Eagles - Hotel California (Single Review)

Earlier on this week, somebody requested that I reviewed their favourite band. Their favourite band are the Eagles, and they kindly asked me if I would review their 1976 hit - Hotel California. So I checked it out, and I am going to tell you what I thought of the song first, and then tell you what the actual song is about. I am more than happy to take requests, so let me know what you think!

Eagles are an American four-piece rock band from Los Angeles, and they formed in 1971. The quartet consist of; Glenn Fray on vocals and guitar, Don Henley on the drums, Randy Meisner on guitar and Joe Walsh on the bass.

The track opens up with a very slow rhythmic acoustic guitar, and later on goes on to be followed by the very melancholic vocals with the first lyrics of;

"On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair. Warm smell of colitis, rising up through the air."

According to some research that I have done; the term 'colitis' means 'little tails' in Spanish, which then translates to Mexican slang of marijuana. Therefore, when the lyrics mention "on a dark desert highway" you presume that it is an abandoned place that nobody goes to. However, if the smell of marijuana is "rising up through the air" unless he is smoking it, he isn't alone.

The chorus has a very reggae twang to it as the vocalist goes on to sing their very catchy chorus of;

"Welcome to the Hotel California, such a lovely place."

This song has some very interesting lyrics, and here are a few examples;

"So I called the captain up, please bring me my wine. He said, we haven't had that spirit here since 1969."

However, wine isn't actually a spirit - therefore it gives off the impression that the Captain may be drunk, which instantly puts somebody in danger. The captain of a ship is drunk, how are you expected to get to where you're meant to be going when the captain of the ship is highly intoxicated?

The very end lyrics go on to leave a cliffhanger which is when they mention;

"You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave."

This leaves you puzzled. If you can't leave, then how can you check-out? Perhaps they have died from the captain sinking the ship?

This song is about a weary traveller who checks in to a luxurious hotel, in which he thinks will be incredible. Until he soon realises that it is hell. The hotel happens to be the music industry in the 1970's as this song is about self-destruction and the greed within that particular industry. Leading to the song basically being about the dark underbelly of the 'American Dream'.

I really hope that you liked my review, it never hurts anybody to try something different. I would appreciate it if I got more requests in the future, so thank you very much.

9/10