Whether you love or hate them, the Eagles are the biggest selling American rock band of all time. They also had the biggest selling album (greatest hits, 1975, everyone had a copy) of the 20th century. Let those yuge, non-alternative facts sink in.

I finally got on, not off, my ass to watch the three-hour History of the Eagles, Part 1 & 2, documentary (2013), plonking down at midnight last night to invest three hours of my life. (It’s still streaming on Netflix, which I just discovered can be viewed through my cable provider, Comcast Xfinity.) I’d heard it was must-see-TV, and I’m now on that bandwagon. It was riveting. And if you think spending three hours in front of the telly is a big time commitment – and it is – at least it’s quicker than reading one of the many biographies floating around out there on them.

I should love the late Glenn Frey the most. He’s a suburban Detroit native like myself. He was mentored early on by another Detroit music legend, Bob Seger, who offered him a spot in his band. But I’ve always been partial to the unique vocals and sarcastic wit of small town Texas boy, Don Henley. The were  an ambitious and naive duo when they landed in La La Land.

The documentary showcases both of their rises from music prodigies in their hometown music scenes to their moves to California to strike it rich in the music business. They arrived in late 60’s Southern California as the “California Sound” was just developing. Their contemporaries played a big role in their development, from J.D. Souther to Jackson Browne to Linda Ronstadt.

You’ll see in excruciating details how band members joined, then sometimes got shown the door. Remember, there have only been 7 official members, and none of their stories is lightly glossed over. Their fights are documented, and you’re left to decide who was right or wrong. In the end, it was always going to be Frey and Henley left standing. Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner and Don Felder never had a real chance in the creative direction fight, no matter how good they were as musicians, singers and song writers. Joe Walsh, himself a star when he joined the Eagles, accepted that heirarchy. I see both sides of the argument. And I enjoyed seeing their personalities, warts and all, dissected.

Every member of the Eagles could play and could sing. Henley and Frey didn’t pick up stray dogs to join them on their musical Holy War. Their vocal harmonies were among the best I’ve ever heard. But it was Frey’s and Henley’s band in the end. As Frey said, comparing it to a football team, someone’s not gonna get the ball all the time, someone’s gotta block, everyone’s gotta play their role for the betterment of the team, in this case, the Eagles.

“History” shows the two main Eagles early wanderings, eventually joining Ronstadt’s backing band. You’ll see great early video from those days and details I’d never heard before. You’ll learn the origins of some of their biggest hits, like “Lying Eyes,” Frey’s comment about the attractive women hanging out at a SoCal restaurant/bar who flirted all night with the music men before going home to their significant others. It’s interesting to see how a guitar lick played nonchalantly by a member (Felder’s in “Hotel California” , Walsh’s in “Life in the Fast Lane”) or a phrase uttered or heard in every day life would be the impetus to write a now-legendary song.

Part 1 is two hours long. It details not only the comings and goings and partying and shagging of the band members, but also the painstaking process of writing and recording their well-loved songs. I enjoyed that the most. The genesis of the songs is analyzed with great care and vintage video clips. You’ll see how the main duo went from clueless to classic, perfectionist song writers.

Invest three hours in this comprehensive documentary. I’m sure you’ll come away with some Eagles’ pearls you’ll be telling your friends and fellow classic rock lovers about for years.

Doc Watson