CoronaVinyl Day 286 (F): The Allnighter by Glenn Frey

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "F," and since I featured the Eagles' self-titled debut yesterday, it only seems natural to go with a Glenn Frey album today.  So we're listening to Frey's second solo album, 1984's The Allnighter.

Frey grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, and actually graduated from my mom's rival high school the same year she graduated (and I just found out the two high schools were consolidated in 2006).  A year or so later Frey met Bob Seger, and Frey played acoustic guitar and sang backing vocals on the Bob Seger System's 1968 hit "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man.  Frey and Seger would remain friends over the years, and Frey appeared on several of Seger's songs, including the hits "Fire Lake" and "Against the Wind."

Frey moved to LA, as musicians are wont to do, and as I mentioned yesterday, he and Don Henley were members of Linda Ronstadt's backing band before forming Eagles in 1971.  Frey played guitar for the band and often sang lead vocals, singing lead on many of their hits.

After they broke up in 1980, Frey pursued a solo career.  As a solo artist, Frey had pretty decent success in the '80s, and his two best-known solo songs are likely 1984's "The Heat Is On" from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack and 1985's "You Belong to the City" from the Miami Vice soundtrack, both of which went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Allnighter is a combination of AOR, blue-eyed soul, pop, and a little bit of country rock.  It was his most successful solo album, reaching #22 on the Billboard album chart.  It spawned two Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100:  "Smuggler's Blues" (#12), which was also featured on the Miami Vice soundtrack, and "Sexy Girl" (#20).  The title track also reached #54.  And the video for "Smuggler's Blues" won an MTV Video Music Award in 1985.

In total, as a solo artist, Frey had seven Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, all but one of which were Top 20 songs, and with the two aforementioned #2 songs being his two Top 10s.

Frey also had a small acting career, guest starring on Miami Vice (in an episode named after "Smuggler's Blues"), Nash Bridges, Arliss, and Wiseguy.  He was also the Arizona Cardinals' GM in Jerry Maguire.

Sadly, Frey died in 2016 after being placed in medically induced coma because of complications relating to pneumonia.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "The Allnighter"
The album starts with the title track, which is the rockingest song on the first side.  It's about a dude named The Allnighter.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Smuggler's Blues"
One of Frey's biggest hits, this is a gritty rock song about the trial and tribulations of a high-level street tough.