The End of the Innocence (album)

The End of the Innocence
Studio album by Don Henley
Released	June 27, 1989 (1989-06-27)
Recorded	1988–89
Genre	Rock, Soft rock
Length	53:11
Label	Geffen 24217-2
Producer	Don Henley Mike Campbell John Corey Bruce Hornsby Danny Kortchmar Greg Ladanyi Stan Lynch
Don Henley chronology
Building the Perfect Beast (1984)Building the Perfect Beast1984 The End of the Innocence (1989) Actual Miles: Henley's Greatest Hits (1995)Actual Miles: Henley's Greatest Hits1995

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Robert Christgau	C+

The End of the Innocence is the third studio solo album by Don Henley, the lead vocalist and drummer for the Eagles. The album was released in 1989, on Geffen Records, this would be his last release on that label. It was also his last solo album of the 1980s and it would be eleven years before he released another solo album, until 2000's Inside Job.

The album is his best selling album, selling over 6 million copies in the United States alone, peaking at #8. The album featured three Top 40 singles "The End of the Innocence", "The Heart of the Matter", and "The Last Worthless Evening". Those singles reached #8, #21, and #21 respectively. The album also featured "New York Minute" which reached #48 on the charts and was recorded by Henley and the Eagles for their live album Hell Freezes Over in 1994. Henley won another Grammy and an MTV Video Music Award for the title track. In 2003, the album was ranked at number 389 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The song "I Will Not Go Quietly" features Guns N' Roses vocalist Axl Rose in the background, who at the time was also a member of the same label.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone magazine wrote of the album at the time, "Returning to the theme of "Desperado," the former Eagle hitched some of his finest melodies (especially on the gentle title track) to sharply focused lyrical studies of men in troubled transition – from youth to adulthood, innocence to responsibility."

Reviewing retrospectively for AllMusic, critic Vik Iyengar has written of the album, "Henley took some time before completing his highly anticipated third album, The End of the Innocence. Although he manages to duplicate much of the magic of his previous album, Henley has backed off of the synthesizers and expanded his musical palette." they also add that "Throughout the album, he manages to balance being cynical yet hopeful, and his great melodies allow his poignant lyrics to penetrate. This album is highly recommended for those who like their pop music with a message."

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The End of the Innocence" (Henley, Bruce Hornsby)	5:16
2.	"How Bad Do You Want It?" (Henley, Danny Kortchmar, Stan Lynch)	3:47
3.	"I Will Not Go Quietly" (Henley, Kortchmar)	5:43
4.	"The Last Worthless Evening" (John Corey, Henley, Lynch)	6:03
5.	"New York Minute" (Henley, Kortchmar, Jai Winding)	6:37
6.	"Shangri-La" (Henley, Steve Jordan, Kortchmar)	4:55
7.	"Little Tin God" (Henley, Kortchmar, J.D. Souther)	4:42
8.	"Gimme What You Got" (Corey, Henley, Lynch)	6:10
9.	"If Dirt Were Dollars" (Henley, Kortchmar, Souther)	4:34
10.	"The Heart of the Matter" (Mike Campbell, Henley, Souther)	5:24

Personnel

• Don Henley – drums, vocals, background vocals, harmony vocals
• Timothy Drury – keyboards, background vocals, harmony vocals
• Edie Brickell – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "Gimme What You Got")
• Mike Campbell – guitar, keyboards (on "The Last Worthless Evening" and "The Heart of the Matter")
• Valerie Carter – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "How Bad Do You Want It?")
• John Corey – guitar, keyboards (on "The Last Worthless Evening")
• Sheryl Crow – background vocals (on "If Dirt Were Dollars")
• Charley Drayton – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "Shangri-La")
• Melissa Etheridge – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "Gimme What You Got")
• Michael G. Fisher – percussion (on "The End of the Innocence")
• Bob Glaub – bass (on "The Last Worthless Evening")
• Bruce Hornsby – piano, keyboards (on "The End of the Innocence")
• Stanley Jordan – guitar, drums, background vocals, harmony vocals
• Steve Jordan – drums, electric guitar, background vocals, harmony vocals, wah wah guitar (on "Shangri-La")
• Jim Keltner – percussion, drums (on "Shangri-La")
• Larry Klein – bass (on "The Heart of the Matter")
• Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar – guitar, keyboards
• Stan Lynch – percussion, drums
• Steve Madaio – trumpet (on "New York Minute")
• Ivan Neville – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "Shangri-La")
• David Paich – piano, strings, keyboards (on "New York Minute" and "Little Tin God")
• Pino Palladino – bass (on "New York Minute," "Shangri-La," and "Little Tin God")
• Jeff Porcaro – drums (on "New York Minute")
• Axl Rose – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "I Will Not Go Quietly")
• Wayne Shorter – soprano saxophone (on "The End of the Innocence")
• Patty Smyth – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "How Bad Do You Want It?")
• J.D. Souther – background vocals (on "If Dirt Were Dollars")
• Take 6 – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "Shangri-La")
• Carmen Twillie – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "The Heart of the Matter")
• Waddy Wachtel – acoustic guitar (on "I Will Not Go Quietly")
• Julia Waters – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "The Heart of the Matter")
• Maxine Waters – background vocals, harmony vocals (on "The Heart of the Matter")
• Jai Winding – keyboards, keyboard bass (on "The End of the Innocence," "New York Minute," and "Shangri-La")

Production

• Produced By Don Henley & Danny Kortchmar, except track 1 (Don Henley & Bruce Hornsby), tracks 4 & 8 (Don Henley, John Corey & Stan Lynch) and track 10 (Don Henley, Mike Campbell & Danny Kortchmar).
• Engineered By Shelly Yakus; assistant engineer: Brian Scheuble
• Additional Engineers: Rob Jacobs, Mark McKenna, Bob Vogt, Marc Desisto, Eddie King
• Additional Assistants: Tom Ranghart, Ed Goodreau, Randall Wine, Randy Staub, Greg Goodman
• Mixed By Shelly Yakus & Rob Jacobs; assisted by Robert "R.J." Jaczko
• Mastered By Stephen Marcussen at Precision Lacquer (LA)

Charts

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)	40
Canadian Albums (RPM)	8
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)	60
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)	87
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)	37
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)	15
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)	11
UK Albums (OCC)	17
US Billboard 200	8

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1989	"I Will Not Go Quietly"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	2
1989	"If Dirt Were Dollars"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	8
1989	"The End of the Innocence"	Adult Contemporary	2
1989	"The End of the Innocence"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	1
1989	"The End of the Innocence"	The Billboard Hot 100	8
1989	"The Last Worthless Evening"	Adult Contemporary	5
1989	"The Last Worthless Evening"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	4
1989	"The Last Worthless Evening"	The Billboard Hot 100	21
1990	"How Bad Do You Want It?"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	8
1990	"How Bad Do You Want It?"	The Billboard Hot 100	48
1990	"New York Minute"	Adult Contemporary	5
1990	"New York Minute"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	24
1990	"New York Minute"	The Billboard Hot 100	48
1990	"The Heart of the Matter"	Adult Contemporary	3
1990	"The Heart of the Matter"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	2
1990	"The Heart of the Matter"	The Billboard Hot 100	21

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)	2× Platinum	200,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	Gold	100,000
United States (RIAA)	6× Platinum	6,000,000
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Awards

Grammy Awards

Year	Winner	Category
1989	The End of the Innocence	Best Male Rock Vocal Performance