We’ve never really been massive fans of Eagles but you’d have to be a miserable wretch not to like this new double album recorded live at the impressive Inglewood venue, practically a homecoming gig for the band.

Someone who saw Eagles years ago complained to us: “It sounded just like the records”, which is perhaps not so good if you want some live raucousness, but is excellent if you’ve got a live album.

Recorded live at The Forum in Inglewood, California, the late Glenn Frey’s son Deacon and Vince Gill joined Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B Schmitt for a set that sees the band all getting on like family, and saying: “It’s all about the songs”. Which it is, and Eagles have some songs that will live for ever.

We saw Fleetwood Mac a few years ago and were surprised at how much a of a band they were: you forget these people got into it because they wanted to be in a band, and the personalities, drugs, booze and fights only detract from that. Eagles sound like a band who’ve gone round the circle and are back to being just a band.

It’s a double CD and contains 26 classic Eagles songs, plus some of the band’s solo hits, such as Boys of Summer and Life’s Been Good. They sound good enough to be studio recordings and if Joe Walsh sounds a bit older on Life’s Been Good … well, he’s 72.

As is traditional with Eagles concerts, Seven Bridges Road opens and The Long Run Closes. Hotel California is on, just under nine minutes and opening with a mariachi trumpet solo just to fool the crowd.
It’s out for Christmas and to be honest, you can’t go wrong.