Don Henley's Lyric Aficionados Collective Guest Feature: Dan Kirouac
Dan Kirouac Shares His Deep Appreciation for Don Henley's "The Last Worthless Evening" in This Week's Guest Feature
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Dan Kirouac pens our Guest Feature piece this week about one of his favorite Don Henley songs, “The Last Worthless Evening.” Dan and I — like Lisa before — met and are part of the many terrific Don Henley fan groups on Facebook. He’s got a great story and is a huge Don Henley fan. Give this a good read!
By Dan Kirouac
MASSACHUSETS —
Don Henley really inspires me as a musician. Lyrically, he doesn't let anything sub-par get out there; he's always striving to say something in the most interesting and thought-provoking way possible. I write that way too, just editing and re-writing like nobody's business: I put songs down for days, or weeks, or a couple times, even months, and return to it to tweak a whole verse or just a handful of words. I love his lyrical standards!
From a drumming perspective, he's a bands' dream — not showy or flashy, but focusing on staying "in the pocket" as they say, with his slightly behind-the-beat approach. He knows the lyrics, guitars, and the vocal harmonies are at the core of the Eagles' appeal, so he stays out of the way and lets those shine. When he DOES do a fill (as in "just can't kill the beast", and the tasty little fill that follows), it's memorable and becomes an "air-drum" classic. He's precise and consistent, and he can be as simple as a metronome as in “I Can't Tell You Why,” or deliver more complex parts as in “One Of These Nights” or “Those Shoes.”
“The Last Worthless Evening,” off of The End Of The Innocence album, seemed to be a lost classic within the first year it was out. At least around here, in the northeast USA, it really fell away from airplay quickly in favor of “The End Of The Innocence” and “The Heart Of The Matter.” I loved both of those, by the way, but for whatever reason "Worthless Evening" struck a chord with me.
The music is a steady chugging held together with the drums and rhythm guitars. Nothing fancy, but enough to lull you in and not overshadow the story. There is an equal mix of guitars and synthesizer, as well as backing vocals in the middle: the "time, time ticking...ticking", sung as if it were the ticking clock itself.
The video really helps the song paint the picture. The dancing people at a late-1980s (presumably southern California) party, highlight more themes of overindulgence and superficial pleasures—common in the writing of Hotel California and The Long Run albums. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that the young blonde in the video is nothing short of STUNNING, and at least visually conveys the character of someone who is put together well on the outside, but is struggling with as much anxiety inside as any of us trying to sort things out—note her facial gestures—probably a good actress, whoever she is.
The singer (and I use the term "singer" instead of "Henley", because I don't know if this song is autobiographical or not—Henley can write just as convincingly as a third-party observer as much as if it were a personal situation to him) alternates between assessing his own shortcomings and a desire for personal growth and that of observing the same longings he sees in another. It's one, maybe two midlife crises sandwiched within the same song.
The song is so captivating, it's easy to overlook that it falls just shy of SIX MINUTES! Feels like he still left us wanting it to go on a little longer.
If you do watch the video on YouTube, note many of the comments. People who connect with Don Henley seem to be more brilliant with their thoughts and writings than the usual drivel you see posted about other artists. It's refreshing.