Long before The Eagles became one of the most popular rock bands (or, initially “country rock” bands) in history, the nucleus of it was germinated with this unassuming 1969 album lead by Glen Frey and JD Souther. While Souther was never “technically” an Eagle, he contributed a number of their tunes such as “New Kid in Town.” On this early session, the two young lads lead a team with James Burton/g, Ry Cooder/g, Buddy Emmons/stg, Larry Knetchel/p, Joe Osborn/b, Jim Gordon/dr and Doug Kershaw/fid. One of the tunes, the personal “Kite Woman,” was revisited on Souther’s first solo album. The rest of this feels like proto-Eagles. Tunes about California girls (“Jubilee Anne” and “Rebecca”) or the life of a vagabond (“Run Boy, Run”) reflect the attitudes of the times, as does the idea of a Generation Gap on “Mister, Mister” (what ever happened to that?). Some of the songs give hints of the country rock feel like a semi “Peaceful Easy Feeling” of “Lucky Love” and “Rebecca” and with a look into the future, this album, a must for Eagles fans, makes sense.