Not to be overlooked on this album is the last song, "The Sad Cafe", which is a swan song for The Eagles much like "The Long and Winding Road" was The Beatles' swan song. The bluesy, sad song ends the 1972 to 1979 run of The Eagles nostalgically. Coincidentally the end of The Eagles coincided with the end of the decade, the eminence of disco and the transition to New Wave and the techno driven pop of the 80s. Looking back, perhaps it was time for The Eagle to move on to other things (though I still don't think so).

The rest of the album is decent, generally listenable. Six of the songs were co-written by at least three people. The other four songs were written by two people. Glenn Frey and Don Henley contributed the most, but I still think that the huge difference between "Hotel California", "The Long Run" and what came before shows the influence of Joe Walsh. After the break up of The Eagles, Glenn and Don were considered sufficiently up-to-date to have their music selected for the then extremely stylish and modern "Miami Vice". Quite a change from the early cowboy boots and rattlesnakes era of The Eagles.

Perhaps this album wasn't their best. I think it would be more fair to say it is not my favorite Eagles' album. But who cares? We all have our own favorites. The question is whether the album is worth owning. I think it is. I prefer this album over the second greatest hits collection that was largely from "Hotel California" and "The Long Run". If you are influenced by the other reviews to be concerned that you might not like many of the songs on this CD, then buy the second volume of The Eagles' greatest hits and pass this one by. I think it is a good album and worth having in my collection.


This was an acquired taste for me.   September 7, 2003
Mark Lahren (Bismarck, North Dakota USA)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

I was kind of an Eagles fan already when this album was released in 1979, though their only other album I had at that point was "Hotel California". I was a bit surprised at the change of musical style when Long Run came out, and my first impression was that I didn't really care for it. But I was only 19 years old and freely admit now that I didn't know much about music at that time.

About six months after getting the album, my girlfriend and I began experiencing *serious* problems. At that point, this album really came to mean a lot to me, as a lot of the lyrics really hit home even though I was likely interpreting them wrong. I played that album literally 100 times or more during the coming months, and I now say that it was one of the few things I looked forward to at that time in my life. So my opinion is biased.

The quality of this album from beginning to end is absolutely first-rate, which is a given for any Eagles release. There is a change in style from their previous work, and I found that change to be best described as 'edgy' and slightly dark. I love every song on this album. All this said however, it ranks second place with me after "Hotel California" which was a difficult album to improve upon. It's not a quality issue though. Merely a style issue. I do like this album's style quite a lot, but nothing could top "Hotel California". And this style change, though subtle and certainly not a negative aspect, may take some getting used to if you haven't heard this album already.

Also please note that Elektra has just released a "Digitally Remastered For The First Time" edition of this CD. The ones I've seen have a sticker on top of the cellophane stating exactly that, so I would try and get that release if possible. I cannot imagine any lover of music being disappointed with this CD.


Music is 5 star but remastering job a farce at ZERO stars   December 30, 2005
Elwood Conway (Frankfort, KY United States)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

Let me start by saying that I have known this recording intimately since it was first released. I still have a mint LP copy and the first release of this on CD from 1984 (solid puuple Elektra silkscreen CD label). So like any audio enthusiast I bought this "remastered" edition (I also bought the Dec 2005 remastered Japan version in the mini-LP...read that review as well). In a word: disappointment.

Credit Bill Szmyczyk for creating a great (if somewhat muffled...and maybe that was the intent) recording to begin with. The ONLY thing this new incarnation brings to the table is a much louder volume. There is NO sonic revelation, there is NOT a replication of the original complete artwork, there is NO indication on the actual inserts that this is a remastered edition. The only indication is a black sticker on the shrinkwrap. So if you have any of the CD versions out there, DO NOT PITCH THEM TO BUY THIS ONE...you will be disappointed.


The End Of The Run   January 8, 2001
Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

Hotel California pushed the band from stars into mega-stars. They went on a long tour to support the album and due to increased drug use, tensions within the band increased. Founding member, bassist Randy Meisner could no longer stand it and left the band after the tour. He was replaced by former Poco member, Timothy B. Schmidt and the band took time off to refuel. After three long years, they finally released The Long Run in late 1979. While not as strong as Hotel California, the album still is something special. The band treads into new territory with the title track, which is a slice of Memphis Soul Stew in the Stax/Volt vein. Don Henley gives a spirited vocal and shows he has tremendous range. Mr. Schmidt contributes the soft and tender "I Can't Tell You Why" and his backing vocals are the rest of the album add a new dimension to the band. Joe Walsh chimes in with the crashing "In The City". The album has a dark and ominous tone with the best examples being the menacing "The Disco Strangler" and the corrupt power of "King Of Hollywood" in which Mr. Henley sings from the perspective of a Hollywood producer bent on abusing his power. "Heartache Tonight" was the band's fifth and last number one single and is a high octane affair co-written with Bob Seger. "Those Shoes" has an almost funky beat and "Teenage Jail" follows the dark theme. "The Greek Don't Want No Freaks" is a goofy number that lightens things up with Jimmy Buffett singing backup vocals. The album closes on a pensive note with the longing "The Sad Cafe". The band would break up not long after their tour to support the album and the song is an appropriate final chapter to one of the biggest bands of all time.


The Sad Cafe...still sad, but remaster sounds better   May 22, 2000
Wayne Klein (My Little Blue Window, USA)
9 out of 11 found this review helpful

The White Album, Let It Bleed, The Long Run. What do these three albums have in common? Unrealistic expectations and the misfortune to follow very popular albums. The Eagles (love them or hate them) had a similar impact in music as the Beatles, Stones & Kinks. They were the monsters of the 70's in terms of sales and airplay.

The remastered edition of The Long Run recaptures the vitality that was apparent on the best songs when it was first released in 1979. Ted Jensen works wonders bringing better depth, clarity and stereo separation to this edition of the CD. Jensen has also done a spectacular job on the other Eagles albums as well. Since the cover art is exactly the same look for the black sticker stating that the album was remastered (or Jensen's credit on the back). Unfortunately, this is a no frills remaster with no bonus tracks (outtakes or unfinished songs would have been nice) or notes from the band (or producer).

The Long Run is definitely a bit spotty coming after the band's masterpiece Hotel California. There are more than a handful of songs that hold up to the best tracks on HC. The Long Run has a wistful quality missing from much of the rest of the album. I Can't Tell You Why stands as one of the band's best ballads. In The CIty fits the album perfect (although it might have worked just as well on HC). Heartache Tonight despite overkill on the radio, is a terrific little rocker from the band. Those Shoes might work if not for the annoying overuse of talkboxes by Walsh & Felder. The novelty wears thin after the first listen. The Sad Cafe stands as one of Henley & Frey's finest moments as songwriters. It captures sense of loss and regret for the innocence of our past. It's one of the finest closers on an Eagle album.

This is things get dicey. The Disco Strangler doesn't work. It's a noble attempt to try something a little different but it fails. King Of Hollywood tries to engage the listener the same way that The Last Resort or Wasted Time did. Again, while it's a fine song it just doesn't equal the quality of either of those songs. Teenage Jail has a lot of fury but little substance. The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks works well as a joke but there are only so many jokes you can listen to more than one or two times. The new wave touches are nice and give the song more substance than is really there.

The Long Run demonstrated that the band had reached their creative end. With dissent in the ranks and the alienation of Henley & Frey (not to mention Frey & Felder or Walsh & Henley later on) put an end to a fine American band. While I enjoyed Hell Freezes Over, it was mostly a retrospective and as a result provided a sense of closure for a band that petered out too soon.

Reportedly the band is considering recording another album and doing another tour. While it won't recapture the heights of the band at their peak perhaps, it may allow the band to finally end on a much more solid grace note.