Favorite Don Song

[Jonny Come Lately]

I was thinking about this recently. Right now I think my top ten from his solo career would be like this:

1. The Heart Of The Matter
2. The Boys Of Summer
3. The End Of The Innocence
4. Train In The Distance
5. Dirty Laundry
6. A Month Of Sundays
7. New York Minute
8. The Cost Of Living
9. The Last Worthless Evening
10. Long Way Home
Honourable Mention: If Dirt Were Dollars

My top three has not changed in a long time, and it's unlikely to change any time soon - I really firmly believe these are the best three songs Don has recorded as a solo artist. There are very, very few albums where they wouldn't stand out, they are that good, and it's not often I can truly say that about music from a band member's solo career. I give top spot to The Heart of the Matter. As great as the other two are, I think THOTM just edges them out. It's such a wonderfully poignant and timeless track.

There wasn't a lot between Train In The Distance (IMO the best song from Cass County) and Dirty Laundry, which round off the top five. The lower rankings do move around a bit more, so this is just how I feel right now. I have to say I personally favour A Month Of Sundays to the hits from BTPB aside from BOS - I sense Don feels a real connection with the man in the song and his passion really shows in his performance as well as in the superb lyrics. The Cost Of Living is the other Cass County song in my top 10. It's the best duet on the album for me, easily, has the emotional weight that characterises most of Don's best solo songs and with all that has happened this year and the people we have lost (including Merle Haggard himself, as well as Glenn) it has become even more resonant. I give my honourable mention to If Dirt Were Dollars, which I think is one of Don's most underrated solo tracks. I love the lyrics - lines like 'she looked at me uncomprehendingly, like cows at a passing train' are classic Don.

One difference between Don solo and the Eagles is that for some reason I am more decisive in deciding which solo songs I like best. Picking a top 10 for the Eagles is more difficult for me as I feel I'm snubbing more greats that I'd love to include, whereas with Don's solo albums I think I can pick ten that are my true favourites and it doesn't change as much.