Don Henley -Inside job

Inside Job

Let's face it, I'd take Don Henley over most of the trash I'm hearing on the radio these days and seeing on MTV. I've read much of the criticism surrounding this cd. Don Henley's too critical, he's too this, he's too that. Who are the people reviewing his disc? Have they forgotten that Henley has always had a myopic view on life? Even when he was with the Eagles, don't you remember the lyrics to "Life In The Fast Lane"? As for Henley's past solo works, he was just the same with "Dirty Laundry", "Driving With Your Eyes Closed", and "The End Of The Innocence" lyrically, and viewpoint-wise, as he is on his new cd. The fact that Henley sings about the record business, a place where he works, in a less than positive way, takes guts. How many people can stand up to their bosses and say they're not happy with the way things are run? On "Inside Job" I believe Henley's edge is softer. Sure, his insights are pessimistic, but they are awfully close to the truth and that's something few people like to hear. Musically, this cd is probably not as well played as his earlier work, but who said it is Henley's job to outdo a catalog that most artists would be enviable of? Also, Henley is over 50 now, and I don't expect him to make music like he used to. He's also been out of the music scene for 11 years, so if this cd seems shakey, allow some slack. As for using drum machines, I think it's good. I think Henley is getting with the times. His other albums had instrumentation that was popular at that time too, and I didn't hear any complaints about synthesizers. I happen to appreciate Henley for writing about the human condition from an insightful standpoint like Dylan, Springsteen, Waits, Mellencamp and Lennon. Today, there are so few artists that even care to sing and write about the world they live in. Everything's sex and violence (Stanley Kubrick would be proud). With "Inside Job" the trouble isn't Henley's viewpoint, it's the music. It's certainly debatable as to whether Henley has made his best possible effort here.