Ex-Eagle Soaring Into Middle Age
Author: Greg Quill
Publication: Toronto Star
Date: September 30, 1988
Abstract: Glenn talks about topics such as how his lifestyle has changed now that he's "livin' right," and touring with the Little River Band.
Staring into the face of the Big Four-O, says former Eagle Glenn Frey, is a great feeling, now that he has cleaned up his act and started living right.
"Livin' Right," in fact, is the title of the opening track to his recent album, Soul Searchin', and it gives more than a vague insight into the reasons behind the Detroit-raised singer-songwriter's recent metamorphosis from self-indulgent rock star to bright-eyed music industry professional.
"I've rearranged the way I approach my life and work," he said from his home in Los Angeles. "I have a daytime schedule now that starts with a workout every morning. And I stick pretty strictly to the Eat To Win diet, though that doesn't mean I can't have a couple of beers every now and then.
"And I'm feeling real good, better than I have in years. I'm through with exploring the dark side; I used to think, like most kids, that more interesting things go on at night, or that you have an edge if you take the right chemicals.
"Now I know it just isn't true."
Frey was a founding member of the influential California country-rock outfit The Eagles, which dominated radio playlists in the late 1970s with such hits as "Take It Easy", "Tequila Sunrise", "Life In The Fast Lane" and "Hotel California".
The band, in its last two studio albums, Hotel California and The Long Run, exposed the soft, ugly underbelly of the sun-burnished Hollywood dream. Of the considerably talented members of The Eagles, only Frey and drummer-singer Don Henley have found real success as solo acts since the group's demise in 1979.
Frey doesn't miss The Eagles at all.
"I've done that, the band thing," he said. "And it's not as if I don't have any collaborators. I've written with Bob Seger, Jackson Browne and I have a solid partner in Jack Tempchin (who is credited as co-author of most of the songs on Soul Searchin').
"I've also learned that no band is perfect for all the music I'm capable of playing or writing. I love the freedom of the studio and putting a band together for a specific project."
That particular task was sidestepped during a recent tour of Australia, where Frey fronted a re-formed Little River Band in concerts in six cities. "They invited me to play with them for the opening of Expo in Brisbane in May. Then they asked me back for a tour.
"It's a great way to perform in Australia. I've known The Little River Band for years, since The Eagles. They worked up some of my songs and I could get around, play and meet people without the financial burden of taking six or eight American musicians with me. I loved it."
Touring North America isn't as easy. Frey will have to wait for "True Love", the album's first single, to run its course. The song was the record most added to American radio playlists in the week of its release, and the singer has his fingers crossed.
"If we get a hit, we'll tour," he said.
"In the meantime, I just happy to find my voice. And to be musically and physically fit."
