Saturday 9: Hotel California

Saturday 9: Hotel California (1977)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 
1) In this song, Don Henley called the hotel's front desk and asked, "Please bring me my wine." He was told they haven't had wine since 1969. When did you last have a glass of wine?  New Year's Eve was the last time I had wine. It was a very good local red called Red Dog Road. There is still some left, but at this point it's probably not going to be very good. Stupid covid.

2) The lyrics refer to wine as a "spirit." That is incorrect. Wines are fermented, not distilled, and have a lower alcohol content than spirits. When "Hotel California" was popular, listeners who were into wine called radio stations to let them know about the mistake. Are you a wine aficionado? Are any of your friends or family knowledgeable about wine?  I enjoy wine and while I keep learning, I wouldn't say I'm knowledgeable. Several members of our families enjoy wine and we usually go at least once a year to the PA/NY border and drive the Wine Trail (which also includes several distilleries at this point) stopping at wineries to taste and stock up.

3) In the song, Henley sings about looking for the door that will take him "back to the place I was before." Don says that refers to a loss of innocence and a longing for a simpler time. When you think about "the good old days," where does your mind wander to?  Life before social media. While I like a lot about social media, I'll also be the first to admit it has changed us in some very fundamental ways. Life was, I think simpler and more innocent before we knew everyone's thoughts and all the details of their lives all the time.

 

4) With five #1 singles, six #1 albums, and six Grammy awards, it's generally agreed that the Eagles were one of the most popular groups of the 1970s. Which decade produced most of your favorite songs?  It's an equal mix of 70's and 80's music for me. My teen years and early 20's spanned both decades so I love both. The Eagles, by the way, were my favorites in the late 70's and very early 80's.

 

5) The Eagles were formed in 1971 when four of them happened to find themselves hired to play back up for Linda Ronstadt. The men found they really hit off and wanted to keep working together when the gig with Linda was up. Tell us about how you met someone important in your life.  I met my husband at work. I was in college and my dad decided I should start spending my breaks from school working at the foam rubber plant where he was a supervisor. I met Tim the first day, but nothing really happened right away, though I thought he was very handsome with his black hair and blue eyes. It wasn't till I came to work the next summer that we went out on a date and the rest was history.

 

6) The Eagles are still on the road, filling big arenas for their Long Goodbye tour. One explanation for their enduring popularity is that their music spans genres. They scored hits on the rock, pop and country charts. Other popular categories of music include classical, gospel, jazz, Latin, reggae, New Age, and rap. Which do you listen to most often? Which did you listen to most recently?  I usually listen to 70's and 80's pop and rock. They played a lot of country at work today (Friday) as well as allllll the Steeler fight songs during our pizza party/pep rally.

 

7) In 1976, when "Hotel California" was topping the charts, the trend in home decor was vibrant. Intense copper, bright pink and vivid avocado were among the popular colors for bath towels, mats and shower curtains that year. If we were to peek into your 2024 bathroom(s), what colors would we find?  Gray, white, and turquoise.

 

8) Handbags were big in 1976. Not just in popularity but in size. Purses routinely had compartments on the inside and pockets on the outside. When you leave the house, do you travel light? Or do you prefer to carry a lot with you?  It depends. To go shopping or to do some touristy type thing I prefer to travel as light as possible with a small crossbody bag. For work, I lug a big bag with all the "necessities."

9) Random question -- How different is your life today than it was a year ago: (a) a lot; (b) a little); (c) not at all?  Just a little.

Thanks to Sam for the great music and fun questions. You can play along here.