Defending the indefensible: Don Henley

And I really like The Eagles

Glenn Frey totally sucks though

What's the consensus on "Heart of the Matter"? I though that was a good song when I was like 10. Should I download it or will I be disappointed?

SHE WANTS TO PARTY SHE WANTS TO GET DOWN

Down at the Sunset Grill?

CUZ THERE'S NOT ENUFF LUV IN THE WORLD

It's very rare that someone as widely loved as Don Henley is COMPLETELY indefensible. Vox populi vox dei.

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2007/specials/grammy07/afterparty/sting.jpg

Gad, he's smug even when relaxing.

oh come on, you guys! desperado!? right? right.

Dirty Laundry is a good jam

Yeah, it really is.

i used to have the 7" of this:

I once had an argument with the guitarist in my band on a long road trip about whether the Henley song was called 'Boys of Summer' (my claim) or 'Poisoned Summer' (his claim). We even wagered $10 on it. I pretended to be hesitant when making the wager because I really wanted to win, because he was such a c*nt. So I went, 'Er, er, alright, $10'. He then said words to the following effect:

'See, moley, that's the difference between you and me. You'll always lose bets because you're jewish, you're nervous. That's why jews will never be good poker players. You jews don't have the pokerfaces to win on a bet like this, cos you're too neurotic. You give yourselves away'.

I made him pay the $10. The only real issue was what nickname to give him from that point on. The singer and I couldn't decide between 'Pokerface' and 'Poisoned Summer'. In the end we just sacked him.

!

"I made him pay the $10."

insert jewish joke here instead.

Every Don Henley solo album means fewer other Eagles were involved.

I read the Don Felder book about his days in the Eagles. I don't like their music, but I figured there would be some good dirt in there. It was pretty good, but Frey comes across as an even bigger asshole than Henley, if that's possible.

hope this isn't too tacky, but i can't let his words go to waste: http://tinyurl.com/cc6wrh

Ah, yes — Mr. Christgau, the self-proclaimed “Dean of American Rock Critics.” I have never found anything in his work that was constructive or illuminating. His rants are mean-spirited, pretentious drivel that often miss the mark entirely. His tastes are narrow, his views myopic and he writes primarily to impress other critics rather than to educate or enlighten the average listener. The guy is so caught up in his own prejudices that he usually can’t see the forest for the trees and his toxic screeds devolve into nonsense — like the one above, which, I assume, is supposed to be some kind of clever, semantical wordplay, but is so clichéd and daffy that it’s meaningless. Christgau is like the nutty, eccentric professor who tries hard to be hip, but can never get there because he is locked in the ivory tower of his pedantry. Because he’s so gone, so deranged, I could no more be offended by him than by a besotted bum who cursed at me on the street. As that old philosopher Joe Walsh once said, “You Can’t Argue With a Sick Mind.”

I have a special love of "The End of The Innocence" because it came out when I graduated from high school, and it seemed to fit that feeling of graduating. Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...he came from like very near my hometown...I think he recorded something very near my hometown. Yeah, he had some video with a bunch of basketball players from there or something. Not sure I really want to remember the details, but you know...

I only get to have three pieces of pride for my small hometown and they are:
1) Dave Matthews Band
2) Happy Flowers
3) Bruce Hornsby

That's it. That's all I get. I'll take the abuse, that's fine, but not unless you know Happy Flowers.

The line "Oh beautiful for spacious skies/Now those skies are threatening" is absolute shit.

i prefer "heart of the matter" ...

did Hornsby play the piano for the End of the Innocence? maybe my favourite thing he's ever done...

also I just got kicked in the stomach by "Last Worthless Evening"...

Much as I hate the smugness of the lyrics, "All She Wants To Do is Dance" is one helluva electro-groove.

From Wikipedia:

"The End of the Innocence" was the lead single and title song from Don Henley's third solo studio album, The End of the Innocence, in 1989. The song was written by Bruce Hornsby, with lyrics added by Henley, and both perform the song live in their respective concerts. The Henley version became his fifth solo Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, which is more than any of the other Eagles members, peaking at number 8. It also became his fourth number 1 single on the Mainstream Rock chart.

There are two political comments in the video by Henley. At the line "they're beating plowshares into swords, for the tired old man that we elected king", it shows a series of posters of President Ronald Reagan, and at the line "armchair warriors often fail" it shows a TV set showing scenes of the congressional testimony of Oliver North.

After George H. W. Bush became president, instead of the lyric "they're beating plowshares into swords, for the tired old man that we elected king" Bruce Hornsby began singing his version with the line " for the tired old man that is no longer king" since Reagan was out of office.

"The End of the Innocence" excerpt
Play sound
From the album The End of the Innocence. This sample includes a portion of chorus.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The music video for the song was directed by future film director, David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club) and earned Henley an MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video in 1990.

Don't really care about "All She Wants To Do Is Dance", but I haven't heard "Last Worthless Evening" in quite awhile, Drugs A. Money. Will listen again soon.

In other news, Alfred, I did end up downloading that Bryan Ferry song though about dance...what was it..."Don't Stop The Dance", yeah I did get that one on my iPod and enjoyed it very much. Thanks.

i dont know how good of a song LWE really is Bimble...it fits in with certain weird situations I am involved with right now...but the only reason I remember it is bcz it was on the first VH1 top 20 video countdown I ever watched...another song on that: Eric Clapton's "Pretending"

Eric Clapton can suck my...

Don't worry I'll be disappointed in LWE, Drugs. If I am, I promise I won't blame you. :)

Also let's not forget: John Peel called Eric Clapton a "nincompoop"

Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...Also the guy who played piano...Bruce Hornsby...

: )

LOLOLOLOL

80s Don Henley--all synthed out, political and super commercial--is a deeply weird aesthetic.

The song Building The Perfect Beast may be the most 80s sounding song ever recorded. But I have a soft spot for that record, I still love it. First one has some good songs too.

The Best of My Grub

order the New York Minute omelette, where what you get isn't what you ordered

you guys gave up on this shit too fast!

this thread motivated me to listen to Building… in total for the first time: in 85, the AOR station in Louisville played the SHIT out of "Sunset Grill," "Drivin' with your eyes Closed" and ""Not Enuff Love…" alongside the two legit hits, and so it was interesting to hear the other shit…

1.) on a bunch of cuts, he's singing way way way too high, straining his ability to hit the notes, 2.) it's very surprising that he had no hand in the writing for "All She Wants to Do is Dance" and it's all Kootch; one would think the conceit of trenchant geopolitical satire framed through criticizing women for enjoying dancing couldn't be more Henley…

he sounds almost queeny when he barks the line "That don't keep the boys from makin' a buck or two."

My grandson, he comes home from college
He says, "We get the government we deserve"
My son-in-law just shakes his head and says, "That little punk, he never had to serve"

Then at 2:30 Randy Newman comes up with a solo that's even more strained and less convincing.