NEWS PLUS: News

Don Henley ‘Building the Perfect Beast’ Gets 40th Anniversary Vinyl Edition

by Best Classic Bands Staff

Share This:

Building the Perfect Beast, the triple-platinum Don Henley album, has gotten a 40th anniversary vinyl edition. The title, remastered from the original analog tapes and pressed on 180-gram vinyl, has been made available as a 2-LP set for the first time. It arrived November 15, 2024, via UMe and can be pre-ordered in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.

[Other Henley solo albums including his first, 1982’s I Can’t Stand Still, and his most recent, 2015’s Cass County, are coming to vinyl on Nov. 22. Pre-order for both titles is available here.]

Building the Perfect Beast, originally released on November 19, 1984, features the hit singles “The Boys of Summer,” “All She Wants to Do Is Dance,” “Sunset Grill,” and “Not Enough Love in the World.” The new 2-LP release features the vinyl debut of the album’s complete track list, as “A Month of Sundays” was only available previously on the CD, cassette, and digital versions.

In addition to featuring four hit singles, Building the Perfect Beast garnered five GRAMMY nominations and won the award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male for “The Boys of Summer.” Henley was the biggest winner of the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards, taking home four Moonmen, including Video of the Year for “The Boys of Summer.”

Raised in a small East Texas town, Henley was drawn to the sounds of exotic music broadcast from distant radio stations in New Orleans, Nashville, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. These stations introduced him to the blues, bluegrass, gospel, jazz, and rock and roll, paving the way for his future as an artist.

The founding Eagles member launched his solo career in 1982 with I Can’t Stand Still, featuring the hit single “Dirty Laundry.” 1984’s Building the Perfect Beast followed, and the artist’s track record continued with 1989’s The End of the Innocence, which yielded three more hits, including the title track, and brought Henley another Best Rock Vocal GRAMMY Award.

Eagles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and continue to perform sold-out concerts all over the world. They began their highly anticipated Sphere residency in Las Vegas on September 20. As of Nov. 19, it there are dates through March 15, 2025. Tickets are available here.

Formed in 1971, Eagles pioneered a uniquely American musical style, blending elements of country, folk, R&B, rock, and pop. Since then, it has become one of the most creatively and commercially successful bands of all time.

They have sold more than 150 million albums worldwide, scoring six #1 albums and five chart-topping singles. They have earned six GRAMMY Awards and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2016. Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 stands as the best-selling album in history (certified 38x platinum), while Hotel California ranks as the third best-selling U.S. album in history (certified 26x platinum).