Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidMn
I get that he is, but I dont understand how this can be possible since their is NO comparison between Glen and Don's solo careers. I mean Don's been doing stuff on his own since 1980. I'm somewhat vague on Glen's solo efforts, but I dont hink he's done anything of consequence since the mid 80's? SO how can Glen have more power within the band if he's had a far less prolific colo career?  |
While Don and Glenn both peaked popularity-wise in the eighties - Don's last Top 40 song was "The Heart of the Matter" from
The End of the Innocence (1989), charting at #21, and Glenn's last Top 40 song was "True Love" from
Soul Searchin' (1988) charting at #13 - Don is generally considered to be the bigger star. I think this is because Glenn's success was more song-oriented and Don's was more album-oriented. Plus, Glenn's biggest hits clustered around 1985/1986 whereas Don's were more spread out over the decade. However, in terms of chart numbers, Glenn had 6 Top 40 hits and Don had 7. In terms of how prolific each is, both have released 4 solo studio albums (not counting compilations). Therefore, the gap between their solo careers is nothing like the gap between the solo careers of Stevie and Lindsey, for instance.
Regarding the Eagles dynamic as a band, as HenleyFan said, it is considered "Glenn's band." It's similar to how Fleetwood Mac is considered "Mick's band" in that both men were originators. However, Glenn does not share Mick's desperate need for the machine to continue running. Therefore, Glenn does not consider it necessary to kowtow to Don or anyone else. He can take it or leave it.
The thing is, though, if Glenn leaves it, the band can't exist. It's like Fleetwood Mac without Stevie and Lindsey, except worse since he is the founder. Thus, the power dynamic is not based on public perception which is often distorted anyway, but upon the cause/effect of Glenn's unhappiness meaning the end of the band. Even Don doesn't want to see that cash cow die, so he sucks it up and defers to Glenn if they come to loggerheads over something. In this way, Don is more invested in the continuance of the band than Glenn is. If Don leaves, the band would cease to exist as well, but that doesn't seem to concern Glenn. That gives Glenn the upper hand.
In spite of this dynamic, I get the feeling that Don isn't constantly being stepped upon by Glenn and forced into concessions that he doesn't want to make. Just because Glenn has the "final say" doesn't mean that Don's opinion is disregarded. Glenn is always saying how much he respects Don professionally and he is the one who coaxed Don from the shadows and gave him the opportunity to shine. Don has expressed gratitude for that. I also believe that if Don truly felt Glenn was being egregiously unfair to him or bullying him just to get some ego gratification, Don would leave. I don't know Don Henley and have only met him once briefly, but I get the impression from his interviews that he doesn't feel completely unappreciated and that he wouldn't stand for it if he did.
Indeed, to the casual observer, Don seems far from unappreciated. As this thread shows, many people assume Don has more power than is actually the case. HomerMcVie - who's a pretty sharp guy - even assumed that Glenn's praise was motivated by Don having a more powerful position within the band. However, since Glenn does not need to lick Don's boots in order for the band to continue, there is no reason to believe Glenn is insincere in his lavish praise of Don. It should also be noted that Glenn, who makes the Eagles setlists, generously features Don's songs at the cost of his own. This is in spite of the fact that "The Heat Is On" and "You Belong to the City" were bigger hits than any of Don's singles, according to the Billboard charts. Glenn obviously values Don a great deal and spotlights him because he
wants to and believes it is in the band's best interests, not because he
has to in order to keep the band going.
Glenn is the opposite of egotistical, from all evidence that I can see; yes, he is the boss of the band and asserts that authority if need be, but that is not necessarily ego-driven. Somebody has to have the last word, after all, on issues like whether or not their recent album
Long Road Out of Eden should be released as a single or double disc. Glenn and Don disagreed about that, Glenn had the final say, and thus, it was a double album. Was Glenn's decision ego-driven or one he felt was best for the band? Well, that double album went to no. 1, so you be the judge. Conversely, without the "final say" element, the disagreement might have kept the album from getting released, period.
Glenn having final authority forwards the band's interests. I think Don realizes this and it enables him to accept the situation, even if he does sometimes grumble to the press a bit about the dictates of "Mr. Frey" when he doesn't get his way. (Don can sometimes get a big mouth around the press, like for instance spilling the beans about Stevie's abortion - ironic for the songwriter of "Dirty Laundry," eh?
)