The End of the Innocence (album)
| The End of the Innocence | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Don Henley | ||||
| Released | June 27, 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1988–89 | |||
| Genre | Rock, Soft rock | |||
| Length | 53:11 | |||
| Label |
Geffen 24217-2 | |||
| Producer |
Don Henley Mike Campbell John Corey Bruce Hornsby Danny Kortchmar Greg Ladanyi Stan Lynch | |||
| Don Henley chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | C+[2] |
The End of the Innocence is the third solo studio album by Don Henley, the lead vocalist and drummer for the Eagles. The album was released in 1989, on Geffen Records, and would be his last release on that label. It was also his last solo album of the 1980s and it would be eleven years before he released another solo album, until 2000's Inside Job.
The album is his best selling album, selling over 6 million copies in the United States alone, peaking at #8. The album featured three Top 40 singles "The End of the Innocence", "The Heart of the Matter", and "The Last Worthless Evening". Those singles reached #8, #21, and #21 respectively. The album also featured "New York Minute" which reached #48 on the charts and was recorded by Henley and the Eagles for their live album Hell Freezes Over in 1994. Henley won another Grammy and an MTV Video Music Award for the title track. In 2003, the album was ranked at number 389 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The song "I Will Not Go Quietly" features Guns N' Roses vocalist Axl Rose in the background, who at the time was also a member of the same label.
Critical reception
Rolling Stone magazine wrote of the album at the time, "Returning to the theme of "Desperado," the former Eagle hitched some of his finest melodies (especially on the gentle title track) to sharply focused lyrical studies of men in troubled transition – from youth to adulthood, innocence to responsibility."[3]
Reviewing retrospectively for AllMusic, critic Vik Iyengar has written of the album, "Henley took some time before completing his highly anticipated third album, The End of the Innocence. Although he manages to duplicate much of the magic of his previous album, Henley has backed off of the synthesizers and expanded his musical palette." they also add that "Throughout the album, he manages to balance being cynical yet hopeful, and his great melodies allow his poignant lyrics to penetrate. This album is highly recommended for those who like their pop music with a message."[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The End of the Innocence" (Henley, Bruce Hornsby) | 5:16 |
| 2. | "How Bad Do You Want It?" (Henley, Danny Kortchmar, Stan Lynch) | 3:47 |
| 3. | "I Will Not Go Quietly" (Henley, Kortchmar) | 5:43 |
| 4. | "The Last Worthless Evening" (John Corey, Henley, Lynch) | 6:03 |
| 5. | "New York Minute" (Henley, Kortchmar, Jai Winding) | 6:37 |
| 6. | "Shangri-La" (Henley, Steve Jordan, Kortchmar) | 4:55 |
| 7. | "Little Tin God" (Henley, Kortchmar, J.D. Souther) | 4:42 |
| 8. | "Gimme What You Got" (Corey, Henley, Lynch) | 6:10 |
| 9. | "If Dirt Were Dollars" (Henley, Kortchmar, Souther) | 4:34 |
| 10. | "The Heart of the Matter" (Mike Campbell, Henley, Souther) | 5:24 |
Personnel
 |
"The End of the Innocence"
 From The End of the Innocence. It was written and performed by Henley along with Bruce Hornsby. |
| Problems playing this file? See media help. | |
- Don Henley – drums, vocals, background vocals, harmony vocals
- Timothy Drury – keyboards, background vocals, harmony vocals
- Edie Brickell – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "Gimme What You Got")
- Mike Campbell – guitar, keyboards (on "The Last Worthless Evening" and "The Heart of the Matter")
- Valerie Carter – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "How Bad Do You Want It?")
- John Corey – guitar, keyboards (on "The Last Worthless Evening")
- Sheryl Crow – background vocals (on "If Dirt Were Dollars")
- Charley Drayton – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "Shangri-La")
- Melissa Etheridge – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "Gimme What You Got")
- Michael G. Fisher – percussion (on "The End of the Innocence")
- Bob Glaub – bass (on "The Last Worthless Evening")
- Bruce Hornsby – piano, keyboards (on "The End of the Innocence")
- Stanley Jordan – guitar, drums, background vocals, harmony vocals
- Steve Jordan – drums, electric guitar, background vocals, harmony vocals, wah wah guitar (on "Shangri-La")
- Jim Keltner – percussion, drums (on "Shangri-La")
- Larry Klein – bass (on "The Heart of the Matter")
- Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar – guitar, keyboards
- Stan Lynch – percussion, drums
- Steve Madaio – trumpet (on "New York Minute")
- Ivan Neville – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "Shangri-La")
- David Paich – piano, strings, keyboards (on "New York Minute" and "Little Tin God")
- Pino Palladino – bass (on "New York Minute," "Shangri-La," and "Little Tin God")
- Jeff Porcaro – drums (on "New York Minute")
- Axl Rose – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "I Will Not Go Quietly")
- Wayne Shorter – soprano saxophone (on "The End of the Innocence")
- Patty Smyth – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "How Bad Do You Want It?")
- J.D. Souther – background vocals (on "If Dirt Were Dollars")
- Take 6 – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "Shangri-La")
- Carmen Twillie – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "The Heart of the Matter")
- Waddy Wachtel – acoustic guitar (on "I Will Not Go Quietly")
- Julia Waters – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "The Heart of the Matter")
- Maxine Waters – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "The Heart of the Matter")
- Jai Winding – keyboards, keyboard bass (on "The End of the Innocence," "New York Minute," and "Shangri-La")
Production
- Produced By Don Henley & Danny Kortchmar, except track 1 (Don Henley & Bruce Hornsby), tracks 4 & 8 (Don Henley, John Corey & Stan Lynch) and track 10 (Don Henley, Mike Campbell & Danny Kortchmar).
- Engineered By Shelly Yakus; assistant engineer: Brian Scheuble
- Additional Engineers: Rob Jacobs, Mark McKenna, Bob Vogt, Marc Desisto, Eddie King
- Additional Assistants: Tom Ranghart, Ed Goodreau, Randall Wine, Randy Staub, Greg Goodman
- Mixed By Shelly Yakus & Rob Jacobs; assisted by Robert "R.J." Jaczko
- Mastered By Stephen Marcussen at Precision Lacquer (LA)
Charts
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[5] | 40 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM)[6] | 8 |
| Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[7] | 60 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[8] | 87 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[9] | 37 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[10] | 15 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[11] | 11 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 17 |
| US Billboard 200[13] | 8 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "I Will Not Go Quietly" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 |
| 1989 | "If Dirt Were Dollars" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 8 |
| 1989 | "The End of the Innocence" | Adult Contemporary | 2 |
| 1989 | "The End of the Innocence" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1989 | "The End of the Innocence" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |
| 1989 | "The Last Worthless Evening" | Adult Contemporary | 5 |
| 1989 | "The Last Worthless Evening" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 4 |
| 1989 | "The Last Worthless Evening" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 21 |
| 1990 | "How Bad Do You Want It?" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 8 |
| 1990 | "How Bad Do You Want It?" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 48 |
| 1990 | "New York Minute" | Adult Contemporary | 5 |
| 1990 | "New York Minute" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 24 |
| 1990 | "New York Minute" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 48 |
| 1990 | "The Heart of the Matter" | Adult Contemporary | 3 |
| 1990 | "The Heart of the Matter" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 |
| 1990 | "The Heart of the Matter" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 21 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[14] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[16] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000^ |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
Awards
Grammy Awards
| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The End of the Innocence | Best Male Rock Vocal Performance |
References
- ↑ The End of the Innocence at AllMusic
- ↑ Robert Christgau
- ↑ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/don-henley-the-end-of-the-innocence-20120525
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-end-of-the-innocence-mw0000198450
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Don Henley – The End Of The Innocence". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Library and Archives Canada. March 31, 2004. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Don Henley – The End Of The Innocence" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Don Henley – The End Of The Innocence". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Don Henley – The End Of The Innocence". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Don Henley – The End Of The Innocence". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Don Henley – The End Of The Innocence". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Don Henley – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Don Henley.
- ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Don Henley – The End of Innocence". Music Canada.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Don Henley – The End of Innocence". British Phonographic Industry. Enter The End of Innocence in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
- ↑ "American album certifications – Henley, Don – The End of the Innocence". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH