Why members of Eagles and Rush absolutely hate each other: “He sounds like an asshole”
Every now and then, bands come along that don’t just sound good and impress people but completely change the way that people view music as a whole. They merge different genres, combine various styles of music, and expand the boundaries that previously kept people restricted when making music. Two bands who have expanded the industry in this way but seem incredibly distant are Rush and the Eagles.
The Eagles came first, and they were huge inspirations when it came to showing musicians that they don’t have to be pigeonholed into one specific genre. When they first started making music, they merged country with rock to create a chilled-out sound that people everywhere were drawn to. They also didn’t remain stagnant with this sound, either.
When Joe Walsh joined the band, their next record was Hotel California. This record saw the band stay true to this country rock sound but also become a bit heavier in their approach. The guitar became more distorted, and the solos were prolonged, but they stayed true to the sound that appealed to so many.
“When Bernie [Leadon] decided that he just wasn’t interested very much in continuing, Don [Henley] and Glenn [Frey] thought I would plug in really well with where the Eagles were eventually going to go,” said Walsh, “And at the time, I was going, ‘Aw fuck, it’s time to do another solo album. Oh, shit. Anybody got any ideas?’ You know? So, it all just kind of came together. I joined the Eagles – and the result, of course, was Hotel California.”
Rush also had a similar approach to music. While they certainly don’t fall into the realm of country rock, they have similar principles to Eagles in that they were always willing to merge different styles of music and expand upon what they are doing as a band. There is no limit on the kind of sound they want to make, whether that’s elongated prog pieces or short, snappy, radio-friendly songs.
Despite their similar approach to music, the two have a rivalry. This came from an elongated time apart that Rush had following the passing of Neil Peart’s wife and daughter. Peart had to take time to deal with his grief, which meant stepping away from the band for years and coming to terms with his loss. His fellow bandmates were more than happy to give him whatever space he needed, recognising he was a friend before he was a band member.
They eventually came back together to work on the album Vapor Trails, but it didn’t come without some controversial comments from Don Henley. The album overlapped with the Eagles reunion, and Henley had something to say about it. “I can’t think of another band that has broken up for 14 years, then got back together and made a record,” said Henley, “You do get bands like Rush getting back together. Yuck.”
Geddy Lee wasn’t happy about Henley talking poorly about Rush, especially given their hiatus was the result of giving their friend space. His response was concise, but it was representative of a persistent rift that exists between the two bands. “Why should he talk about us?” Asked Lee, “What the hell did we have to do with him? He sounds like an asshole to me.”
