I Can't Stand Still

Last updated
I Can't Stand Still
Don Henley - I Can't Stand Still.jpg
Studio album by
Don Henley
ReleasedAugust 13, 1982 [1]
RecordedJanuary–May 1982
Studio Record One (Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length42:22
Label Asylum
Producer
Don Henley chronology
I Can't Stand Still
(1982)		 Building the Perfect Beast
(1984)
Singles from I Can't Stand Still
  1. "Johnny Can't Read"
    Released: August 3, 1982
  2. "Dirty Laundry"
    Released: October 12, 1982
  3. "I Can't Stand Still"
    Released: December 1982
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Robert Christgau B+ [3]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

I Can't Stand Still is the debut solo studio album by American musician Don Henley, drummer and co-lead vocalist for the Eagles. It was released in August 1982 by Asylum Records. Henley, Danny Kortchmar and Greg Ladanyi produced the album. I Can't Stand Still achieved gold status, and peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 and at the same position on the UK Albums Chart. Three singles were released from the album, including the hit "Dirty Laundry", which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Henley's best-selling single. The title track "I Can't Stand Still" reached No. 48 and the track "Johnny Can't Read" reached No. 42 on the charts.

Contents

The album showcased some of Henley's frustrations at the time. "Dirty Laundry" displays his disgust with the media and tabloid news coverage, and "Johnny Can't Read," shows his displeasure with the American educational system. [5]

Critical reception

Robert Palmer, music critic for The New York Times, was surprised by I Can't Stand Still and wrote that it "rings with the righteous indignation of a man who has taken a good look at what's going on around him and decided at least to speak his mind about it...The record doesn't offer any solutions, but how many pop records do? I Can't Stand Still scores points for its palpable anger; for its lean, stripped-down arrangements; for the lack of self-indulgence in the playing, the production and Mr. Henley's soaring vocals, and for its overall point of view, which links the disparate songs together and gives the album an admirable coherence. As far as this listener is concerned, it's better than anything Mr. Henley did with the Eagles." [6]

Reviewing retrospectively for AllMusic, critic Mike DeGagne has written of the album, "Henley's first solo album may still have had the ghost of the Eagles lingering in the corners, but for the most part it showcases his stalwart partnership with producer and songwriter Danny Kortchmar," and then added "Henley's adept combination of lyrical wit and thought-provoking staidness begins to materialize on I Can't Stand Still, paving the way for an extremely accomplished solo career." [5]

Cash Box said of the title track that "using the same organ that made "Laundry" so unique, Henley weaves the chords through a ballad about a guy's bitterness over his lost love's new find." [7] Cash Box also said that it's "a slow, dramatic, organ-dominated tune that's almost, but not quite, reggae" and that Henley's vocal tingles with a jealous edge as he sings of his lover's 'undercover' relationship." [8] Billboard called it "reggae California style, using heavy bass and syncopated organ for the rhythm track." [9] AllMusic critic Mike DeGagne called it "a trouble-in-paradise love song, [that] has Henley pouring his heart out with sugary angst, but is helped along with some avid keyboard work." [5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Don Henley and Danny Kortchmar, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Can't Stand Still" 3:33
2."You Better Hang Up" Danny Kortchmar 3:21
3."Long Way Home" 5:28
4."Nobody's Business"
3:43
5."Talking to the Moon"
  • Henley
  • Souther
4:39
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Dirty Laundry" 5:36
7."Johnny Can't Read" 3:24
8."Them and Us" 4:01
9."La Eile"Traditional0:52
10."Lilah" 4:09
11."The Unclouded Day"
  • Josiah K. Alwood
  • J.F. Kinsey
3:36
Total length:42:22

Personnel

Musicians

Production and artwork

Charts

Chart (1982-1983)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [10] 24
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [11] 5
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [12] 46
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [13] 20
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [14] 14
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [15] 22
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [16] 34
US Billboard 200 [17] 24

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [18] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Excitable Boy</i> 1978 studio album by Warren Zevon

Excitable Boy is the third studio album by American musician Warren Zevon. The album was released on January 18, 1978, by Asylum Records. It includes the single "Werewolves of London", which reached No. 21 and remained in the American Top 40 for six weeks. The album brought Zevon to commercial attention and remains the best-selling album of his career, having been certified platinum by the RIAA and reaching the top ten on the US Billboard 200. A remastered and expanded edition was released in 2007.

<i>River of Dreams</i> 1993 studio album by Billy Joel

River of Dreams is the twelfth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on August 10, 1993. River of Dreams presented a more serious tone than found in Joel's previous albums, dealing with issues such as trust and long-lasting love. It was rumored that the themes of trust and betrayal, particularly certain lyrics from the songs "A Minor Variation" and "The Great Wall of China", stem from Joel's legal disputes with his former manager and ex-brother-in-law, Frank Weber, who reportedly embezzled millions of dollars from Joel and used dubious accounting practices to cover it up.

<i>Eagles Live</i> 1980 live album by Eagles

Eagles Live is the first live album by the American rock band Eagles, a two-LP set released on November 7, 1980. Although the Eagles were already in the process of breaking up, the band owed Elektra/Asylum Records one more album and fulfilled that contractual obligation with a release of performances from the Hotel California and The Long Run tours.

<i>No Fun Aloud</i> 1982 studio album by Glenn Frey

No Fun Aloud is the debut solo studio album by Glenn Frey. It was released in 1982 on Asylum.

<i>Building the Perfect Beast</i> 1984 studio album by Don Henley

Building the Perfect Beast is the second solo studio album by American rock singer Don Henley, released on November 19, 1984, by Geffen Records. A commercial and critical success, it is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of Henley's solo work.

<i>The End of the Innocence</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Don Henley

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

<i>Actual Miles: Henleys Greatest Hits</i> 1995 greatest hits album by Don Henley

Actual Miles: Henley's Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits compilation album by American singer-songwriter Don Henley, released in 1995. The album was the first compilation album released by Henley and it covered hits from all three of his solo albums throughout the 1980s. The album features three new songs, "The Garden of Allah", "You Don't Know Me at All", and Henley's cover of "Everybody Knows". The collection peaked at No. 48 on the charts and reached platinum status. "The Garden of Allah" reached No. 16 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All She Wants to Do Is Dance</span> 1985 single by Don Henley

"All She Wants to Do Is Dance" is a song written by Danny Kortchmar and performed by Don Henley, co-lead vocalist and drummer for Eagles. It was released as the second single from Henley's second studio solo album, Building the Perfect Beast (1984), and was Henley's sixth solo single overall. It was one of Henley's most commercially successful singles, peaking at No. 9 on Billboard Hot 100 and also became his third song to top the Top Rock Tracks chart.

<i>I Feel for You</i> (album) 1984 studio album by Chaka Khan

I Feel for You is the fifth solo studio album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1984.

<i>Duets</i> (Elton John album) 1993 studio album by Elton John and various artists

Duets is the first collaboration studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1993. The album debuted at No. 7 in the UK. In the US, it peaked at number 25 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in January 1994 by the RIAA.

<i>Blaze of Glory</i> (Jon Bon Jovi album) 1990 studio album by Jon Bon Jovi

Blaze of Glory is the debut solo studio album by Jon Bon Jovi, the frontman of Bon Jovi. The album was released on August 7, 1990, through Mercury Records. It includes songs from and inspired by the movie Young Guns II. Emilio Estevez originally approached Bon Jovi to ask him for permission to include the song "Wanted Dead or Alive" on the soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Minute (song)</span> 1989 single by Don Henley

"New York Minute" is a song written by Don Henley, Danny Kortchmar, and Jai Winding. Henley originally recorded it for his 1989 album The End of the Innocence. The track features Pino Palladino on fretless bass, Toto members David Paich, who played piano and wrote the string arrangement, and Jeff Porcaro on drums. It also features Take 6 on background vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Enough Love in the World</span> 1985 single by Don Henley

"Not Enough Love in the World" is a soft rock song written by Don Henley, Danny Kortchmar, and Benmont Tench. The lyrics describe a rocky relationship, with the singer proclaiming he's still in love. It is rumored that it was about Henley's relationship with Stevie Nicks, but their relationship only lasted a year.

<i>Farewell 1 Tour: Live from Melbourne</i> 2005 video by Eagles

Farewell 1 Tour: Live from Melbourne is a double DVD by Eagles, released in 2005. It was filmed in Melbourne, Australia at the Rod Laver Arena on November 14, 15 and 17, 2004, featuring two new songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirty Laundry (Don Henley song)</span> 1982 single by Don Henley

"Dirty Laundry" is a song written by Don Henley and Danny Kortchmar from Henley's debut solo studio album I Can't Stand Still, (1982). The song reached number 1 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart in October 1982 prior to being issued as a 45 rpm single. Lyrically, the song describes mass media sensationalism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Can't Read</span> 1982 single by Don Henley

"Johnny Can't Read" is the first solo single released by American rock singer Don Henley, included on his debut solo studio album I Can't Stand Still (1982). His then partner, former actress Maren Jensen, performs backing vocals.

<i>Heart & Soul</i> (Joe Cocker album) 2004 studio album by Joe Cocker

Heart & Soul is the nineteenth studio album by Joe Cocker, released in the UK on 12 October 2004, and in the US on 1 February 2005. The album is composed solely of cover songs, including a live version of the U2 song "One" taken from Cocker's 2004 Night of the Proms performance in Antwerp, Belgium.

<i>Night Calls</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Joe Cocker

Night Calls is the thirteenth studio album by Joe Cocker, released on 7 October 1991. There were three different editions of the album released in 1991 and 1992. Each of them featured different selections of songs, in different orders, and had different works of cover art. In addition, a DTS edition of the album was released in the UK in 1998, also with a different selection of songs.

<i>Curtis Stigers</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Curtis Stigers

Curtis Stigers is the debut album by American jazz musician Curtis Stigers, released on 24 September 1991 by Arista Records. It includes the hit singles "I Wonder Why", "You're All That Matters to Me", and "Never Saw a Miracle". The album peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart in 1992.

<i>Cass County</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Don Henley

Cass County is the fifth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Don Henley. The album was released on September 25, 2015, by Past Masters Holdings and Capitol Records. It was Don Henley's first new solo album in 15 years since 2000's Inside Job.

References

  1. ↑ "FMQB" (PDF). p. 28.
  2. ↑ Mike DeGagne. "I Can't Stand Still – Don Henley | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  3. ↑ "CG: Don Henley". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  4. ↑ The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. pp. 375–376.
  5. 1 2 3 Mike DeGagne. "I Can't Stand Still – Don Henley | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  6. ↑ Robert Palmer. "The Pop Life". The New York Times . Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  7. ↑ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 8, 1983. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  8. ↑ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 23, 1982. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  9. ↑ "Top Single Picks". Billboard. January 15, 1983. p. 51. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  10. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. p. 137. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  11. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6177a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Don Henley – I Can't Stand Still" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  13. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  14. ↑ "Charts.nz – Don Henley – I Can't Stand Still". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Don Henley – I Can't Stand Still". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Don Henley – I Can't Stand Still". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Don Henley Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  18. ↑ "American album certifications – Don Henley". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.