Don Henley's 'Building The Perfect Beast': A Musical Journey Through Time and Collaboration
Don Henley's second solo album, "Building The Perfect Beast," released in 1984, solidified his status as a top solo artist of the era. The album showcased Henley's exceptional songwriting skills and captured the essence of the time with its sound. One of the standout tracks, "The Boys Of Summer," originally intended for Tom Petty, became a pop music classic with Henley's poignant lyrics inspired by lost love and ideals. The song's title was borrowed from a book about the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Collaboration played a significant role in Henley's solo work, with Danny Kortchmar being a key contributor. Kortchmar, a renowned session musician, co-produced Henley's first three solo albums and penned tracks like "All She Wants To Do Is Dance." Another Kortchmar composition, "You're Not Drinking Enough," showcased a more traditional sound and found success on the country charts.
"Building The Perfect Beast" juxtaposed forward-thinking music with introspective lyrics that reflected on the impact of modern life on traditional values. The track "Sunset Grill" highlighted this contrast, blending synthesizers with lyrics lamenting the loss of community hangouts to commercialization. The Sunset Grill restaurant referenced in the song still stands today, embodying Henley's concerns.
Vinyl collectors may notice a difference in the tracklist of the album, as the song "A Month Of Sundays," a poignant ballad about farmers, was initially excluded from the vinyl release due to space constraints. However, a 2024 double-album reissue rectified this omission, allowing listeners to experience the full depth of Henley's musical storytelling.