Actual Miles: Henley's Greatest Hits

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Just as Don Henley's work with the Eagles in the 1970s chronicled a culture that was rapidly spinning out of control, his '80s output cataloged and criticized a decade of greed, cruelty, and prurient interest in the misfortune of others. But this is music, not journalism, and despite the overt seriousness of such songs as "Dirty Laundry," "All She Wants to Do Is Dance," "The Boys of Summer," and especially the somber, elegiac "The End of the Innocence," Henley's field reports were tuneful in the extreme. The two new tracks on Actual Miles--"The Garden of Allah" and "You Don't Know Me at All"--didn't quite click, but otherwise this greatest-hits package couldn't be more solid. --Daniel Durchholz

Tracks:

Dirty Laundry
The Boys Of Summer
All She Wants To Do Is Dance
Not Enough Love In The World
Sunset Grill
The End Of The Innocence
The Last Worthless Evening
New York Minute
I Will Not Go Quietly
The Heart Of The Matter
The Garden Of Allah
You Don't Know Me At All
Everybody Knows

Amazon.com

Just as Don Henley's work with the Eagles in the 1970s chronicled a culture that was rapidly spinning out of control, his '80s output cataloged and criticized a decade of greed, cruelty, and prurient interest in the misfortune of others. But this is music, not journalism, and despite the overt seriousness of such songs as "Dirty Laundry," "All She Wants to Do Is Dance," "The Boys of Summer," and especially the somber, elegiac "The End of the Innocence," Henley's field reports were tuneful in the extreme. The two new tracks on Actual Miles--"The Garden of Allah" and "You Don't Know Me at All"--didn't quite click, but otherwise this greatest-hits package couldn't be more solid. --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews:

Don Henley - Decent Career Overview With Two Great New Songs.......2007-05-09

I'm not really sure why I picked this up. I already have 9 of the 12 songs on the original studio albums. Only the big hit "Dirty Laundry" and the two new tracks "The Garden Of Allah" and "You Don't Know Me At All" are tracks I did not already own. The two new tracks are both very good, with "The Garden Of Allah" particularly a standout track. Henley plays the devil in modern day Los Angeles. This is great stuff and an example of Henley at his best. "You Don't Know Me At All" is another solid tune. There is also a cover of "Everybody Knows" thrown on to the end of the album, although it does not appear on the back cover. I don't know if this is worth buying for the new songs alone if you already have Henley's 3 studio discs up to this point in his career, but this is a nice compilation if you are just looking for an overview.

Best of Don Henley.......2007-05-07

If you love the Eagles, this is a collection of sounds that remind you why you love them. I have all the Eagles vinyl but transferring to digital is a pain. So I am buying CDs to transfer to multiple digital players so I don't have to fight the damn DRM codings that make life such a pain when you download.

This CD is a great collection of Don Henley's best and reminds us why I love the Eagles sound. Great rock anthems like "All she wants to do is dance" to my personal favorite "Sunset Grill". Also like to listen to "Dirty Laundry" which is even MORE accurate in today's 24/7 news cycle where Anna Nicole Smith is equal news to IRAQ.

Buy and Enjoy!

We've been up and down this highway..........2007-05-05

After the Eagles' first break-up, Don Henley and Glen Frey went right into solo-ville, and it was apparent who the Lennon and McCartney personalities in the band were. Frey exited straight to sappy love songs and high-energy/low-calorie rock, while Henley's first singles were the socially targeted "Johnny Can't Read" and "Dirty Laundry." While Frey had the first hits, it is Henley's solo albums that have stood the test of time.

When his second solo album, "Building the Perfect Beast," was issued, there was an instant classic with "The Boys Of Summer." Written about those for whom life in the fast lane had become a driveway full of SUV's, it contained a bitter melancholy and the striking lyric "I saw a deadhead sticker on a Cadillac." This was the kind of thoughtful rock that The Eagles occasionally slipped onto their albums, but in a more wizened and weathered point of view. "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" continued that social malaise, but the self-depreciating "Not Enough Love In The World" backtracked when it came to relationships.

"I'm not easy to live with,
I know that it's true.
You're no picnic either, baby.
That's one of the things
I love about you."

Axl Rose, who was at his GnR finest even snarled along on "I Will Not Go Quietly." No saccharine here, folks. The followup album, "The End of the Innocence" is a masterpiece and much darker than "Beast." "New York Minute" follows urban violence while "Sunset Grill" chronicles urban decay from the first person. But the kicker was the title song, with the stately Bruce Hornsby piano line supporting a grown man's look back with longing. Not the usual longing, because the collapse comes from such issues as the lawyers who "dwell on small details since Daddy had to fly." It paints one of the most succinct picture of The Reagan Years in a small cluster of artists who tried. (Another favorite of that period, David + David's "Boomtown.") "Innocence" was such an amazing album that Henley took almost 15 years before he issued "Inside Job."

The new songs are OK, no big deal really. There are a few MIA tracks, like "Johnny Can't Read" and Henley's version of "Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat." But that is a small complaint. With music as uniformly good as that on "Actual Miles," this is one late model CD that you will be fine with on your road trips.

Great collection :-D.......2007-04-15

I always liked the Eagles, but I love Don Henley. He has the smoothest of voices and his songs are fantastic. This cd comprises some great hits that we all know and love. The one song I'd like to see here (which obviously couldn't be on it because it was written and released after this was made) is Taking You Home. That's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Other than that, there is Dirty Laundry, End Of The Innocence and New York Minute for us to enjoy. I love this cd and I love Don Henly. This is a must for any fan of his.

Mellow classic rock!!!.......2007-03-13

A unique and distinctive voice that carries over from the Eagles style we love.

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