Monday, February 15, 2016

Music Monday ~ EAGLES


Last week we watched History of the Eagles a 3+ hour film in 2 parts, now available on Netflix. It was a slog, but an interesting one. I've always enjoyed the Eagles' 1970s hits but knew little about the band members. The band formed in 1971. What intrigued me most about the Eagles' story was the enmity that grew between band members leading to the band's break-up with the declaration that they'd get back together only "when Hell freezes over". They did get back together though.



From indications in the film (all I have to go on) it seemed to me that a major source of antipathy involved in the first exit of a member, was between Glen Frey (RIP) and guitarist Bernie Leadon; much later more problems arose and guitarist Don Felder was fired. It's not easy to keep the line-up straight, time-wise.

Frey and Leadon were two of the band's founding members; Don Henley and Randy Meisner were the other founders. Leadon left in 1975, with much bad feeling involved. I decided to look at Frey's and Leadon's natal charts, so sharp was the antagonism that showed clearly through film clips. Part of their disagreement stemmed from Glen Frey's wish for the band to veer more away from country flavours and towards rock than had been the case thus far. Leadon seemed not to agree and preferred the blue grass/country styles, found rock guitar not really his "thang". I suspect the rift went deeper than this though. A bit of political disagreement also? (Just guessing).

After Leadon left the band Joe Walsh took his place; Don Felder joined too at some point.

I've used 12 noon charts, as the time given by astro.com for Frey has a DD rating (dirty data) and there's no time of birth available for Leadon.

Glen Frey born on 6 November 1948 in Detroit Michigan



Bernie Leadon born on 19 July 1947 in Minneapolis Minnesota


Out of respect for the recently deceased Glen Frey, I'm looking only for a possible astrological source of their antagonism towards one another, not interpreting the charts in general.

I have my sights on natal Mars in opposition: Frey's at 14.53 Sagittarius, Leadon's at 13.02 Gemini directly opposite. Their initial compatibility (which I assume must have existed) could have come from Leadon's natal Jupiter conjunct Frey's Sun.

Both had natal Sun in a Water sign: Frey's in Scorpio, Leadon's in Cancer, indicating to me that Frey was likely to have been the harder headed, and more determined of the two, as well as better business minded, if his natal Moon was, as seems likely, in Capricorn.

In general, it's interesting to see that the Eagles' 4 founding members all had natal Suns in Water signs: Frey Scorpio, Henley Cancer, Leadon Cancer, Meisner Pisces. Joe Walsh, who replaced Leadon had Scorpio Sun (20 Nov 1947). Don Felder (21 September 1947) had Sun in Virgo. Timothy B. Schmit, the only native Californian in the band, joined later on, he has Sun in Scorpio too (30 October 1947). So, a Scorpio thread runs through the Eagles. The eagle is an alternative symbol to the scorpion for zodiac sign Scorpio. Hmmm.
I wonder if Glen Frey, Don Henley, or maybe others of the band had an interest in astrology.

This, from here.
The title track for 1973’s Old West-themed Desperado, which had been rattling around in Henley’s head since at least 1968, originally had an astrological bent. Frey remembers his initial lyric as, "Leo, my God, why don’t you come to your senses?"
According to the film the band's name was the result of band members, in the group's very early days, taking a hike up a mountain, with lots of peyote in their pockets. Frey (I think it was) needed to relieve himself, and in the process, in looking up to the sky saw an eagle hovering.

A couple of their songs: first, a favourite of mine, from the time when Leadon was still part of the band (at heart I'm a country gal, just not a Republican country gal!)




And their main hit after Joe Walsh and Don Feldon joined : Hotel California


7 comments:

mike said...

The two have interesting synastry, with pros-cons, but I would say their inter-chart Mercury aspects made communication and being on the same page at the same time problematic. However, I suspect transits got in their way more than anything. 1975 transits had Jupiter in late Pisces, Saturn in mid-Cancer, Uranus in early Scorpio, Neptune in mid-Sagittarius, Pluto in first decant of Libra. These transits would have tweaked each of their natal charts, particularly the personal planets, and they are offset just enough that when one was having a favorable transit, the other was not. Professionalism requires omission of the emotions, which would be hard to achieve with these two water-Suns, with Leadon being the more sensitive, as he has four planets in water...plus he had Sun and Moon in mutual reception making his emotions hard to disconnect from his ego. The Mars opposition you point-out would definitely provide fodder for warfare and I think Frey had the upper-hand on aggression, with his Mars and Jupiter in Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius.

mike (again) said...

Off - This is still a music topic, but barely...LOL. Weird and peculiar rapper Kanye West (Kim Kardashian's man)...double ugh...is pleading for money from Mark Zuckerberg or any of the 1% (or really just anyone):
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/15/kanye-west-53m-debt-mark-zuckerberg-larry-page-martin-shkreli

I've been fascinated by West's super-sized ego and finally looked at his natal chart:
http://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Kanye_West

Sun-Jupiter conjunction in Gemini, T-square Moon & Neptune. Explains it! Transiting Jupiter-N Node will complete to form grand square. Transiting Saturn will be on his Neptune very soon and will retrograde, so three hits to his Neptune, natal T-square, and transiting grand square. The boy has some growing pains upon him.

Twilight said...

mike + (again) ~ Yes, relevant transits did cross my mind, but I didn't look into 'em - thanks for this additional info. When innately emotional personalities get together they'll be particularly susceptible to astro-weather aka transits, I guess.
Frey did seem to be the more dominant personality of the pair, no doubt about that.

Re Kanye West's "yuuuuge" ego and ridiculousness - I agree, from a quick look at the link to his chart, that Sun conjunct Jupiter in Gemini opposite Neptune in Sagittarius, even without the Moon squares to both, describes his unrealised extreme daftness and otherworldiness (not in an otherworldly good way!)

Anonymous said...

thanx for insight, mike - I was wondering wuzzup wid Kanye's transits. My fave comment, of those I read at Guardian - there are over 800! so far:

'Rumor has it that some of his advisors, worried about exponential growth of the ego are considering having it anchored off the Florida coast and asking that it be admitted as our 51st state. Puerto Rico won't like that one little bit.'

mike (again) said...

LOL, Sabina!!! We already know the direction his natal planets have taken him, so it will be interesting to see the transits' effect. Could mature him or provide for a ginormous tantrum. It's difficult for me to feel empathy for him, but lots of pathetic.

How did your move work-out?

JD said...

"for the record, we never broke up we just took a 14 year vacation!" :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC7LkM2po7M

this acoustic version beats any other.

Twilight said...

JD ~ Nice one! The original version is darker, more exciting, this later acoustic one has a different flavour. I like the acoustic guitar solo equally well, but the rest, not so much. I do like Don Henley's voice - here singing Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows" - great song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y773WaIe7G4