The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975

Before Hotel California, there was this: The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, ten songs from the band's first four albums, pressed here on heavyweight 180 gram vinyl.

Released in 1976, while the group was hard at work on its next studio album, the compilation went on to become one of the best-selling records in American history. That success makes sense the moment the needle drops. In well under an hour it maps how a former backing band for Linda Ronstadt turned country harmony and folk-rock songcraft into the defining sound of seventies FM radio.

Take It Easy, co-written by Glenn Frey and Jackson Browne, still sounds like an open highway with the windows down. Lyin' Eyes unfolds like a short story set to an easy shuffle, while Desperado slows things to a piano-led hush that shows just how tender Don Henley's voice could get. One of These Nights brings a smoky, soulful groove that hinted at where the band was heading next.

Every song here is familiar, yet the heavier pressing gives the acoustic guitars real ring and leaves room for those stacked vocal harmonies to bloom. It is the sound of a band hitting its stride, gathered in one place and built for repeat spins on lazy Sunday afternoons.