HENLEY FLIES IN SOLO SHOW.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Critic 

In today's rock aviary, Don Henley is one strange bird indeed.

The sometime Eagle goes against the grain in almost every capacity, from lyrics that challenge such pop culture obsessions as UFOs to ticket prices that set new standards for expense.

On Saturday, the first of two nights at the Universal Amphitheatre, Henley further set himself apart from the rock-era crowd by pulling off something that's become an increasing rarity these days - a fully satisfying, well-paced concert that offered more surprise than nostalgia.

In a nice mix of sometimes dramatically retooled Eagles classics, solo hits and songs from his current album, ``Inside Job,'' Henley kept the adoring audience engaged for more than two hours.

A superb songwriter and owner of one of rock's most distinctive and reliable set of pipes, Henley was in excellent form in a strong set that ranged from warm ballads like the Eagles' ``Wasted Time'' and his own ``The Heart of the Matter'' to such revved-up rockers as ``Dirty Laundry'' and the new album's finger-pointing ``Workin' It'' and ``They're Not Here, They're Not Coming.''

Fronting a terrific seven-member band augmented at times by a gospel choir, string section and horns, an energetic, lean Henley played driving rhythm guitar but showed he was equally effective when he relinquished instrumental duties and simply commandeered a microphone, standing in a single spotlight.

A marvelous addition to the evening was the wonderfully balanced sound level in the room, which allowed customers to comfortably hear the instruments and vocals without having to stuff bits of napkins in their ears.

Compared to the unbearable gas-powered lealower-like racket that made the recent Smashing Pumpkins show at the same venue such an ordeal, Henley's crystal-clear sound design was pure delight.

A good-natured Henley drew laughs when he mentioned that ``Inside Job'' had entered the albums chart last month at No. 7, ``right up there with 'N Sync and Britney Spears.''

When scattered boos met the names of those teen-pop acts, Henley jokingly admonished, ``They're just children. They have a lot to go through. Pray for them.''

He introduced the new disc's ``They're Not Here, They're Not Coming'' by pointing out to those in the crowd who believe aliens have visited Earth that the late scientist-author Carl Sagan debunked the possibility, arguing that the physical distances in space are so vast that no organism could survive the trip.

As for the pop-culture theory that there was a coverup after a supposed alien crash-landing at Roswell, N.M., in the late '40s, a sarcastic Henley said, ``As if the government could'' successfully hide such an event.

Some of the show's best moments came at the encore when Henley brought out a trombone section for a joyfully Caribbean-flavored arrangement of ``Hotel California.'' The horns played the song's meticulously crafted guitar solo note-for-note in unison.

All in all, it was a night to remember.

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Photo:

Don Henley gestures to the crowd during his concert Saturday at the Universal Amphitheatre, which kept the nostalgia at bay by offering up dramatically retooled versions of the old hits.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer