It's interesting how after his superstardom after Eagles, that Glenn Frey's biggest solo successes were contributions to soundtracks. The Heat Is On (Beverly Hills Cop), and You Belong To The City (Miami Vice), are probably his most recognizable hits of the 80's.
But, did you know he was also supposed to sing the theme from Beverly Hills Cop II. Shakedown? Frey didn't ultimately like the lyrics, and when he came down with laryngitis, that pretty much cemented the track going to Bob Seger. Too bad. It would have been another hit for him.
My personal favorite from the singer is his contribution to the 1989 Ghostbusters II soundtrack, Flip City. In fact, that whole album is a great play from start to finish.
Frey Started his solo career in 1982 with the album, No Fun Around. Critics found it to be a modest debut, and it ultimately reached gold status.
This was followed up with 1984's The Allnighter, which peaked slightly higher than its predecessor at number twenty-two. The track, Smugglers Blues, got the attention of the show runners of Miami Vice, and it lead to Frey being invited to star in an episode of the same name. Of course, it also led to the aforementioned You Belong To The City the following year.
However, as a whole, while his most successful solo album to date, The Allnighter is by no mean a major success. Though most critics panned it, it was complimented for its departure from the "Eagles sound", in lieu of a more blues rock style.
I'm by no means a Glenn Frey fan, and quite honestly, I don't really know why I picked the album up, other than it was there (in a used bin). I was not looking for it, nor did I particularly want to add it to my collection.
As I listened to it, it didn't impress at all. In fact, it was kind of boring. I ended up adding Smugglers Blues to my shuffle list, but really only in one of those "best of the worst" manners.
Overall, it wasn't enjoyable, and I couldn't wait for it to end so that I could move on to something else.
Glenn Frey ended up taking four years to return to the solo scene with his 1988 album, Soul Searchin'. Another four years later, he would release 1992's Strange Weather. From there, he wouldn't return to the world of solo work until 2012's After Hours.
Sadly, the singer struggled with arthritis, which led to him seeking surgery. However, prior to this happening, he was placed in a medically endued coma due to complications from pneumonia, and passed away in 2016. The biggest shame is that his illness was caused by the medications he was taking to treat his arthritis.
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