Glenn Frey-The Allnighter (1984)

After a somewhat unsuccessful first solo effort, Glenn Frey ventured out with his second full-length album, "The Allnighter", where he almost completely distanced himself from the country and folk-rock leanings of his former band, The Eagles, to embrace an elegant and sophisticated rock sound closer to adult-oriented rock. For this second release, Frey enlisted the collaboration of a dozen guest musicians, including Barry Beckett, David Wolinski, Larrie Londin, Victor Feldman, and Josh Leo, among others. Furthermore, his immense talent for mastering various instruments such as electric piano, synthesizers, and electric and acoustic guitars lends this work more of a vindication of everything he contributed to The Eagles for years, demonstrating that he could brilliantly handle other styles. Tracks with attractive melodic structures like "The Allnighter", galloping bluesy tracks like "Smuggler's Blues" (a huge hit around the world thanks to the series "Miami Vice"), catchy 80s sounds like "Living in the Darkness", "Better In The U.S.A." or "Somebody Else" and exquisite ballads and mid-tempo songs like "Sexy Girl", "I Got Love", "Let's Go Home" or "Lover's Moon", propelled the album to a well-deserved top-20 on the Billboard charts and a gold record for its substantial sales in the North American market.