“Nothing out of place”: The song Glenn Frey claimed had perfect chords
Many musicians have driven themselves to madness in search of the perfect song, but very few have come close to achieving such a feat. For a songwriter like Glenn Frey, success seemed like a natural fit. After forming the Eagles alongside Don Henley in 1971, the pair quickly became household names in American rock and pop circles, penning a variety of the era’s most iconic tracks. However, even Frey had to bow down to the sheer brilliance of a songwriter like Brian Wilson.
There is no getting away from the fact that Frey was responsible for some of America’s all-time greatest rock songs during his time with the Eagles. Although the deep-rooted conflict at the heart of the band often dominates the conversation, Frey and company repeatedly proved themselves to be skilled in writing timeless rock songs with an endlessly broad appeal. So much so that even today, five decades later, the music of the Eagles is still beloved by millions of fans worldwide. In that sense, the band do share something in common with Beach Boys songwriter Brian Wilson.
One of America’s defining songwriters, Wilson co-founded the Beach Boys back in 1961. Although, during the early years, the band made a name for themselves by ripping off old-school rock ‘n’ roll artists like Chuck Berry, the songwriting of Brian Wilson soon earned them a reputation among the most prolific and innovative artists of the decade. Their 1966 record Pet Sounds, for instance, completely revolutionised the album format and led to such seminal records as The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
A pioneering example of a concept album, the impact of Pet Sounds stretched across the entirety of the music scene during the 1960s. Even for a band like the Eagles, whose albums rarely bordered on being concept albums or rock operas, could not deny the innovative genius of Wilson and the Beach Boys. In fact, one Wilson-penned song that appeared on Pet Sounds stuck with Glenn Frey throughout his life and career in music.
‘Caroline, No’ was first issued in March 1966 as Wilson’s debut solo single before being reissued months later on The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Inarguably one of Wilson’s finest efforts, the song was written alongside Tony Asher and is often noted for its heavy jazz influences, as well as its trailblazing production. Arguably, ‘Caroline, No’ came to define the brilliance of the Beach Boys during the mid-1960s, leading many future artists like Glenn Frey to think differently about composition and songwriting.
So, when Frey decided to record an album largely composed of cover songs back in 2012, the songwriter was adamant about including a version of ‘Caroline, No’. After Hours ended up being Frey’s final solo album, released four years prior to his death in 2016, and the tracklisting provides a stunning insight into the music that first inspired the Eagles’ songwriter. In addition to songs by the likes of Burt Bacharach, Bobby Troup, and Randy Newman, ‘Caroline, No’ took centre stage.
Speaking to Rolling Stone around the time of the album’s release, Frey shared, “Sometimes an album just develops a life of its own. In that case, I didn’t want it to be all songs from the ‘40s. I wanted it to be a record for piano.” This is where ‘Caroline, No’ enters the conversation, it would seem. Speaking on that track, Frey said, “And of course the melody is so beautiful and the chord changes are so rich and perfect. That’s the thing about every song in this record. Nothing is out of place.”
Although it would be sacrilegious to compare a Glenn Frey cover album to the mastery of Pet Sounds, it would be easy to apply Frey’s “Nothing is out of place” comment to the original Beach Boys album, too. After all, the record might have been experimental and messy at points, but everything seemed to work together in harmony, all finding its own place within the record. Perhaps this is why Frey was so adamant about ‘Caroline, No’, in particular, being a perfect song.
