Defending the indefensible: Don Henley

IDK I guess my imaginary version of felders ‘reggae’ home demo of hotel California is kind of my felder pick

New kid in town good pick for Roach.

Offer up your best defense!

I was much too, er, innocent back when I'd regularly listen to this song: the grossness that Henley's bio lends it didn't occur to me until I read your piece.

lol/wtf at the negative comments there from the don henley defence force

In the dozens of posts since last year the only two that have provoked so many comments have been Eagle-related.

sore with the eagles

According to one of the #MeTop sites (I can’t remember what it’s called at the moment), it sounds like Don’s 16 y/o girl (or her friend at the house that night) may now be married to a California politician and readying herself to come forward about this whole ordeal.

#MeToo =#MeTop

Here’s the piece: http://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2017/11/blind-item-1-he-made-millions-from.html

DON: Oh shit.

GLENN: I'm glad I kicked it before this whole #MeToo thing got rebranded to not be about threesomes.

DON: Well, yeah.

Great piece Alfred.

thank you!

it sounds like Don’s 16 y/o girl (or her friend at the house that night) may now be married to a California politician and readying herself to come forward about this whole ordeal.

That whole article is O_O, but the bit about Girl #1 (the 16 y/o) dying under mysterious circumstances a year later after getting clean probably takes the cake.

Yup. Also that Don’s public response to all this was to blame the media by writing “Dirty Laundry.”

Re-re-post: orig. from Rolling Country, then a little tweaked for xpost A Good Day In Hell, the notorious Eagles thread:

Henley's Cass County actually doesn't suck! Quite possible that this totally unexpected impression has led me to initial overrating, but here's what I said on Rolling Country (hearing npr's post of the deluxe edition, with those four bonus covers, really did help)
Don Henley's guest-star-laden Cass County turned out to be surprisingly painless, enjoyable, even. Starts with one of four well-chosen covers (all present on this deluxe edition, that is): Tift Merritt's "Bramble Rose," which he starts in relatively good voice---not just lack of the strain I remember; he actually seems to have a feel for the phrasing and pace---then hands it off to Miranda Lambert, who passes a verse to Mick Jagger---also good, even though he plays it straight. "Cost of Living" meets Merle Haggard, Martina McBride's good on "Old Flame," although the story gets cut short, probably because it's based on a real-life episode, according to him. Dolly Parton is excellent, duh, on the Louvin Brothers' "When I Stop Dreaming," but she doesn't obliterate Henley vocal, so give points to both vox.
Some other voices are more in the background, like "two out of three Dixie Chicks," Vince Gill, Lucinda---though NPR streams aren't always as good as they should be, and my headphones are certainly not for audiophiles, but I like the way he melds near-subliminal yet unmistakable Lee Ann Womack to a chorus that would otherwise probably get monotonous.
Even at least one cratedigger's catnip find, at least for me: "She Sang Hymns Out of Tune," with a low-key, sneaky surrealism that surely suggested some Gram Parsons originals, and had me thinking that this presentation surely is the mature, generous Henley, since Parsons reportedly loathed the Eagles--but apparently it was written by one Jesse Lee Kincaid, and recorded by Nilsson, on his Pandemonium Shadow Show (also by the Dillards on Wheatstraw Suite).
Speaking of the Eagles, I never was a big fan, but the overall sense of radio-ready structures here even extends to up- and downtempo tracks that would improve several of their albums.
Catchiness etc. also gets past most editorial moments, so more points for not playing the old man card too much (trepidation of atmospheric "Train In The Distance" could be felt by anyone, most likely).
― dow, Thursday, October 1, 2015 1:09 PM (two years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Even at least one cratedigger's catnip find, at least for me: "She Sang Hymns Out of Tune," with a low-key, sneaky surrealism that surely suggested some Gram Parsons originals, and had me thinking that this presentation surely is the mature, generous Henley, since Parsons reportedly loathed the Eagles--but apparently it was written by one Jesse Lee Kincaid, and recorded by Nilsson, on his Pandemonium Shadow Show (also by the Dillards on Wheatstraw Suite).
---dow

Kincaid's original is on Rhino's LA Nuggets box, and it was also recorded by Hearts & Flowers, featuring future Eagle Bernie Leadon.
― Love, Wilco (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, October 1, 2015 1:15 PM (two years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Thanks! Will check out those earlier versions, and try to dig up something else re Kincaid too.
---dow

DON: As much pleasure as I feel today, I can't help but feel a bit sad and self-conscious about the fact that so many of my peers aren't with me.

GHOST OF GLENN: Remember how sad and self-conscious you felt in Topanga Canyon in '74 after the case of Bud and Annie from the valley had gone home to her parens?

DON: Well, yeah.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/4/4d/Celeb.henley.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/300?cb=20051215031911

DON: Listen here, Frog: Piggy's checking into the Hotel California with the Donster, ya dig?

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/4/4d/Celeb.henley.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/300?cb=20051215031911

It's Here: https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Don_Henley

He can sing and play the drums at the same time

C. Grisso/McCain), what are you hearing from Don?

DON: It's on this, the occasion of my 74th birthday, and as I prepare to return to road with the Eagles for our triumphant orchestral tour, that I find myself thinking of those who should still be here, growing older and reaping the rewards.

GLENN: As much as I would have liked to have made it as far as Don has, it would've been much nicer if I'd only made it two years further. Then again, back in the '70s, that was a milestone we reached again and again, if you know what I mean. And that was reward enough!

DON: Well, yeah.

Dethperado
Why don’t you come to your thenthes
Come down from your fenthes

Is that the Paul Stanley version?

The beat on "Hotel California" fucking knocks

so the testimonial posted above promised that DH would be taken down just as many were in 2018… and yet he's still high and dry. One must infer the likelihood that IA and DG (if he and DH can presently stand one another) made this go away just as they did in 1980…

I wonder if when the Donster finally kicks it (or at least can't perform on stage any more), will he also get replaced by one of his kids for "The Eagles Experience ft. Vince Gill"?

I got to wonder how many dusters that Don Henley owns.

I would believe a closet full, perhaps more. It definitely would be a plethora of dusters.

Duster with sombrero aesthetic

Stumbled on a podcast this morning trashing End of the Innocence. I actually like a few of its singles, but I was highly amused by their description of "If Dirt Were Dollars" as 'a finger-pointing message song about homeless people that ironically sounds like it cost a million dollars to make.'

They Will Not Go Quietly: The Official ILM Track-By-Track DON 'n' GLENN Listening Thread

Sweet Jesus, I can't even get through one album much less their entire solo careers. Even Actual Miles spoils the deal with crappy new songs and a mediocre Leonard Cohen cover.

The Eagles listening thread is ILM's greatest contribution to pop culture.

Well, yeah.

Do I need to see the documentary to get any of the jokes?

No, but you should make sure you've gotten your penicillin.

Exactly. IIRC, what sparked that thread were some 'reevaluating the catalogue' think pieces about the documentary, with the film itself not something the posters would see until it hit HBO (and then Netflix).

The urgent & key text at the time was Cameron Crowe's interviews w/Don & Glenn for the Very Best of... liners (https://www.theuncool.com/2011/06/28/eagles-track-by-track/) which inspired the "Well, yeah" stories here.

Man what a good time that thread was
I can’t remember where I finally noped out, it might have been the reunion era
As it transpired I was unable, in fact, to chug all night

The memoir by fingers felder was an invaluable supplement to the documentary for me

Henley solo >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Eagles

DON: Well, yeah.

Was debating whether or not Don deserved a place on the "a very stupid man convinced of his own brilliance and surrounded by lapdogs and yes-men" thread, but I suspect Don is so convinced of his own brilliance he has no lapdogs and yes-men. Well, maybe he has "well, yeah" men.

I'm not that familiar with him outside of his hit records, but his biggest and best-known hits rely so much on established contributors, I imagine he realizes he has to listen to other people to repeat that success, though I guess you can't expect Mike Campbell, Stan Lynch, Bruce Hornsby, etc. to be "yes men."

FWIW found this recently - Michael Fremer of all people interviewed Henley right about the time Building the Perfect Beast was released, back when he was still trying to attain the same audience as the Eagles. (I'm guessing the new album hadn't taken off yet.)

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/don-henley-finds-his-thrill-sunset-grill-0

This part's pretty key:

“I like to think of myself as a good casting director. One of the most joyous parts of recording for me is assembling the musicians and especially the singers. I mean, that’s the fun part at the end, after you’ve sweated the lyrics.” Henley called on Motel Martha Davis, Patty Smythe of Scandal, Go-Go Belinda Carlisle, and Sam Moore (of Sam and Dave) among others, to sing harmonies and background vocals.

“I have a lot of nerve. I’ll call anybody. I didn’t know Patty or Sam and some of the others. I was afraid some of those people were not going to be into an old guy from the mellow Seventies, you know? And Patty said, ‘Are you kidding?’ I used to sing ‘Witchy Woman’ when I was 15!” Don called bare-acquaintance Lindsey Buckingham, who would up singing and playing guitar on “You Can’t Make Love.” Sixteen year old guitar wiz Charlie Sexton played on “Man With a Mission,” and producer Jimmy Iovine’s suggestion that Don work with a young writer named Mike Campbell yielded “The Boys of Summer.” “It’s really unhealthy to just stick together in little groups.”

(FWIW, I think a lot of the album sounds terrible. The four A-sides and maybe the Sam Moore duet are pretty much the only things I'd listen to again, and even those have plenty of detractors, especially "All She Wants to Do Is Dance.")

it's really unhealthy to just stick with Don Henley

On the contrary: the album sounds great. The synths on "The Boys of Summer," of course, but also on "Sunset Grill" and "All She Wants to Do is Dance," Buckingham's harmonies on "You Can't Make Love," lots of other details. It's the lyrics that let it down.

He's a real well, yeah man
Stuck there in his well, yeah land
Making all his well, yeah plans for Don Henley

"A young writer named Mike Campbell"?

Huh? I would think that Campbell was already pretty well-established by that point. Dude had already cowritten "Refugee," "Here Comes my Girl," "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," "You Got Lucky," surely several other indelible songs.

Gotta say that I love the duet and duet-adjacent stuff. "Leather and Lace" is all-time. "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" is great. I suspect he is there but uncredited on "No Mistakes." Whoever is singing backup on "No Mistakes" is either Henley or someone doing a very good job of sounding like Henley.

I yakked whenever "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" came on for the seventh time that hour in fall '92; in retrospect it's one of the last times aging boomers scored a legit #2 pop hit.