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The Eagles have been in farewell mode for years. The death of Glenn Frey has not deterred them from touring, although COVID did. In recent years, the band has focused on live performances instead of releasing new material.

There are a number of live recordings of the band, so you can hear them from different eras. Some are officially part of the Eagles’ discography, others are not.

In the old days it was just the band, four of them in the beginning and then five after Joe Walsh came aboard. They played all the instruments and sang the vocals. Later on, the touring lineup grew to include a keyboard player, drummer and more recently another guitarist, to fill out the sound. I was happy with the band when it was was just them; simpler and leaner. But that’s just me.

Eagles Live (1980) 2 LP set, record in 1976 and 1980, from the Hotel California and The Long Run tours. The set was heavy on songs from these albums. Five tracks would surface on the 40th Anniversary Edition of Hotel California as a 10-track live disc.

Hell Freezes Over (1994) CD and DVD, Four new songs performed live and various hits. Recorded after a 14-year hiatus by the band. The new songs are good, but not classics. The selection of live tracks focus on their later material, with only minor representation from their first several albums. This was a big seller, but did not really offer much beyond the four new songs. This was lineup of Henley, Frey, Felder, Walsh and Schmidt, and it would be the end of the line for Felder who was fired from the band.

Farewell 1 Tour: Live from Melbourne (2005) DVD – 2 disc set of 30 tracks, including two songs, a preview of their upcoming studio album, Out of Eden. A broad retrospective of the Eagles songbook along with a variety of solo cuts. The lineup was the four Eagles, minus Don Felder, plus some backing musicians. The tour name “farewell” was misleading, the Eagles had no plans to retire the band. Released by the band.

Live From the Forum MMXVIII (2020) Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit joined by two new bandmates: Deacon Frey and Vince Gill. A 26-song set, including a few solo songs. Officially released by the Eagles.

Eagles Best of Live at the Summit Houston 1976 – CD Apparently taken from the soundboard, but not cleaned up. Not an official Eagles release, but a lively performance.

Transmission Impossible (3CD set) Each CD represents a different decade. The first disc was recorded in the Netherworlds, circa 1973, featuring early songs. Disc two is from the 1980 The Long Run tour. Disc three is from the MTV Unplugged sessions.

Midnight Flyer – Live in the USA 1974-1995 9-CD set. Taken from a variety of performances including the Beacon Theatre in NYC, the Summit in Houston, the Form in Los Angles, MTV unplugged concert, Target Center in Minneapolis.

UΝΡLUGGΕD 1994, ΤHE SΕCΟND ΝIGHT (2CD) Music from the follow-up MTV performance. This set contains more songs than Hell Freezes Over, deeper cuts. A more relaxed recording.

My choice is the one below. It had the best lineup (Henley, Frey, Meisner, Felder, Walsh), and they were on fire. Other sets are longer, but not better.

Hotel California 40th Anniversary Edition Bonus Disc (Live at the LA Forum October 20–22, 1976)
Half the songs had been released on Eagles Live (1980), but if you want a high energy, on the mark, live recordings, this is the one to get.

1. “Take It Easy” Frey/Jackson Browne Frey 4:48
2. “Take It To The Limit” Henley/Frey/Meisner Meisner 5:19
3. “New Kid In Town” Henley/Frey/Souther Frey 4:53
4. “James Dean” Henley/Frey/Souther/Browne Frey 3:50
5. “Good Day In Hell” Henley/Frey Frey and Henley 5:29
6. “Witchy Woman” Henley/Bernie Leadon Henley 4:21
7. “Funk 49” Walsh/Dale Peters/Jim Fox Walsh 4:04
8. “One Of These Nights” Henley/Frey Henley 3:53
9. “Hotel California” Felder/Henley/Frey Henley 6:50
10. “Already Gone” Jack Tempchin/Robb Strandlund Frey 5:16