Good country relies on its honesty, so there’s always the fear that for his first outing in 15 years, Eagles A-lister Don Henley would simply dust off Desperado and rub in some Nashville saddle polish, hoping for a C&W shine.
Instead, he’s delved into the bran tub of obscurities to rescue gems from the likes of Tift Merritt and Harry Nilsson and backed them with honest self-portraits such as Where I Am Now and Take a Picture of This.
It doesn’t hurt to have support from Mick Jagger, Merle Haggard, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Martina McBride, Alison Krauss, Lucinda Williams, Ashley Monroe and Trisha Yearwood – but Henley’s familiar croon tackling rootsy country is a surefire hit on its own.
Stars: 3.5
Words by: James Belfield
