Product Description

The Eagles said that hell would freeze over before they would play together again...well, the devil must be shivering in his boots because they're back! This live concert features first-ever performances of four new tracks along with acoustic and electric renditions of thirteen classic Eagles songs. Also includes interviews and bonus footage. Songs: Hotel California, Tequila Sunrise, Help Me Through the Night, The Heart of the Matter, Love Will Keep Us Alive, Learn to be Still, Pretty Maids All in a Row, The Girl from Yesterday, Wasted Time, I Can't Tell You Why, New York Minute, The Last Resort, Take it Easy, Life in the Fast Lane, In the City, Get Over It, Desperado.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24429 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-02-16
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 100 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
The long-defunct, Southern California band regrouped for an album, an expensive tour (expensive for ticket buyers, that is), and this televised special, which features the Eagles in performance. Laid-back but sharp and even stirring during a longish acoustic set, the guys quickly get past the nostalgia element and sound truly viable. They even make it look easy: the sight of Joe Walsh wearing glasses and sitting in almost perfect repose as he effortlessly colors old hits "Tequila Sunrise" and new material such as "Learn to Be Still" may make you wonder why you ever stashed that guitar in the attic. But the band eventually gets off their stools and rocks out on "Hotel California" and other Eagles standards. All in all, it's an enjoyable and mellowing show. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Best Music DVD Available Today
Hell Freezes Over has to be the most realistic concert sound yet available on DVD. I have the DTS encoded six-speaker surround system with a 55" Widescreen HDTV, so the video is better than what I can see or hear at just about any motion picture theatre. I have found no other DVD that can match the production quality and sound, yet. Mostly due to the DTS encoding which is noticably superior to the Dolby Digital 5.1 surround on the home theater system. Above technical quality, the Eagles themselves perform their best yet. Comparing Hotel California on this DVD with their original is like comparing an old Chevy with a Rolls. The old Chevy is a great classic, and attractive, but the Rolls has the ride and the class. Don Felder and Joe Walsh perform better than I have ever before heard them, and playing the Alverez classical guitars on the Hotel California cut is hands-down, just the best version ever. Glenn Frey and Don Henley give impressive performances, and Timothy B. Schmidt also is at his best ever on bass and vocals. I watch it again and again. There is just no comparison to the sound of the DTS DVD and the CD of this same album. I have both and the CD is always a letdown after hearing the DVD. Well worth the price, and a DVD you will listen to again and again.

extreme mellowness
The music in the concert, filmed in April of 1994, is lovely and exquisitely performed, but somewhat underwhelming in its presentation.
The strength of the Eagles is in their wonderful songs and masterful musicianship, but anyone looking for a razzle-dazzle performance should look elsewhere; these are laid back performers to the point of sometimes being as exciting as watching a CD spin. It would have helped had they ditched the stools for the first 6 songs, varied the lighting a bit in the middle section, which is cast in an almost steady dark blue, and mixed in a few up-tempo songs, instead of the first 12 selections being of approximately the same speed and mood; it picks up with last 5 songs starting with "Take it Easy", with brighter lighting and more energy projected from the musicians, and even a rousing new song, "Get Over It".

Highlights for me are a gorgeous arrangement of my favorite Eagles song, "Hotel California", "New York Minute", with its Gershwinesque string section intro and jazzy horn solo, and "Life in the Fast Lane", one of the 3 up-tempo songs.
The first 15 minutes of this film are about the preparation for this concert, and include interviews with the Eagles who are: Glenn Frey / Don Henley / Joe Walsh / Don Felder / Timothy Schmit. The sound is great and total running time is 100 minutes.
Song list:
"Hotel California"
"Tequila Sunrise"
"Help Me Through the Night"
"The Heart of the Matter"
"Love Will Keep Us Alive"
"Learn to be Still"
"Pretty Maids All on a Row"
"The Girl from Yesterday"
"Wasted Time"
"I Can't Tell You Why"
"New York Minute"
"The Last Resort"
"Take it Easy"
"Life in the Fast Lane"
"In the City"
"Get Over It"
"Desperado"

Impressive! (even if you're not an Eagle's fan!)
The other reviews have already said it: this is the most superb-sounding DVD available. I have no Eagles in my music collection and am not even that interested in their music yet:
1. Attention home theatre types: the fidelity of sound in DTS mode is the finest you'll find on any DVD at this time (Feb 2002) - this is the DVD to impress your friends with how great the sound can be on your home theatre.
2. The picture quality is amazingly sharp (I've been asked by friends if it was shot on HDTV - it wasn't but it looks that sharp).
3. It's assuredly composed and edited...which is much more than I can say for 99% of the concert videos out there. The cuts make sense, the angles aren't crazy or weird and the flow is excellent.
4. Finally, but not least, the band sounds (and even looks) every bit as good as they did 20 some years ago. Don Henley's voice in particular is completely "there" - he hits every high note and never falters.

I'm no fan but I am completely blown away by this DVD. As far as I'm concerned it sets a standard for all other concert DVD's.