I have decided "New Kid in Town" is Glenns best work

[GlennLover]

I was thinking the same about The Long Run album - it lacks a "signature" Glenn vocal. By "signature", I mean that warm, relaxed, friendly vocal that we hear on "Peaceful Easy Feeling", "Tequila Sunrise", "Ol' 55", "Lyin' Eyes" and "New Kid in Town". I know he also had "rock" vocals on the first three albums but it's the softer ones that identify with him. Of course, he returned to them on LROOE.

Maybe it's an unpopular opinion, but I believe that Glenn really did need to go solo in 1980. Imagine if the Eagles had continued with an album every three years with just one Frey lead vocal on each.

Good point, UtW.

[Freypower]

I think Heartache Tonight IS a signature vocal & I'm disappointed that he became so identified with ballads.

[scottside]

I wholeheartedly agree with FP about "Heartache Tonight" being a signature vocal for Glenn. The first time I heard that on the radio back in 1979 I was floored! I always thought he should sing more rockers.

[LuvTim]

I think Heartache Tonight IS a signature vocal & I'm disappointed that he became so identified with ballads.

Heartache Tonight rocks. I love it now as I loved it then. Can't imagine anyone else singing it as Glenn did.

[DJ]

I too was thinking when I was listening to New Kid, that this is one of his very best songs. His voice is primo. I have always loved the line: When he's holden her, and your still around. There is something in his voice on that particular line that makes my knees weak.

[Jonny Come Lately]

I can see both sides of the argument here. On one hand, Glenn always did a great job with the warm, mellow country rock vocals. Those songs suited his voice very well for sure. Yet I would also agree that the more energetic rockers are every bit as much 'signature' Glenn vocals as the softer songs. Heartache Tonight is a fine example - it's a superb vocal performance, indeed a Grammy winning one - but I'd also point towards Desperado and On The Border, where Glenn, not Don, was the band's primary rock and roll singer. On the former album especially, it's Don who sings on the slow paced title track and the acoustic waltz tempo Saturday Night, whereas the two hardest rockers, Out Of Control and Outlaw Man are by Glenn. Unfortunately this tends to be overlooked because those albums were less commercially successful than the later albums where Don was singing most of the rockers and also because Glenn was self-depreciating about his abilities as a vocalist, especially as a singer of rock and roll songs.

I can understand why people miss Lyin' Eyes or New Kid In Town type tracks on The Long Run, but I personally don't think either song would fit on the album. There's almost no evidence of any country influence on that record, let alone that the band was once at the forefront of country rock. They would seem out of place amongst the darker, predominantly electric guitar based songs that make up the bulk of that record, IMO.

As for New Kid In Town itself, I agree that it is probably Glenn's greatest Eagles vocal. Although I personally think that his delivery on Tequila Sunrise is also up there, especially the 'take another shot of courage' verse.

[WalshFan88]

I prefer his rockin' numbers, but that's who I am. Not much for soft country rock/folk rock/soft rock type stuff.

My favorite Glenn moments vocally are:

Heartache Tonight
Already Gone
James Dean
Out Of Control
Good Day In Hell

Strangely enough, most of them are in their more countriest of albums (Desperado, On The Border, etc).

There is shamefully few Glenn rockers on OOTN, HC, and TLR. When he does sing, it's the smooth stuff I'm not much of a fan of. Granted NKIT, LE, PEF, TIE, TS, etc are great pieces of music, they don't personally move me. But I'm a classic rock/hard rock guy and I prefer an electric guitar to an acoustic guitar, etc.

I was a huge fan of when they did TIE as an electric number in the HC era (and on the Central Park video, etc)... I think it spiced it up and I'm a major fan of that. Diehard country/country rockers are probably not as crazy about it. I also really love the way JW plays the TIE solo. Really adds great energy IMO.

[UndertheWire]

I love the vocal on Heartache Tonight but it's not what I think of as a typical Glenn with the Eagles vocal, whereas the vocal on New Kid in Town, is.

I think it's interesting that in his solo career, his vocals were often very different to what had come before. It gave him the change to stretch (with encouragement from Bob Seger, according to an early 80s interview) and try new things.

[Freypower]

I agree with both of you, Austin & UTW, but I would add Somebody & How Long from LROOE to Glenn's list of rockers. I know you don't like LROOE much Austin, but those are just as worthy of a mention as the others. I'm so glad we got those & I'm so glad I actually saw him sing Somebody three times.

We have to be grateful for the solo work for the variety of vocal styles as UTW said. But we also have to be grateful for LROOE & that he came to his senses & sang more than one/two songs on it.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Well – I am truly a hardcore because I’ve never heard a Frey vocal that I didn’t love. Okay, there is maybe one – Such a Lovely Child. I’ve always said one of the things that appeals most to me about Glenn’s voice is that it is so versatile. AFAIC, his voice is equally effective whether he is singing a silky smooth ballad or a rough rowdy rocker. As evidence, my two favorite vocals are probably New Kid In Town and Heartache Tonight, although I find it extremely hard to choose because he has so many exceptional vocals throughout his entire career. Starting with Take It Easy to You Belong To the City to How Long to After Hours and everything in between – it’s all just pure perfection for me.