ALBUMS: Lives in the Balance (1986), Running on Empty (1977)
MVC Rating: Balance 3.5/$$$; Empty 4.5/$$$$
Singer, songwriter, activist Jackson Browne was the perfect 1970s-80s pop rock star:
Good looking, wrote sweet melodies; protested against wars in places ‘we can’t even say the names;’ has a silent ‘e’ at the end of Browne; sang about cocaine; made a splash when he married and later divorced Daryl Hannah.
All of these things: Rock star.
He had bands that were so good. L.A. good, that Eagles thing which not everybody digs. To paraphrase Yogi, ‘They are so popular no one likes them anymore.’
Browne actually wrote the song “Take it Easy” which the Eagles scored big with.
I have ‘Lives in the Balance’ and ‘Running on Empty,’ which was an on-the-road live album with a number of tracks recorded in hotel rooms.. Balance is a protest album against US involvement in Nicaragua, El Salvador and wherever we were messing around militarily in the world. But mostly Nicaragua from what I can tell. As an album it suffers from a few weak songs. The title track and ‘For America’ are standouts.
Given the choice, I’d pick Neil Young’s passionate Living with War if you want to hear some railing against the war.
“You Love the Thunder’ is my favorite on Empty.
But my favorite thing about Jackson Browne is through him I discovered David Lindley, a real excellent guitarist in the band who made a string of solo albums that are among my favorite albums. He was in some ways nothing like Browne. He had long stringy hair and wore plaid pants with stripe shirts. That kind of guy. Much more on him when I get to the ‘L’s.
(Can’t believe I’m stuck in the ‘B’s all this time. Ready for C’s soon).
Counting down my 678 vinyl records before I die of brain disease.