Hotel California
Album by The Eagles
Released	8 December 1976
Recorded	March-October 1976 at Criteria Studios, Miami, FL and The Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA
Genre	Rock
Length	43 min 30 sec
Record label	Asylum Records
Producer	Bill Szymczyk
Professional reviews
AMG	5/5	link
RollingStone	4/5	link
ARTISTdirect	5/5	link
The Eagles Chronology
Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) (1976)	Hotel California (1976)	The Long Run (1979)

Hotel California was an album released by The Eagles in 1976 (see 1976 in music). Using Hotel California as a metaphor for the nation, The Eagles wrote about innocence ("New Kid in Town", a #1 hit in Billboard on February 26, 1977) and temptations ("Life In The Fast Lane" and the title track, a #1 hit in Billboard on May 7, 1977) of that pursuit. During the final leg of the ensuing tour, however, Randy Meisner decided he'd had enough hotel rooms in his seven years as an Eagle and left the band for the relative quiet of Nebraska to recuperate and instigate a solo career. This album was nominated for the Grammy Awards of 1978.

In 2003 the TV network VH1 named Hotel California the 38th greatest album of all time.

Track listing

1. "Hotel California" (Felder, Henley, Frey) - 6:30
   • Lead vocal by Don Henley
2. "New Kid in Town" (J.D. Souther, Henley, Frey) - 5:04
   • Lead vocal by Glenn Frey
3. "Life in the Fast Lane" (Walsh, Henley, Frey) - 4:46
   • Lead vocal by Don Henley
4. "Wasted Time" (Henley, Frey) - 4:55
   • Lead vocal by Don Henley
5. "Wasted Time (Reprise)" (instrumental) (Henley, Frey, Jim Ed Norman ) - 1:22
6. "Victim of Love" (Felder, Souther, Henley, Frey) - 4:11
   • Lead vocal by Don Henley
7. "Pretty Maids All in a Row" (Walsh, Joe Vitale ) - 4:05
   • Lead vocal by Joe Walsh
8. "Try and Love Again" (Meisner) - 5:10
   • Lead vocal by Randy Meisner
9. "The Last Resort" (Henley, Frey) - 7:25
   • Lead vocal by Don Henley

Personnel

• Don Felder - guitar, pedal steel, electric guitar, steel guitar, vocals, slide guitar
• Glenn Frey - synthesizer, guitar, piano, keyboard, vocals, clavinet
• Don Henley - synthesizer, percussion, drums, vocals
• Randy Meisner - bass, guitar, vocals, guitarron
• Joe Walsh - organ, synthesizer, guitar, piano, keyboard, electric piano, vocals, slide guitar

Additional personnel

• Jim Ed Norman - conductor
• Sid Sharp - concert master

Production

• Producer: Bill Szymczyk
• Engineers: Allan Blazek, Bruce Hensal, Ed Marshall, Bill Szymczyk
• Mixing: Bill Szymczyk
• String arrangements: Jim Ed Norman
• Art direction: Don Henley, John Kosh
• Design: John Kosh
• Photography: David Alexander
• Artwork: Kosh
• Poster design: Norman Seeff
• CD preparation: Kevin Gray

Singles

• "Take It to the Limit"/"After the Thrill Is Gone" - Asylum 45293; released November 15, 1976
• "New Kid in Town"/"Victim Of Love" - Asylum 45373; released December 7, 1976
• "Hotel California"/"Pretty Maids All In A Row" - Asylum 45286; released February 22, 1977
• "Life in the Fast Lane"/"The Last Resort" - Asylum 45403; released May 3, 1977

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Awards

Grammy Awards

Grammy Award nominations

External links

• Yahoo! LAUNCH - Discography with samples