‘Hotel California‘: Do You Hate the Eagles or Love the Eagles?

It's a tale as old as ... well the 1970s, when the Eagles were flying high (pun intended) on hits like "Take it Easy" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling." Then came "Hotel California," the dark, sprawling tune with the ominous, two-minute instrumental outro. It was and continues to be one of the most notable songs in rock 'n' roll. But over the years, a contingent of people came to hate the song and the band that created it. Why? We dig into it from a variety of perspectives. First, a few notes:

• This week's beer is New Glarus Moon Man, a beer only available in Wisconsin. (Kevin is a Green Bay Packers fan, and he and Butch recently went to Green Bay for training camp; this beer came back with them.)
• It's OK to like the Eagles, just don't admit you like the Eagles. (We kid.)
• Here's a fascinating read about why so many people hate The Eagles: https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6851078/eagles-hatred-explainer-defense-glenn-frey
• Butch has always liked the song and The Eagles. Kevin has had an up-and-down relationship with both over his lifespan.
• They agree song construction in its own right fits the subject matter, with the dark tones and guitar-solo climax matching the spooky lyric. Kudos to Don Felder, who did the heavy lifting in creating the song.
• They also agree Joe Walsh might be the coolest dude ever. Don Henley and Glenn Frey? Not so much. At least to Kevin, who shares a funny story about Don Henley and a root canal.
• Another interesting read from Chuck Klosterman on hating The Eagles: https://ew.com/article/2013/06/20/book-excerpt-chuck-klosterman/