Japanese reissue packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve. Album Description
 |  | Where is the Don Henley of 'A New York Minute'? |  |
This was a very disappointing purchase. I was looking forward to hearing well crafted and insightful lyrics and melodies, but instead received tired, bored and didactical rants. I listened through the first few tracks, and then tired and bored myself by the tiredness and boredom of the performer, I rifled through the rest in the hope of finding something of interest. There was nought, and CD, cover and all were tossed in to the rubbish. Sorry. If possible I would have rated this only half a star - for effort. For further reviews and comment on poetry go to http://barbaraceciliastewartbrowning.blogspot.com
September 29, 2008 | | I liked it so much that I bought 2 cds without realizing it! | |
I bought this compact disc twice without realizing my error. I liked this compact disc and when it was in audio cassette. I love the songs like the Heart of the Matter, the unforgettable New York Minute, and the classic End of the Innocence. I didn't like Shangri-La but this compilation of Don Henley's hits are worth the price if you buy it once or twice. It's still worth hearing again.
August 3, 2008If you're a Don Henley fan (and I am) this is THE CD for you! Don really lays it down on The End of the Innocence but when he gets down to The Heart of the Matter, all of his feelings REALLY come out and you can almost hear his heart bleeding. And you know, If Dirt Were Dollars, I'd still spend it, ALL of it, on this CD. Mr. Henley is my pick for Classic Rock Artist of the Year. You can't go wrong on this one!!!
June 15, 2008| | | Some songs superb, others a little generic | |
Forty percent of this CD is really top-notch stuff. "The End of the Innocence," "The Last Worthless Evening," "New York Minute" and "The Heart of the Matter" are as good and poignant as pop rock music gets; no wonder they were released as singles. Don Henley is one heck of a lyricist, and he knows how to write a catchy tune. The title track leads off the album, piano laden, sentimental and beautiful. Like all the aforementioned songs, there's a sadness to the lyrics, in this case the loss of childhood and teenage innocence. "The Last Worthless Evening" is an easygoing Eagles-like ditty that, through its lyrics, perfectly captures the hardships of romance and remaining alone as one grows older. "New York Minute" is even more woeful. It begins with a starry-eyed string section and keyboards, which lead to Henley's grizzled voice singing about suicide, street violence and the precarious shortness of life. The somewhat haunting chorus of "New York Minute" is as beautifully harmonic as it gets, and ultimately, the song ends on a positive note, lyrically. Truly, it's one of the best songs Henley has ever been associated with, and that includes his work with The Eagles.
Henley is also defiant and angry in spots. "How Bad do You Want it?," despite a cheesy sax, overly loud drums, hymnallike background vocals and a dark lingering synth, possesses genuine spirit that is commendable. Meanwhile, it's priceless to hear the thin voice of Axl Rose performing backing vocals on the somewhat forced "I Will Not Go Quietly," a song in which the pseudo-sounding metal bite is less than its valiantly attempted bark.
Besides the gritty "If Dirt Were Dollars," the forced tunes leading up to the album's last track, "The Heart of the Matter," don't do a lot for me. But that's OK -- "Heart of the Matter" contains some of the best breakup lyrics ever written. Henley couldn't have written a better, more astute song, or chosen a more perfect tune to close out the CD.
"The End of the Innocence" may have a touch of radio-ready, late-1980s AOR gloss to it, but the songs are admittedly immediate and memorable. And, as mentioned, the four good songs on this album are better than just good; they're excellent.
August 31, 2007I bought this album when it came out, a friend of mine recommanded this one to me. I have to say that I still enjoy listening to it, every song a pleasure to listen to, no filler. Great from the beginning till the end. My favorite tracks are "The end of Innocence", "The last worthless evening", "New York minute" and "The heart of the matter". A very good addition to any cd collection.
June 23, 2007More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(44 reviews)