"Sunset Grill" by Don Henley

Song#:  2444
Date:  08/31/1985
Debut:  60
Peak:  22
Weeks:  14
Genre:  Soft Rock



Pop Bits:  Henley lost a little ground with the third single from his second album Building the Perfect Beast when "Not Enough Love in the World" topped out at #34 on the heels of two Top 10 hits. Hoping to gain back some ground, this fourth single was issued out. It did indeed do better, but it just fell short of the Top 20. However, it was a good hit at Rock getting to #7. It also made the AC chart at #18.

ReduxReview:  Much like Henley's hit "The Boys of Summer," this song has a distinctive atmosphere. It ends up being very film noir-ish, especially when the horns kick in. It sounds like old school 40s or 50s Hollywood. Even the lyrics have a gritty feeling that seem to question why people live in such a commercialized place that is loaded with fraudulent and empty people. The Sunset Grill then provides a bit of respite from all of the hazy mess. I loved the song right away and it became my second favorite Henley track right after "Boys." It is also one of those rare tracks where I dig the full album version over the edited single. It's a song that needs to linger and tell its story.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Although this would be the last official single released from the album, one other track did become a hit on the Rock chart. "Drivin' With Your Eyes Closed" gathered enough airplay to reach #9 on the chart. It would be Henley's fifth Rock Top 10.  2) The title of this song was named after an actual place. The Sunset Grill was a hamburger joint on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. It was just a hole-in-the-wall type place that seated only about twenty people. Henley used to frequent the place as it was one he could go and pretty much remain anonymous. In fact, the owner of the restaurant had no idea who Henley was and it took other people to tell him that Henley had written a song about the place. Thanks to the song, the Grill got a boost in business from music fans who wanted to have glimpse into the place that inspired Henley's song. The same family owned the Grill for forty years. They finally sold it in 1997 and the new owners razed it and built a new place that is still called The Sunset Grill.

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