Many of the great rock bands rise because together, they are more than just the sum of their individual members' talents. The Eagles have always been a perfect example of that proposition. Yet, when the infamous "Eagles pressure cooker" finally blew up in 1980 (although they took a full two years to officially announce what everybody had come to realize by then anyway), they couldn't have chosen more different paths than those followed by the five individuals emerging from the pieces. Don Felder discovered the real estate business, while also appearing (sometimes alongside other former Eagles members) on albums by Bob Seger, Stevie Nicks and other artists, penning contributions to movie soundtracks ("Heavy Metal" and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High;" the latter album ironically reunited, individually, all members of the Eagles' last configuration, featuring one contribution by each of them), and eventually publishing his own, commercially not overly successful "Airborne." Timothy B. Schmit went on to cooperate with virtually every great musician and band of the second half of the 20th century, also making significant contributions to his former fellow band members' solo projects, and on the side, released four records of his own. Henley, Frey and Walsh pursued full-fledged solo careers.

Of all of them, Don Henley proved to be the most successful, and it was so right from the start. While Glenn Frey decided to take a break from the pressure cooker and released an album entitled, not coincidentally, "No Fun Aloud," and Walsh had, without much ado, already resumed his solo career a year earlier with "There Goes the Neighborhood," Henley hooked up with Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar and Greg Ladanyi to produce "I Can't Stand Still," and proceeded to take songwriting to a new level.

From the opening title track (by some accounts, a reflection of Henley's occasionally stormy relationship with then-girlfriend, "Battlestar Galactica" actress Maren Jensen, to whom the record is also dedicated and who supplies background vocals on "Johnny Can't Read") to the closing, spiritual/gospel-inflected "Unclouded Day," the album shows a side of Henley not obvious from his contributions to the Eagles' music, significant as they were. Sure, this was the guy who had (co-)written "The Last Resort," the Eagles' ode about Paradise Lost. Sure, "Talking to the Moon," Henley's reflections on the small-town Texas where he had grown up, could have been an Eagles song. But for one thing, most of the tracks on "I Can't Stand Still" are drum- and rhythm-driven in a way few Eagles songs ever were (Henley finally got to put his skills as a drummer center stage). The guitar work in the majority of the songs is harsh, grating and straightforward. And most importantly, Henley did no longer hold back on taking a stance politically. Where the Eagles had shied away from endorsing specific politicians or parties, Henley's lyrics, beginning with those on his first solo album, were now laced with acid social commentary. Wanna go to nuclear war (remember Cold War, anyone)? Go on - "get ready boys, third time's a charm" and "if things go from bad to worse we can still kill them if they kill us first" ("Them And Us"). Think the school system works just fine and kids are happily learning away? Well, this teacher's son is here to tell you that Johnny Can't Read, and although that's nobody's fault (not Teacher's, not Mommy's, not Society's, not the President's, and most certainly not Johnny's own), "coupla years later Johnny's on the run - Johnny got confused and he bought himself a gun." And think press coverage is just what it ought to be and the media are setting any standards for themselves at all? Then listen to that news crew on location, looking for ever more Dirty Laundry: "Can we film the operation? Is the head dead yet? You know, the boys in the news room got a running bet. Get the widow on the set!" The lyrics of that last song, in particular, have never rung truer than today; and not surprisingly, it was still the opening piece of Henley's "Inside Job" tour which concluded this past March.

Don Henley brought back for the production of "I Can't Stand Still" those of his former band members with whom he had stayed in touch after the breakup, Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh. But he also enlisted the help of other musicians; among them, Warren Zevon, J.D. Souther, Steve Lukather and the Porcaros from Toto, Heartbreaker Benmont Tench, guitarrist Waddy Wachtel and, most importantly, Bob Seger (who co-wrote "Nobody's Business," a song that could have come right off his own "The Distance" in all except lead vocals) and the Chieftains, more particularly, Paddy Moloney and Derek Bell, for the sad and beautiful "Lilah" and its prologue "La Eile" (Gaelic for "Another Day"). It may have taken Henley's follow-up album "Building the Perfect Beast" for him to produce more than one top-ten single again (an achievement which he then topped with the overwhelming success of 1989's "End of the Innocence"), but "I Can't Stand Still" did go gold, and "Dirty Laundry," its biggest single hit, made it to No. 3 on the charts. Don Henley's first solo release effectively made the point that even if the Eagles' career was over (and would, as he prophesized, only resume if hell ever froze over), he himself was far from passé and there was a lot he had yet to tell the world.

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Not sure why this album has become the redheaded stepchild of the solo Henley canon. Surely it deserved to have more than one song on the greatest hits. Why is "Dirty Laundry" all the public at large seems to remember? "Johnny Can't Read" was actually the leadoff single and the title track charted as well. The album also is home to "La Eile/Lilah," perhaps the most unjustly unknown song in the entire Henley universe. No speechifying, just a heartbreaking ode to what can happen to young love when it grows older, set against the metaphorical backdrop of a couple's farmland that's drying up. The music gently sways as the concerns and fears of adulthood crush and sweep away the simple satisfactions of youth. I'm not doing this song justice, but it must be heard. Elsewhere, things get a little spotty, both musically and lyrically. "You Better Hang Up" sounds like songwriting-by-numbers and "Nobody's Business" seems to endorse prostitution, which is an odd stance. I'll concede that this album is nowhere near as solid as "Beast" and "Innocence," but there's still a lot here to like beyond "Dirty Laundry."

I already owned all Henley albums as I was buying 'I can't stand still' and I expected not much, the same perfection and brilliance as on the other albums, nothing really new, but with this one I really saved the best for last. With his first, Henley did his best job. From lovely ballads such as 'Long way back home' and 'Talking to the moon' to critical songs like 'Johnny can't read' and 'Them and us', every song is just wonderful. But what this album makes so special is the song 'Lilah'. It is so poetical and has a beauty not even 'The End of the Innocence' can achieve and it really makes you think about your life. And Henley's vocal performances is absolutely amazing and really the best of his career. With this album Henley shows that he's not only great with the Eagles, but also geat as a solo star.

Don Henley the singer/drummer with the great 70`s band the Eagles found himself without a band in the early 80`s and when he learned that his old friend Glenn Frey was about to release an album, Don too decided to make one. Don has always collaborated with others in his songwriting endeavours and found two like-minded conspirators in Danny Kortchmar best known for his playing days with James Taylor and Carole King. Waddy Wachtel a regarded session musician was also around. Together Don & Dan created some serious, political, social comment supported with great melodies (Dirty Laundry, Johnny can`t Read) some personal snippets from some difficult times in Don`s life (Nobody`s Business) and what Henley album would be complete without a great love song (Long Way Home) Henley even explores his Irish roots (Lilah) and covers a traditional gospel song with some help from Bill Withers (Uncloudy Day) All in All an album which mystifies especially when compared to Frey`s 1st outing No Fun Aloud, you wonder how Frey and Henley could create the Eagles sound when their solo outings are obviously different. Henley Tex/Mex Country and Gospel music and Frey White R&B and Rock and Roll. This is a really good album which set Don up for a great solo career. Oh and what a voice.

Henley's first solo album is excellent, and it is a worthy companion piece to his more successful Building the Perfect Beast. As you might expect there are several examples of social commentary, the highlight being "Dirty Laundry". However on other songs Henley departs from his work with the Eagles by looking for inspiration in his childhood when he lived in a small Texas town. "Talking to the Moon" is a poignant story set in Texas, and "Lilah" evokes a pastoral landscape with its agricultural metaphors. By the way, Henley's vocal performance in the latter song is the best of his career in my opinion. Simply amazing.