The End of the Innocence (album)

Updated on Dec 30, 2023

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Recorded 1988–89 Label Geffen 24217-2 Release date 27 June 1989		Length 53:11 Artist Don Henley

Released June 27, 1989 (1989-06-27) The End of the Innocence (1989) Actual Miles Henley's Greatest Hits (1995) Producers Don Henley, Mike Campbell, Bruce Hornsby, Danny Kortchmar, Greg Ladanyi, Stan Lynch Awards Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance Genres Rock music, Soft rock, Hard rock Similar Don Henley albums, Rock music albums

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."

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."

Personnel

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

Singles

Awards

Grammy Awards

Songs

1The End of the Innocence5:15
2How Bad Do You Want It?3:48
3I Will Not Go Quietly5:43

References

The End of the Innocence (album) Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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