Sorry Jeff Lebowski, But Don Henley’s “Cass County” is Top Notch Traditional Country
The main character in the 1998 Coen Brothers cult masterpiece The Big Lebowski—known casually as “The Dude” and played by Jeff Bridges—suffered from a pretty specific music ailment: an inexorable hatred for The Eagles. That might seem like a strange idiosyncrasy to assign to an individual, but one of the reasons it spoke to audiences so well is because over their successful run, The Eagles have assembled themselves some enemies. It’s inevitable when you have a band that is one of the biggest in popular music of all time that they’re going to draw some ire, especially when they’re known for softening the sound of others to make it appeal to the masses.
When I very first heard that Don Henley was releasing a country record, a rapid rolling of the eyes ensued. It was at that very initial moment when the idea sounded the worst. In a year when we’ve seen Steven Tyler, Bret Michaels, and even Uncle Cracker make country moves, it seemed like just another has-been name of rock coming into exploit country music’s popularity.
Then as I sat on it for a second, I decided that maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible. The Eagles certainly had their time delving into country sounds and their country influences. And ever since that initial trepidation, Don Henley has done nothing but tantalize us with one juicy nugget after another from this album to make us think that it could not only not be that bad, but it may even be halfway decent.
It was a quote here about how he didn’t want to cut corners with this record, a song release there with Dolly Parton where you’re blown away at how traditional and good the material sounds, and all of a sudden where Cass County started out seeming like a vanity project from a rusting adult contemporary rock star possibly looking for a career restart, it began to look like it could be one of the better releases of 2015.
Whatever you could want or hope from Don Henley’s Cass County as a country music fan, this album delivers it and in ample quantities. I don’t know that any country fan’s expectations can meet the actual enjoyment this music deals out. And this is a traditional country record. Sure there are a couple of songs you probably wouldn’t consider country at all, and maybe a couple more that would be considered more contemporary country than classic. But overall, it’s totally worthy of claiming the traditional tag. I’m talking Don Williams type stuff: slow songs, steel guitar, great songwriting, and maybe especially, some of the best singing by all the parties involved that I’ve heard in a long time.
When Cass County was first announced, all the names thrown out there in the list of collaborators didn’t seem like an enticement, it frankly was worrisome. Oh, so this would be about star-studded duets instead of meaningful material—at least that’s the way it looked on paper. It reminded one of all of these recent Buddy Cannon-produced albums that have a bunch of double, and triple singing parts on records from Willie Nelson and others where the songs just became too busy to enjoy. The recent record with Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard is really fun, but you don’t feel like either man was at the top of his game vocally. If it was good enough, then it was good for the record.
Contrast that with what you have on Cass County, and it’s night and day. Merle Haggard said he was ready to tell Don Henley to kiss off after Henley was so insistent Haggard’s part must be perfect. I’m sure it wasn’t easy walking on the fightin’ side of The Hag, but his contribution to this record might be the best Merle has sounded in 20 years, and I’m not embellishing. It sounds like the Merle of old, and the message of “Cost of Living” was perfect for a Merle pairing.
Mick Jagger sounds unbelievable. It makes you salivate for the idea of a Jagger country release sometime in the future. Miranda Lambert finds a texture to her voice we rarely or ever get to hear her flaunt in her mainstream radio material. And Dolly hits a high note she hasn’t reached for since she was starring in 9 to 5. Don Henley pushed all of these singers to above and beyond their comfort zones, every one of them, and matched them up with material that played to their strengths. And not to be outdone, this might be the best Don Henley has ever sounded himself. He’s always been the squeaky one from The Eagles, but he challenged himself, and challenged others to defy their fear and age to make an album worth remembering, and listening to again.
It’s just kind of astounding how good Cass County is. Don Henley said he was going to make a country record inspired by his influences and upbringing, and that’s what he did. We’re just not used to this level of quality these days, or this level of uncompromising follow through. A tremendous amount of love and effort went into this record. This isn’t just another album, it’s Don Henley’s country album, and he wanted it to be memorable.
The songs of Cass County are excellent. Tift Merritt’s “Bramble Rose” is a perfect way to start off the album. Don and Dolly Parton’s duet on the old Louvin Brothers tune “When I Stop Dreaming” is breathtaking. Jesse Winchester’s “Brand New Tennessee Waltz” was a fun surprise, and one of the album’s few lighthearted moments. But some of the less recognizable material is just as strong, like the heartbreaking “Waiting Tables,” or the wisdom-filled “Too Much Pride.” What started out reportedly as a covers album ended up with a lot of original material. It’s been seven years since Henley has been a part of making any album, and fifteen years since his last solo release. He has plenty of money, and no expectations from a music world he’s already conquered. So he made a record out of love of music.
This isn’t a masterpiece mind you. I’m not saying we should save a place in the Country Hall of Fame rotunda for a Don Henley bronze. A couple of the songs felt a little meandering, like the divorce-inspired “Take A Picture of This,” but even some of the more contemporary stuff, like his duet with Martina McBride on “That Old Flame” ended up growing on me, strengthened by being nestled amongst the other material. Excellent harmony performances are turned in by Lucinda Williams, Alison Krauss, Ashley Monroe, and Trisha Yearwood. And songs like “Train in the Distance” and “Praying for Rain” reinforce the agrarian setting that Henley was looking to evoke with this very personal record.
For every time-tested Eagles fan, there’s someone like “The Dude” out there that will never give them or any of their solo projects a fighting chance. But if you’re into country, and I’m talking about real country, Don Henley has delivered an album that will challenge all others in 2015 to be placed on top of the heap.
Two Guns Up.
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September 24, 2015 @ 9:22 am
Nice write up Trig. I enjoyed the song with Dolly but was worried about many of the things you mentioned.
Seems I shouldn’t be worried, will be looking forward to hearing the entire album.
Maybe there is some hope left in the world of country music.
September 24, 2015 @ 9:28 am
No matter what I’ve said in the past or might comment in the future, never mistake my regard for your opinion, Trigger. Merely seeing the headline of this album review made me want to rush out and buy a copy. And I consider the Eagles as boring as watching paint dry. Having actually read the review, I’m pretty much convinced to go pick one up now. For the record, as I’ve implied in certain other comments, I loved Django and Jimmie and simply wrote off the vocal inconsistencies as age-related. It didn’t bother me one bit; better to hear Willie and Hag rusty than not at all. Same goes for Johnny Cash when his health was failing. It sounds like Cass County was an intense labor of love.
As for other things we’re not used to these days, the idea of an aging rocker making a country album that pays tribute to his influences in which he doesn’t just make the same old music he always has but pours every ounce of his soul into it is nonexistent (run-on sentences be damned). In a way it’s bittersweet that someone like Don, who as you say owes nothing to anyone at this point, put so much effort and integrity into this project when we can’t get most mainstream country performers to do anything remotely similar. But that’s beside the point. Great review.
September 25, 2015 @ 12:53 pm
HEADS UP FOR ANYONE INTERESTED: There’s a deluxe edition with four bonus tracks, and Target offers an exclusive version of the deluxe with two extra tracks on top of those, bringing the total to 18 songs. The Target-exclusive tracks are “It Don’t Matter to the Sun” (apparently the Chris Gaines song) with Stevie Nicks and “Here Come Those Tears Again” with Alison Krauss and Vince Gill.
September 26, 2015 @ 2:26 pm
I guess I’m going to Target. Already got the Deluxe edition on Amazon Download.
September 24, 2015 @ 9:33 am
I had my doubts but after listening to the album several time i was pleasantly surprised. Excellent
September 24, 2015 @ 9:37 am
Glad Martina sobered up enough to record with him.
September 24, 2015 @ 9:43 am
Ha! Huh? What?
September 24, 2015 @ 10:52 am
NO! Miranda not my Martina!
September 24, 2015 @ 10:53 am
I think Charlie might be referring to the popular Drunken Martina Twitter parody account.
September 24, 2015 @ 10:57 am
Indeed.
@DrunkenMartina
September 30, 2015 @ 4:20 am
This aint bad….I listened to interview on sirus radio the other day…
really liked , cost of living…..and been there done that
September 24, 2015 @ 9:41 am
Great review. You sold me on this project. I love the tracks you’ve posted and can’t wait to hear in its entirety.
Since you mentioned Steven Tyler…. I don’t know why, but I’m still watching Nashville. Last night Steven Tyler was on it (of course). He dueted (butchered) ‘Crazy’ with Juliette. Having just seen Willie Nelson perform that song this past weekend, it was pure blasphemy. How is his crossover experiment going anyways?
September 24, 2015 @ 9:49 am
Yes…Juliet (Hayden) was actually good at it, in my opinion. Then he came along and ruined it.
September 24, 2015 @ 9:55 am
Meandering. We’ll see what happens when the album is released.
September 24, 2015 @ 9:44 am
Perhaps there has never been as accomplished a backing group as Henley has on “Praying for Rain.” I caught a little Dylan in Henley’s voice at points. He’s always had what I regard as a good voice, just not one that I particularly like, or care to listen to. Not too bad, and legions better than most of the “country” out there today, but the downfall of the song is the message.
September 26, 2015 @ 12:41 am
“.. but the downfall of the song is the message?” That makes absolutely no sense. Maybe you haven’t seen or heard the news over the past several months (years, really) about the terrible drought that is affecting most of the Southwest as well as other parts of the country?
Your comment makes no sense at all.
September 24, 2015 @ 9:52 am
Perhaps I am the only one who did not have reservations about this…I have been excited about this album since very early on. I’m glad to see Don Henley followed through with it and lived up to my expectations.
September 24, 2015 @ 11:24 am
I’m with ya, Megan. I’ve been on board the whole time. The duet with Martina is just too damn catchy, contemporary though it may be. Really like what I’ve heard so far, will be buying this weekend.
September 24, 2015 @ 10:01 am
When I heard this was coming out, I nodded my head and came to the conclusion that it could work because I thought back to the early Eagles material that Henley was so instrumental in composing. A lot of that would be played in the country format now.
September 24, 2015 @ 11:53 am
Just imagine that apartment building in LA in the late 60’s where Glenn Frey and JD Souther shared a room, and their downstairs neighbor was Jackson Browne!
Lots of good ‘so-cal country’ vibs that had to have eventually rubbed off on Don Henley.
So many influences came together with the Eagles. That’s my favorite thing about them.
But Don Henley has a reputation for being a dick, right? It’s a wonder Merle didn’t punch him. Don Felder would have probably bought Merle drinks for life!
September 24, 2015 @ 11:56 am
Yeah. All I’ve read is Henley is that he is giant tool. That was my second thought. It could be great, but I probably wouldn’t buy it because of the way he treats fans/fellow musicians.
September 24, 2015 @ 12:09 pm
From my understanding Glenn was the guy that was really the dick vis a vis the other members of the group like Don Felder that Glenn didn’t want to pay at the same rate as himself and Don. Don was a beneficiary of that, but Glenn was the one that took the point on the matter, at least that’s the way it was portrayed in the Eagles documentary.
Here’s the clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU1q6cy9GPY
September 25, 2015 @ 7:04 am
So I asked the daughter of a Kalamazoo DJ who was the first U.S. DJ to spin “Best of My Love” which was the band’s first number 1, about these guys because she’d met them and knew them, and she said that Glenn Fry had acted like a great guy, although that he and Don Henley could at times “be idiots.”
September 26, 2015 @ 12:52 am
So, I guess that’s why Don and Glenn brought her dad backstage, recently, and thanked him and had a photo taken with him — because they’re “idiots?”
September 26, 2015 @ 6:31 am
They not only brought him backstage, they walked him out to his front row seats, had photos taken, it was cool… I can’t imagine any of them being particularly repugnant characters. That said, one can be a nice guy and still do or say from pretty idiotic things… So, my comment was more to clarify that Glenn and Don were not, in fact, jerks…
September 25, 2015 @ 10:30 am
I second this. For years, I’d thought of Henley as being a douchebag, but after watching the doc and listening to the way Glen talked, I realized the truth. Glen should count his blessings that Bernie Leadon is such a gentle soul, as he could easily have broken the diminutive Frye in half like an .08 gauge guitar string bent too far.
September 24, 2015 @ 4:00 pm
Lots of good ”˜so-cal country”™ vibs that had to have eventually rubbed off on Don Henley.
I would guess he was also exposed to a lot of it as he was growing up in East Texas.
September 26, 2015 @ 12:48 am
Don Henley is the one who grew up in small-town Texas and has the real country credibility, you moron. He didn’t get his country chops in California — he brought them with him from Texas. And Merle Haggard is a cranky old fart who should be thanking Henley for squeezing out the first decent vocal performance that’s come out of him in years. You are just clueless.
October 13, 2015 @ 6:22 am
Merle is a legend, and you shouldn’t insult him.
September 26, 2015 @ 12:49 am
You really don’t have a clue what you are talking about. You don’t know any of these guys at all.
September 24, 2015 @ 10:29 am
Excellent write-up, Trig. 🙂 The “Brand New Tennessee Waltz” cover might be my favorite track, but I really enjoy Don’s originals here too.
September 24, 2015 @ 11:53 am
Agree that it is wonderful that he has covered Jesse Winchester’s BNTW and his voice suits it well. I have always thought Henley is an impressive lyricist and this project shows he still has chops.
September 24, 2015 @ 11:24 am
I tried to listen to this album as if it was a brand new offering from a new artist and not necessarily someone that has such a history and storied past in which I was expecting something or had reservations about.
It is so hard to do with Henley because of that voice. OMG what a gift he was given. It shines on this album.
It really is a good album..
I definitely recognize the similarities to the early Eagles stuff.
September 24, 2015 @ 11:53 am
I was listening to his town hall show on Sirius the other night. He talked about the songs and played several. He took questions and was quite entertaining, especially when he talked about modern “country”, saying it’s all tight pants and ass shaking. Can’t wait to pick this up. He’s always been a favorite of mine.
September 24, 2015 @ 11:57 am
To describe Don Henley as ‘just another has-been name of rock’ is unjustified. I know he made the last Eagles album a while ago but it was commercially very successful.
Also with the Eagles continuing to tour he remained in the limelight and I am sure he is not short of money! So I had no doubts he was making this album because of his true love of country music. As you state, country plays a major role in the Eagles repetoir – in fact it can be argued that they are more country than many of today’s main stream country acts.
My main reservation about the album is that his solo work has always been somewhat patchy. For example take ‘The End of the Innocence’ album – it contains some excellent songs indispersed with some of questionable quality.
However I was still looking forward to the end result and having read your review I will no doubt be getting a hand on my own copy of the CD very soon:-)
September 24, 2015 @ 12:02 pm
I love Don Henley’s voice since i was a kid. And my personal favorite is ”The boys of summer”. I had no doubts that this record would be great. Just this morning i heard Trisha Yearwood’s ”Walkaway Joe” with
Henley on background vocals.What a great song! Can’t wait to listen ”Cass County”.
September 24, 2015 @ 12:49 pm
Apart from That Old Flame I really enjoy this album. Have been playing it all week. Many great songs and moments, but Mick Jagger really shines here for a few seconds. Exile on Main St. might be the best rock album ever, but that voice is made for real country.
September 24, 2015 @ 12:54 pm
Jagger’s performance, though short, is staggering. I didn’t like “That Old Flame” at first. In the context of the album, I warmed to it quite a bit.
September 24, 2015 @ 1:01 pm
Yesss. Staggering is the right word. First time i listened to the whole album I just kept thinking about that short moment the whole time without appreciating what a great record this is. Guns going off, all waay upp.
September 26, 2015 @ 4:41 pm
Jagger is a great country singer – and songwriter. Listen to “Evening Gown” on his Wandering Spirit solo album from 1993. A song so good, Jerry Lee Lewis covered it on his Last Man Standing album. Of course, there’s the country-rock classics he penned with Keith for the Stones, too. Going back to Honky Tonk Women, Sweet Virginia, Dead Flowers to name a few. Keith Richards has duetted with George Jones on his Bradley Barn Sessions album, and the Stones have even covered “Bob Wills Is Still The King” in concert.
The Stones’ love for Country music runs deep and wide. They’re much more respectful of the genre than 99% of the artists on mainstream country radio nowadays.
As for Henley, this is indeed a wonderful album, and a wonderful review, Trigger. It sounds of a piece with the rest of Henley’s solo catalog, which has always been consistent.
September 24, 2015 @ 2:24 pm
‘Just another has been name of rock’? Don Henley has just completed a two year run of concerts with the Eagles for “The History of the Eagles” and I’m sure fan demand would see it still going for a long time yet, if that’s what they wanted to do. There is no “has been” about any of them! Now, I am not a die hard country music fan but I love this album and Take a Picture of This, No, Thank You and That Old Flame are my favourites, so far!
September 24, 2015 @ 3:14 pm
Folks! The line about Don Henley being a “has-been” was offered rhetorically. Read the story. The entire premise of this review is how it is unfair to this album to write it off simply because of who made it, and how I personally resolved all of my preconceived concerns to enjoy it. And by the way, this is a very very positive review, giving “Cass County” a top grade. So don’t pick one line out and act like it is what this review is all about.
September 24, 2015 @ 3:03 pm
Trig, if the album really is as good as you say it is, then all Henley has to do is make three or four more just like it and I may slowly start down the path to forgiving him for his role in The Eagles. Or not.
September 24, 2015 @ 3:16 pm
I don’t think he will even make one more. That is why he made this one so well. He put all of his eggs in this basket.
September 26, 2015 @ 12:58 am
Guess what, John “Conquest?” (what a silly name) Don Henley doesn’t really give a shit what you think.
September 26, 2015 @ 3:22 am
Well, Jack, I’d say that I don’t really give a shit what you think, but I think ad hominem attacks are pretty pointless and Trigger would disapprove. That’s my real name by the way.
September 26, 2015 @ 9:30 am
Hey Jack Hammer,
How about not running up and down my comments section insulting anyone and everyone you happen to disagree with? If you disagree, the respectfully state your case. These are opinions, and none of them are wrong.
Furthermore, I’ve been quite surprised at the acrimony from some Don Henley fans towards me and others. This was a very, very positive review. I gave the album a top grade. It’s my job as a critic to find things to be critical about, but I loved it. If you’re going to attack me for that, you should see some of my negative reviews. Do Don Henley a service by showing respect to others, as opposed to portraying his fans as self-entitled pricks.
September 24, 2015 @ 3:04 pm
Overall, I liked this album. I agree with the comments regarding Mick Jagger and Merle Haggard and I also think Miranda Lambert sounded great. I did like “That Old Flame”, but I think “Brand New Tennessee Waltz” is my favourite. While I think Don Henley sounds technically good, I’m just not a huge fan of his voice on his own, but he does sound great in harmony (which is why I generally enjoy the Eagles). So, the many collaborations were a good thing from my perspective.
Also, if Mick Jagger were to make a country album, I think he would do it right and I expect that it would be great.
September 24, 2015 @ 3:07 pm
I’ll definitely be checking this one out. Unlike the other names on that list, Henley has written and performed country-tinged material throughout his career. *obligatory statement about how Lyin’ Eyes, etc. is more country than anything on country radio* I’m not surprised this is quality, with all due respect to the Dude. 🙂
September 24, 2015 @ 3:42 pm
I’m streaming it on NPR as we speak. Absolutely enjoy what I’ve heard thus far and hope to offer more thorough reflections later! =D
Aside from that, it’ll be interesting to see who has the better opening week turnout between Don Henley and Thomas Rhett. Unfortunately, my gut is telling me Thomas Rhett will finish #1 (groans), but I’d deeply caution not underestimating Henley’s loyal fanbase. It can get real interesting.
September 24, 2015 @ 4:12 pm
In a year when we”™ve seen Steven Tyler, Bret Michaels, and even Uncle Cracker make country moves, it seemed like just another has-been name of rock coming into exploit country music”™s popularity.
Then as I sat on it for a second, I decided that maybe it wouldn”™t be so terrible. The Eagles certainly had their time delving into country sounds and their country influences.
It would have been difficult not to be cynical about rockers going country this year ”” or, hell, this century ”” because they’ve all done horrific jobs of it. Honestly, though, I have long figured if a rocker could do country right (if you’ll pardon the expression), it would be Don Henley, precisely for the above-mentioned reasons.
September 24, 2015 @ 4:48 pm
Someone should send a copy Steven Tyler’s way and show him what a proper crossover-country album sounds like.
September 24, 2015 @ 4:53 pm
review brooke hogan’s new COUNTRY album!!!
https://open.spotify.com/album/63rAj17hIL5XlUDYXaxLg7
it’s better than raelynn’s!
September 24, 2015 @ 5:23 pm
I always enjoy your writing, Trigger, and I would always defer to your far superior knowledge of country music, but a few things in this review caught me by surprise. Don Henley’s voice is widely considered one of the best in pop….not sure how you could consider it — how did you put it? — squeaky. On the other hand, Mick Jagger’s complete inability to sing country is just as widely recognized — you may be right that he’s great on this album, but that would certainly be a departure from his usual English-guy-trying-way-too-hard-to-sound-like-a-shit-kicker approach. And Jesse Winchester’s “Brand New Tennessee Waltz” brings a “light hearted” touch to the album? Wow. I’ve been playing and singing that song for more than 40 years and I don’t see how you get light hearted out of lyrics like “love is mostly just memories/and everyone’s got them a few” or “ask all of your passionate violins/to play a tune for the Tennessee kid/who’s feeling like leaving another town/and no place to go if he did.” I’m looking forward, cautiously, to Henley’s album because, unlike Lebowski and legions of others, I’ve always respected the Eagles’ songwriting and a lot of their singing and musicianship — way too slick, sometimes, yes, but damned skillful, almost always, and often moving. There’s not many concept albums that beat Desperado, in my opinion. The recent two-part documentary on the history of the Eagles gave Henley every opportunity to prove what everybody’s always said about him — that he’s an arrogant asshole — and his solo albums have been mixed successes, at best. But Henley at the top of his game is very good indeed, and your review certainly suggests he is here. Glad to hear it.
September 24, 2015 @ 7:30 pm
Hey Doug,
Well first off, have you heard the Mick Jagger song yet? That has been my biggest frustration about this album is the preconceptions, and that is what guided this entire review. It doesn’t matter what you think about Don Henley or The Eagles. “Cass County” deserves to be considered on its own merit. The same would go for Mick Jagger’s contribution. It’s irrelevant what folks thinks he sounds like, his part is excellent here, and I would refer to numerous commenters in this thread that have concurred. As far as Henley’s voice being “squeaky,” that’s just my opinion. I’m not presenting it as fact. But I also wouldn’t say it is considered one of the best voices in pop. But again, I loved his singing on this album, and that’s the matter at hand here.
As fart as “Brand New Tennessee Waltz” being “light-hearted,” maybe that was a poor choice of words. What I was trying to convey is nearly this entire album is dark in theme and mood, which is one thing I like about it, and this was one of the few instances it wasn’t.
September 24, 2015 @ 5:54 pm
Don Henley knows how country should sound and he knows how country should rock.
Hell, “Those Shoes” is more country than anything the frat bros have ever puked out.
September 25, 2015 @ 1:24 am
Hey Trigger, thanks for your reply. I haven’t heard the song Jagger sings on, but I thought I made it clear that I was *surprised* to hear you say how good he was, given his past performances on the Stones’ more country-flavored tunes — I wasn’t disagreeing with you, or doubting you. And I thought you made it clear that your opinion of Henley’s singing with the Eagles was just that – your opinion. That I did disagree with, but that’s my opinion. My only preconception of Henley’s album is that I’m looking forward to hearing it, but still with a bit of skepticism, mainly because some of Henley’s previous solo albums have been, as I said, decidedly mixed affairs. On the other hand, I think it likely that he put his heart and soul into this, because 1) he knew he’d be a target making a straight country album, 2) he really is from Texas. It’s also true that, in addition to being incredibly gifted, he’s experienced enough to know what he’s doing, and also that he’s respected (and rich) enough to attract a top level supporting cast. I was also encouraged by your comment, in your reply to my comment, that the album as a whole is dark — I like dark country, probably because I tend to be pretty dark myself. If The Brand New Tennessee Waltz lightens up the mood….well, that’s dark.
September 25, 2015 @ 1:29 am
(This is a reply to Trigger’s reply to my comment above, not to John Wayne Twitty — the programming insisted it go here for some reason.) Hey Trigger, thanks for your reply. I haven’t heard the song Jagger sings on, but I thought I made it clear that I was *surprised* to hear you say how good he was, given his past performances on the Stones’ more country-flavored tunes — I wasn’t disagreeing with you, or doubting you. And I thought you made it clear that your opinion of Henley’s singing with the Eagles was just that – your opinion. That I did disagree with, but that’s my opinion. My only preconception of Henley’s album is that I’m looking forward to hearing it, but still with a bit of skepticism, mainly because some of Henley’s previous solo albums have been, as I said, decidedly mixed affairs. On the other hand, I think it likely that he put his heart and soul into this, because 1) he knew he’d be a target making a straight country album and 2) he really is from Texas. I was also encouraged by your comment, in your reply to my comment, that the album as a whole is dark — I like dark country, probably because I tend to be pretty dark myself. If The Brand New Tennessee Waltz lightens up the mood….well, that’s dark.
September 25, 2015 @ 11:34 am
Don Henley’s previous solo albums veer towards terrible. Yacht rock. But they were fifteen years ago. I can understand your concern. But in my opinion, “Cass County” holds its own.
September 26, 2015 @ 1:05 am
Dirty Laundry, The Boys of Summer, The End of the Innocence and The Heart of the Matter were “Yacht Rock????” Wow — who knew ?
September 26, 2015 @ 9:26 am
“The End of Innocence” was total Yacht rock. “The Heart of the Matter” was pretty close.
October 17, 2015 @ 3:44 am
Jack Hammer, with the exception of Dirty Laundry, which (imo) sucked, the other *songs* you mention are all (imo) excellent. Boys of Summer in particular rates as a classic (imo). It’s when you get into the albums that things go downhill.
September 26, 2015 @ 3:40 pm
I don’t know what “yacht rock” means, but as a proud owner of both “The End of the Innocence” and “The Heart of the Matter”, I find those songs (especially “The End of the Innocence) to be both lyrically and musically beautiful.
September 24, 2015 @ 6:03 pm
Wow, both “Praying for Rain” and “When I Stop Dreaming” are simply gorgeous and represent everything that country music should be, lyrically, musically, and vocally.
Given the emotional depth and melodic beauty both in the Eagles’ catalog as well as in Don Henley’s past solo work, I am not surprised by the greatness of this album.
By the way, does the lyrical style of “Praying for Rain” remind anyone of “Heart of the Matter”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xezg3z5IE8I
September 24, 2015 @ 6:36 pm
BTW, Trigger, are you still using the numbering system for grading? I noticed that you did not write 9/10 next to the “Two Guns Up” rating.
September 24, 2015 @ 6:45 pm
I’ve decided to use the numbered rating system selectively, when it might give readers that extra bit of information to make a choice. If I feel like it may be confusing, then I won’t include it.
September 24, 2015 @ 7:25 pm
Being a lead singer-drummer myself, I’ve always admired Don. I saw him in Indy when he last toured in support of his last solo album. Listen to Patty Smythe- Henley duet ” Sometimes love ain’t enough”..Ive always thought that he doesn’t need the Eagles as much as they need him.
September 24, 2015 @ 7:56 pm
Yup, another fantastic song, and one of the most country-ish songs that Don Henley ever recorded in his solo career (prior to this album, of course):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdzbjUWu2VU
September 25, 2015 @ 8:49 am
I might need to hear that song with a different arrangement before I’d agree with that ”” it always struck me as your typical not-too-overblown pop ballad ”” but that is a great, great song. I’ve liked it since I first heard it when it was a hit back in 1992.
September 25, 2015 @ 12:21 pm
Maybe I should rephrase. It is one of the most country-ish radio hits that he has ever put out, especially given the vocal style.
September 24, 2015 @ 8:56 pm
I’ll buy this cd by Don Henley and I am a big fan of his.
September 24, 2015 @ 11:37 pm
You should tag Miranda Lambert 🙂 I see everyone else’s name except hers in the tags.
September 25, 2015 @ 1:30 am
It’ll be funny if this album gets nominated and wins the CMA Best Album Award next year – that would really be embarrassing for all the major country artists! Hope it happens:-)
September 25, 2015 @ 7:16 am
I had to press pause halfway through “waiting tables”. I personally can’t even take it seriously. I think the album itself is a little on the dry side, but I won’t argue with your assessment of top-notch within the genre.
I almost bought it, but it’s, for lack of better descriptions, almost too traditional for my liking. I hold in high regard his purist spirit in recording though. we need more stuff like this to keep the whole industry on track.
September 25, 2015 @ 11:21 am
It’s a slow album cover to cover. It took a lot of discipline for Henley to make an album like this, and I totally understand if some would find it sleepy.
September 25, 2015 @ 12:57 pm
What is slow about this? The two first songs on this album’s got more energy than most anything I’ve heard this year.
September 25, 2015 @ 7:45 am
Picked this one up this morning along with the new George Strait album.
But not the new Thomas Rhett album. Because FUCK Thomas Rhett, that’s why.
September 25, 2015 @ 8:11 am
C’mon, man. Evolution and shit.
September 26, 2015 @ 8:19 am
Rhett’s album is a Dos Equis masterpiece! High class!
September 25, 2015 @ 8:15 am
But…but…didn’t Henley get the memo? Country music is supposed to evolve! 😉
September 25, 2015 @ 1:35 pm
Is there something to save? There is so much great country music to love. “Country radio” will die perdy soon because there is no “country” left and radio is heading the way of paper papers. Fuck em and feed em fruit loops.
Country “stars” will get rodgered, and country artists will have great careers if they put in the effort.
September 26, 2015 @ 8:03 am
Downloaded this album based on previous enjoyment of Henley’s music and Trig’s review. I think it is very well done and actually enjoy the feel and pace of many of the songs. Henley vocally sounds great as well.
Being a big Waylon fan (no, I am NOT comparing Henley to biggest country music bad ass ever)…. But it reminded that he had many a slow/depressing song on his classic albums.
Recommend a buy on this one!
September 27, 2015 @ 2:22 pm
Cass County . From title to packaging to 95% of the musical content , this thing is trad country-sounding musically and lyrically . Sure there’s a heavy rhythm section and lots of electric guitar . But I said it was trad COUNTRY …not acoustic trad GRASS . Its a songwriter’s record , clearly . Nothing outshines the writer or his lyrics on this record . I’m not sure Henley’s voice has ever sounded more appropriate to the subject matter , more committed or technically ANY better. He nails every phrase , every note and nuance and I’m not even talking about the cut-to-the-bone harmonies provided by his guests.
Reservations ? Yup …a few. As with so many otherwise terrific albums people are releasing , ( Chris Stapleton , for example ) I think Don should have quit at 10 or 11 songs max for this collection . This would have arguably given him THE best release of the year , I believe . There are a few sound-alikes song-wise that could have been eliminated and a few meandering efforts that could have been tightened up structurally and fine-tuned lyrically . But that’s about all I got on this one . A superb effort worth waiting for , worth buying and worth sharing the news about in these otherwise depressing musical times commercially speaking . Henley seems to have made the record he wanted to .And he covered the bases demographically with his choice of guest artists ( everyone from Mick and Merle to Miranda and Martina , which also seems to have covered the big “M’s of the biz) . George Strait would have made a nice addition ( Texas ) . Its big person music for grown-up listeners ….lots of substance and wisdom and no attempt by the artist to avoid his age and experiences . Very similar , in this respect to James Taylor’s latest . Reflections put to some exquisite musicianship by REAL players . In these times, who could ask for more in terms of honesty and integrity from any artist .
September 29, 2015 @ 3:48 pm
I gave this a listen because I hold SCM’s opinion in very high regard, but wow, I have to say that this seems like a case of an album receiving inflated praise simply because it’s not as bad as expected. To me, the sentiments of the original tunes come off as a bit manufactured (I mean really, hearing Henley sing about “hard times” and “workin’ overtime” in the cliché-ridden, sing-song “No Thank You” is just too much) and as for the covers, I’d really rather hear Tift Merritt’s original version of “Bramble Rose” or Jesse Winchester’s own “Brand New Tennessee Waltz” from his marvelous, self-titled first album. And notwithstanding the typically beautiful vocal from Dolly Parton, do we really need another version of “When I Stop Dreaming”? (By the way, if you do want a cover of that classic, Glen Campbell and Leslie Satcher cut a pretty definitive one for the fantastic 2003 Louvin Bros. tribute album “Livin’, Lovin’, Losin'”). All in all, this isn’t an awful record, but to my ears, it just isn’t the masterpiece it’s being made out to be.
September 30, 2015 @ 12:59 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm-o7_VVAoU
September 30, 2015 @ 10:18 pm
Trigger, as someone who grew up in the ’70s and ’80s and fell in love with “real” country music, I am truly excited about this cd. I have been disheartened by what’s happened to country music over the years, how it has devolved into what it has become today. Much to my surprise, I discovered that “When I Stop Dreaming” is in rotation on CMT. It is listed under their best new videos. I wonder, Trigger, do you think the Nashville gatekeepers will allow songs such as “When I Stop Dreaming” to air on country radio. This cd has been several years in the works and if the Nashville gatekeepers won’t allow the songs on this cd to hit country radio, then I would say there is no longer any hope for “real” country music.
September 30, 2015 @ 10:34 pm
The songs on “Cass County” have absolutely no chance of being played on mainstream country radio. They will not be promoted there, and even if Henley paid the $1 million it takes to promote a single properly, it wouldn’t crack the Top 40. I do believe it will receive some radio play on the much smaller Americana scale, and has been spun on NPR and such, but nobody in mainstream Nashville even really knows this record exists. That’s the sad truth.
October 3, 2015 @ 1:26 pm
If you want a laugh, see the New York Times review http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/09/24/arts/music/review-cass-county-don-henleys-latest-album-embraces-country.html?referer=&_r=0
The critic states Henley would have been better served using modern songwriters like Luke Laird and Shane McNally then using his own material. He goes on to suggest Jagger moans his way through the song due t his age and that he was used to make Henley’s performance look good since the critic says its so bad on the rest of the release.
Anyone with me to start a Saving The New York Times website?!
October 3, 2015 @ 1:41 pm
Wow, I have a lot of respect for Jon Carmica (and the New York Times), but that’s a strange review indeed. Maybe Shane McAnally could do what he did with Sam Hunt. I can understand if the album is a little too dry for some, but to recommend working with hot Nashville songwriters shows that he missed the point of this project, in my opinion. Even more strange because it’s pretty rare you see the New York Times, or any large publications post anything but positive reviews anymore. Not that the review didn’t have positive things to say either, but in the end it’s a New Yorker’s perspective on a country album, so maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised.
October 4, 2015 @ 8:13 am
Chris Richards of The Washington Post isn’t much better. I remember him writing glowing articles about Sturgill Simpson AND Sam Hunt within a short period of time, yet passive aggressively dismissing Jason Isbell as “undislikable” as part of a review of a live show that I was at and that I thought was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Boy, did he get hammered in the comments section. For Richards, it seems to be all about the sizzle, and apparently Jason Isbell didn’t have any as far as he was concerned. And I guess Don Henley doesn’t either.
October 4, 2015 @ 9:03 am
Interesting review , indeed. I’m gonna agree with Carmica on his ” Waiting Tables ” comments because I’ve already indicated that I think Cass County could have been a far better record if Henley opted not to include ‘ filler’ like the above-mentioned song. However , yes ….Carmica has completely missed the point of this record otherwise . This is a record by an ARTIST ( not just a recording artist and there IS a difference . Slim Whitman was a recording artist . I rest my case ) .
This record reflects Henley’s vision based on Henley’s life experience , observations , talents on all fronts and ability to connect emotionally with timeless material and themes. If there are even 3 other people doing that in mainstream country radio today , I’ve never heard of them and I would suggest nor has Carmica which is perhaps why this record has caught him off guard . Carmica probaby thinks Mick Jagger should sound like the 15 or so other sound-alikes making ‘ guest ” ( label contracted ? ) appearances on a contemporary’s songs . Which is the very reason Henley has likely brought in Mick . Voice , experience , studio savvy , unique vocal character , delivery and phrasing ….all of this is stuff you won’t get from Bradly Farbert or Sam I Am .Carmica may need to become more familiar with a genre’s history and philosophies before attempting to pass judgement on anyone attempting to contribute to, borrow from or even exploit it .
October 4, 2015 @ 7:59 am
The critic states Henley would have been better served using modern songwriters like Luke Laird and Shane McNally then using his own material.
This is why having background information on the artists is a good thing. Henley has been quite vocal about his low opinion of modern mainstream country music for a while now, at least since 2002 that I am aware of. OF COURSE he wasn’t going to go foraging for mainstream songwriter shit. I can only guess Caramanica was thinking it would be better for Henley to get a second wind career-wise by chasing current trends. Thank all that is holy that he did not do that.
(Also, “progressive Nashville songwriter like Shane McAnally or Luke Laird”? Wasn’t “progressive country” in the beginning just another name for what the likes of Willie, Waylon, and the like were doing? Looks like they’re trying to redefine that term just like they’re trying to redefine the genre in general…)
October 4, 2015 @ 5:52 pm
‘Cass County’ sold 87,000 copies in it’s first week and not only leads the Country Albums chart but also leads the all genre Top Albums chart. Quite an accomplishment.
George Strait’s new album sold 83,000 copies and Thomas Rhett sold 63,000.
October 5, 2015 @ 10:38 am
Not a word about tailgating, trucks, no rap, no EDM influence, no stereotypes. Yet an amazing album.