On the Border

iTunes Review

The Eagles’ third album, 1974’s On the Border, continued to play up the band’s “outlaw”  or “Desperado” image with another collection of well-paced country-influenced rock (and a tune called “James Dean”). Allegedly, new producer Bill Szymczyk was brought in to replace the band’s original boardman Glyn Johns in order to toughen up the group’s sound, but much of the album’s appeal remains in the sweet, laidback approach of Bernie Leadon’s tightly harmonized tribute to then recently departed country-rock singer Gram Parsons (“My Man”), the group’s solid, conventional take on Tom Waits’ “Ol’ 55,” and the bluegrass-inspired “Midnight Flyer” sung by the much overlooked Randy Meisner, who also contributed the thoughtful “Is It True.” The band had two surefire rock radio singles in the quick-pump of “Already Gone,” that showcased the addition of new guitarist Don Felder, and the slightly grander “The Best of My Love” (one of two tracks produced by original producer Glyn Johns) that became one of their biggest hits, while the title track nudged the group into R&B territory.