6 March 2013 - Don Henley - All She Wants To Do Is Dance

I can't f&*king stand The Eagles

You've heard me say statements like this quite frequently.

Well, this song, from 1985, the 2nd single from his Building the Perfect Beast album - the first being the dull "The Boys of Summer" - is about as far from the Eagles that Don Henley could have come. Unlike the washed-out folk-rock of the Eagles, this song has some serious soul.  SERIOUS soul.  The horns and killer keytar hook - yes, KEYTAR hook - drive this hard-pumping song forward.  Henley's voice, with slight falsetto and terrific range, is well-suited for this energetic tune.

But this song is more than a soulful romp.  Remove the phrase "and all she wants to do is dance" from the verses. You've got a song clearly inspired by the tales of the Reagan-era Sandinistas in Central America.  Put those words back in.  You've got a much different song.

The video itself is really busy and absolutely brilliant.  It's almost reminiscent of the Cantina band from Star Wars, with a South American bunker feel.