![]() ![]() It's a way of trying to make sense of a world that often doesn't make any sense at all. "That may sound sentimental or mawkishly idealistic, but I believe that a great many artists come from that same place, whether consciously or subconsciously," Henley writes. Indeed, the 61-year-old singer/songwriter speaks of a "longing for community," another impulse fueling his creative drive. "They're fine with it as long as it doesn't get too polemical. "I think the other guys expect me to make occasional forays into territory that might be controversial," Henley writes. Yet Henley's reputation as a plain-spoken and politically inclined provocateur does not mean that the potentially divisive subject matter, be it social or political, is entirely antagonistic or that his bandmates plead with him to tamp down his opinions. Nor is this politically charged brand of songwriting anything new: On 1976's landmark "Hotel California," Henley penned "The Last Resort," a scathing, seven-minute condemnation of westward expansion, Manifest Destiny and urban sprawl that still has tremendous emotional resonance more than three decades later. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. Henley's songwriting, particularly later in the '70s and during his very successful solo career in the '80s and '90s _ "Dirty Laundry" remains a prescient swipe at tabloid TV _ does not shy away from uncomfortable narratives but embraces them with a passion typically reserved for artists far removed from the glare of the mainstream spotlight. The native of Linden, Texas, long known for championing a variety of causes, including music artists' rights and the environment, is in exceptionally acidic form throughout these nine tracks. The second disc, in particular, where you'll find the blistering title track alongside pointed tunes like "I Dreamed There Was No War" and "Frail Grasp on the Big Picture," unveils a more spirited side of the famously laconic group, although long-time fans will recognize Henley's fingerprints. Schmit remain on board) while subtly pushing it into the 21st century. "Eden," a double-disc that neatly splits the difference between the Eagles' country and rock impulses, manages to update the quartet's signature sound (Henley and Frey, guitarist Joe Walsh and bassist Timothy B. But then again, given the spiky nature of "Long Road Out of Eden," perhaps the inspiration is not as random as it seems. Perhaps the Eagles are softening in their advancing years and letting some aspects of their music fall to chance. This was a surprisingly spontaneous decision on which to begin a new body of work, especially given that Henley told interviewer Charlie Rose in 2001 that "rock bands work best as a benevolent dictatorship," and that most, if not all, of the Eagles' catalog stands as a testament to carefully and precisely blending ramshackle country colors with edgy rock flash. Glenn thought it would be a good idea to record it for the 'Long Road Out of Eden' album, so we did." We'd forgotten that we used to sometimes include it in our set. "Glenn (Frey)'s kids were surfing around on YouTube and found an old clip of us doing 'How Long' on a Dutch TV show in 1973. "'How Long,' the first single from the album, was definitely a nod to our beginnings, but even that came about somewhat by accident. "There was some brief discussion about returning to our early style, but not for the entire album," writes co-founder Don Henley via e-mail. All it took was a chance encounter on YouTube to inspire the group and guide it in the right direction. For "Long Road Out of Eden," the Eagles' first studio effort since "The Long Run" in 1979, the reverse held true.
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