A bit of a picture post this one, as really into my new series where I intend to share pictures of sunrises and sunsets (accompanied by a relevant featured song of course). This morning I could tell there was going to be a beautiful array of orange and yellow in the sky as when I came through for breakfast, the colours were dancing across the obscure glass in the back door. I quickly grabbed my new iPhone (which has a much improved camera) and this is what I got. Sadly, most of my sunrise pictures will involve next door’s garage wall which kind of blocks our views down the hill into town. It was built before we bought the house, so we knew what we were getting, but at times likes this it would be nice not to have that big block of grey getting in the way. No matter, a fine sunrise shot whatever.
I think I’ve mentioned this around here before, but back in 2009/2010 I set myself the task of taking a picture of something from the natural world, every day, for a whole year. Called my 365 Project, I ended up with a great set of pictures that recorded the seasons during the period from November 2009 until the following November. I had thought it would be a good idea to revisit the same locations a decade on, to compare the scenes, but of course that requires a fair level of commitment and so far I’ve been found wanting. What I have been able to record however makes for sobering viewing.
Exhibit A: On the 1st December 2009 I somehow managed to record the amazing sunrise on the left. Deep purple this one, with oranges so bright they looked like flames. Last Sunday was the 1st December 2019 and from the same vantage point I took the picture on the right. Not as impressive and I hadn’t even noticed before but it seems the cottage down the hill has lost its chimneys in the intervening years. Even worse is that the large tree in its garden has been chopped down, and there are now stumps instead – It used to look spectacular in summer when in full leaf, but now only one left. This got me to thinking about what else has changed so radically, and it didn’t take long.
Exhibit B: Some of the roads leading up the hill to our house were originally farm roads. Many were lined with very old Scots pines which could potentially have been there for hundreds of years. I took this fine shot on the left on a nice sunny day in November 2009. Sadly, a few years later the local council decided to cut down all but one of them, for health and safety reasons, and the shot on the right was the one I took on Sunday. Only one pine remains of the original four, and I don’t know about you, but to me it now looks really sad and lonely. Only two pictures in and already so much of the natural world had gone. Just think how I felt when I pulled into our street last week to be met with our next exhibit.
Exhibit C: The first house in our street has always been blessed with a tree that come springtime is covered in blossom. Our Japanese cherry flowers a bit later, and the blossom lasts longer, but the tree on the corner always flowers first and ends up producing a beautiful carpet of pink on the pavement. For some bizarre reason they have decided to get rid of it, to provide more light for their conservatory we suspect, but again just so sad to see yet another tree go.
But this is a music blog, and I have become side-tracked by trees, or rather the lack of them. This series is supposed to be all about songs relating to sunrises and sunsets so might as well get this one in early doors, as they say – Tequila Sunrise by the Eagles. The song wasn’t actually about the drink of the same name (that unmixed concoction made up of tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup which does look remarkably like a sunrise), no, it was written for their 1973 album Desperado where all the songs were based on themes of the Old West. The band even appear on the album’s cover dressed like an outlaw gang.
Tequila Sunrise was one of the first songs where Don Henley and Glenn Fry collaborated and when Glenn came up with a guitar riff that sounded “kinda Mexican”, Don suggested the title, as they had been drinking straight tequila all night and now the sun was coming up. As for the line “take another shot of courage”, they called tequila “instant courage”, as without it they didn’t have the nerve to go and talk to women (but trust me, not always the best way to woo the opposite sex).
Tequila Sunrise by The Eagles:
So, “What’s It All About?” – A fine picture at the top there, but having revisited my pictures from ten years ago I am sad that in the town anyway, we have lost so many long-established trees.
As for the Eagles, they are one of the many bands that seemed to do just a little too well for themselves and lost their kudos along the way, becoming a tad corporate. Personally I still love listening to their songs but more because of that sense of nostalgia, remembering where I was, and who I was with, when I first discovered them. Growing up in the 1970s, if you were lucky enough to hang out at the house of a friend who had an older brother, there was usually an abundance of Eagles albums.
Just in case you don’t remember what a tequila sunrise drink looks like, here is it – The one we are most familiar with originated in Sausalito, California and those gradations in colour certainly do resemble a sunrise. One of the first alcoholic drinks I remember consuming at our local nightspot was indeed a tequila sunrise and probably because it looked and tasted like a soft drink – An expensive 1970s alcopop.
Until next time….
Tequila Sunrise Lyrics
(Song by Glenn Fry/Don Henley)
It’s another tequila sunrise
Starin’ slowly ‘cross the sky
Said goodbye
He was just a hired hand
Workin’ on the dreams he planned to try
The days go by
Ev’ry night when the sun goes down
Just another lonely boy in town
And she’s out runnin’ ’round
She wasn’t just another woman
And I couldn’t keep from comin’ on
It’s been so long
Oh and it’s a hollow feelin’
When it comes down to dealin’ friends
It never ends
Take another shot of courage
Wonder why the right words never come
You just get numb
It’s another tequila sunrise
This old world still looks the same
Another frame
What's It All About? 
I remember drinking tequila sunrises in the early 1970’s and it took me a while to realise that I didn’t like them as they were far too sweet – a bit like The Eagles, sometimes, although Side 2 of “Desperado” is one of the all time great side 2’s. I think too many music snobs picked on the Eagles who were something of an easy target, especially since Don Henley turned out to be a bit of a creep. I gave up on them after hearing “Hotel California” (great title track, but the rest was pretty meh), but their 1st four albums were good and they still managed to whip out a great song now and then – “Lying Eyes” and “One Of These Nights”, for example.
I got to review their debut album on its release in 1972 and there was more of a country rock feel to it than the pop/rock of later albums.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haven’t had a tequila sunrise for years but having just written about them I feel I should try one for old time’s sake. Very sweet though as you say.
As for the Eagles I don’t remember when if became fashionable to diss them but I for one still love the songs from those early albums (and Hotel California). Growing up in cold and wet Scotland, the lyrics conjured up a picture of far more exotic places (which were a lot less cold and wet). Wow, you reviewed that first album – As ever we would love to hear what you wrote and I find it hard to believe you have absolutely nothing left in terms of memorabilia. Please put up a guest post one of these days as I feel sure it would be riveting. If not here on one of the more musically reputable blogs!
LikeLike
I think that the Eagles were the first, or among the first, to demand very high performance fees. This probably happened circa 1980. That was the beginning of exorbitant ticket prices for certain musicians.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You could be right Neil – Bands used to tour purely to promote their latest records and tickets were relatively cheap. Once stadiums were filled the money came from the tours. Doubt if I could afford to go and see many of these bands nowadays!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like Tequila Sunrise and I consider Desperado as the Eagles’ second-best album after Hotel Cal. My favorite sunrise/sunset song is the tranquil closer on Roxy Music’s 1973 album Stranded. Feel free to steal for your series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X7MXHP5-XE
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am a bit of a nostalgia junkie and they just remind me of a certain happy time in my life so can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned. I am fully aware not everyone agrees but good to hear your views.
Thanks for the Roxy Music suggestion – You say tranquil, I say a bit of a dirge! I think I maybe need to listen the whole album and hear it in context. I like the album cover on the YouTube clip – Classic Roxy Music glamour.
LikeLiked by 1 person
By the way I’m sorry that I’m not keeping up with your blog at the moment but you are being quite prolific and I’ve been really busy. I intend to catch up in due course.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Morning Has Broken to accompany sunrises?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I used Cat Stevens Moonshadow for my Moon Series – Looks as if he’ll be popping up again in this one. Thanks for the reminder.
LikeLike
That’s Rick Wakeman on piano. There was a time when, as a session man, he had played on all records in the top 10.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He played the piano into for Life On Mars – He was the go-to guy when it came to keyboards. Then he got his cape!
LikeLike
Very sobering to see the changes in those photos – things happen so slowly that you don’t appreciate the extent of the changes until you compare them further down the line – I’ve noticed similar things here, and as in your example, it’s such a shame. Soon after they’d moved in our immediate neighbours also decided to chop down every single shrub and hedge and bush in his garden (he’s a landscape gardener!) – these used to provide so much cover and nesting sites for the birds, it was lovely, but they wanted more light. What they didn’t realise was that the thick foliage that was originally there also provided great protection from the strong winds that blow up from the fields at the back, so they get the full brunt of the gales now…
I’m not a fan of the Eagles but they really do epitomise growing up in the ’70s and for that reason I cannot put them into ‘Room 101’! The same must apply to a Tequila Sunrise!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I knew you would commiserate about the trees coming down. Those old Scots pines had been there for a couple of hundred years probably, but all gone now bar one – So sad. I’m wondering if your neighbour has gone for one of those very designer-y gardens like you see on telly shows – Not much use for the birds as you say.
I also knew you would a) not like the Eagles, and b) not like Tequila Sunrises. I agree about the drink but have to admit to still being partial to early Eagles. Reminds me of my first dates with the “school boyfriend” whose older brother had all their albums.
LikeLike
Another excellent post and some lovely photos, despite the loss of trees.
The first photo reminded me a little of why we already resent our new neighbours after only being here a few months. When we bought this house, one of the things that sold it to us was the sweeping view over the garden fence down the valley. We’d only been here a few weeks when the neighours erected an enormous summer house at the bottom of their garden. Although we can only see the roof over the fence, it has sliced into our view by a foot or so. Louise was disconsolate for about a week. She’s coming to terms with it now and we can still see most of the view. Still… I haven’t been quite as friendly to the neighbours since they did that. (And usually I am the soul of bon homie.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks – There have been some great sunrises and sunsets of late (and a perfect half moon) so making the most of them.
Unfortunate about the summer house but who knows, being the soul of bon homie, you will probably be invited to some great drinks parties in it next summer where you will drink tequila sunrises and take in the gorgeous uninterrupted views. Our neighbour’s garage does create a little corner suntrap for us where we set out the garden furniture in summer, so always an upside.
LikeLike
Great pics, Alyson (but don’t get me started on unnecessary tree cutting). Also like that Eagles song from their pre-corporate days. Look forward to seeing more
LikeLiked by 1 person
So sad about all those ancient trees – Don’t think I’ll go back in another ten years (if I’m spared) and take more pictures as doubt if any of them will be left.
The pre-corporate Eagles material is definitely their best in my opinion – I still haven’t watched the film you recommended but just like with this Eagles song, it will make me all nostalgic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fun fact: most of the Eagles are not from California.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed but they all gravitated there in the 60s didn’t they – They were all in the right place at the right time and Laurel Canyon especially was the place to be.
LikeLike