 In many ways,
Jackson Browne was the quintessential sensitive Californian
singer/songwriter of the early '70s. Only
Joni Mitchell and
James Taylor ranked alongside him in terms of influence, but neither artist
tapped into the post-'60s zeitgeist like
Jackson Browne. While the majority of his classic '70s work was unflinchingly
personal, it nevertheless provided a touchstone for a generation of maturing
baby boomers coming to terms with adulthood. Not only did his introspective,
literate lyrics strike a nerve, but his laid-back folk-rock set the template for
much of the music to come out of California during the '70s. With his first four
albums,
Jackson Browne built a loyal following that helped him break into the mainstream
with 1976's The Pretender. During the late '70s and early '80s, he was at the
height of his popularity, as each of his albums charted in the Top Ten. Midway
through the '80s,
Jackson Browne made a series of political protest records that caused his audience
to gradually shrink, but when he returned to introspective songwriting with
1993's I'm Alive, he made a modest comeback.
Born in Heidelberg, West Germany,
Jackson Browne and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was three years
old, and by the time he was a teenager,
Jackson Browne had developed an interest in folk music. He began playing guitar and
writing songs, which he sang at local folk clubs. Early in 1966, he was invited
to join
the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, whom he had met through the L.A. folk circuit.
While he was only with the band for a few months, the group recorded a handful
of his songs on its first two records. By the beginning of 1967, he had signed a
publishing deal with Nina Music, a division of Elektra Records; Nina helped
Jackson Browne secure songs on albums by
Tom Rush and
Steve Noonan in 1968. During 1967 and 1968, he lived in New York's Greenwich
Village, where he played in
Tim Buckley's backing band.
Jackson Browne also began working with
Nico, who recorded three of his songs on her Chelsea Girl album. When their
relationship disintegrated in 1968, he returned to Los Angeles, where he
unsuccessfully tried to record a solo album and form a folk group with
Ned Doheney and Jack Wilce.
Jackson Browne continued to play local clubs and his reputation as a songwriter
continued to grow, with
Linda Ronstadt and
the Byrds recording his songs. By the end of 1971, he had signed with David
Geffen's fledgling Asylum Records on the strength of his widely circulated demo
tape.
Jackson Browne was released in the spring of 1972, spawning the Top Ten hit
single "Doctor My Eyes." Shortly after "Doctor My Eyes" reached its peak
position, "Take It Easy," a song
Jackson Browne co-wrote with
Glenn Frey, became
the Eagles' breakthrough hit. Many songs from his debut, including "Rock Me
on the Water" and "Jamaica Say You Will," became singer/songwriter standards,
but the album itself didn't establish
Jackson Browne as a pop star, despite its hit single. On his second album, 1973's
For Everyman, he began a long-term collaboration with instrumentalist
David Lindley. For Everyman was a commercial disappointment, yet it
consolidated his cult following.
Released in the fall of 1974, Late for the Sky expanded
Jackson Browne's audience significantly, peaking at number 14 on the charts and
going gold by the beginning of the following year.
Jackson Browne's first wife, Phyllis, committed suicide in the spring of 1976, but
in the wake of the tragedy he recorded his commercial breakthrough album, The
Pretender. The record climbed into the Top Ten upon its fall 1976 release, going
platinum in the spring of 1977. In the summer,
Jackson Browne launched an extensive tour, recording a new album while he was on the
road. The resulting record, Running On Empty (1977), was a bigger success than
its predecessor, peaking at number three and launching the hit singles "Running
On Empty" and "Stay/The Load-Out." With his career riding high,
Jackson Browne began to pursue political and social causes, most notably protesting
the use of nuclear energy.
The success of Hold Out, the 1980 follow-up to Running On Empty, was evidence
of
Jackson Browne's popularity. Though the album wasn't as well crafted as its
predecessors, it became his only number one album upon its summer release. In
the summer of 1982, "Somebody's Baby," from the soundtrack of Fast Times at
Ridgemont High, became
Jackson Browne's biggest hit, climbing to number seven on the U.S. charts. Divided
between love songs and political protests, Lawyers in Love was another hit due
to success of the hit singles "Lawyers in Love," "Tender Is the Night," and "For
a Rocker." Nevertheless, the album also showcased a newly found social
consciousness, which dominated 1986's Lives in the Balance. The album lacked any
hit singles, yet its fiery condemnation of the
Reagan era won an audience -- the album stayed on the charts for over six
months and went gold.
Jackson Browne continued to write primarily political songs on 1989's World
in Motion, but the record became his first album to not go gold.
Jackson Browne was quiet for the next four years, working on a variety of social
causes and suffering a painful public breakup with his girlfriend, actress Daryl
Hannah. He finally returned with a comeback effort in the fall of 1993 entitled
I'm Alive. Comprised of personal songs, I'm Alive received his best reviews
since the late '70s and the record went gold without producing any major hits.
In the spring of 1996,
Jackson Browne released Looking East, which failed to gain the same attention as I'm
Alive. In 2002, he released The Naked Ride Home. Two years later the two disc
The Very Best of Jackson Browne hit the shelves as
Jackson Browne was being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by fellow Hall
of Famer Bruce Springsteen. Around this time
Jackson Browne took to the road and played intimate, acoustic shows around the
globe. The 2005 release Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 was compiled from these concerts
and appeared on Inside Recordings, an independent label founded by
Jackson Browne. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Jackson Browne for your next corporate or private event.
|
