Precariously balanced between the joys of family life and the frustrating despair of a society that seems to be crashing and taking the entire planet with it, Don Henley courts almost every emotion imaginable in his latest album. Never content to just rest on his past works, Don Henley pushes his own creativeness once again - perhaps too far according to the dismay of many of his fans.
Listening to "Building a Perfect Beast" or "The End of Innocence" does little, if anything, to prepare a listener for this album; which may or may not be a good thing. You will not find anything like "Boys of Summer," "The Last Worthless Evening," or "New York Minute" on here. With great urgency, Don Henley has moved on to much more pressing issues.
At times this album can be more depressing than it is entertaining; however, if all one would expect from an art form is pure entertainment we would all feast solely on the recycled syrup that is top forty radio. One thing is sure, Don Henley brings a lot of soul to his music, even if it is a bitter soul of a man who knows too much.
This is not to say the music is not enjoyable - to the contrary! From the rough opening bass lines of "No One in the World but You" to the fading feedback from "My Thanksgiving" light rock guitar, there is plenty of good songs that you can definitely sing along too. However, taking notice of the lyrics in these songs is bound to jar one's mind. This album will make you think if you pay attention.
While at first glance, "Nobody in the World But You" seems like a typical Don Henley love ballad - that's what I was thinking as I put the CD into my player for the first time the day it was released. I could not have been more wrong; instead of limitless praise, the subject of this song gets harsh criticism for selfishness and self-absorption. It's a jazzy tune that may take a couple of listens for a Henley fan to get used to, but it is a good song. One caveat: Don's "coo" at the end of the song must have been the result of a severe fever that gave him the illusion he was on MTV's Total Request Live hangin' with the Backstreet Boys.
"Taking You Home" is, in my humble opinion, the second to worst song on the album. I cannot stand the backup singers on this track, but beauty lies in both the eyes and ears of the beholder. This is the albums first single and is still played quite heavily on adult contemporary stations in my area. This is the sort of song Don's critics expect him to play - a typical love ballad. It is interesting the People magazine's music critic completely botched the meaning of this song. I am a fanatical supporter of artistic interpretation, however, I can hardly see a way that this song could be about taking a new born baby home. Lines like "...grow old together" and "I had a good life until you came/ I had my friends and my freedom/ I had my name" (with a baby, one would think a wife would be in there too) seem to imply finding true love.
"For My Wedding" was originally written for Reba Macintire (I know the spelling is completely garbled - can you tell I'm not a fan?), but for a variety of reasons it was passed on to Don. This is one of the few songs Don has preformed on an album that he did not help write. It is kind of ironic that he sings a song that was written by somebody else that is supposed to portray his ideal of the perfect wedding. Having this song follow "Taking You Home" was a good idea - you can hold your significant other's hand and gaze into each other's eyes for a couple more minutes before Don's activist side takes over.
At first listen, the music in "Everything is Different Now" does not seem to quite fit the words. The deep bass drum and low notes seem to conjure feelings of forlorning and despair, but the lyrics are that of song that praises a lover. The music follows a typical grunge rock fashion of highs and lows. The song starts off with low notes and Don singing in an almost conversational voice; things get more cheery with higher notes and faster beats before the subside again - much like ocean waves. On closer inspection, one discovers that the lyrics which first talk of the frustrations of being single (over the low parts) jump to the joys of finding somebody to share a life with (the high parts).
Things start to turn angry from this point on in the CD; "Workin' It" is a strict condemnation for the over-obsession with making money Don Henley thinks all Americans share. Rasp, harsh lyrics criticize greed and materialism while the music is a sinister melody that seems to be unable to mask its loathing for over zealous capitalists. By no means suggesting, communism or any other economic system should be brought into place, Henley seems to be telling us to try to turn things down a notch, to savor instead of to gulp. The music seems more "alternative" than what you would expect from Mr. Henley, but he seems to pull it off - even if you are scratching your head the first time you listen to it. His distorted voice during several parts of the song is quite unexpected, but is an actual benefit to this song - it just fits.
Mourning the loss of nature to the bulldozer, Don Henley writes a superb environmental/political ballad in "Goodbye to the River." While illustrating the threats to the environment that developers and corrupt politicians pose, Don also compares his own aging, and inevitable passing, to the degradation of the planet. While both the words and music is calm throughout the song, the emotions and intensity runs high making this a very moving song. Kudos to Don Henley, this song is one of his best.
"Inside Job" was Henley's response to corruption of the political system by record company executives, who actually bought a congressional staffer (promising him a lavish job) to bend copyright laws to favor the record companies. While building on this with lines such as "While you are looking the other way/ they'll take away your right to own your own ideas," the lyrics portray the many smaller issues that shift the world from "our" view to "theirs." In addition, Don quickly points out near the end of the song that hope must come within, because sometimes there is little happening outside of oneself to offer much hope. Depressing? Maybe. Thought-provoking? You bet.
Believers in space aliens will probably not like "They're Not Here/They're Not Coming;" in fact, considering the song is a playful criticism of human society, most people might find a little offensive thing about it. Don Henley has stated, at least in the concert I attended, that he feels that aliens might exist, but he, like Carl Sagan, does not think they live close enough to visit. In this song he furthers that statement by basically saying that aliens would not bother coming to our planet because there is nothing here they would want to see; he uses examples such as Mcnuggets, Disney World, and the Texas ranchers treatment of Oprah, among others, to further his hypothesis. Some people might not like how Don talks, instead of sings, through the song, but after a couple of listens, it will probably grown on them.
To be honest, I hate track nine: "Rose." I have listened to this song several times, but most often I just skip to the next track. I find the music to be a tinny sort of country twang with Henley drawling his way through mediocre lyrics. This song is the only song I am disappointed wit on the album.
The funky, jazzy beat of "Ms. Ghost" is truly amazing. This is just one of the songs you want to tap your foot and sway your neck to. The addictive groove of the song is complemented by the near universal appeal of the lyrics, which illustrate the inner battle of resisting the temptation of a former lover. I highly recommend listening to this song, even if you think the rest of the album is worthless.
"You Can't Get the Genie Back Into the Bottle" had great potential, but some of Don's vocalizations just ruin parts of it - especially the half groan, half-wail at the end... what is up with that? Anyone who listens to it probably shudders when they hear it. Aside from that, the song is a pretty good jazz/rock hybrid; it is heavy on the drums, which pound in a slow, methodical beat, while a variety of string instruments play most lower (more bassful) notes. Above all this, Don Henley teaches a thing or two about accountability. While, aside from his custom howls, his singing fits the song and sounds quite good, the back-up singers sound week and need to go.
Don Henley addresses the issues of fatherhood in "Annabelle" which is an actually surprisingly good song - don't expect it to be a single though. It is a laid-back ballad, so if you want one more rock song, you'll need to hit the forward button.
"My Thanksgiving" comes on strong with a good, strong, rock beat and confidant, but not glammy, guitars. While no one would confuse it with Metallica or Def Leppard, it definitely a peppy, and very good light rock song. It is very refreshing to hear a song with a little "ummph" that has very good lyrics. Injected among that which Henley is thankful for are little tid bits of wisdom, such as: "Have you noticed that an angry man can only get so far/ before he reconciles the way he thinks things should be, with the way they are." This, along with "Goodbye to a River" and "Ms. Ghost", is one my favorite songs on the album.
In conclusion, Don Henley has released a good album that has very diverse subject matter. From fighting off an old lover to praising a new one, to condemning the corruption of our political system, to paying last respects to fleeting natural beauty, he covers much in rich lyrics that few songwriters today can match. While some of the music may not sound agreeable to their ears, fans of his earlier work should find at least several songs to like, as long as they keep their minds and ears open. People who wrote Don Henley off long ago as a mush artist, should take a look at this album for a second opinion. All you Eagles fans out there: this is the logical extension of Hotel California. Considering how long it takes Don Henley to polish an album to as close to perfect as he can get, we should be grateful that he released this gem, even though it may not be in the color we wish.
Don Henley albums are few and far between, but they are stunning achievements upon arrival. Only his fourth solo album ever, Inside Job is his first s...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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