REVIEW: Glenn Frey, Solo Collection (MCA)

- Bob Gajarsky

The second most successful Eagle, in terms of his solo career, has been Glenn Frey. Although falling far behind the success of bandmate Don Henley, Frey has managed to blip on and off the pop charts, solo, for the better part of a decade. This time has been chronicled on the greatest hits collection for Frey, Solo Collection.

The television show Miami Vice helped propel two of Frey's most popular tracks, "You Belong to the City" and "Smuggler's Blues", to #13 and #2 placings on the Billboard charts in 1985, and earned the rock star the ability to appear in episodes of the flamingo cop show. The Beverly Hills Cop song "The Heat Is On", Frey's other solo smash, also appears in the compilation.

However, these tracks are atypical of the collection of Glenn Frey's works. Much more typical is 1982's "The One You Love" - which fits in right at home on most adult contemporary stations. Like Henley, Frey has mellowed significantly with age, and the spunk, energy and rebellion shown in the 1970's died nearly twenty years ago, with signs of a resurrection in the mid 1980's.

One would assume that with only twelve songs entering the pop charts, each top 100 single would be represented here. Curiously enough, that is not true; his first solo single "I Found Someone" and the title track to 1984's The Allnighter are two of the four singles which appeared in the Billboard charts, but not on Solo Collection.

For those who are still humming Eagles tracks such as "I Can't Tell You Why" and "Best of My Love", the Glenn Frey Solo Collection will fit right in. But, for those whose appeal from the Eagles is on their epic "Hotel California" or their rockin' "Life in the Fast Lane", the Frey collection should be better passed up. Track listing: This Way To Happiness, Who'd Been Sleeping In My Bed, Common Ground, Call On Me, The One You Love, Sexy Girl, Smuggler's Blues, The Heat Is On, You Belong To The City, True Love, Soul Searchin', Part of Me Part of You, I've Got Mine, River of Dreams, Rising Sun, Brave New World