With his band, the Eagles, Glenn Frey carried ’70s youth down the country-rock road of "Take It Easy" and "Already Gone," and articulated an era-defining atmosphere of paranoia in "Hotel California."
Eighties America aerobicized to Frey’s "The Heat Is On" (or loved it in the film "Beverly Hills Cop") and explored "Miami Vice"-inspired style as the sax in "You Belong to the City" wailed through countless fern bars.
And when hell froze over, and the Eagles reunited in 1994 after a 14-year breakup, fans jumped right back in, basking in memories of the Southern California band’s golden decade.
This year the documentary "History of the Eagles" is inspiring renewed interest in Frey and the band. And in between gigs with the Eagles, Frey is bringing his solo act to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on Saturday. No other Hawaii shows are scheduled.
FREY, 64, has a house on Kauai and said he gets to Maui now and then.
"I’ve been to Hana and hiked Haleakala and some fun stuff like that in my youthier days," he said. "So I’m looking forward to getting back over to Maui. It should be a lot of fun."
"Fun" is a word that pops up often in conversation with Frey.
He’s still in fine voice, and his latest record, "After Hours," continues down the soft, song-driven path he’s explored since his last solo record, 1992’s "Soul Searchin’."
He’s upbeat about his voice and his choice of classics on this record. The song choices aren’t as surprising when you learn that his mother named him in tribute to bandleader Glenn Miller.
Frey was on the road in Los Angeles when he called from his car April 9. He’d recently returned from a set of dates in New Zealand, and with a full orchestra in Australia.
"I’m back, and the Eagles are sort of riding the crest of this documentary that we put out," he said. "It had a big viewership, and we’ve had a lot of really positive feedback, so that’s been exciting."
With the Eagles, Frey is in England this weekend to present "The History of the Eagles" at Sundance London.
"And after that the next place I’m going is Maui," he said.
THE DOCUMENTARY has created public interest, but it hasn’t made him feel like he’s "in a fishbowl," Frey said, because he’s more widely recognized as a songwriter than a celebrity.
"I’m happy to say that I’m really known for my work," he said. "That’s the way I like it, and that’s the way the members of the band like it."
That work includes a run of giant hits with the Eagles, including "Desperado," "Tequila Sunrise," "Take It to the Limit" and "Life in the Fast Lane."
"When I got back into working on this documentary — and I was in charge of remixing all the music for this film, so I was deep into that, as well as watching the footage over and over again — one of the things I realized was how much fun it was," he said.
"It was a great time in my life. Everything was a first. Your first record deal, your first concert tour, your first hit record — it goes on and on.
"You know, these were all incredible things to happen to us — especially to happen to us when we were so young."
Frey is laid-back about the inside story of the band — including the drugs, groupies and infighting — being laid out for public consumption.
"There weren’t really any surprises," he said, "because I know everything that happened. But I thought it was a compelling story. And it took place at a really interesting time — Southern California, post-Vietnam."
He says he regrets nothing.
"The things we were doing in the ’70s, everybody was doing," he said. "It wasn’t just people in rock ‘n’ roll bands.
"We were very lucky. We loved music way more than we loved drugs."
After the Eagles reunited in the ’90s, releasing the live album "Hell Freezes Over" in 1994, band members were able to appreciate again what they’d accomplished, and what was still possible.
"What it really starts to mean to me now is how many other great things I’ve been able to do and accomplish that I wouldn’t have if not for the Eagles," Frey said. "So it’s really nice to be in the band, still, and do all we do, and also be able and go out and do things on your own."
