Customer Reviews

The Allnighter

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A hot summer evening, your car, your girl, and Glenn Frey's 'The Allnighter' is all you need to bring back the memories of those nights you spent cruising the streets & highways and listening to the hottest tunes of the day. Even after 15 years or so, Glenn's masterpiece of Rock & Romance still sounds fresh and only a first-time listener would have trouble singing along.
The title track kicks things off with a fast-paced tale of a casanova-style encounter, then "Sexy Girl" echoes every man's memory of the one girl they hopelessly loved but could only dream about making their own. "I Got Love" sounds even more cheerful, while "Somebody Else" is an anthem for confrontation. Two unmistakable slow-dance gems arrive in the lonely and apologetic ballads, "Lover's Moon" and "Let's Go Home" But in between is the album's coolest song, "Smuggler's Blues", in which Glenn puts the pedal down and weaves a story of danger and frustration over the problem which still plagues society today. "Living In Darkness" is another rocker overshadowed a little by the patriotic finger-snapper, "Better In The U.S.A". The Al Green-ish closer "New Love" is one more ode to romance lost and found.
All in all, there is nothing on 'The Allnighter' to miss and much that you'll want to hear over and over. Some would say it's best appreciated while driving, but others might want to just sit outside, crack open a drink and let it play. I say it doesn't matter, You'll love this album either way, and it's still Mr. Frey's best work. Get this one in your player soon!

Glenn Frey's solo career has been hit and miss, but on The Allnighter he fires on all cylinders. The album is propelled by the big hit "Smuggler's Blues" which is a great tale of drug dealers down in Florida. It's inventive video got major airplay on MTV and was the basis for a guest-starring role for Mr. Frey on Miami Vice. The album is more than just a one-hit affair. The title track is an ode to partying, "Sexy Girl" is a mid-tempo number that has a "New Kid In Town" flavor and "Better In The USA" is in the vein of a Chuck Berry number. Overall, this album shows Mr. Frey's ability to write a good hook and make listener-friendly music.

Pardon the fact that I am not going to review the album in detail as if you come this far you probably have some idea of what the music is like. Glenn Frey's "The Allnighter" has a bluesy, rockish feel to it. The reissue is remastered in 24-bit style and sounds very good. The remaster is on the loud side but is fortunately note brick walled (meaning devoid of dynamics). The original CD, while inherently quiet, was better, but did not have as much "life" as this. I feel it's a 50/50 split between the original CD issue and this remaster. While the improved range between treble and bass is nice, it seems to come at a price. It comes in a cool mini-LP sleeve with the original vinyl artwork, vinyl plastic "baggie" and such which make up for the mastering short comings. The three bonus tracks are "The Heat Is On", "Flip City" and "You Belong to the City." Very cool as they are awesome tracks and require buying multiple compilations to get. It may be pricey but it's worth it!

Glenn Fry will always be the "voice of the Eagles". No man can put together two words like he can. A great blending of soft and hard. "Smuggler's Blues" rocks.

1. The Allnighter
2. Sexy Girl
3. I Got Love
4. Somebody Else
5. Lover's Moon
6. Smuggler's Blues
7. Let's Go Home
8. Better In The U.S.A.
9. Living In The Darkness
10. New Love

I had to delete my other HARSH review of this cd. I had just read the Marc Eliot book about the Eagles and also Don Felder's book. I have to admit that I lost most of the respect that I might have had for Glenn and Don, and even Don Felder and Joe Walsh. I mean, who wasn't a complete drug addict or a whore? And who was the biggest baby in the band, well, it had to be Don Henley or Glenn Frey.

But moving on. I knew I liked "Smuggler's Blues", that one was a no brainer. It's a great song. What I didn't see myself starting to like was, YIKES, "Lover's Moon". I was shocked and taken aback at the mere existence of a song like this in the fact that Glenn Frey created it. Ok, I'm over it now and it is a nice song for sure. I also really like "Somebody Else", even with Glenn's high vocals. I mean, I liked "One of These Nights", so why not this song? And "I Got Love" is also infectious and "Sexy Girl" is great with some great saxophone.




I knew I liked the hits that I had heard on the radio over the years, "Smuggler's Blues", "You Belong To the City" and so on. And all in all Glenn isn't nearly as tedious on this cd as Don is on some of his tunes. Glenn still had a great voice when he recorded some of his cds. Don was left with a small whiney voice. I have found that hard to get past on Don's cds.




Now then, if Glenn hadn't acted like such a drug addict, a whore and a CHILD while he was an Eagle, THEN I could have a WHOLE lot more respect for him.
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Ok, going to update my critique some more still.

The cd loses me a lot after "Smuggler's Blues."

"Let's Go Home" is out of Glenn's vocal range. It could perhaps be a much better song in another voice.

"Better In The U.S.A." is a rambunctious and bouncy song which is unlike anything else on the cd. The song isn't completely awful but it doesn't fit in on this cd. This is basically Glenn doing something similar to the Beatles "Back in the USSR". The song is a good bit annoying.

"Living In The Darkness", I can't say that I like this song at all. Glenn is singing in some phoney voice. The song sort of seems to turn into some rhythm and blues thing with back up singers. This track is for true believers only I guess.

"New Love" again seems to be an attempt to go R & B. This song is also a blatant RIP OFF of the Eagles song "After The Thrill is Gone". Somebody should have sued somebody.

Despite several signature songs produced by Glenn Frey and Don Henley, the 80s were largely a lost decade for the Eagles. The quality standard set with Hotel California in 1977 put too much pressure on the band and was especially hard to maintain by individual band members. With the exception of a few songs, the second solo album from one of the founding members of the Eagles also marks a step back from world known hits both musically and lyrically. The high points that could fit to any of the Eagles album are sensual Lovers Moon which was performed live during their reunion tour in 1994, and energetic Smuggler's Blues - a tale of drug dealers in Florida. Most other tracks are slow dance songs with saxophone-based solos and enjoyable guitar and piano rhythm. The lyrics, mostly co-written by Glenn Frey and Jack Tempchin explore the themes of lost (Lovers Moon) and found love (New Love, I Got Love), social problems (Smugglers Blues) and the Cold War (Better In The U.S.A.)
Although the rock and romance music is nice but there is something inevitably missing. The Eagles are much more than a combination of their individual parts and it feels on The Allnighter. As with many other solo records, the sound could have been more solid and recognizable if supported by traditionally awesome Eagles harmonies and guitar work of Joe Walsh and Don Felder. --Sain Alizada

It's hard to say which was Glenn Frey's best solo album, because they're so much alike. Not to say that he is plagiarizing himself, but all of his solo records have some great songs, some good songs, and some filler, and the same thing goes for "The Allnighter". (Nice guitar work on the title track, though.)

I sometimes program the flag-waving "Better In The USA" out when I listen to this album, and songs like the title track and "Sexy Girl" have dated pretty badly as well. Oh, and what is with all the synthezisers on "Living In Darkness"? Leave that to Don Henley, please!

The good stuff outnumbers the mediocrities, though. "I Got Love" and "New Love" are a couple of really pleasant, soulful tunes. Great harmonies on "New Love", great piano and organ on "I Got Love".
The acoustic "Lovers' Moon" is just lovely, as is the tender "Let's Go Home".
"Somebody Else" is a mid-tempo blue-eyed soul tune with some slightly eerie lyrics (the narrator sounds seriously paranoid!), and some lovely sax playing.
And of course there is "Smuggler's Blues", the hardest and probably the best rocker Glenn Frey has ever forged during his years as a solo artist, complete with some mean, slashing slide guitar from the man himself.

All in all, this is a really fine solo album, even with a few mediocre songs to weigh it down a little. Glenn Frey is a fine, expressive singer and a very good songwriter, and his R&B-like arrangements with horns and keyboards and lovely sax solos on "Let's Go Home" and "Somebody Else" are superb.

glenn frey's songs are very, very wonderful...

Did He Make A Bad Album,I Think Not

glenn frey's songs are very, very wonderful...