The end of the innocence (Don Henley) (LP 2757)

Don Henley  The End of the Innocence (Vinyl, Geffen Records, 1989) ***  

Genre: pop

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The End of the Innocence

Gear costume: New York Minute 

Active compensatory factors: In many ways I should dislike this album. I certainly should not have bought it back in the late eighties.

There's the seemingly manipulative corporate rock stance of The Eagles which casts a long shadow. There is the awful cover - Don's smug look and the fey bit of hair covering his model beautiful face and the posy cigarette to make him look, I don't know...street hard? Just looks silly to me.

It was the video to the title track and The Boys of Summer, the earlier single, that gave me the oomph to buy the album.

Shock horror!! I really liked it in 1989 and played it a lot.  

Listening to it again in 2024 and yes, the eighties compression on production does date it, but the songs hold up! Like The Last Worthless Evening for instance.

The rock edge positions it out of Eagles territory, even if Don's vocals are instantly recognisable.

Where do they all belong? This and the Boys of Summer are it for Don Henley in the collection.

Don't look back, you can never look back (Don Henley) #126

Don Henley The Boys Of Summer/ A Month Of Sundays (Geffen Records, GEF 29141, 1984)

Don Henley is a multi-talented member of the singing drummer fraternity. He shot to fame as part of the Eagles, of course, but for me his End Of Innocence album is better than most Eagles' albums. The album before that (Building The Perfect Beast) contained the A side of this single.

It was really the video that won me over initially and the, albeit critical, reference to Grateful Dead fans (Deadheads). That video is something! It has a feeling of authenticity even though it's clearly a Hollywood style production. I like the theme of the song too - the examination of rear view living.

I aim to be here now but the lure of a nostalgic gaze is a real one for us all.

Hidden gem: The B side eventually made its way to the CD versions of the parent album so no rarity value.  The song is Don's attempt to do a Springsteen or a Mellancamp but it still sounds like a rich boy singing a song to me. The A side however - now that's a song!

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1yqje_don-henley-boys-of-summer_music

We make it harder than it has to be (The Eagles) #107

Oh how we larffed.

The Eagles I Can't Tell You Why/ The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks (Asylum, E 46 608, 1979)

The group Eagles (to give them their real name) had a lot of hits but I only have this one single by them and I think I must have picked it up cheap while working at Marbecks, in a moment of weakness, at gunpoint. 

They had better songs and bigger hits but I'm not what you'd term a big fan. 

I like some of their early songs and I do own Desperado (I'm a sucker for faux western imagery) and I bought an early, pre mega success, version of their Greatest Hits album but I must be one of the few who never felt tempted to buy Hotel California! And I still don't!

When Bernie Leadon left he took any country rock authenticity the band ever had with him. Alas. 

Same thing, to a lesser extent, when Randy Meisner departed. Randy is cool because he played in Rick Nelson's band!

I Can't Tell You Why is definitely at the sappy end of the continuum. I can't tell you why I own it. I really can't.

It's sung by Timothy B. Schmit. Ye gods - that name! That hair! That ever so cosy pose! That earnest puppy dog expression! That languid 'cool' bass style that makes me wanna strangle him!

Hidden gem: Eagles try to rock out on the B side and it just doesn't wash. They go for a garagey feel (the organ and spider guitar sound) but Don Henley does not have the kind of voice to pull that off. No rarity value - both songs appeared on The Long Run.

Spare a thought for the working drummer (Headband)

Concerning the case of the singing drummer.

I don't know but I'm guessing that it is pretty tricky to play drums and sing at the same time. Every limb is doing something different and then the brain has to remember lyrics. Quite a trick but then again - maybe it's easy?

I'm leaning towards the view that it's tricky because I can count great singing drummers on one hand, and it pains me to say that Ringo can never be considered a great singer so I can't include him even though I love him to bits. Play drums well and sing well - now that is quite a thing.

Okay so the tight five?

Levon Helm who passed away recently is definitely a member. Best moment for me is Life Is A Carnival when he sings - buddy would you like to buy a watch, real cheap! His shuffling drum beats motivated some of the best songs ever recorded - The Weight, The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down, Up On Cripple Creek and on and on.

Karen Carpenter who died tragically distinguished herself on vocals but also was a mean drummer.

Mickey Dolenz is still with us thank goodness. Maybe not the greatest drummer ever but he was certainly talented in that area and one listen to something like Last Train To Clarksville and you know he could sell a song in a unique way.

Andy Sturmer - also still with us - Andy was the lead singer, lead writer and drummer for the American powerpop band Jellyfish who produced two superb albums in the early 90s - Spilt Milk and Bellybutton.

Dennis Wilson - another tragic death to add to the list. Denny was a great talent - just dig out The Beach Boys' Sunflower album (his four songs are the standout cuts on that album - one of The Beach Boys best) or try his solo album Pacific Ocean Blue.

Okay - you're probably thinking that there are some other notable absences -  Phil Collins? I'm not a fan of his singing at all but there is no denying his talent as a drummer.

And Don Henley? Yeah okay - Don is at number six so I do need to use my other hand after all.