Since their debut in 1972, the Eagles have become one of those bands who are part of popular culture's musical heritage. Who hasn't heard "Hotel California," if nothing else? Despite only releasing six studio albums, from 1972-1979, and despite having suffered from conflicts within the band, the Eagles have managed to win over not just their 1970s-era audience, but also a new generation of fans. The Farewell Tour I reunites four of the Eagles on stage: Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit. The result is a "best of" concert that is a lot of fun to watch and listen to.

Thirty songs from the Eagles' repertoire are performed in this concert, filmed in Melbourne, Australia. As we might expect from a group that's been around for thirty-odd years, all of the band members seem mellow and comfortable on stage; at times they're a bit playful, and in general seem to be having a good time. The music itself doesn't sound dated at all, but rather somehow timeless, with a sound all its own; that's probably attributable to the quality of the songwriting, which comes through particularly in the classic Eagles hits. Unlike some pop hits, there's something lasting about the surreal "Hotel California," the hard-edged "Life in the Fast Lane," or even the energetic "All She Wants to Do Is Dance."

Two new songs are also included here: "No More Cloudy Days" and "One Day at a Time." Personally, I liked the "vintage" Eagles songs better, but fans will enjoy hearing the newer work as well.

I was quite impressed with the camera work and editing for this concert DVD. While the music is the central point of the program, the concert is also fun to watch (which isn't necessarily the case with all the filmed concerts I've seen). The camera moves from wide shots of the whole stage to close-ups of the band members, giving us interesting shots of the solos and supporting work. There's enough motion and switching of angles to make for a lively feel, without going overboard and feeling jerky. Some audience shots are mixed in, but wisely for the most part the camera sticks with showing us the Eagles.

The songs included here are split between Disc 1 and Disc 2, and include the following:

The Long Run
New Kid in Town
Wasted Time
Peaceful Easy Feeling
I Can't Tell You Why
One of These Nights
One Day at a Time
Lyin' Eyes
The Boys of Summer
In the City
Already Gone
Silent Spring
Tequila Sunrise
Love Will Keep Us Alive
No More Cloudy Days
Hole in the World
Take it to the Limit
You Belong to the City
Walk Away
Sunset Grill
Life's Been Good
Dirty Laundry
Funk #49
Heartache Tonight
Life in the Fast Lane
Hotel California
Rocky Mountain Way
All She Wants to Do Is Dance
Take It Easy
Desperado

The DVD

The Eagles: Farewell Tour I is a two-disc set, packaged in a cardboard fold-out case inside a paperboard slipcover. It's a stylishly designed case that looks very nice. A small booklet with the song list and production credits is also included.

The menus are attractive and easy to navigate; disconcertingly, they are also completely silent, which is not what I'd expect from a concert DVD. Don't worry, the audio plays correctly as soon as you start the actual program.

Video

Image quality for concert videos is always a concern, so it's nice to see the excellent transfer for this production. The concert is shown in an anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1 transfer. Colors are handled well, looking vibrant and natural. The contrast is good as well, with strong blacks but sufficient detail in the lit areas of the stage.

Audio

Two audio tracks are included: the default PCM stereo, and a DTS 5.1 surround track. Both offer clean, crisp sound that appears to fully reproduce all the audio details of the concert. I found the PCM stereo to be rather flat, though. The DTS would be my choice of tracks. It maintains all the clarity and crisp detail of the PCM track, with the added benefit of excellent surround sound.

Extras

One bonus feature is included on Disc 2: an 11-minute set of interviews with the members of the Eagles. You shouldn't expect any amazing insights in such a short amount of time, but it's reasonably interesting if you are an Eagles fan.

Final thoughts

If you enjoy the Eagles, you'll enjoy their Farewell Tour I: Live in Melbourne DVD. It's a fun concert with good music, very well put together, and with a nice video and audio transfer. Recommended.