Album of the Day

ON THE BORDER was an appropriate title for Eagles' third studio set; the collection straddles the mellower music of their earlier discs and the tougher sounds they'd soon explore. After initial sessions with Glyn Johns in London, the band shifted gears, moving to L.A.'s Record Plant and teaming with producer Bill Szymczyk to find a harder rock edge (the band would get a boost in that direction with the addition of guitarist Don Felder). There are still plenty of country influences on the album; Bernie Leadon's “My Man” is a tribute to his old friend Gram Parsons and there's some fine pedal steel work on “Best Of My Love,” which hit #1 on this day in 1975. But ON THE BORDER also includes punchier singles “Already Gone” and “James Dean,” reflecting a versatility that would eventually take the group to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.