A Life in the Balance: Jackson Browne Turns 75

Jackson Browne turns 75 today. It feels as weird to write those words as it must feel to read them.

How can Jackson Browne — with his youthful good looks and West coast sensibility — be turning 75?

His is a birthday that often passes with little notice. Though Browne has certainly been lucky in some ways, he also has the misfortune of sharing a birthday with one of the few songwriters who is better than he is: John Lennon.

He was actually born Clyde Jackson Browne in Germany, one of four kids. But his family moved to Southern California when he was three years old and, for the most part, that’s where he’s lived since. While still in his teens, Browne was writing songs for other artists (not to mention dating Nico, who recorded one of those songs!).

By the early ’70s, he had signed to Asylum Records. His self-titled debut — sometimes referred to as Saturate Before Using — came out in 1972 and was an immediate success. “Doctor My Eyes” was his first hit while other tracks — “Rock Me on the Water,” “Song for Adam,” “Looking Into You” — became fan favorites. While his voice and guitar playing were nothing out of the ordinary, Browne’s lyrics displayed a depth uncommon for his years. And he was always able to surround himself with other guitarists — Danny Kortchmar, Greg Leisz, Val McCallum, the late David Lindley — who were exceptional and gave his lyrics the musical setting they needed.

Not long after his debut arrived, The Eagles scored their first hit with “Take It Easy” — a Jackson Browne cowrite — and he was on his way. Browne became the poster boy for the West coast chapter of the singer-songwriter movement of the early ‘70s.

His sophomore set, For Everyman, followed in 1973. But because it produced no big hits — and because it was sandwiched between his auspicious debut and the critically acclaimed Late for the Sky — it’s one of the more under-appreciated albums in Browne’s catalog. The Pretender, his fourth studio disc, arrived in 1976. It hit the Top 10 and included both the hit “Here Come Those Tears Again” and the lengthy but popular title track. Still, it would be his next album that would make Jackson Browne a superstar.

Running on Empty arrived in 1977 and proved to be a game changer. For starters, the concept was unique: an album about life on the road, recorded on the road. Not just onstage, but also in hotel rooms, on the tour bus… One song, “The Road,” was even recorded half in the studio and half live! But beyond the concept, Running on Empty was probably Browne’s strongest batch of songs to date. The title track and the medley of “The Loadout” and “Stay” bookended the album and became hits.

If Browne’s output slowed a little at that point, his popularity didn’t. Hold Out, his next outing, didn’t appear until 1980. Commercially, it was huge. Hold Out topped the Billboard charts and produced the hits “Boulevard” and “That Girl Could Sing.” But there were only seven songs on the album and, with all due respect, some of them weren’t that great. (Doubters are advised to check out the final track, “Hold On Hold Out.”)

Browne’s next album, Lawyers in Love, came out three years later and was probably his most commercial disc to date. MTV was now a thing, so there were videos. The title track and “Tender is the Night” were big hits. And he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone with the headline, “Jackson Browne Rocks!”

But Browne’s commercial period — such as it was — was short lived. His next two albums — 1986’s Lives in the Balance and 1989’s World in Motion — were more political in their focus and didn’t scale the heights of his last few releases. Not that Browne seemed to mind all that much. Another lengthy sabbatical ensued and when he returned — in 1993 — it was with I’m Alive. This was a stellar effort that found Browne eschewing politics and returning to the more introspective fare of his early work. I’m Alive was basically a song cycle about a love affair and its unraveling.

In the three decades since then, Browne has only released five studio albums. Prolific he is not. But all of his efforts have something to recommend them and his most recent — 2021’s Downhill from Everywhere — is one of his best. His recent albums tend to mix the personal and the political. And Downhill has a little of everything we’ve come to expect from Browne: some topical fare (“Until Justice is Real” and the title track), a beautiful love song (“Minutes to Downtown”), Latin-influenced tracks (“Song for Barcelona” and “The Dreamer”), general introspection (“Still Looking for Something”) and even a good pop song (“My Cleveland Heart”)!

Browne has always been a bit of a complex guy (in a way that this writer can certainly relate to). It’s no secret that in his youth, he dated his share of models and actresses. Yet there are few men who can write about love and heartbreak as beautifully — and as vulnerably — as Browne has. One might sum him up as a tortured soul with great hair.

Then there have been Browne’s extracurricular pursuits. He’s been a sociopolitical activist from the start — whether helping to organize the “NO NUKES” concerts of the 1970s, taking aim at Ronald Reagan in the ‘80s or performing at Occupy Wall Street in the 2010s. Browne has also produced albums for fellow singer-songwriters on occasion — notably Greg Copeland (check out Revenge Will Come from 1982) or the late, great Warren Zevon.

In the end, though, Jackson Browne will be remembered for his own music. In this writer’s opinion, he was the best American lyricist of the 1970s. So as he turns 75, let’s celebrate Jackson Browne with a look back at 20 of his essential songs.

20. Minutes to Downtown — 2021

Also from Downhill from Everywhere but drastically different from the title track. If you think Browne can’t still write a great love song, think again! “Minutes to Downtown” is a pretty, wistful tune about a relationship with a younger woman.

19. Downhill from Everywhere — 2021

The title track of his most recent album, Downhill from Everywhere is a topical rocker that benefits greatly from the vocals and keyboards of the late Jeff Young.

18. The Birds of St. Marks — 2014

“The Birds of St. Marks” is a true anomaly. Browne originally wrote it in 1967 while in his late teens — but it wouldn’t see an official release until his Standing in the Breach disc, more than 45 years later! The song’s imagery and its 12-string guitar were influenced by The Byrds.

17. The Barricades of Heaven — 1996

From his 1996 album Looking East. “The Barricades of Heaven” is a beautiful reminiscence of Browne’s youth in L.A. and an overlooked gem.

16. I’m Alive — 1993

After two political albums, Browne returned to the more introspective nature of his earlier work with his 10th studio album, I’m Alive. The title track kicks things off in bittersweet fashion: Browne is alone — and still somewhat heartbroken — but he’s alive. It’s a song about resilience.

15. My Problem is You — 1993

Another one from I’m Alive. “My Problem is You” is worth it for the opening couplet alone:

“To love and get away before the walls have arisen

You’ve got to be free

But to go on attempting to break into the prison

You’d have to be me.”

14. Lives in the Balance — 1986

Lives in the Balance, from 1986, was Browne’s most overtly political release. After visiting Central America in the mid-80s, he became more invested in that part of the world — and its relationship with America. So the title track took aim squarely at Ronald Reagan and the Iran-Contra scandal: “There’s a shadow on the faces / Of the men who send the guns / To the wars that are fought in places / Where their business interest runs.”

It’s a lyric that still resonates.

13. Lawyers in Love — 1983

The title track of his album from 1983, “Lawyers in Love” represented the apex of Browne’s “commercial” period. It was definitely a catchy song, it was more in sync with the times musically than his previous work had been and there was even a popular video for it that MTV played. Yet for all that, it’s a pretty quirky tune. Browne pokes fun at both the country and himself and even employs a rare falsetto howl!

12. Somebody’s Baby — 1982

One doesn’t really think of pop songs when one thinks of Jackson Browne’s music. But “Somebody’s Baby” proved that he could write a great pop song when he wanted to. Sure, it’s much more lightweight than most of Browne’s work — but lightweight and quality are not mutually exclusive.

“Somebody’s Baby” hit no. 7 on the Billboard charts, making it the highest charting single of Browne’s career. And it was used in the classic 1982 film Fast Times At Ridgemont High… Hell, some of us still think of Jennifer Jason Leigh when they hear this song!

VIDEO: Jackson Browne performs “Somebody’s Baby” at Lucky Strike Hollywood 

11. Call It A Loan — 1980

A deep cut from the 1980 album Hold Out, “Call It a Loan” is one of Browne’s prettiest love songs.

10. The Loadout — 1977

The second single from Running on Empty, “The Loadout” was a lengthy, piano-based ballad about the ups and downs of the road — sort of a microcosm of the album itself.

9. Stay — 1977

And what would “The Loadout” be without “Stay?” Browne closed Running on Empty with a cover of this oldie by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs. A great way to wrap up the album and worth it for David Lindley’s vocal cameo alone.

8. Running on Empty — 1977

“Running on Empty” — both the album and the song — made Jackson Browne a star. The title track opened the record and was one of the few rockers on it. I’m not sure popular music got more poetic than its final verse: “Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels / I don’t know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels / Look around for the friends that I used to turn to to pull me through / Looking into their eyes, I see them running, too.”

7. Here Come Those Tears Again — 1976

Browne finally scored his second Top 40 hit in 1976 with “Here Come Those Tears Again,” from his album The Pretender. I always knew that Browne had co-written this song with someone named Nancy Farnsworth. What I didn’t know until I was researching this piece is that Farnsworth was the mother of Phyllis Major — Browne’s first wife, who had committed suicide one year earlier.

6. Late for the Sky — 1974

“Late for the Sky,” the title track of Browne’s third album, is arguably one of the most heartbreaking songs ever written. “Looking hard into your eyes/There was nobody I’d ever known/Such an empty surprise to feel so alone.”

The album itself was sort of a masterpiece of sorrow. Though there were no hits from Late for the Sky, it is probably the most critically acclaimed disc of Browne’s career and it was his first album to hit the Billboard Top 20. The title track was also used in Martin Scorsese’s classic film Taxi Driver.

5. These Days — 1973

Also from For Everyman, the ballad “These Days” is one of Browne’s most covered songs; everyone from Nico to Gregg Allman has tackled it. It’s hard to believe Browne was not yet 17 when he wrote the classic line “Don’t confront me with my failures/I have not forgotten them.”

4. Ready or Not — 1973

“Ready or Not” was a deep cut from For Everyman. Like the album itself, this song is often overlooked — which is a shame, as it’s one of the funniest in his catalog. To wit: “I told her I had always lived alone / And I probably always would / And all I wanted was my freedom / And she told me that she understood / But I let her do some of my laundry / And she slipped a few meals in between / Next thing I remember she was all moved in / And I was buying her a washing machine.”

3. For Everyman — 1973

The lovely, epic title track of his 1973 album.

2. Rock Me on the Water — 1972

Also from his debut, the spiritual “Rock Me on the Water” was the follow-up single to “Doctor My Eyes.” Lots of people loved the song (including this writer) but it fell short of the Top 40.

1. Doctor My Eyes — 1972

From his self-titled debut. “Doctor My Eyes” was Browne’s first single and also his first Top 10 hit. Jesse Ed Davis played a distinct guitar solo while David Crosby and Graham Nash provided backup vocals. Believe it or not, Browne would not have another Top 10 hit for a decade!

VIDEO: Jackson Browne performs “Doctor My Eyes” at Glastonbury 2010

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Dave Steinfeld

Dave Steinfeld has been writing about music professionally since 1999. Since then, he has contributed to Bitch, BUST, Blurt, Classic Rock UK, Curve, Essence, No Depression, QueerForty, Spinner, Wide Open Country and all the major radio networks. Dave grew up in Connecticut and is currently based in New York City.

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