Don Henley isn't your typical rock star

He's articulate and well-spoken, and he combines grace with a sense of confidence. He talks passionately about literature, poetry and language. He speaks with affection about his upbringing, his parents and his own wife and children. He has great command of the subjects that interest him, and he talks with genuine concern about the state of the nation, nature and environmental issues.

And, of course - when asked - he'll talk about his music.

The Grammy-winning former Eagle's latest CD, "Inside Job," was released earlier this summer. It comes 11 years after his previous effort, 1989's "The End of the Innocence," and has already spawned the hit single "Taking You Home. " The song appears to have multiple themes: the love for his wife and children, and perhaps even his decision to raise them in his native Texas, rather than California.

"It was inspired by my family - by my children and by my wife and the birth of my first daughter," says Henley, 53. "I'm always squeamish about releasing a ballad like that first, because it sort of typecasts me. For 25 years now, I've had to fight this label of 'mellow and laid-back' and all that kind of stuff, and it's been a struggle. But I decided this time 'What the hell? It's a good song. Let them go with it. ' "

For Henley, the joys of having a family of his own did not come until later in life. He married in 1995 for the first time, and although he was in his late 40s, he says he's glad he waited.

"I was engaged a couple of times, but I never went through with it," he says. "I think I would have been a failure if I had done it earlier, and I've always believed that the lives of children are too important to be part of an immature experiment. "

So, is Henley a man at peace? "Partially," he says. "At least with my personal life. My inner life is good, but the world out there really [sets] me off. "

Enter Henley the environmentalist. In 1990, he founded the Walden Woods Project, dedicated to preserving historic lands around Walden Pond in Concord, Mass. The location - where Henry David Thoreau and other writers often drew inspiration - remains dear to Henley, as does the preservation project.

"I founded it, it's mine - and I can't let it wither," he says. "It remains very important to me and I work on it to some degree every week, raising money. We still need to raise $15 to $20 million. "

According to the Walden Woods Web site, about 70 percent of the Walden Woods area has been preserved, but there is still about 30 percent that can be commercially developed. Henley remains committed to not letting that happen.

"We still have work to do," he says. "I'm sure I'll be working on that for the rest of my life, and I want my children to become part of it when they're older. I think it's a remarkable project, and I have some really wonderful people working on it with me. It addresses things that we're losing in our culture: a sense of spirituality, a sense of respect and awe for the natural environment and for history. "

In addition to the Walden Woods Project, Henley also has worked diligently at preserving open space and wildlife habitats in California's Santa Monica Mountains and has formed a wetlands science/education institute in Texas. Add that to the fact that he lost his California home in an earthquake, started a family, relocated to Texas, worked on 1993's "Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles" all-star country tribute album and then participated in the 1994 Eagles reunion, and you might have your answer as to why it has been 11 years since his last album.

Still, there is a perception that Henley is a musical perfectionist, known to agonize over words and arrangements in his songwriting. He's asked if his own high standards contribute to his slow pace in the studio.

"Well, first of all, let me say that I don't think there is any such thing as perfection in the world of art," he says.

Henley then offers yet another factor that contributed to the time between records. Prefacing the talk with the condition he couldn't go into great detail because of legal reasons, he says his departure from his longtime label, Geffen Records, was not cordial. ("Inside Job" is his debut with Warner Bros. Records. )

"It was ugly," Henley said of the split. "I simply didn't want to make records for David Geffen anymore. I have absolutely no respect for the man. He's been in and out of my professional life since 1971. . .After the Eagles broke up, he came to me and said, 'You need to come and sign a record contract with me because you know I'll take care of you, blah, blah, blah'. . .and I fell for it, again, because I was feeling rather insecure and at loose ends at the time. So I signed with him, and it turned out to be the same guy I that remembered he was - who was not somebody I want to work with.

"I was busting my [rear] to make really good albums, and they weren't promoting them in a manner that was commensurate with my efforts. He really didn't care about the music business at that point anyway, he was more interested in making films, collecting art and doing whatever he does. . .I just didn't feel like putting my heart and soul into any more records for a company that just didn't really care."