
Building the Perfect Beast is the second solo studio album by Don Henley. The album was released on November 19, 1984, on the Geffen Records label. A commercial and critical success, it is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of Henley’s solo work.
For the album, Henley collaborated with members of the then line-up of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, who contributed to the writing of the songs: guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench and drummer Stan Lynch, the last of whom would later collaborate with Henley in composing the Eagles’ song “Learn to Be Still”, which was released on their live album Hell Freezes Over. The album also features contributions from Fleetwood Mac’s guitarist, Lindsey Buckingham, The Go-Go’s lead vocalist Belinda Carlisle, and features contributions from Randy Newman, Jim Keltner, Waddy Wachtel, Pino Palladino, Steve Porcaro, and Ian Wallace.
The album reached #13 on the Billboard 200 and was certified 3× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album spawned four singles which all reached the top forty on the Billboard Hot 100, including “The Boys of Summer”, which would become one of Henley’s most popular songs and win him numerous awards, including a Grammy Award and four MTV Video Music Awards.
- “The Boys of Summer” 4:48
- “You Can’t Make Love” 3:34
- “Man with a Mission” 2:43
- “You’re Not Drinking Enough” 4:40
- “Not Enough Love in the World” 3:54
- “Building the Perfect Beast” 4:59
- “All She Wants to Do Is Dance” 4:28
- “A Month of Sundays” 4:30
- “Sunset Grill” 6:22
- “Drivin’ with Your Eyes Closed” 3:41
- “Land of the Living” 3:24
Don Henley – lead vocals, harmony vocals (2, 5, 7, 11) drums (2-4, 7, 8), keyboards (5), percussion (5, 6, 10), synthesizers (6), chant voices (6), synthesizer arrangements (9)
Danny Kortchmar – synthesizers (1, 3, 6), guitars (1-7, 9, 10, 11), horns (3), organ (4), Omnichord (4) percussion (6, 10, 11), chant voices (6), guitar synthesizer solo (9), horn solo (9), synthesizer arrangements (9), keyboards (10), bass (10), arrangements (11)
Mike Campbell – synthesizers (1), guitars (1), percussion (1)
Steve Porcaro – synthesizers (1, 4), programming (7)
Benmont Tench – keyboards (2, 5), acoustic piano (8), synthesizers (9), synthesizer arrangements (9)
David Paich – acoustic piano (4), synthesizers (7, 8), synthesizer arrangements (8), acoustic piano solo (9)
Michael Boddicker – programming (6), sequencing (6), synthesizers (8, 9), E-mu Emulator (9), synthesizer arrangements (9)
Albhy Galuten – Synclavier (6)
Randy Newman – synthesizers (8), synthesizer arrangements (8, 9)
Bill Cuomo – synthesizers (11), programming (11), percussion (11)
Lindsey Buckingham – guitars (2), harmony vocals (2)
Charlie Sexton – guitars (3)
Larry Klein – bass (1)
Pino Palladino – bass (2, 9, 11)
Tim Drummond – bass (4, 5)
Ian Wallace – drums (5)
Kevin McCormick – African drums (6)
Jim Keltner – additional drums (8)
Maren Jensen – intro and interlude composer (8)
Jerry Hey – horn arrangements (9)
Belinda Carlisle – harmony vocals (3)
Sam Moore – harmony vocals (4)
Martha Davis – chant voices (6), harmony vocals (7)
Michael O’Donahue – chant voices (6)
Carla Olson – chant voices (6)
Patty Smyth – chant voices (6), harmony vocals (6, 7, 9, 11)
J. D. Souther – chant voices (6)
Waddy Wachtel – chant voices (6)
Marie-Pascale Elfman – the French Girls ensemble (10)
Dominique Mancinelli – the French Girls ensemble (10)