Live In Dallas
In December 1982, Randy Meisner recorded a live concert at Nick’s Uptown Theater in Dallas, TX, which later aired on the radio and was released as a live album in Japan.
Solo Debut at the Golden Bear, 1978
Randy made his debut as a solo performer at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, CA on August 25th & 26th, 1978. A live recording exists from the show.
On March 18th, 1977, the Eagles played Madison Square Garden in New York City. This was the third date on the Eagles’ 1977 Hotel California tour. Jimmy Buffett was the opening act. Although this was the Eagles’ first appearance at Madison Square Garden, the band played the Garden’s smaller venue, Felt Forum, back in 1972.
For this sold-out appearance, the Eagles were backed by an orchestra for three songs: “Desperado Reprise,” “Wasted Time,” and “Take It To The Limit.” Randy also performed “Try & Love Again” from their latest album, Hotel California. Three members of the Rolling Stones attended the concert: Mick Jagger, Ron Wood, and Bill Wyman. Wood accompanied the Eagles onstage for their last encore of Chuck Berry’s “Carol.”
An after-show party was given by Elektra/Asylum at the Garden’s Penn Plaza Club.
Praise for Randy:
“The event of the evening came with bassist Randy Meisner’s stunning vocalization of ‘Take It To The Limit.’ In addition to sing-along support from the total audience, he received a standing ovation after each chorus.” (Kristeen Nicholson, Record World, April 23, 1977)
Setlist
(Compiled from concert reviews)
Hotel California
Turn To Stone
Try & Love Again
Lyin’ Eyes
Doolin-Dalton/Desperado Reprise (with orchestra)
Wasted Time (with orchestra)
Take It To The Limit (with orchestra)
New Kid In Town
Desperado
One Of These Nights
Turn To Stone
Already Gone
Life In the Fast Lane
Victim Of Love
Rocky Mountain Way
Welcome To The Club
Witchy Woman
James Dean
Take It Easy
Best Of My Love
Oh Carol (with guest Ron Wood)
Reviews
Reviews for the show were mostly positive. Musically they were top notch, but had little or no stage presence.
New York Post, March 19, 1977
This review mentions Randy’s performance of “Try & Love Again,” although it is misspelled as “Trying Love Again.” The reviewer, Jan Hodenfield, referred to the song as “The Eagles meet Hall and Oates, at the intersection of San Bernardino and South Philly.”
Rolling Stone, May 5, 1977:
“Certainly the Eagles stage presence and show are not intended to drive anyone to the brink of Rollermania…the Eagles strike no rock & roll stage poses, flaunt no athletic grace, if anything, they loiter….
“The tunes — and the Eagles must be celebrated for their tunesmithing — were certainly fun to listen to. Don Henley, who has a problem drumming and singing at the same time (admittedly, not the easiest of tasks), wasn’t miked loudly enough, a problem since he’s taken over most of the lead singing. But Randy Meisner’s tenor cut through the instrumental mix well, and Glenn Frey, the original California dreamer, was surprisingly forceful.” (Peter Herbst, Rolling Stone)
Record World, April 23, 1977:
Variety, March 23, 1977:
The After-Show Party
Among the guests were Faye Dunaway, Paul Simon, John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Linda Ronstadt and J.D. Souther. Although members of the Rolling Stones were present at the concert, they did not attend the post-concert party.
According to Rolling Stone magazine: “The guests dined on Mexican food, but only had one brand of cheap white tequila to wash down their tacos.”
Below: Glenn with Faye Dunaway and Joe with his mom.
Photos from Rolling Stone, May 5th, 1977:
Below: Glenn at the buffet table which included an ice eagle sculpture.
The Eagles At The Capital Centre, March 1977: A Closer Look
On March 21st and 22nd, 1977, the Eagles played sold-out shows at the Capital Centre in Largo, MD. Both of the shows were filmed. Here we take a deep dive into the concerts and existing footage.
“Try And Love Again” – Hotel California’s Hidden Gem
Tucked away near the end of Hotel California is the last song Randy wrote during his tenure with the Eagles, “Try And Love Again.” Today, the song is considered a deep track, but in 1976, it was a hit with contemporary critics, who felt it was the highlight of the album.
In His Own Words: Randy On Songwriting
In this second installment of my series, In His Own Words, Randy talks about how he came to write or co-write some of his most treasured songs with the Eagles.