Hold Out Review

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(More customer reviews)These words, spoken from choked breath to climax "Hold On Hold Out," seemed strangely satisfying, if plain, from Jackson Browne. His album-long searches for self within personal and social tragedy epitomised the Californicated musical center of the "Me Decade." In 1980's "Hold Out," whose dedication read "This is for Lynne" (Sweeney, Browne's love interest at the time), it was a moment of shared, truthful joy in a career filled with some of rock's most confrontational, confessional elegies.
"Hold Out" is unjustly criticized among Browne fans despite being his lone #1 album. Its seven soaring, expansive tracks celebrate resilience and reassurance, rocking as hard as anything Browne did up to then.
"Oh can we say that I've grown/in some way that we may have yet to be shown?" asks Browne in "Call It A Loan." You hear new, empathetic sensibility prefacing his explicit 80s protest music. This tranisition led critic Dave Marsh to refer to Browne having "Bob Dylan's career inside out."
Browne commits small details to memory here, making peace even at "Hold Out"'s most wistful. He concedes that "she couldn't have been any kinder/if she'd come back and tried to explain" in the savory "That Girl Could Sing." He consoles the then-recently deceased Lowell George's daughter in "Of Missing Persons," wishing, over George's Little Feat bandmate Bill Payne's organ, "May you always see what your life is worth."
In the misunderstood opener "Disco Apocolypse," featuring Payne's roller-rink-style organ, Browne sees survivor's strength in those escaping into disco's strobes. "When the world starts turnin'...and the dreams are burnin'," he sings, "...through the wind and fire they will be dancing still." Unlike The Who's snide "Sister Disco," it features some of the most powerful lyrics written about the disco era without being disco musically. These disco denizens, dresses and shoes new with hearts weary through and through, are the same armored cynics walking "right by like they were safe or something" in "Boulevard."
Crisper than his 1970s studio releases (engineer Niko Bolas later worked with Neil Young, Melissa Etheridge and Billy Joel), "Hold Out" draws its wide-open sound from 1977's live million-selling predecessor, "Running On Empty." It features longtime Browne collaborator David Lindley's evocative solos on "That Girl" and "Hold On, Hold Out" and wailing background vocals throughout from Doug Haywood and Rosemary Butler.
The new decade granted Jackson Browne hit singles, Hollywood romances, social activism and stinging personal rebuke from former friend and collaborator Joni Mitchell. But his greatest 1980s success came in that decade's first year with "Hold Out," a recommended set opening and closing an era for Browne and his singer-songwriter genre.

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Japanese pressing has been remastered and features 7 tracks. Asylum. 2005.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Time the Conqueror Review

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(More customer reviews)TIME THE CONQUEROR is a mixed-bag of delights; I won't sugarcoat it. The album is heavy on the political, a knack that I wish Browne had left back in the 80s. Granted, if anyone is going to do political music, let it be rock's poet laureate...but still...when he cries "Why is impeachment not on the table/We better stop them while we are able," we can't help but wince. I mean, Jackson, there are just four months left...it's almost over...
The political tunes (with one exception) aside, the rest of the album borders, occasionally, on brilliance. Take "Just Say Yeah," perhaps one of the best tunes to capture the innocence of young, unexpected love since...well...since Browne wrote about it a few decades ago. "You would think you would see love coming," he croons, "but of course you don't." Or the stellar "Live Nude Cabaret," a journey into one man's troubled desire that has an in-your-face opening that betrays the narrator's struggle: "I went to the Live Nude Cabaret/To see what I could see/And I saw the ladies dancing/And I guess that they saw me." "Giving That Heaven Away" is a tale of love and rock 'n roll, while "Going Down to Cuba" melds politics and the beach into a melodic, relaxing number, the ocasionally harsh political lyrics ("They might not know all the freedoms you and I know/But they do know what to do in a hurricane") sung with his tongue a little bit closer to his cheek.
Considering the beauty and brilliance to be found in these tunes, it's disappointing that so much of the album is political. It's all VERY well written--don't get me wrong. Jackson Browne has long been the songwriter's songwriter; I think everyone reading this review knows and appreciates that fact. But even the greatest songwriter can get lost within his lyric every now and then..."Off of Wonderland," for example, an otherwise stellar tune, idolizes the 60s just a bit too much ("If we could just believe in one another/As much as we believed in John"), and "Where Were You" gets lost within its groove, so much so that you forget the lyrics are about the devestation caused by Hurricane Katrina, and Browne is bemoaning "How strong will we ever really be? How long do we imagine we'll be free?"
TIME THE CONQUERER is a welcome return from Jackson Browne; it's nice to hear some new material again (though, personally, I hope he will continue with his SOLO ACOUSTIC series as well). There is a lot wrong with the world today, and it is natural for a songwriter as talented as Browne to write and sing about it. We just wish he wouldn't do it SO MUCH. When he's singing about the woes of our nation, he's good...but when he's singing about the woes of our hearts, he's brilliant. That's what makes TIME THE CONQUEROR so frustrating--there are moments of brilliance (and we know he's capable of whole albums of brilliance) obscured by something just this side of mediocrity. Jackson Browne is a true poet, and this is an album worth being added to your JB collection...but, if you are a beginner, then start elsewhere. Start, perhaps, at the beginning. It's as good a place as any, and better than some.

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Browne's first studio release in six years. Recorded with his longtime band Kevin McCormick, Mark Goldenberg, Mauricio "Fritz" Lewak, and Jeff Young, along with two additional members, Chavonne Morris and Alethea Mills. Look for them on tour this fall.

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Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)Jackson Browne's second installment of "Solo Acoustic", shows an introspective and revealing side of Browne. Not just music, there is a self-biography and story-telling approach to the songs, much like Harry Chapin used to do in the 70's that endeared him to millions worldwide. There is no backing full piece band behind him: just Browne, his guitar/piano and the small intimate audience. It's a `here is what i am really like' performance that is made to be heard from beginning to end, and will not lend itself well to IPODs.
Even the songs that Browne selects from his vast catalog are personal, close to the vest songs that don't need much embellishment for a listener to understand that they are more than just words and music. It's also not some kind of unplugged retread of his hits either: it's an intimate recital that you could only get from small venue atmosphere. It opens up, perhaps, a new genre of recordings: personal presentations with the artist speaking ad-lib about the songs, life, loves and disappointments. It differentiates itself from other uplugged cds in this way.
The songs are mostly culled from his latest studio release: 2002's "The Naked Ride Home" (4 songs); "Somebody's Baby" from the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack; "From Everyman" and from "Looking East". With the exception of 3 or 4 songs, the body of the work will be largely unknown except to Browne fans who know his entire catalog. For me, this made the music even more evocative, since it's just not something you sing along to in the car, it's a bonding between listener and artist: something only a privileged few in music can pull off.
Jackson Browne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, deservedly so, and not just for his music, but for the impact he's made on it, and the humanitarian events he has been famous in contributing to.
If you think this review might help others decide to purchase it,
please check the box below, and thanks,
Jeff Feezle of Macafeez


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A sequel to the 2005 Grammy nominated Vol. I. Twelve songs culled from Browne's extensive and critically acclaimed solo acoustic concerts around the world over the past few years. Like its predecessor, it captures both spirited and humorous exchanges between Jackson and his audiences, making for a truly intimate listening experience. It reaches back to his debut album and spans his entire career with highlights such as "Never Stop", The Night Inside Me" and "In The Shape Of A Heart".

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Solo Acoustic 1 (Dig) Review

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(More customer reviews)With nothing more than an acoustic guitar or piano, a quick wit and a voice that's aged like the finest wine, Jackson Browne comes off sounding as youthful and vigorous as he was in his earliest days. These songs are lyrical masterpieces, performed by a truly gifted singer/songwriter/musician.
The poetry of "These Days," "For a Dancer," "Fountain of Sorrow," and "Take It Easy" has yet to be surpassed, even 30 years later. It's just plain fun to hear acoustic renditions of "Lives in the Balance" and "Looking East" (you can ignore the brief, petty political commentary that proceeds them, if you wish). "For Everyman" still remains a lyrical masterwork; and "Your Bright Baby Blues," played in a bluesier fashion, becomes a rejuvenated work of art.
The only problem with this album, really, is that it only contains 12 songs; thankfully, this is SOLO ACOUSTIC VOL. 1; meaning, if there isn't a VOL. 2 in the works, then there are going to be some very disgruntled fans out there. Jackson Browne is a true artist; if you've heard any of his music, you know this. If you haven't, then do yourself a favor and buy this album; if you are a fan of music--whatever genre--you will not regret it.

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Presenting twelve songs culled from Browne's extensive and critically acclaimed solo acoustic concerts around the world over the past few years, the disc also captures both spirited and humorous exchanges between Jackson and his audiences, making for a truly intimate listening experience. This new comp, produced by Browne and Paul Dieter, is Jackson's first live release since his 1977 multi-platinum "Running On Empty" album. It also marks the recording debut of a three decades old track, "The Birds Of St. Marks", not previously released in any form. "Solo Acoustic" reaches back to Browne's early years with "These Days" and "Take It Easy", and spans his entire career with other highlights such as "Fountain Of Sorrow", "For Everyman", "The Pretender", and "Looking East". A stirring version of "Lives In The Balance", the title track from Jackson's powerful 1986 album, will be this record's lead single.

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No Nukes Review

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(More customer reviews)1979. That was a long time ago. We were young. We were worried about nuclear power plants. This was months after Three Mile Island. Now look where we are with Japan after the earthquake. It was a simpler time - Remember, the 60's mostly happened in the 70's, and the late 70's weren't the 80's yet, so we still thought we could change the world :)
But enough about that. This was a great concert (I saw it at the Hollywood Bowl), and a great album. What a lineup! Doobies, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, CSN, Springsteen at the height of his powers, Tom Petty (New guy - he only had two albums out at the time...), plus Gil Scott-Heron, Ry Cooder, and Jesse Colin Young. Chaka Khan (this was when disco still sucked) and Sweet Honey on the Rock, too..
Some great pairings here with Jackson Brown and Graham Nash doing beautiful harmonies on "The Crow On The Cradle" (30 years later, another great version by JB and David Lindley on another fantastic live album - Love Is Strange), James Taylor, Carly Simon, and Graham Nash on "The Times They Are A-Changin" and you gotta love "Stay" with Jackson, Bruce, and the E Street Band! Great versions of Runaway, Angel From Mongomery, Cathedral, You Don't Have to Cry and Captain Jim's Drunken Dream are some of the highlights.
Glad I found this on CD. Thanks Amazon. Can't get it on iTunes and the booklet brings back a lot of memories.

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No Description AvailableNo Track Information AvailableMedia Type: CDArtist: NO NUKESTitle: NO NUKESStreet Release Date: 10/21/1997

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Love Is Strange Review

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(More customer reviews)Love Is Strange is a welcome live release from Mr. Browne and his old buddy, "El Maestro David Lindley." It contains two CDs with 17 songs from across the two artists' careers (mostly JB's). The other tracks are intros or commentary. Their tour of Spain captured on these discs did not involve a full band, but rather various acoustic settings with the two guys accompanied by a few people playing the odd percussion, whistle or other instrument. (I did miss Lindley's legendary lap steel, which I guess didn't fit in with the format. He does play a tangy slide guitar on several songs.) Jackson is in pretty good voice, about the same as on his Solo Acoustic albums from a couple of years back. A drawback for me personally is that Mr. Browne is often talking in Spanish in the spoken segments. (The song lyrics are mostly in English.) It was admirable of him to speak in the local tongue, but it doesn't help a listener such as I who understands little of the language. Oh well... I suppose that's what the "skip ahead" button is for. Otherwise, I enjoyed this album a lot, especially "Your Bright Baby Blues" from The Pretender, my favorite Browne album, and "Call It A Loan."

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Jackson Browne & David Lindley's Love Is Strange is a chronicle of their 2006 Tour of Spain. Performing in Madrid, Barcelona, Oveido and Sevilla. The experience is expressed by Jackson Browne as "a CD of some recorded moments, or perhaps a bridge, or a small door, between a life lived mostly in America and time spent with some really good friends in Spain."

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Running on Empty Review

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(More customer reviews)When this album came out in 1977 I was a roadie on tour with another artist. We heard this record when we came home on a short break a few weeks after it was released and I couldn't believe it...an album that commemorated life on the road. Although "Running on Empty" has been played to death it still holds up as a great rock anthem. The best song on the CD is definitely "Rosie" which captures the true essence of the roadie life (losing the girl to the drummer). The sleeper track is "The Road" a melancholy reflection on the horrible loneliness that is prevalent on the road. Finally the song "Cocaine" hits WAY to close to home for those of us that were seduced by its charms back then. Running on Empty is a must have CD for anyone that experienced the concert scene in the 70's (or wishes they could have). I give this CD 5 stars (attached with gaffer's tape)

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No Description Available.Genre: Popular MusicMedia Format: Compact DiskRating: Release Date: 25-AUG-1988

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