Glenn Frey Gets His Kicks on Route 66
If you’re old enough, you first heard Glenn Frey’s voice coming out of an AM radio in May of 1972 on the first single from the debut album of a band called The Eagles. Take It Easy, co-written by Frey and Jackson Browne, was an overnight hit, with soaring harmonies and potent imagery that helped launch the band to superstardom and influenced thousands of Country Rockers who followed in their wake.
Or, if you’re a bit younger, you may remember Glenn Frey for R&B tinged solo records (I Found Somebody), slick 80s Pop (You Belong To The City) or slide-guitar bombast (Smuggler’s Blues). You may have seen his acting on both big and small screen.
Forty years after that first Eagles smash, and twenty years since his last solo LP, Frey is back with a new collection of covers titled After Hours. Frey describes the songs as mostly music that would have been played in his household before Elvis came along. In addition to 1940s standards such as Route 66 and My Buddy, he also includes some 1960s “easy listening” classics like Caroline, No and The Look of Love.
Here’s the full track listing.
For Sentimental Reasons
My Buddy
The Good Life
Route 66
The Shadow Of Your Smile
Here’s To Life
It’s Too Soon To Know
Caroline, No
The Look Of Love
I’m Getting Old Before My Time
Worried Mind
I Wanna Be Around
Same Girl
After Hours
For those of the younger set who like the music of Michael Buble and Michael Feinstein, the selection, subdued arrangements and heartfelt vocals will be a welcome addition to their music libraries. The album would also fit right in to the shuffle playlist for a cocktail party or Sunday brunch, and it would be a fine introduction to The Great American Songbook for anybody who isn’t already hooked. It’s hard to find anything to object to on After Hours.
If, on the other hand, you’re a fan of the great singers of the era of great singers (Frank Sinatra, Dinah Washington, Tony Bennett, Nat Cole, Judy Garland, Billie Holiday – so many more) it’s hard to find much in this set to get overly excited about. It’s not so much that Frey isn’t an excellent vocalist, it’s just that these arrangements don’t do a lot to showcase that fact. Considering that Frey was noted among The Eagles as “The Lone Arranger” it’s a bit of a disappointment.
Where’s Nelson Riddle when you need him?
Watch the video for Route 66.
Official Site: http://www.glennfreyonline.com
