History of the Eagles Part One

They’re one of the world’s most successful bands, but where do the Eagles really stand in relation to more talented and meaningful country artists (one of whom, Gram Parsons, famously dismissed the band as ‘a plastic dry-fuck’)?

Well, that’s not a question this shiny band-approved documentary gets to grips with. In the manner of the Rolling Stones doc ‘Crossfire Hurricane’, ‘History of the Eagles Part One’ covers the band in their own words, from the outlaw chic of ‘Desperado’, through the mega-stardom which followed their multi-platinum ‘Hotel California’ through to their first split in 1980.

It makes for an engrossing three hours (concluding tomorrow at 10.30pm), chock-full of seemingly every on-stage and in-the-studio snippet in existence, along with straight-talking interviews from the band members (then and now) and a decent assemblage of general behind-the-scenes stuff.