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From the Vault...
09/10/2000
#698 |
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info
Don Henley
"Building The
Perfect Beast"
© Geffen Records
Year of Release: 1984
Rating:
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track listing
The Boys Of Summer
You Can't Make Love
Man With A Mission
You're Not
Drinking Enough
Not Enough Love
In The World
Building The
Perfect Beast
All She Wants
To Do Is Dance
A Month Of Sundays
Sunset Grill
Drivin' With
Your Eyes Closed
Land Of The Living
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Don Henley
"Building The Perfect Beast"
To define one of the best groups of the 1970s, it would have to be
California's Eagles. (They're my #2 choice, behind Led Zeppelin...)
It's obvious (like many other bands) when they announced their split in
1980, that their fans would not have a dry eye. So in most cases, members
of the Eagles journeyed into their solo careers. And pretty much the main
core members of the Eagles were successful (Henley, Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh).
Don Henley's first solo attempt, 1982's I Can't Stand Still, had some
moderate success, but his second solo effort, 1984's Building The Perfect
Beast, put him on the map as a very successful solo artist.
The big hits from this album are quite obvious: The opening track,
"The Boys Of Summer" is an emotional song, and yet some people refer
to the boys of summer for baseball (and with the timing of this review,
baseball season is almost over in another month...) Henley's "The Boys Of
Summer" is a classic, just as the other well-known popular songs from this
album...
Like, "All She Wants To Do Is Dance," an upbeat danceable tune,
yet for a song that truly has a great kick-butt sound, "Drivin' With Your
Eyes Closed" is one of those songs you have to turn up loud while driving
down the road, (hopefully, with eyes open, of course...)
And the other well-known song from this album, as it is as recognizable as
"The Boys Of Summer" is "Sunset Grill." Both these songs are
emotional in lyrics and sound; and both are classic rock favorites.
Now for the "not-so-recognizable" tunes from Building The Perfect Beast...
"You Can't Make Love" is pop ditty, where it identifies Don Henley
with his own sound, away from The Eagles. "Man With A Mission" could be
a flashback to the 1950s sound, having a common rock 'n' roll/boogie woogie
beat. "You're Not Drinking Enough" is a great ballad, that definitely
his former band The Eagles, could of easily recorded. "Not Enough Love In
The World" has a more pop sound, again, idenitifying Henley's music as
his own.
The title track has some potential, yet it's the only song that may not be
as impressive as the others from this album. On a brighter note, "A
Month Of Sundays" is a beautiful ballad, and displays Henley being an
excellent ballad singer, as he had done with The Eagles. The album's closing
song, "Land Of The Living" is a another nice pop number, with a slight
gospel influence.
Don Henley reached excessive heights with Building The Perfect Beast.
His first solo record is best remembered for his hit "Dirty Laundry,"
yet Building The Perfect Beast has numerous songs that put Henley on
the map as being the most successful as a solo artist from his other Eagle
bandmates. Likewise, he would continue his solo success with his third solo
album, The End Of The Innocence. But Eagle fans were on an emotional
high, when The Eagles reunited in 1994 with Hell Freezes Over (the
title stating that "Hell will freeze over, if the Eagles ever got back together
again," with their bitter feuds since their breakup in 1980.)
His latest solo release, Inside Job,
hasn't caputred the success of his previous two albums, but Don Henley has
always accomplished the fact that being an Eagle or not, he can still soar
high with songs that rock in the style of his famous band, and his ballads
have always been an extreme high as well. And, as most solo artists try to
accomplish their own style and sound individually, Don Henley has always
tried his best (and successfully) to "Take It To The Limit" his
musical accomplishments to be enjoyed by Eagle fans, and music fans all over.
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Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Geffen Records
and is used for reference purposes only.
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