Music Review: Cass County (Deluxe Edition) by Don Henley
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The first album in 15 years (and fifth overall) from the 68 year-old founding member, drummer and co-lead vocalist of the Eagles, recently debuted at #1 on Billboard magazine’s Country Charts, his first solo album to top the charts. The album is co-produced by Henley and Stan Lynch (former drummer with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), and features guest appearances from Mick Jagger, Merle Haggard, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Trisha Yearwood, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Jamey Johnson, Lee Ann Womack, Ashley Monroe and others.

The album was recorded in Nashville and also in Dallas where Henley lives, and took several years to complete. While many are calling it Henley’s “country album”, he says much of it fits better into the Americana format. The album title refers to the underpopulated area of east Texas near the borders of Arkansas and Louisiana, where Henley was born in 1947 and grew up in the 1950’s. The deluxe edition includes 16 songs, eleven of which were written by Henley and Lynch with others, and is solid from the opening cover of alternative country artist Tift Merritt’s “Bramble Rose”, featuring Miranda Lambert and Mick Jagger (who actually does country quite well), to the closing rocker “Where I Am Now”. Henley’s ballads include themes of the passage of time, looking at the past and also to the future, regret, acceptance and love, present and in the past.

McBride joins Henley for a duet on “That Old Flame”, as well as singing on the closing “Where I Am Now”. “That Old Flame” is a song about long-lost friends who were once lovers. “Where I Am Now” is a confident song in which Henley reflects on his life, liking where he is now.

I been east, west, north and south
But I made it through somehow
And I like where I am now

“Take a Picture of This” portrays the end of a marriage. Dolly Parton joins him on the Louvin Brothers’ hit from sixty years ago “When I Stop Dreaming”.

“A Younger Man” is about a younger woman falling for an older man, but he sings:

If you believe in better days ahead
For this crazy human race
That we will somehow be delivered
By goodness and by grace
And if you’re lookin’ for believers
In faith and hope and charity
Then, you’re you’re lookin’ for a younger man – not me

“Train in the Distance” is the album’s most autobiographical song as Henley reflects back on his childhood when life was simple and now the responsibilities of an adult as he sings:

You better make friends with your angels and your demons
They will be riding with you wherever you go

“The Cost of Living” with Merle Haggard is about dealing with getting older, but not regretting a single day as they sing: It’s the cost of living and everyone pays.

“Waiting Tables” is the story of a young girl who grew up in a small town, married a reckless fool, and is now a single mother waiting tables. She sighs: Dear Lord above, there must be more than this.

“Praying for Rain” is about farmers dealing with drought conditions and praying for rain soon:

I’m praying for rain
I’m praying for rain
Lord, I ain’t never asked for much
And I don’t mean to complain
But I’m praying for rain

In singing about pride in “Too Much Pride”, which features some tasty piano from Mike Rojas, he sings:

Some people tell you it’s a good thing
Some people tell you it’s a sin
Just like a weed in the garden
You’re askin’ for trouble if you let it in

I’m a longtime Eagles fan who saw them in concert more than 35 years ago in their prime. I’ve listened to this album several times, and it sounds better with each succeeding listen. I’ve always loved Henley’s voice and it is still excellent here. The songwriting and instrumentation are strong and the album benefits from the guest artists and their contributions. I found it to be one of the top releases of the year.

• Lecrae, Lauren Daigle and Seth Mosely Win Big at Dove Awards. Moseley took home four honors, including songwriter and producer of the year. Lecrae won three awards including artist of the year and accepted the honor via video from the road. His 2014 album, Anomaly, won rap/hip hop album of the year.
• Matt Maher Shares Thoughts on the Pope at Dove Awards. While in the press room for the 46th Annual GMA Dove Awards, renowned artist and devout Catholic Matt Maher shared his thoughts on Pope Francis and his role in the Church.
• O Children Come (Live). Watch this video of “O Children Come” from the new Joy-An Irish Christmas LIVE album from Keith and Kristyn Getty.
•  Hymns We Should Sign More Often: O Word of God Incarnate. Kevin DeYoung continues this intermittent series by looking at this hymn written by William How.
• James Taylor’s Conversation with Tavis Smiley. Watch the two-part interview JT recently had with Smiley. Part One. Part Two
• Take a Picture of This. Don Henley recently performed this song from his new album Cass County on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
• Bruce Springsteen to Release River Box Set. Springsteen will release a new box set called The Ties That Bind: The River Collection on December 4. Listen to the song “Meet Me in the City”
• Andy Mineo Talks Getting ‘Uncomfortable,’ Hip-Hop Today & The Role Faith Plays in His Life. Paley Martin of Billboard magazine interviews Andy Mineo about his new album Uncomfortable.
• Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? Listen to Bob Dylan’s “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?” (Take 1) from the forthcoming The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Vol. 12.

Music Quotes:

• I don’t want to sacrifice who I am for the sake of acceptance. Andy Mineo

• There is no humility I can manufacture, no penitence I can create that can move the heart of God. True brokenness is a gift from Him alone. Fernando Ortega

• There is grace today for yesterday’s failures. Lecrae

Be Kind to Yourself by Andrew Peterson

This week’s song of the week is a song that Andrew Peterson wrote for his daughter Skye, who deals with self-condemnation. He performed this song when we saw him in concert on August 29 when he was accompanied on drums by his 15 year-old son Asher. He sings that he loves Skye just the way she is, and the way the Lord is shaping her heart. Watch the video here.

You got all that emotion that’s heaving like an ocean
And you’re drowning in a deep, dark well
I can hear it in your voice that if you only had a choice
You would rather be anyone else

I love you just the way that you are
I love the way He made your precious heart

Be kind to yourself
Be kind to yourself

I know it’s hard to hear it when that anger in your spirit
Is pointed like an arrow at your chest
When the voices in your mind are anything but kind
And you can’t believe your Father knows best

I love you just the way that you are
I love the way He’s shaping your heart

Be kind to yourself
Be kind to yourself

How does it end when the war that you’re in
Is just you against you against you
Gotta learn to love, learn to love
Learn to love your enemies too

You can’t expect to be perfect
It’s a fight you’ve gotta forfeit
You belong to me whatever you do
So lay down your weapon, darling
Take a deep breath and believe that I love you

Be kind to yourself
Be kind to yourself
Be kind to yourself

Gotta learn to love, learn to love
Learn to love your enemies
Gotta learn to love, learn to love
Learn to love your enemies too