The 1979 album Don Henley never wanted to make again: “It was long and difficult”
The Eagles entered the studio for 'The Long Run' in 1979 already worn down from years of touring and the weight of following up 'Hotel California.' Band members battled substance abuse, internal conflict, and burnout during an arduous recording process that strained relationships and depleted creative energy. Don Henley publicly stated the album represented an exhausting chapter he had no desire to revisit, citing the cumulative toll of touring, interpersonal tension, and lifestyle pressures.
Despite these difficulties, the project yielded commercially successful tracks, yet it ultimately marked the beginning of the end for the group. The band dissolved within months of its release, rendering Henley's own songwriting about persistence and longevity retrospectively tragic—he appeared to sense the unravelling even as he was documenting it in real time.
- The Eagles' 1979 album 'The Long Run' proved grueling to record, with Don Henley characterising it as exhausting and expressing reluctance to repeat the experience
- The band disbanded shortly after release despite commercial success, with Henley's reflections on longevity becoming poignant in light of their imminent breakup