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Album Title: The End of the Innocence
Why I Bought It: I saw the video of the title track and liked it. I may have seen the video of "The Heart of the Matter" soon afterward.
What I Like (Strident): "The End of the Innocence". This was an angry response to the Iran-Contra affair - the video showed, among other things, Col. North testifying before Congress, and the song makes a reference to "this tired old man that we elected king". Plus ça change; a generation later, it's still pointed.
What I Like (Earnest): "The Heart of the Matter". A plea to a former lover to at least let go of hate - "you keep carryin' that anger, it'll eat you up inside". Sorrowful, but solid.
What I Don't Like (Dissonant): "If Dirt Were Dollars". One of several songs on the album protesting materialism and general crassness - "How Bad Do You Want It", "Shangri-La", "If Dirt Were Dollars". None of them is exactly melodic; all of them are shrill; and the only one which appeals to me even slightly is "Little Tin God".
Overall: This is about half of a good album, and half of a bad one. The two WILs above, plus the countercultural "New York Minute", the defiant "I Will Not Go Quietly", and the hopeful "The Last Worthless Evening", are good, but that's only five of the ten tracks. I haven't bought any more Henley; if I do in the future, it will be with caution and previewing.
Why I Bought It: I saw the video of the title track and liked it. I may have seen the video of "The Heart of the Matter" soon afterward.
What I Like (Strident): "The End of the Innocence". This was an angry response to the Iran-Contra affair - the video showed, among other things, Col. North testifying before Congress, and the song makes a reference to "this tired old man that we elected king". Plus ça change; a generation later, it's still pointed.
What I Like (Earnest): "The Heart of the Matter". A plea to a former lover to at least let go of hate - "you keep carryin' that anger, it'll eat you up inside". Sorrowful, but solid.
What I Don't Like (Dissonant): "If Dirt Were Dollars". One of several songs on the album protesting materialism and general crassness - "How Bad Do You Want It", "Shangri-La", "If Dirt Were Dollars". None of them is exactly melodic; all of them are shrill; and the only one which appeals to me even slightly is "Little Tin God".
Overall: This is about half of a good album, and half of a bad one. The two WILs above, plus the countercultural "New York Minute", the defiant "I Will Not Go Quietly", and the hopeful "The Last Worthless Evening", are good, but that's only five of the ten tracks. I haven't bought any more Henley; if I do in the future, it will be with caution and previewing.
