Hotel California

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This article is about an album by the Eagles. For its title track, see Hotel California (song). For other meanings, see Hotel California (disambiguation).
Hotel California
Studio album by The Eagles
Released December 8, 1976
Recorded March - October 1976
at Criteria Studios, Miami, FL and Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Genre Country rock, hard rock[1]
Length 43:28
Label Asylum
Producer Bill Szymczyk
The Eagles chronology
Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)
(1976)		 Hotel California
(1976)		 The Long Run
(1979)
Singles from Hotel California
  1. "New Kid in Town"
    Released: December 7, 1976
  2. "Hotel California"
    Released: March 12, 1977
  3. "Life in the Fast Lane"
    Released: May 3, 1977
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 5/5 stars[2]
Robert Christgau B[3]
Rolling Stone (favorable)[4]
Sputnik Music 5/5 stars[5]

Hotel California is the fifth studio album by the American rock band the Eagles, released on December 8, 1976. It is the first Eagles album without the appearance of founding member Bernie Leadon and the first album with Joe Walsh. It is also the last album featuring original bass player and singer Randy Meisner. The album became the band's best-selling studio album, and their highest, with over 16 million copies sold in the U.S. alone and over 32 million copies worldwide. The album topped the charts and won the band two Grammy awards for "Hotel California" and "New Kid in Town". The album was nominated for Album of the Year but lost to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours.

The album yielded three Top 20 singles, "New Kid in Town", "Hotel California", and "Life in the Fast Lane". "New Kid in Town" and "Hotel California" both topped the Billboard Hot 100, and "Life in the Fast Lane" reached number 11 on the charts. The album was ranked number 37 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The album further established the group as the most successful American band of the decade, making the Eagles household names. The song "Hotel California" is considered by many to be one of the greatest rock songs of all time; it was ranked number 49 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The guitar duet at the end of the song was performed by Don Felder and Joe Walsh. The album also features "Wasted Time", "Victim of Love", and "The Last Resort".

Contents

History [edit]

Hotel California was the Eagles' fifth album of original material and became a critical success and a major commercial hit; since its release in late 1976, it has sold over 16 million copies in the U.S. alone. The album was at number 1 for eight weeks in early 1977 (non-consecutively), and included two tracks which became number 1 hits as singles on the Billboard Hot 100: "New Kid in Town", on February 26, 1977, and "Hotel California" on May 7, 1977.

In 2001, the TV network VH1 named Hotel California number 38 on 100 Greatest Albums of All Time. Hotel California was ranked 13th in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 37 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[6]

Following its original release on standard LP, cassette and 8-track cartridge formats, the album was considered for Quadraphonic release in early 1977; this idea was dropped following the demise of the Quadraphonic format. However, 25 years later, the album was released in a Multichannel 5.1 DVD-Audio disc. On August 17, 2011, the album was released on a hybrid SACD in Japan in The Warner Premium Sound series, containing both a stereo and a 5.1 mix.[7]

Members of the Eagles have described the album as a metaphor for the perceived decline of America into materialism and decadence. In an interview with Dutch magazine ZigZag shortly before the album's release, Don Henley said:

This is a concept album, there's no way to hide it, but [unlike the Eagles' earlier concept album, 1973's Desperado] it's not set in the old West, the cowboy thing, you know. It's more urban this time (…) It's our bicentennial year, you know, the country is 200 years old, so we figured since we are the Eagles and the Eagle is our national symbol, that we were obliged to make some kind of a little bicentennial statement using California as a microcosm of the whole United States, or the whole world, if you will, and to try to wake people up and say 'We've been okay so far, for 200 years, but we're gonna have to change if we're gonna continue to be around.’

The album's final track, the epic "The Last Resort", was about the decline of society. Glenn Frey on the Hotel California episode of In the Studio with Redbeard explained about the track:

It was the first time that Don took it upon himself to write an epic story and we were already starting to worry about the environment… we're constantly screwing up paradise and that was the point of the song and that at some point there is going to be no more new frontiers. I mean we're putting junk, er, garbage into space now.

Album cover [edit]

The front cover art work is a photograph of the Beverly Hills Hotel by David Alexander with design and art direction by Kosh.[8] The rear album cover was shot at the Lido in Hollywood.

Track listing [edit]

No. Title Writer(s) Lead vocals Length
1. "Hotel California"   Don Felder, Don Henley, Glenn Frey Don Henley 6:30
2. "New Kid in Town"   Henley, Frey, J. D. Souther Glenn Frey 5:03
3. "Life in the Fast Lane"   Henley, Frey, Joe Walsh Don Henley 4:46
4. "Wasted Time"   Henley, Frey Don Henley 4:55
5. "Wasted Time (Reprise)"   Henley, Frey, Jim Ed Norman instrumental 1:22
6. "Victim of Love"   Henley, Frey, Felder, Souther Don Henley 4:11
7. "Pretty Maids All in a Row"   Walsh, Joe Vitale Joe Walsh 3:58
8. "Try and Love Again"   Randy Meisner Randy Meisner 5:10
9. "The Last Resort"   Henley, Frey Don Henley 7:28

Album pressing [edit]

Original vinyl record pressings of Hotel California (Elektra/Asylum catalog no. 7E-1084) had custom picture labels of a blue Hotel California logo with a yellow background. These also had text engraved in the run-out groove of each side, continuing an in-joke trend the band had started with their previous album One of These Nights:

  1. Side one: "Is It 6 O'Clock Yet?"
  2. Side two: "V.O.L. Is Five-Piece Live", indicating that the song "Victim of Love" was recorded live, with no overdubbing. Joe Walsh and Glenn Frey confirm this on the inner booklet of The Very Best Of.

Personnel [edit]

Eagles
Production
  • Bill Szymczyk – producer
  • Allan Blazek, Bruce Hensal, Ed Mashal, Bill Szymczyk – engineers
  • Bill Szymczyk – mixing
  • Jim Ed Norman – string arrangements, conductor
  • Sid Sharp – concert master
  • Don Henley, John Kosh – art direction
  • John Kosh – design
  • David Alexander – photography
  • Kosh – artwork
  • Norman Seeff – poster design
  • Kevin Gray – CD preparation
  • Ted Jensen – mastering and remastering
  • Lee Hulko - original LP mastering

Singles [edit]

  • "New Kid in Town"/"Victim of Love" - Asylum 45373; released December 7, 1976
  • "Hotel California"/"Pretty Maids All in a Row" - Asylum 45386; released February 22, 1977
  • "Life in the Fast Lane"/"The Last Resort" - Asylum 45403; released May 3, 1977

Charts and certifications [edit]

Album [edit]

Year Chart Position
1977 Country Albums 10
1977 Billboard 200 1
1977 Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart 1

Singles [edit]

Year Single Chart Position
1977 "New Kid in Town" Adult Contemporary 2
1977 "New Kid In Town" Country Singles 43
1977 "New Kid In Town" Pop Singles 1
1977 "Hotel California" Pop Singles 1
1977 "Life In The Fast Lane" Pop Singles 11

Sales and certifications [edit]

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Austria (IFPI Austria)[9] Gold 25,000x
Australia (ARIA)[10] 8× Platinum 560,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[11] Diamond 1,000,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[12] Gold 30,933[12]
France (SNEP)[13] Diamond 1,213,000[14]
Germany (BVMI)[15] Platinum 500,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[16] Platinum 15,000*
New Zealand (RIANZ)[citation needed] 9× Platinum 135,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[17] 4× Platinum 400,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[18] 2× Platinum 100,000x
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] 6× Platinum 1,800,000^
United States (RIAA)[20] 16× Platinum 16,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Grammys [edit]

Awards
Year Winner Category
1978 "Hotel California" Record of the Year
1977 "New Kid in Town" Best Arrangement For Voices
Nominations
Year Nominee Category
1978 "Hotel California" Song of the Year
1978 Hotel California Album of the Year
1977 Bill Szymczyk Producer of the Year
Preceded by
Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder		 Billboard 200 number-one album
January 15–21, 1977
February 5–11, 1977
March 26 – April 1, 1977
April 16 – May 20, 1977		 Succeeded by
Wings over America by Wings
Preceded by
Arrival by ABBA		 Australian Kent Music Report number-one album
January 17 – April 10, 1977		 Succeeded by
Rumours by Fleetwood Mac

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Scaruffi 2003, pg. 118, ", from the melancholy western vignettes of Desperado (1972) to the robust hard-rock of Hotel California (1976)."
  2. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Hotel California - Eagles". Allmusic. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Hotel California". Robert Christgau. Retrieved October 11, 2012. 
  4. ^ "37) Hotel California - The Eagles - RS 233". Rolling Stone. November 1, 2003.
  5. ^ "Eagles - Hotel California (album review)". Sputnik Music. June 3, 2006.
  6. ^ "News". Rolling Stone. December 23, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2011. 
  7. ^ Warner Premium Sound series website (in Japanese). Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  8. ^ Ochs, Micheael. 1000 Record Covers. Taschen. ISBN 3-8228-4085-8. 
  9. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Hotel California – Eagles" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved June 27, 2012.  Enter Hotel California in the field Interpret. Enter Eagles in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  10. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 27, 2012. 
  11. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Hotel California – Eagles". Music Canada. Retrieved June 27, 2012. 
  12. ^ a b "Finnish album certifications – Hotel California – Eagles" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 27, 2012. 
  13. ^ "French album certifications – Hotel California – Eagles" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved June 27, 2012.  Select HOTEL CALIFORNIA and click OK
  14. ^ "Les Albums Diamant :". Infodisc.fr (in French). Retrieved June 27, 2012. 
  15. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Hotel California; 'Eagles')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved June 27, 2012. 
  16. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1978". IFPI Hong Kong. 
  17. ^ "Spanish album certifications – Hotel California – Eagles" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved June 27, 2012. 
  18. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Hotel California; 'The Eagles')". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 31, 2013. 
  19. ^ "British album certifications – Hotel California – Eagles". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 27, 2012.  Enter Eagles in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go
  20. ^ "American album certifications – Hotel California – Eagles". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 27, 2012.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
Bibliography
  • Scaruffi, Piero (2003). A History of Rock Music: 1951-2000. ¡Universe, Inc. ISBN 0-595-29565-7. 

External links [edit]

Eagles
Studio albums
Live albums
Compilation albums
Singles
Tours
Related articles
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