re: Jackson Browne

My favorite by him is In the Shape of a Heart.

I really enjoyed his early music.

His wife overdosed in 1976 and his music became somber for a while.
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Phyllis Major was a popular European model who met singer Jackson Browne at the legendary Hollywood venue the Troubador, just after his split with singer Joni Mitchell. Legend has it Browne got into a fight with an unemployed actor who was also making a play for her. Browne lost the fight but got the girl, and the incident was comically memorialized in the song "Ready or Not." Together, they had one child, Ethan Zane Browne, born November 2, 1973 (See Ethan Browne). In December 1975, they were married. Four months later, on March 25, 1976, she was found dead in their Hollywood Hills home. She had overdosed on pills. Browne channeled his loss and depression into the production of his fourth album, "The Pretender." Phyllis is the subject of at least three songs written by Jackson Browne -- "Ready or Not," "Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate," and "In the Shape of a Heart." Her son Ethan has become an in-demand club D.J. and sometime actor.

Running on Empty is a classic

quote:

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Caught between the longing for love
And the struggle for the legal tender
Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring And the junk man pounds his fender
Where the veterans dream of the fight
Fast asleep at the traffic light
And the children solemnly wait
For the ice cream vendor

Out into the cool of the evening
Strolls the pretender
He knows that all his hopes and dreams
Begin and end there

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Good stuff.

I always thought he was okay, but never owned any of his stuff except for the Running on Empty Album from back in college. Then several years back I was watching one of Adam Sandler's "serious" movies "Reign Over Me" (GREAT soundtrack!) and heard Jackson Browne singing "The Birds of St. Mark's" acoustically. Went out and bought Vol. 1 of JB Acoustic Solo. Was blown away and really appreciated the songwriting, plus loved the performances better than the originals. Quickly got Vol. 2 also.

Still listen to them regularly today.

quote:

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I always thought he was okay, but never owned any of his stuff except for the Running on Empty Album from back in college. Then several years back I was watching one of Adam Sandler's "serious" movies "Reign Over Me" (GREAT soundtrack!) and heard Jackson Browne singing "The Birds of St. Mark's" acoustically. Went out and bought Vol. 1 of JB Acoustic Solo. Was blown away and really appreciated the songwriting, plus loved the performances better than the originals. Quickly got Vol. 2 also.

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IMO, you're missing out by going acoustic like this. The instrumentation (including drums) is spectacular on the early albums.

quote:

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Eventually he grew even more pompous and pretentious, and finally Warren Zevon came along to blow him out of the Yacht Club Bay water, artistically if not commercially

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I'm certainly a bigger fan of Zevon, but I'll always be grateful that Jackson Browne gave him his start and got him focused (Zevon's first album was a terrible mess unlike "Warren Zevon" that was a gem that Jackson Browne was largely responsible for). And a LOT of musicians that played for Zevon also played for Jackson Browne.

Heh - this led me to a Google search and an order for an album that sounds extremely interesting and one that I had no idea existed:

The Offender Meets The Pretender
by Jackson Browne & Warren Zevon

RARE DUTCH RADIO RECORDINGS FROM 1976 After a period spent as a session musician and budding songwriter, Warren Zevon s first attempt at a solo album, Wanted Dead or Alive (1969), was spearheaded by 1960s cult figure Kim Fowley, but received almost no attention. Though Zevon would continue to play occasional live dates as a solo artist, the next several years of his career were dominated by further session work with other musicians. During the early 1970s, Zevon toured regularly with the Everly Brothers as keyboard player, band leader, and musical coordinator. However, Zevon's dissatisfaction with his career and a lack of funds led him to move to Spain in the summer of 1975. There he lived and played in the Dubliner Bar, a small tavern in Sitges, near Barcelona, owned by David Lindell, a former mercenary. Together they composed "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner", later to appear on Zevon s 1978 album Excitable Boy. By September 1975, he had returned to Los Angeles, where he roomed with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, who d by now gained fame as members of Fleetwood Mac. There he collaborated with Jackson Browne, who produced and promoted Zevon's selftitled major-label debut in 1976. Zevon's first tour, in 1976/7, included guest appearances in the middle of Jackson Browne concerts, one of which is documented on this CD; a Dutch radio program broadcast on VPRO FM, Hilversum, on 8th December 76, that went under the title The Offender Meets the Pretender. The performance began with Browne leading his These Days , followed by an interview and renditions of a cover of Cocaine Blues and Jackson s Linda Paloma. Zevon then took over as they played his Mohammed s Radio, Frank & Jesse James, Hasten Down the Wind and Desperados Under the Eaves. Excitable Boy was also offered ahead of Browne s For A Dancer and Something Fine. The VPRO set ended with Zevon s Carmelita and Werewolves Of London. The following evening, December 9th, the pair were in Amsterdam playing a show at the RAI Congrescentrum, where they were joined by David Lindley. Bonus tracks on this disc come from this latter performance. These rare radio show have previously remained unavailable despite the huge demand from fans. This release now addresses this demand, and presents these performances on this new CD for the first time. 1. Redneck Friend 2:13 2. These Days 3:59 3. Interview 2:11 4. Cocaine 4:06 5. Linda Paloma 4:58 6. Mohammed s Radio 4:11 7. Frank And Jesse James 5:16 8. Hasten Down The Wind 3:35 9. Desperados Under The Eaves 3:44 10. Interview 1:18 11. Excitable Boy 2:44 12. For A Dancer 5:06 13. Something Fine 4:26 14. Carmelita 4:22 15. Werewolves Of London 3:02 16. Backs Turned Looking Down The Path 1:25 17. Carmelita 4:32 18. Mohammed s Radio 4:08 19. I ll Sleep When I m Dead 3:17

Always been a Jackson Browne fan. However, I like more of his early 80's pop stuff like Boulevard Somebody's Baby, Tender Is The Night, Lawyers In Love, etc. I like some of his more well known stuff from the 70's also like: Doctor My Eyes, The Pretender, The Load Out/Stay, Running On Empty, etc.

For those curious about the bootleg Tigris is discussing, you can listen here:
Archive.org

Big JB fan. Got to hang out with him a few years ago. Didn’t even know it was him until later because he was having as much fun as we all were in the pit of a Little Feat concert.

Late for the Sky is one of those albums that just is such a dirge but is so compelling to listen to that it is simply essential to listen to at least once alone with no distractions.