Seger, and others – one begins to wonder if anything could have possibly been left out of this lengthy and exhaustive-informative look at a band that keeps leaving its legendary mark on the world even today.

Whereas the prime struggle of documentaries is often in working their narratives with info that combines relevance, clarity, and organizational cohesiveness inside a watchable timeframe, this one stretches out its content with no difficulties telling a story. Those most invested in The Eagles stand to gain quite a lot.

“90% of the time, being in the Eagles was a fucking blast,” says Glenn Frey, although the band's breakup in 1980 is described as a “horrible relief.” Through the good times and the bad - including an unexpected reunion in 1994 - this documentary puts a great many events in the world of music into context with regard to other big artists before and after.

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