Hell Freezes Over

Clear, tight, dynamic, you name it. Listen to the beginning of track 6, "Hotel California", especially right after 32 seconds into the track. If you have a really good system, you will probably get your hairs to stand on end.

Oh, the music itself? First class, of course. The best songs of the Eagles and all sound nice. My favorite is "Pretty Maids All In A Row" with "New York Minute" and "The Last Resort" just behind it. Of course, "Hotel California" sounds great, almost better than the original recording.

This album MUST be in your collection if you like popular music or even classic rock.


An Amazing Album From An Amazing Group   May 31, 2000
Bruce Lee
47 out of 48 found this review helpful

"For the record, we never broke up..." those seven words start out the concert portion of this album and from the music, it's almost believeable. One of the 1970's most famed rock groups, who broke up over disputes and promised not to reunite until Hell Froze Over, have come back together for their reunion concert and it's amazing. It's a stripped down, more intimate show than their first live album, but that's one thing that makes it so amazing. They have nothing but their instruments to make them sound good. And they sound awesome.

The standouts on the album include "The Last Resort," which is possibly the best song, "Life In the Fast Lane," and a chilling version of "Desperado." But let's not forget the most famous song from the album...a stripped down and amazing version of "Hotel California," which far surpasses the original.

The four songs at the beginning, which are new studio recordings(but are shown live on the video version) should be satisfying enough for anyone. They range from hard rocking to original Eagles country-rock.

Overall, this is THE must have CD for any Eagles fan...heck, for ANY MUSIC fan.


Eagles Comeback   November 21, 2000
Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA)
24 out of 25 found this review helpful

In an interview shortly after the Eagles had official ceased being a band, Don Henley was asked when the band might possibly play together again and his response was "when hell freezes over". That quote provided the name for the 1994 reunion tour & this live album that was recorded for an MTV special. Even though it had been about 14 years since they last played together, you would never know it. Their playing is crisp and their harmonies are picture perfect. Instead of playing it safe, the band mixes things up right away by playing an all-acoustic version of their rock classic "Hotel California". The song opens practically unrecognizable with a Spanish sounding guitar fill before sliding into the familiar opening riff. The drums are replaced by congas and instead of the dueling electric guitars, Don Felder & Joe Walsh trade acoustic licks off of Mr. Felder's 6-string and Mr. Walsh's 12-string. Instead of changing a song for change's sake, they breath-takingly deconstruct an all-to-familiar tune. The rest of the live tracks are not nearly as ambitious, but they are played with a lot of verve and you can tell the band is really enjoying themselves. Other standout tracks include a beautiful "I Can't Tell You Why", a majestic "The Last Resort" and a raucous "Life In The Fast Lane". The four new studio tracks that open the album are solid, but not necessarily outstanding. "Get Over It" is good rocker with typical Eagles stinging criticism, "Love Will Keep Us Alive" has a nice Timothy B. Schmidt vocal, "The Girl From Yesterday" touches on their country roots and "Learn To be Still" sounds like it was a leftover from Mr. Henley's The End Of The Innocence album. The new tracks are basically just an appetizer for the main course of the concert tracks. Some people may have doubted them, but the Eagles showed they could still soar above most bands with this album and playing together for them is just like riding bike, you never forget how to.


10 STARS!   February 29, 2000
frisky2000 (smallville)
23 out of 25 found this review helpful

I waited half my life for this band to reunite -- they finally did it, and in a BIG WAY, playing to sold out concerts halls in the early nineties.

HELL FREEZES OVER gives us all what we expected from one of the music world's best known, most played and dearly loved bands. The Eagles' songs defined growing up for many of us, and you will easily remember the words to all the songs on this great cd. The live version of HOTEL CALIFORNIA brings their instrumental talent to center stage, and even their new release, LOVE WILL KEEP US ALIVE, became a hit once people became excited about the reunion.

If you've loved the Eagles since their Hotel California days, then this CD is a must have. And if you never gave them a listen, get this collection as a great starting point!


Great Live Album Comprising Old And New Hits!   January 18, 2004
Barron Laycock (Temple, New Hampshire United States)
16 out of 26 found this review helpful

This superb live album was the event of the year when it was released, based more on the fact that the individual members of the former super-group had likened their chances to reforming as a group was as likely as the title. Well, all things are possible to those who wait, and our wait has been rewarded with a richly textured and memorable effort that covers many of their best previous songs as well as several new ones. Thus we trip from "Tequila Sunrise" to "Hotel California", from "New York Minute" to "Desperado", and from "Take It Easy" to "Life In The Fast Lane". The simple fact that they are out there creating and working together gives one hope for future works, and given other recent efforts like "A Hole In The Sky", it appears they are again gathering and recording. Hope we don't have to wait for Hell to freeze over again. Enjoy!