Jackson Browne - Fan Letters & Reviews
August 1998
I had the honor to work closely with Jackson's organization during the mid to late 1970s -- co-promoting numerous benefit concerts, rallys, and other events where Jackson was the featured star. I also coordinated the selling of Jackson's T-Shirts on his commercial concert tours 1976 through 1980.
Never in my life have I met a more committed person when it came to donating his time and talent for a worthy cause -- in this case, the Stop Nuclear Power movement, aka, NO NUKES!
My job on his tours was to arrange for local grassroots anti nuke groups to come to the concert site; I trained them to sell the shirts and hand out literature about their specific local nuke issues. We raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, thanks to Jackson giving over his T-Shirt rights.
Not to go on and on -- but credit is due and credit needs to be given. Bless the man and his organization.
Here in Thailand a cassette of Jackson Browne live is released in the title of "One More Stay". There is no information whatsoever except the statement that it is for sale in Thailand only. I guess from Jackson talking to the audience that this live concert is an old one. Maybe a tour concert to promote his album "I'm Alive" because he said after "Doctor My Eyes" something like "That's old song and now some new songs", then he played "I'm alive". He also said that this concert is on the radio and close to the end he thanked the network that broadcast. The songs in this cassette consists of:
Side AThe cover shows a picture of three grotesque Roman or Greek columns. It is incongruous with Jackson's neat taste for his album covers. Anyway I'm so glad to have a chance to hear him live. Wish he comes to make a real concert here one day.
My son Benjamin is an almost 12 year old boy with Fragile X syndrome. It is the number one genetic cause of mental retardation. He is a handsome wonderful boy with a great personality, a good sense of humor, perfect pitch, and a love of music, movies and actors. He saw Jackson's Going Home Concert on the Disney Channel several years ago and has had it on tape ever since. He has memorized all of the songs as well as the dialogue. He sits with his toy guitar and sings his heart out.
Benji's disability effects him on different levels. He has a high anxiety level and bites his finger when nervous. He cannot understand quantities such has less or more so money is meaningless (thank goodness). He sees people as good or bad not as a color or creed. He wants everyone to like him and just about everywhere he goes the comments are "He wears me out ...but he is my favorite." For his 12th birthday on August 14th he has asked to be taken to see Jackson Browne at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel NJ and we are getting tickets. This will be a great night indeed for him.
I just wanted Jackson to know that he has given this llittle guy a great deal of happiness and enjoyment. By the way His middle name is Jackson...by this is because of a family name. His father is William Jackson . We call him Jack. thanks again.
i'm what i THOUGHT was the biggest jb fan around; that is, of course, until i became slightly internet-literate and found great fans like you. THANKS SO MUCH for your work, Russ.
i'm flying from baton rouge to atlanta for the show 8/29; only my second time to see him. i understand he is very kind to his fans and makes great effort to meet them after shows when possible, altho i know it's not always possible.
i am looking for suggestions as to how i can have this experience! please...anyone who has a suggestion, i'd appreciate it. he has been such an influence - it would be the singular highest high of my life! thanks, fellow fans...
The set list does not include Bonnie's songs without Jackson.
Before I begin, I want to mention that though I have listened to Jackson Browne's music for 20 years, I have never had the opportunity to see him live. As you might expect, I was quite excited about finally getting to see Jackson live - this wonderful word smith whose songs have been a part of my life for two decades.
We arrived at Polaris a little early and initially we were happy with our seats. We were in one of the side sections but fairly close to the stage so we thought we were fortunate, especially compared to the people on the lawn. However once Jackson began to play, it was soon evident that things were not well balanced. The music was loud, the vocals soft, and when speaking, it was extremely difficult to hear all of what Jackson or Bonnie had to say. (Was it better in the middle section? Did the people sitting on the other side of the stage hear the parts we couldn't?) It wasn't "bad" just not "right".
But, I'm getting ahead of myself. While we waited for the show to begin, I spent a few moments looking at all the equipment on stage - it seemed so crowded, how in the world do performers move around without falling over things? I also noted a rack of several guitars off to the side of the stage. Having read about Jackson's penchant for changing guitars I wondered, are those all his? (Yes, apparently they were.)
At 7:40, there were many empty seats and I, in my innocence, wondered that there would be so many people still milling around and arriving ten minutes past time for the show to start. Jackson took the stage at this time and he started playing "I'm Alive". I spent the first few minutes being disappointed that his guitar seemed so much louder than his voice. Then I started thinking how vulnerable he looked there on stage. He was surrounded by speakers and guitars, keyboards and drum set pieces. And out front, just Jackson and his guitar. And I marveled at how it must feel to come out on stage alone - to face a crowd, many of whom were still arriving and looking for their seats. ("How rude", I thought, "the man is singing, couldn't you at least be here on time?")
After "I'm Alive" Jackson greeted everyone and said what a pleasure it was to be sharing a stage with Bonnie Raitt. He went right into "Barricades of Heaven." From there he moved to the keyboard and the crowd was quick to recognize the opening of "For a Dancer". After "For a Dancer" a woman approached the stage with a large bouquet of what must have been purple roses, which Jackson accepted, smelled and commented "These are beautiful." And then I had a hard time hearing what he said, but it might have been, "I have purple roses growing in my yard".
Again I had a hard time hearing, but he said something about the house he used to live in. A house that his grandfather built, and that when he no longer lived there he used to go back and "torment and harass" the people who lived there because he thought HE should be living there. "Looking Into You" was of course the song that followed.
He switched to guitar at this point, asking "how are you doing?" He said he wasn't sure how playing acoustically in an open air venue would be, "but this is pretty nice". He said, "This is a quiet song, but since you all are being pretty quiet, maybe I can get away with it." The song was "In The Shape of a Heart".
After this, calls for requests seemed to pick up, and Jackson laughed and said, "I don't want you to think I'm going to stand up here and do (or maybe he said, "play") everything you want me to." Then he said "this is a song from another life. Used to be, everyone had to know how to play this song. It was written by the Rev. Gary Davis." Then he jokingly said, "Oh no, he's not going to sing THAT song". "This is the rehab version of Cocaine".
After "Cocaine" he asked us to join him in welcoming Bonnie Raitt, who joined him on stage with a guitar and they sang "World In Motion". When he introduced the next song, he said he'd had the chance to do "this song of mine with Bonnie years ago" and one of them, I forget who, said, "I don't want to say how many years ago". They were joined by Bonnie's band (and I wish I had a better memory for names - I do remember Rick Vito, John Cleary (spelling?) and Hutch Hutchinson but the other names escape me) for "Here Come Those Tears Again". The band by the way, was excellent. My husband thought the bass was less than clear, but Rick Vito was extraordinary.
Bonnie left the stage after Jackson commented on how nice it was to play with the band and her parting words to Jackson were "you can borrow them." Someone from the crowd must have shouted something akin to "welcome home" - I didn't hear, but Jackson seemed to be responding to someone as he looked out into the audience and said "thank you, it feels like home". I am guessing that "home" in this case meant being with the band. Then, with the band he went into "Running on Empty", which got a great response from the crowd. Jackson left the stage at this point but the crowd stayed standing, clapping and yelling "more" and "Jackson, come back". So, of course he did. He said it was a pleasure to be playing with Rick Vito again and "Somebody's Baby" was the last song they played.
Jackson left the stage and it was intermission.
When the show resumed, it was Bonnie's stage and what a show she and the band gave us! She said they'd been doing Lilith Fair and they were enjoying the chance to "stretch out" (and that was fine with everyone there.) While not real familiar with Bonnie Raitt's music, I was entranced. We had been listening to her new CD 'Fundamental' for several days to get oriented. Along with her new songs, she played some old favorites including "I can't make you love me" - is that the right name for the song? Really, really great show, but on to Jackson's part in the evening.
After several songs, Bonnie said the band was going to take a break. She brought Jackson back on stage, calling him "my brother' and said they were going to do a request that they weren't able to honor earlier. She said since Jackson had taken her with his band to Australia, "I decided to do a little turn around and bring him with me." There was also a comment at this time from Bonnie about doing some Sonny and Cher sort of songs, and she joked that "Jackson and I are thinking about it." There was some discussion between the two of them as Jackson tuned his guitar and he asked her "what key are you in?" Bonnie said "Jackson has great tuning, that's why he looks like that" and a little banter followed about how good he looked but I couldn't hear all of what was said. There seems to be quite a bond between Bonnie and Jackson, a genuine and mutual affection between them as they exchanged hugs and kisses more than once on stage. Bonnie said they had a lot of requests and suggestively said "but we couldn't do those, - so we'll do this one and they played "I am a Patriot".
After "I am a Patriot", Jackson was still tuning his guitar and he said "this song goes back to when we all knew how to tune our guitars, before we had roadies to do it for us." And he promised us, "This will be real nice when we get to it - keep talking Bonnie." It may have been at this point when Bonnie talked about how much she liked to play with Jackson, and that they have done many benefits together. Then they performed a wonderful version of "The Times You've Come". (Jackson, you were right, it was worth waiting for.)
Jackson left the stage after "The Times You've Come" and the most of the people were on their feet applauding. Bonnie asked for the house lights to be turned on and called for Jackson to come back. "You have to see this Jackson. They're still here" At this point the few who were not standing got on their feet as the applause continued. Jackson came back on stage, smiled, waved and took a bow, all the time wearing a huge grin. As he left Bonnie, promised that she'd bring him back later.
Bonnie and band returned for some songs. Then Jackson came on stage, and joined them for "Thing Called Love" - maybe it was me, but he seemed a little lost or maybe he was just trying to stay out of the limelight, as Bonnie and Rick Vito played to each other, (most excellently I must say). There were moments of levity as Bonnie tossed in some lines from "Take It Easy" - in particular she sang about standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ" (after which Jackson asked her "what was that?"). She joked back (I don't recall her exact answer) but it was something about singing what felt good at the time and it seemed right to her.
After "Thing Called Love", they rocked right into "For a Rocker" with Jackson pointing to Rick Vito when he sang the line "Here comes Ricky, Danny, and Doerge".
They left the stage with the crowd wanting more. Bonnie returned and performed one more song. She said goodnight and walked away - to calls of more, this time to return with Jackson for "Angel from Montgomery". In the middle of the song she turned to Jackson and said something to the effect that she "used to have a cowboy from Winslow. He wasn't much to look at but in those days it didn't matter." (I didn't hear this last part after "he wasn't much to look at", I am only guessing.) After the song, Bonnie brought her band to the front of the stage and thanked them, then she, Jackson and the band gave us a group bow, waved and left the stage.
All in all it was a good night, Bonnie and the band were wonderful and seemed to be having a good time. Jackson, - well a little quiet at first, but as the evening progressed, he loosened up and smiled a lot. The songs he chose to play were a good mix, but like the great performers they are, they left us wanting more.
Hey, Cheri here (formally of the jersey shore), now in by lake (west) michigan in Holland ya know.
Where was I last night? At Deer Park in Indiana for Jackson and Bonnie. What a beautiful starry night. 8:30something Jackson comes out solo on guitar. PURCHASE ALERT. Not have we heard it like this since purchase, Oct. 96. Jackson was perfect. I love Bonnie, but don't ask me who outshined who. Jackson's songs (with just a few comments--)
Jackson, front & center...dark button down, fady black jeans, white spotlight... I'M ALIVE. Really smooth. Real quiet without the band. Voice as pure as the clear night. LOVED "watchin those trucks go by (pat, pat, pat the guitar)...inches from my face YEAH i'm thinkin bout the time i wasted...(sweetest moment)...a true gift. (always) my standing ovation. This is a great opening song.
THE BARRICADES OF HEAVEN... with a friendly explanation...referring to an early (teen) time in life when you disappeared for a few weeks. I love this chorus with Jackson's low note...softer voice (without scotty's high harmony, thank you.) "Childhood comes for me at night"...just pure quite Jackson. I immediately agreed with Bonnie's earlier "no one can play a Jackson song like Jackson." It's like holding a gem to hear his performance of this song. I feel sure it's pretty important to jackson.
no real requests...and no females rushing the stage. a real ruly indy crowd.
FOR A DANCER. Front center on a keyboard. Keyboard vs piano was fine...i quickly got over any disappointment watching Jackson's hands move so relaxed, really getting into his chords & playing. the song was delivered flawlessly.
THE PRETENDER. Yes, the treat of his piano version like the early years. But totally SOLO. "Say it, say a prayer"...Jackson added some nice touches, voice changes, chants, and chords that made you think he's really worked on these solo pieces...even giving them his improvements. Forget the band as you connect with his delivery...NO ONE can deliver a Jackson song like Jackson. BTW, his hand got half way up with a grin for "get it up again."
mmmm. I sat wondering if we'd be blessed with "under the falling sky" or "the times you come" at some later point. and wondering who would sing it...I was fantasizing...
Shoot me if i mixed up this sequence...NEXT
YOUR BRIGHT BABY BLUES. Jackson Browne on slide guitar. He's really working it! Played the whole song with the slide. And when you thought maybe Bonnie would come out, she didn't. but she must have been proud from the side lines. Just way cool. really sounding almost country and concetrating hard on slide. You thought of David L., and how good slide sounds with this pure form of this guitar tune.
JACKSON INVITES BONNIE OUT...and what happened was just what I thought. Jackson kinda asks for Bonnie's assessment, wondering what she thinks of his playing. She thinks he's great. I forget what she said to him, but i could see her eyelashes flutter from many rows back. A happy time was beginning.
They talk about how many years, "growing up together" (Bonnie), and getting their schedules together to play...for years has been hard. Bonnnie says she's sung on lots of Jackson's records. (Yeah, they kinda seemed to be on their "First Dates" together, in a real sweet flirty way.) Stage was dark with only Bonnie & Jackson front & center, white spotlight.
WORLD IN MOTION (forgive me if this was here, or after here comes those tears again). This was rockin' with just the two of them. Side by side guitar & slide was such a treat.
HERE COME THOSE TEARS AGAIN (with Bonnie's band. Jackson's happy to be playing with Rick Vito (name/spelling?). Vito really nailed the guitar in this and you could see Jackson was really happy at the end.
Bonnie leaves the stage.
IN THE SHAPE OF A HEART. Solo and perfect.
Jackson leaves the stage and comes back for an encore. RUNNING ON EMPTY (with Bonnie's band, and Vito nails the guitar solo bad)
SOMEBODY'S BABY (Jackson called it the "feel good song of the summer"... "back then") I was hungry for "take it easy" with the band and Bonnie, so i was dissapointed. The song, however was flawless. Standing ovation (by me, and not everybody unfortunately).
After an intermission, Bonnie began playing with her band. I didn't track the songs, but 3rd or 4th song she calls for Jackson. They do:
I AM A PATRIOT. they love it. (I can't remember if the band did it too. )
THE TIMES YOU'VE COME. that was it for me. solo, just those two. Bonnie had tears in her eyes. Jackson sang and Bonnie just did her original harmonies. It was more beautiful in this pure form than on the record. I waited a long time for this one, and remember missing this song in Jackson's solo night in Virginia? Oct. '96.
They had a great hug, and Jackson swaggered off. I never saw his non-smartwood white guitar, my personal favorite.
I can't confirm if Jackson came out again 'cause we had to hit the road with 250 miles to go and a kid (his 2nd show). We left 7 songs or so later after bonnie sang "I can't make you love me". I hope to hell i didn't miss another rare duet at the the end.
These dates with Jackson are one of life's absolute greatest treats. There's no where else to go and hang onto e-v-e-r-y-w-o-r-d and see what 50 should look like.
THANKS JACKSON. YOU ARE THE POET LAUREATE. Wish you were all there.
Look forward to reading more reviews....
Jackson's Set List:
The set list does not include Bonnie's songs without Jackson.
I saw Jackson Browne last evening at the PNC Arts Center in New Jersey. He was outstanding. I have been a devoted fan since the early 70's. His acoustic performance was flawless.
Halfway through, Bonnie Raitt joined him for Your Bright Baby Blues..EXCELLENT...then Bonnie's Band came on to join Jackson for Here Come Those Tears Again, Running on Empty, Shape of a Heart, and Somebody's Baby....I wish he didn't have to leave the stage... the audience loved him....
He did return to join Bonnie later in the show.....Together, they were amazing....It was a wonderful summer evening of music.....He really seemed to be happy to be back in New Jersey...He spoke of all the memories he had of playing the arts center. I had seen him there in 1977 when he recorded You Love the Thunder for his Running on Empty album...
He continues to be my favorite artist...What a great night for a Jackson Browne fan...Best regards....Rose Lotano
Submitted by: Rosemary.Lotano@gte.net (Rose)
I thought the show in Holmdel was pretty amazing. I've been a fan of Jackson's and Bonnie's for some time and although I've seen both of them perform live (in separate shows), I just never thought I'd get the opportunity to see them do a concert together. Holmdel is a bit of a drive from Montreal, Canada (where I live) and though I'm not normally in the habit of driving 6 1/2 hours to see a show, in this case I made an exception. And was it worth it.
We arrived at the PNC Arts Center at 7:00 P.M. and took our seats at around 7:30 P.M. About those seats....they were 20 rows back but to the left, the far left, the very, very far left. Considering the parabolic seating arrangement at the venue, I guess you could say that we were in the "outer limits". (We couldn't see the drummer, Ricky Fataar or the keyboard player, John Cleary at all). I think that in the future it may be necessary to befriend a scalper....or else become one.
In spite of our less than ideal location, though, I have to say I still thought it was a great show. The vocals and instruments seemed to be well-balanced, although the sound (from our seats, anyway) was not the best. But I thought Jackson sounded great. Bonnie as well.
At about 7:45 P.M., while we were listening to the strains of what sounded like Olu Dara (I might be mistaken here), Janet Bardini (I believe that was her name) of radio station Q104.3 came out and welcomed the crowd. She made a few brief announcements, and then mentioned that Jackson's song, "You Love the Thunder" had been recorded there, at the Garden State Arts Center, several years ago. I was expecting Jackson to appear at this point but instead what followed was....a recording of the Star Spangled Banner.
At 8:00 P.M. Jackson took the stage, clad in a navy-blue t-shirt and grey(ish) pants. He opened the show with a wonderful acoustic version of "I'm Alive", which the crowd loved. It was obvious he had a lot of fans here --- a lot of very vocal fans. He introduced the next song by saying that it reflected back on a time in his life (his teenage years) when he used to hang around "beach towns" and added that in L.A. "we call it the beach" as opposed to "the shore" (in N.J.). He then performed a great version of "The Barricades of Heaven." (I especially liked his guitar-playing on this one. Amazing). By song's end people were on their feet again (as with "I'm Alive"). (One couple gave him a standing ovation after every song). The crowd's enthusiasm was great. The only problem was that they were not only clapping/cheering at the beginning and end of the songs, but also during the songs, which was, at times, a bit distracting.
Next he went over to the keyboard and played "For a Dancer". It was lovely. I have to mention here that I found it kind of hard to pick highlights because I thought Jackson's singing and guitar-playing were particularly inspired throughout the show.
It may have been at this point I that I took a look at the video monitor, which was difficult to see from our seats, without having to crane your neck. Although I don't go to concerts to look at video monitors, I have to admit that the few times I did look at it, I saw some nice camera work. (I liked what they did with the lighting, as well) I don't know if the show was being filmed or not, but if it was, I'd LOVE to see a copy of the tape.
Jackson remained at the keyboard for "The Pretender", the most inspired version I've heard him do. It was a bit of a departure from the recorded version, I thought, but I really enjoyed it. This one had people dancing in the aisles.
Back to the guitar for "In the Shape of a Heart". Again lovely but the crowd's applause at various parts throughout the song, (especially after the second verse --- some, I think, thought it was the last verse) was a little distracting. Next it was "Cocaine", with slightly different lyrics from a previous "rehab" version I'd heard. After he sang the 'Ron and Nancy' verse, Jackson asked, "Is that too mean?" (Maybe it IS time to update the lyrics on this one.)
What followed next was for me one of the highlights of the show. He played the most incredible version of "Your Bright Baby Blues" (one of my favourite JB songs). When he got to the part that Lowell George plays on the recorded version, he started playing some nice slide guitar. At this point, Bonnie just kind of quietly emerged from the wings (unannounced) and began accompanying him on slide guitar. It was wonderful. And if that wasn't enough, she then did backing vocals on the last six lines of the song. Really beautiful.
Bonnie stayed on stage with Jackson to perform an acoustic version of "World in Motion". She said that it was so much fun doing these shows with Jackson that it was "illegal". She then added that she wished she could tour with him all summer. It may have been at this point (or a little later in the show) that she mentioned that Jackson had taken her out as the opening act on his first national tour, and that there had been 13 guys and 1 woman together on one bus. I couldn't hear her additional comments here but I know that in the past she has referred to it as "a memorable experience".
Bonnie and Jackson stayed there and then Bonnie's band came out (Rick Vito, guitar, 'Hutch' Hutchison, bass, Ricky Fataar, drums and John Cleary, keyboards, guitar and mandolin). The band, with Bonnie doing backing vocals then accompanied Jackson on "Here Come Those Tears Again." I've always liked this song but had never heard it performed live. I thought this was a great version.
After this, Bonnie left and Jackson and the band performed "Running on Empty." He was really into it. I've never seen him move like this on stage. He seemed to be having a ball. (Shades of the "No Nukes" performance here). This song got a standing ovation. For an encore he did "Somebody's Baby". Another standing ovation.
After a brief intermission, Bonnie came out and although I didn't hear these comments firsthand, I'm told that she said, "Jackson Browne's alright and his hair is PERFECT." The first song Bonnie did was "No Business". I thought she (and her band) were great. I don't remember all the songs she did or the sequence (and I don't take notes) so I thought I'd list the ones I did remember along with some of the comments she made:
At one point, Bonnie said she wanted to do a real blues song. What followed was a kind of unusual version of "Round and Round". Unusual, because it seemed she was changing the words as she went along. I couldn't hear what the words were but whatever they were, they managed to elicit gales of laughter from the crowd as well as band members. Now I think that it was at this time that Bonnie told a joke which she said was from the Lilith Fair. I couldn't hear it all, but the part I did hear was just a LITTLE suggestive. It seemed the band members were not expecting this (you could tell from their faces) but they were laughing pretty hard. In fact, Jackson seemed unable to 'contain himself'. He was laughing so hard that he had to turn his back to the audience. But you could still tell that he was laughing because you could see his shoulders shaking.
At some point during Bonnie's set, she called Jackson out and the two of them performed an acoustic version of "I am a Patriot". What followed was for me another highlight. Bonnie introduced the next song by saying that it was the first song that she had recorded with Jackson. The song was "The Times You've Come". (I'd never heard this song performed live). It was incredible. Jackson played guitar and sang and Bonnie stood beside him and sang harmony (beautifully, I might add). She seemed especially moved by Jackson's performance and when the song was over, she went over and hugged him.
Jackson left the stage and Bonnie did some more songs with her band. Afterwards she called Jackson back and they did "Thing Called Love" with the band. I had been hoping that he would do this song as I consider it kind of a departure from the type of material he usually performs. I thought he did a great job. He even took a verse, although he changed the words slightly and sang instead, "You ain't no Princess Charming". He seemed to be really into it.
Next they did "For a Rocker". Everyone seemed to be having a ball. And if it was fun them up on stage, I have to say that it was equally enjoyable to be in the audience. A really entertaining show.
After "For a Rocker", Bonnie introduced the closing song which she said they would be playing for her mother, who was at the show. She talked about how her mother had supported her over the years and then called her out on stage. It was a touching moment. Now in all honesty I have to admit that from where I was sitting I couldn't actually 'see' Bonnie's mother. But I noticed that Jackson and the members of Bonnie's band were looking towards the wings (to their right) and applauding and smiling those warm smiles that you smile when you're meeting someone's mother, so she MUST'VE been there. For a brief moment she (apparently) appeared on the monitor, but I only caught a fleeting glimpse.
The song that followed was, of course, "Angel From Montgomery". Jackson even took the second verse (I never expected this), singing, "When I was a Cowgirl, I had me a Cowboy..." It was really funny. He also took the second half of the last verse. Again, I thought he did a great job. It just seemed so natural. (The 'phantom' keyboard player, John Cleary played some nice mandolin on this, so I finally did get to see his face). I thought this was a great closing song. Another highlight for me.
All too soon, the show was over. Bonnie, Jackson and the band members stood together and took a bow. (At this point I finally saw the 'phantom' drummer, Ricky Fataar, as well.)
Simply an amazing show. Since I'm a fan of Bonnie's as well as Jackson's, this concert was quite an experience for me. For any of those people who have tickets to the remaining shows, you're in for a treat. It's just too bad they're only doing 6 shows together. They should do a whole tour. The fact that they are friends and have performed and recorded together over the years really came through in their performances. And I never expected them to do EIGHT songs together. It was wonderful.
I hear that Bonnie will be in Montreal on Sept. 18th to open for Eric Clapton. Now if Jackson would come to Montreal......it would be REALLY great.....
Jackson came on at 7:55, with a plain black t-shirt and grey dockers I think, with his acoustic, singing "I'm Alive" which was fantasic. I think the first "yehhhhh, and I'm rollin, etc." was a little off (just the yeh) but that just added even more of a human element to it. The best thing was that he basically split the stage time with Bonnie 50/50, maybe Bonnie had a little more. I loved Jackson acoustic, just his voice and the guitar or piano. I liked Bonnie on backup on "I Am A Patriot" very much. No offense to Bonnie fans, but I enjoyed her as a backup singer much more than as a lead act. I really didn't like her with the band playing all of those fast songs.
"For A Dancer" was tremendous. Moving, incredible. The concert was surreal for me, being the second time I've seen Jackson live. The setlist was basically the same as his other recent shows. On "I Am A Patriot" , which was awesome, after the line "and I ain't no democrat" Bonnie said "and I sure as hell ain't a Republican", which was funny.
Prior to "Barricades," Jackson said something about a place that he and people in California call the beach, but he told us New Jersey natives not to worry, for he still has some friends who call it the shore. (It went something like that)
JB described "Somebody's Baby" as a real summer song.
And since he had the band out, he borrowed them for "Running on Empty".
This was the best concert I've ever been to (the first half that is!) I like Bonnie, though, but I definitely went to see Jackson Browne, yet their voices blend very nicely. And Jackson's acoustic guitar work was very good as was the piano playing. Nothing like Jackson's voice with a guitar or piano, singing those old, moving tunes . . .
I attended the concert last Friday night at Jones Beach. I have seen Jackson live about seven times before and I must say this was definitely one of his best performances.
This venue is outdoors and has just been renovated to add another tier of seats and 2 large screens so you can really see the performers. The sound was excellent and very well balanced. When looking at Jackson's face on the large screen, you could really see the intensity with which he sings his songs.
He started off his solo set a little more serious than usual. Understandably, he did seem annoyed that people were walking around looking for their seats after he had started his set. He looked a little miffed when a girl called out for a song that he had already done (For A Dancer). He simply said, "You missed that. I sang it already".
As the show progressed, he seemed to really get into it. When Bonnie joined him, it was simply magical. Their voices are so complementary to eachother. Their harmonies on I am A Patriot actually gave me "goose bumps".
Bonnie and Jackson complemented eachother a lot throughout the show. She commented that she was just happy to be on the planet at the same time as him.
They both kept saying how much fun they were having on this tour and that it didn't seem like work at all. Well, it was a lot of fun for the audience too and I certainly hope they tour together again.
I am from Connecticut and just happened to be vacationing in West Palm the night of his soggy concert (which also happened to be my birthday!!!) Most of us sat in the rain for three 1/2 hours waiting for Jackson to play, making all kinds of friends in the process. No one seemed to mind the rain.
Although I have to agree that the show was one of the worst I've seen (again, to no fault of Jackson's), we met Jackson after the show (which, by the way, the rain had ceased right after they cancelled the show) and he was more than gracious to the half-dozen or so fans waiting. I've met Jackson at least 9 times and I have to say that he was the warmest to his fans following this show.
Jackson, PLEASE COME BACK to Portland with Bonnie Raitt on September 9th. I miss your smiling face.
There probably is no bigger Jackson fan (who hasn't created a web-site) than me. I have always been so proud of his stance on not giving in and doing a best of/greatest hits just to satisfy a record company. But disappointed is an understatement when I not only learned of the newest release, but saw the songlist!
Sad part is...I know Jackson had a hand in picking the songs and a lot of it just doesn't make sense. It does no justice when an artist holds out so long then just chooses songs based on his current mood and not what the song meant at the time of its release (i.e. - Dan Fogelberg's Exiles CD). Jackson should have just put out a boxed-set. It's an insult to think that you could take his career and squeeze it into one CD.
Specifically, I'm upset at the exclusion of "Rock me on the Water" and "For Everyman", "The Load-Out/Stay", "Hold On, Hold Out", "That Girl Could Sing" and the inclusion of "Call it a Loan", "These Days", the 2 new songs and "Somebody's Baby" (which Jackson claimed "he hated"). These "greatest hits" cd's are usually for ones who are not familiar with the artists and can get a true feel for them, be introduced and hence purchase more cd's. I don't see that here. I'm still upset, not buying it and am waiting for my boxed-set and an exclusive concert in my area.
Webmaster's Reply:I've gotten a great deal of email in the past year from people who were not completely satisfied with the song selection for the "best of" collection. No one I've spoken with seems entirely satisfied with it and I heard Jackson say the same thing in an interview. With over 25 years of songs to choose from, I think that none of us could come up with a track list to fit a single 74 minute CD that would satisfy all of Jackson's fans. The fact is that at this point in a career, most others are releasing "volume 2" or "volume 3" of their greatest hits. A single CD just can't capture the depth of Jackson Browne's musical legacy.
Jackson has said that he picked songs that he felt were among his best and also songs that showcased various "periods" of his career (for example different band lineups) as well as songs that sounded well together. In this respect, I think he succeeded quite well. He could have chosen the easy route and picked the songs that chartest highest on the Billboard charts and made a more traditional "greatest hits" collection, but I think that would have left his core audience even more unsatisfied. Such a track listing certainly would have increased sales and made the record company very happy.
Many of the letters I have gotten have indicated a longing for a box set. In interviews shortly after "I'm Alive" was released, when Jackson first indicated that the time might be right for a greatest hits release, he also spoke of the possibility of a box set. He sees the two projects as very different. Although he has indicated the possiblity of a box set, I personally find the probability very slim. It seems to me that Jackson is very much a perfectionist and if he didn't include a song on a album, it's likely because he didn't think it was good enough. So why would he release a bunch of unreleased songs, alternate takes, rarities and live cuts now if he did't approve of them earlier?
On the other hand, I , like most of his fans, would LOVE for Jackson to release a box set of unreleased songs, alternate takes, rarities and live cuts. There are certainly enough out there to make a great 4-CD collection. Songs like "Nightingale", the single version of "Rock Me On The Water", "The Birds of St. Marks", and the B-side "Voice of America" that have only seen CD release on bootlegs would make a fabulous collection for his fans. For years, I hoped that he'd go back and rediscover some of his early songs like "Shadow Dream Song" and re-record them... possibly with a backing band of his early friends like Steve Noonan, Penny Nichols, David Crosby, David Lindley, Doug Haywood, etc. (Does anyone remember Billy Joel's great "Songs From the Attic" album?) Not a likly senerio. Jackson often talks of looking forward and he would rightly see this as looking backward. I just don't see what's wrong with that.
Alternatively, I'd love to see a double CD live album like the fabulous one James Taylor put out a few years ago. Such a collection would also be a real treat.
Sorry for rambling. I guess speculating about Jackson's archives is one of my favorite pastimes. -- Russ. (jrpprod@west.net)
I am planning on attending some of the fall '98 shows in LA/SB counties, so I just wanted to add this comment beforehand. Upon reading some of the summer '98 reviews, I became elated at what seemed to be a great change in the Jackson playlist. I'm so glad he is playing some of the older, classic and truly "gut-wrenching" songs. When I was younger (ante my "married with children" days), my girlfriends and I would go to Jackson's shows and PLEAD for him to sing such ballads as "Here Come Those Tears Again", "Holdout" and "Linda Paloma". We would literally shout "Tears", until we all were crying ourselves !!
Anyhow, now that I'm more mature and still as fond as ever of Jackson, I hope he will continue to play these classics. Actually, I hope he gets wind of this and will keep playing "Tears" until I can get to see him in October. Also, am I the only one who thinks "Holdout" may possibly be the best ever ?
Here's a short synopsis for those of you who wondered how he was-
Jackson was in great voice here. WE came inlate thanks to the lousy one way inlet road to Tanglewood that exists- traffic that left early - like us- was backed up for an hr forcing us to miss about the first three jackson tunes of his set. We caught his last piano song -The Pretender on the way in which was incredible. The reat of the set is similar to the sets he has done with Bonnie starting with In the Shape of A Heart. (If anyone was at Tanglewood, please be so kind in filling in the earlier tunes Jackson did while my car was sitting in traffic for 20 minutes past his opening time.)
Jackson was in good form and having a nice relaxed time sice it wa his last night with the band of Bonnie's and Bonnie.
After the show my friends, wife and I went to a Gun Violence reception which was very informative and an excellent opportunity to meet Jackson and Bonnie in a relaxed atmosphere. Jackson was very accommodating and Bonnie was working the room to those that donated to the cause. I had the chance to talk with Jackson in a nice relaxed way and he seemed into meeting people that night and was very humble and nice. The tone of the meet and greet was centered around handgun violence so there was very few autograph seekers there but Jacksons tour assistant was extremely accommodating in taking pictures of fans with Jackson and Bonnie. The party lasted for about an hr.
All in all, I thought the show was great even though I thought Jacksons set went by too fast. Bonnies band is spectacluar and my initial reaction is that Jackson would sound even better than he does now if he hired Rick Vito back. Rick is truly the guitar player for Jackson's music in my opinion. Great show and Jackson was so nice as usual to his fans which after meeting him several times over the years, is really refreshing. Maybe since Bonnie kept saying she enjoyed playing these shows so much with Jackson that they will set up a full US joint tour (a wish I realize) sometime in the near future.
The Jackson Browne show (with Bonnie Raitt) on August 11 in Pittsburgh Pa was quite a thrill for me personally. We were able to hear some of our favorite songs and also sit about eight rows back, which made the show by far the best J.B. concert we have seen. My husband has been a fan since the late 70's/early 80's and myself becomming a fan when we met.
Running on Empty was very well done even without his band, but without a doubt he showed everyone why he is the BEST! Preforming on his own with no band the songs "I'm Alive", "For a Dancer", "Rosie", "Pretender" and "Bright Baby Blues" never sounded better. You sent me a list of songs from a previous concert (in Columbus) a day before the show and I must tell you although they were great songs those people at that concert missed a truly remarkable show in Pittsburgh.
awesome concert, wish jackson could do more with his backup band and singers. i can't decide if i liked jackson or bonnie ( i have a big butt, taugt them youngins a thing or two) raitt more. always loved jackson brown though. had a great time, to bad james taylor could not have played with them once. i guess we all have to take a night off.
My wife and I have been fans of Bonnie and Jackson since the early seventies. This was our first chance to see them together so there was no question about getting the tickets or not getting them. If we didn't go to the show we would have been taking turns kicking each other's posteriors when the night rolled around and we were sitting home with nothing to do. The show also fell on our vacation so the long ride to Lenox, Massachusets didn't seem so difficult a proposition.
I called Ticketmaster and wound up with four seats in the seventeenth row to stage left... and called my parents and invited them to go too. Turned out that my Father could'nt go for health reasons but my Mother could. My fourteen-year-old daughter was more than happy to go in place of Dad so we were all set to go. I read on a Bonnie Raitt webpage that reception passes were available to meet her after the concert... so I bought four of those too and the whole evening turned into a birthday gift for my wife who was beside herself with excitement on learning the news.
The day of the show was in the ninety-degree range with plenty of humidity, but as we emerged from the air-conditioned car after the long ride through the woods of Route 183 we found the weather to be as pleasant and comfortable and the setting to be breathtakingly beautiful. We found our seats and in about thirty minutes Jackson came out and opened the show to a sparsely populated seating area. People were filling in the seats around us all through his set. Traffic is a problem for anyone planning on getting to the facility close to showtime. Jackson's setlist was as follows:
"I'm Alive"After the first song he commented about what a beautiful venue Tanglewood was and how he thought that he had last played there in 78' or so. He was very relaxed and in control up on the stage. He said that the next song was about his youth and then he moved to a keyboard facing the crowd for his third song. "For A Dancer" got everyone's full attention and, I have to admit, a tear in my eye. After "The Pretender" he said he was going to try a quiet song but that it was alright because the audience was a quiet one at that point also. "In The Shape Of A Heart" was flawless and I sensed that he was really relaxed and content tonight. He then setup what he called "Cocaine...The Rehab Version". It was the first time I had heard it live and I will admit that "Ron and Nancy" are not as timely as the were back in the late eighties. Some of the crowd stood up and started clapping in time during this song and Jackson said that you can always tell who the coffee drinkers are.
Halfway through "Your Bright Baby Blues" Bonnie emerged from the darkness playing her trademark slide guitar and the audience knew that this was not just another evening. Having been such dedicated fans of the both of them for close to thirty years this was magic to us. "Here Come Those Tears Again" was next... and the whole band backed them up. It sounded better with the two of them live than it does on the recorded version. Bonnie really kicked it into gear on her vocals for this one. Then she left and the band remained for "Running On Empty" and one encore of "Somebody's Baby". Rick Vito helped make the last song special because when we saw the "Lawyers In Love" tour he was with Jackson's band and they seemed to enjoy this short reunion, or at least we did.
During the intermission we were visited by Dana M. from the mailing list and our attempts to meet others from the list was thwarted by Bonnie quickly taking the stage like the huricane named for her earlier the previous week. She was hot tonight! This was the third time we saw her this tour. We caught her at the Beacon Theater in NYC with Keb Mo (encores with Joe Walsh and her husband Michael), and at the Lilith Fair in Hartford, CT where she played for the equivalent of two sets because Me-'Shell Ndgegeocello collapsed onstage in the middle of her set (and was later OK). While I'm on the name-dropping thing I almost forgot to mention that James Taylor snuck into the concert after Jackson had done a couple of songs! He walked right in front of us and then back again just before Jackson's set finnished. He did the same thing during Bonnie's set so we got to see him four times! He sat about fifteen rows back center stage. What else could happen tonight! Anyways here is Bonnie's set:
She kicked off her set with "No Business" which was what she has being able to play and sing the way she does. She also commented on how beautiful the venue was and mentioned her days in the Harvard area in Cambridge, Massachusets many years earlier. Those who have seen her know that she has a history of saying suggestive things during her concerts. Tonight there were many many examples. During "Good Man, Good Woman" she told Rick Vito to "Come over here and I'll show you what a good woman is". She also said "Tanglewood... The two things I like to do best... Tangle... and Wood". Hummmm! She was in form to say the least.
Areal showstopper was the Mose Allison classic "Everybodys Cryin Mercy" (When they don't know the meaning of the word...). That was the Blues style that first put her on many peoples musical maps in the first place. She suggested that everyone go out and get the most recent J.B.Lenoir disc before playing "Round And Round" which he co-wrote with Willie Dixon. She loves his music. There was a request for "Runaway" but she said that she was basically sick of it after doing it so many years and in so many different ways. She said that it was in an old box with so many of her old boyfriends. Some guy in the audience called out "Huricane Bonnie" which was headed towards the Carolinas as we sat. She said that she wished those poor people well and that she had many friends in that area. Then she said some sort of paraphrase of a newspaper headline like "Bonnie Sits Her Big Butt Down On The Carolina Shoreline"... Followed by some suggestive remark about what her "big butt" might do tonight at Tanglewood. She was really in good spirits.
After "Good Man, Good Woman" she gave the band a rest and Jackson came out for a duet on "I Am A Patriot". For me this may have been the highlight of the show as their guitars and voices seemed made for this particular song. Before the next song Jackson said that his guitar needed tuning and Bonnie made a remark about how Jackson does'nt like the way that when she talks about him on stage it embarrases him. The term "Soul Mates" was thrown around a number of times in reference to their long-standing freindship and business relationship. She said something about his being the only folk- playing surfer that she knows. They seem to really admire and respect each other. Next up was "The Times You've Come" which he said was the first song that they had ever recorded together in a studio. A Very nice and mellow version of that tune followed. Then Jackson left to another big applause (I forgot to mention that there were others before this...) and Bonnie said that he would be back later on. She introduced "Blue For No Reason" as a song she wrote about her own puberty.
After that they started up "Something To Talk About" but she quickly stopped it because she thought that it may have been in the wrong key. The band seemed to labor through that one and it wasn't her best version of the tune but it was alright. "I Can't Make You Love Me" was powerfully sung and the audience responded well with applause as she held her long notes to perfection. Jackson was there for the last two songs... "For A Rocker" and "Angel From Montgomery". Bonnie had Jackson sing the first few lines to the finale to the crowds surprise ("When I was a young girl... I had me a cowboy... He weren't much to look at ... Just a free ramblin' man"...) She said that they were going to pretend that they went off stage and came back for the encore due to time restraints and that was when they did "Angel From Montgomery". After that they all took bows together and thanked the crowd as they left the stage for the final time.
The four of us slowly made our way to another building on the grounds for the reception. The building was a large colonial with very little furniture and lots of people wandering around waiting for the guests of honor to show up. We were told that Bonnie and Jackson would be there around eleven o'clock. That was great news to us because we were never even told that Jackson would be there at all! So we waited patiently and enjoyed some of the cookies, fruit and beverages which were made available to us for the event. Before too long there was a speech about handgun control which concentrated on raising more funds to help prevent handgun violence without banning handguns. They said that ninety-eight people a day died from handgun related injuries and that every day fourteen teenagers died from the same. Massachusets is apparently a national model due to the success of this program. Hilary and Bill are interested in learning why there has been such a strong success rate in the state and in trying to duplicate it on a national level. We were told that Bonnie helped raise the first thirty-five thousand dollars the group had and that Jackson had also given a benefit for the cause a few years back.
The two of them showed up as the speaker was winding down his talk and each took time to show verbal support for the program. They had met the program leader at a no-nukes rally in California a number of years back and are still supporting him to this day. How can you argue with the plan and its success rate (which I have forgotten the stats on of course...). Bonnie appologized for being late to the reception but we all understood because she said that James Taylor was in her dressing room after the show and it was a tough thing to have to leave him. That must have been an understatement! After everyone applauded each other and said how wonderful they each were to deal with we were told that pictures would be taken with Bonnie and Jackson for the people who had cameras. Bonnie started working the crowd and Jackson took a spot by a fireplace and let people gravitate to him. At long last the moment we had waited for came... Bonnie made her way over to us and my wife said that the show was great and that she really loved her music. She doesn't remember saying it, but that is what I believe she said. You could have thrown a bucket of cold water over her head at this point and she would'nt have noticed it. Next Bonnie asked what our names were and I introduced the group to her. I made special note of the fact that there were three generations of women with me to see her and she seemed to like that thought. She said that her Aunt was there today also. We asked for her autograph but she gracefully declined saying that if she signed one she would have to sign them all and probably would be there all night. We were all a little upset but she offered to have her picture taken with us and all was well again. I had a birthday card picked out for Bonnie to sign and give to my wife but it just didn't happen. The thought was there anyways. She moved on and we went over to see Jackson.
As we got closer to Jackson and said hello to him, my wife pointed out that we had met before at the "Green Chimneys" benefit back in 96'. He at least remembered the event and we went on to introduce the three generations of fans to him. He also seemed impressed and seemed to take delight that Melissa, our fourteen-year old, was there. He told her that one of the first songs he had written was called "Melissa". Of course I said "Nina Demos?"... and he said that was right. We said that we believed in a lot of the causes that he supported and that he and Bonnie should keep this tour going because it seemed to be such a natural fit. He said that it seems to him that they are always playing together and that they probably would keep going to some degree or another. We asked if he would sign for Melissa and my Mom and he did so very kindly. I snuck CD and cassette copies of "The Next Voice You Hear" into the reception just in case he was there for the two of them to get signed. Next we had two group pictures taken with him (He wasn't ready when Tom Campbell took the first one...) and then we moved on.
They were both very nice and easy to talk with. My daughter and my Mom really enjoyed having the chance to see and meet my favorite musicians and it was a pleasure having the two of them there with us for the evening. Next we hung around until almost everyone had left and were lucky to do so because Bonnie, Jackson and the Handgun Control folks all posed for some group shots before they left. This couldn't have turned out much better for us and my wife said that she couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift than meeting Bonnie. It was a night to remember and we snuck a few pictures on the sly also despite being told not to. As we took the long trip home we realized that we had just witnessed something that we would remember for the rest of our lives and that memories like these age like fine wine. The bottle will be saved and savored for years to come and will never run dry. It will never be "Running On Empty" and will always give us "Something To Talk About".
Atlanta, Chastain Park Amphitheater, 8/29/30, solo acoustical performance and anybody that was there could attest....Absolutely Incredible. If anyone has a tape, I would love to hear from you. Peace.
HOTlanta lived up to its' nickname last night!!! The music was cookin', but so were we. We arrived at Chastain Park Amphitheater about an hour before the show in order to enjoy our picnic before the music started. It felt like it was about 120 degrees, and there wasn't a breeze to be found.
Marc Cohn came on right at 8:00. It is a shame that the introduction of "a Grammy Award-winning artist" was not impressive enough to make the crowd stop talking enough to enjoy his performance. Chastain Park is located in a very up-scale residential area of Atlanta. Unfortunately, many of the members of the audience were there more to be seen than they were there to listen to the music. The lack of respect for Marc Cohn was doubly disappointing because his performance was first rate. The first 3 songs that he sang were from his first record. I am not yet familiar with that record, so I don't know the names of them. I will say that Marc has a very rich, robust voice, with a bluesey flavor that I found to be very enjoyable. I definitely plan to get the first record before Sedona, so I will be ready to enjoy his set even more then. After the first 3, he sang Healing Hands (a REALLY beautiful ballad), Olana, and Valley of the Kings (the Guitars on this one ROCKED) from his "Burning the Daze" CD. He closed with Walking in Memphis and one more from his first record, and then we had a short intermission while the "Roadies took the stage".
I was a little worried when they moved Marc's baby grand off to the side, because I thought it was really important for Jackson to play a "real" piano. I was soon to find however, the keyboard was more than just adequate. The positioning of the keyboard allowed Jackson to face the audience for the whole show. The acoustic piano would have had him in profile for a big part of the concert.
As darkness gathered, candles were lit on tables all over the venue, and the place took on a magical glow. Jackson came on in a dark blue, long-sleeved, button-up shirt, and jeans of a slightly lighter shade of blue - opening with I'm Alive!! It was FANTASTIC!! If there was any doubt about the strength of Jackson's voice, he put it to rest with the first few lines. I don't think I have ever heard him sounding (or looking) better. He was obviously relaxed and feeling good.
After I'm Alive, we were treated with Looking Into You, Barricades Of Heaven, and For A Dancer. All were great, but I do have to say that Dancer was just a little rushed. It almost felt like he wanted to get it over with. Jackson quickly made friends with the crowd by mentioning the fact that his manager (Budda Miller) is a gourmet cook. Budda thought the "Finish your food before the show starts" signs on the tables were terribly rude, and had them removed. He went on to encourage the crowd to enjoy thier meals. He couldn't eat and sing, but we should feel free to continue eating.
Next, we were introduced to one of Jackson's "sadest songs ever": Rosie! Yet another GREAT rendition. Jackson is ALWAYS such an incredible professional, and seems to enjoy playing around with the crowd. The venue is set-up with banquet tables, table cloths, and hundreds of candles. After Rosie, Jackson asked: "How do I get me one of those tables?" There was laughter and more joking from the audience, and then a woman handed him a ticket (presumably so he could sit with her). The next thing we knew, someone had brought him a table and set it up complete with cloth, flowers, candles, and a bottle of red wine - of which he poured himself a glass. What fun!
I had never before heard the Rehab version of Cocaine, and it was next. I had no idea that it was a completely different song from the one on Running On Empty. For some reason, I had always thought the "rehab" version just had some slight changes from the original. I really enjoyed hearing this "new" song. Jackson "chatted" with us a bit. Bringing up the scandal over some women going to someone's grave, (I think it was the Allman's), and doing "sinful things". He made it clear to EVERYONE that he WANTED them to do "sinful things" for him. It was a riot!
If there was one song I was really hoping to hear, it was Your Bright Baby Blues. I have always loved it, and wanted to hear what 3 weeks on the road with Bonnie Raitt did to Jackson's slide guitar skills. I got it, and it was GREAT! It is just too cool to hear my all time favorite artist honing new skills. The Next Voice You Hear was just as fine as all the previous songs. As much as I enjoyed it though, this was when the mass exodus for the bathrooms occured. The potty break continued through Lives In The Balance, and World In Motion. Two of my personal favorites, but in Jackson's own words "I have to come to the realization that some of these songs just aren't as popular as the others".
The crowd returned to their seats in time for For Everyman, an unbelievable offering of Late For The Sky, In The Shape Of A Heart, and The Pretender - all of which were outstanding. This was the end of the show, and time for encores. Marc joined Jackson on the stage for Van Morrison's Crazy Love. This was a pleasure to hear, and Jackson very graciously told the audience: "Now when Marc comes out here to sing with me, you will hear how much BIGGER his voice is than mine." Marc does have so much to offer. I think if his voice was wine, it would be a really good Cabernet. There is just soooo much to it.
Marc left the stage, and Jackson went to the keyboard to play Doctor My Eyes which segued right into These Days. This was reminiscent of the transitions at each end of the For Everyman record, and was very nicely done. Jackson finished out the night with a super Take It Easy (on the guitar of course), and we all left happy.
It was a fantastic night, made even better by the chance to meet so many new friends. I had been "talking" with Patty DeBlasis via e-mail for a few months, and had chatted with her on the phone several times. It was a big thrill to have her as my guest for the weekend, and to have the chance to go to a Jackson Browne show with someone who appreciates him as much as I do. I also had the pleasure of lunch with Judi and Chuck, Leeeeeeeeenda, Debbie, Sherry and Sheryl. It was so much fun to get together with so many genuinely NICE people. Jackson Browne has the GREATEST fans!!!
Webmaster's Note: This review came in typed in all CAPS. Rather than refuse to post it, I've included it anyway. If reading in all CAPS bothers you, please feel free to skip to the next review. If you are considering submitting a review, please use lower case type. Thank you.
JACKSON BROWNE/BONNIE RAIT SHOW AT TANGLEWOOD 8/24/98
THE SHOW AT TANGLEWOOD WAS THE LAST SHOW OF THE SHORT 6 SHOW SERIS THAT JACKSON AND BONNIE DID TOGETHER. TANGLEWOOD FOR THOSE WHO DONÕT KNOW IS A WONDERFUL ÒCAMPUSÓ THAT HAS BEEN SET UP FOR MUSICIANS IN THE HILLS OF WESTERN MASS. AS I WALKED AROUND I NOTICED HOW JACKSONÕS CROWD HAS CHANGED THE YEARS. IN A SENSE AS HIS MUSIC HAS MATURED SO HAS THE CROWD.
TANGLEWOOD IS BEST EXPERIENCED AS A FULL AFTERNOON SO WE HAD A WONDERFUL PICNIC AND WATCHED THE SUN SET. AT PRECISELY 7PM, JACKSON CAME ON STAGE AND OPENED WITH ÒIÕM ALIVEÓ. IT WAS JUST JACKSON AND HIS GUITAR IN FRONT OF PROBABLY 10,000 PEOPLE OR MORE. I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT THAT THE ACOUSTICAL VERSION, ALHTOUGH STARK WAS MUCH BETTER THAN THE CD VERSION., ALTHOUGH I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED A MORE INTIMATE ENVIROMENT. THE REST OF THE SET WAS AS FOLLOWS:
BARRICADES OF HEAVEN: THIS IS A GREAT SONG! THE WORDS MEAN SO MUCH MORE IN THE ACOUSTICAL VERSION. THIS VERSION MADE ME REALIZE JUST HOW OVERPRODUCED THE STUDIO VERSION(AS MANY OF HIS LATER SONGS) IS.
FOR A DANCER: EXTREMELY POWERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL DONE ON THE PIANO. I HAVE HEARD THIS SONG LIVE MANY TIMES, BUT NEVER AS GOOD AS TONIGHT.
THE PRETENDER: AGAIN, THIS SONG IS MORE POWERFUL WITH JUST THE STARKNESS OF THE SINGLE PIANO. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE HEARD IT PREFORMED THIS WAY.
SHAPE OF THE HEART: SWITCHED BACK TO GUITAR. AGAIN THE WAS AN EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE.
COCAINE: BY NOW EVERYONE WHO IS A FAN OF JACKSONÕS HAS PROBABLY HEARD THE UPDATED LYRICS. IF THERE IS EVER A SONG THAT SHOULD BE USED AS AN ANTI COCAINE SONG THIS IS IT. I WISH HE WOULD RECORD THIS NEW VERSION.
BRIGHT BABY BLUES: BY THE TIME THIS SONG STARTED I WAS THINKING THAT HE MIGHT START LOSING THE CROWD A LITTLE(NOT ME) WITH JUST HIS GUITAR. ON THE THIS SONG HE PLAYED THE SLIDE AND SOUNDED GOOD. HOWEVER, HALF WAY THROUGH THE SONG THE GODDESS OF THE BLUES CAME OUT AND JOINED HIM. AND EVERYONE ROSE TO THEIR FEET. THIS WAS THE FIRST OF MANY MAGICAL MOMENTS OF THE SHOW. THEY PLAYED AN EMOTIONALLY CHARGED ÒWORLD IN MOTIONÓ AND ONCE AGAIN I THOUGHT WHY DID HE COVER THESE GREAT LYRICS WITH SO MANY LAYERS IN THE STUDIO?
BONNIES BAND CAME OUT FOR ÒHERE COMES THOSE TEARS AGAINÓ AND SHE LEFT THE STAGE AND JACKSON FINISHED HIS OPENING SET WITH A SUPERCHARGED ÒRUNNING ON EMPTYÓ AND UNFORTUNATELY(IN MY VIEW) AS AN ENCORE HE DID ÒSOMEBODYÕS BABYÓ, WHICH I HAVE ALWAYS VIEWED AS HIS WEAKEST SONG. I THOUGHT THAT ÒFOR EVERYMANÓ, ÒROCK ME ON THE WATERÓ OR MANY OTHER CHOICES WOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH BETTER CLOSER. THIS DID NOT LOWER THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE CROWD HOWEVER.
AFTER INTERMISSION(WHICH WAS VERY SHORT) BONNIE OPENED WITH 6 TO 8 SONGS, ALL DONE VERY WELL. THE HIGHLIGHT OF HER SET WAS ÒI CANÕT MAKE YOU LOVE MEÓ WHICH WAS VERY SOULFULLY DONE. SHE ALSO GAVE A BEAUTIFUL INTRO FOR JACKSON(THE FEELING BETWEEN THEM WAS OBVIOUS ALL NIGHT) AND HE JOINED HER FOR ÒIÕM A PATRIOTÓ WHICH SEEMED TO SET VERY WELL WITH THE CROWD PARTICULARLY WITH THE LINE ÒTHERE SURE AINÕT NO REPUBLICANSÓ THE CROWD WAS GOING WILD BY THIS TIME. JACKSON FINISHED THIS PIECE WITH ÒTHE TIMES HAVE COMEÓ AND THIS WAS EASILY HIS HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENING. HIS GUITAR WAS MAGICAL AND THE VOICE WAS A STRONG AS I HAVE EVER HEARD. SIMPLY AWESOME!!
BONNIE SANG A FEW OTHER SONGS AND THEN JACKSON JOINED HER FOR ÒA THING CALLED LOVEÓ AND HE HELD HIS OWN WITH HER(SHE DOES HAVE AN SUPER VOICE). THE SHOW CLOSED WITH ÒFOR A ROCKERÓ AND FINALLY ÒANGEL OF MONTGOMERYÓ WE ALL APPRECIATED THE SHOW VERY MUCH AND GAVE A THUNDEROUS STANDING OVATIONS.
OVERALL, IT HAS TO RATE AS THE BEST SHOW I HAVE SEEN(ALTHOUGH THE 1990 ACOUSTICAL TOUR IS VERY CLOSE). I WISH THAT SOME OF THE OTHER CLASSICS COULD HAVE BEEN PLAYED(LATE FOR THE SKY, TAKE IT EASY, LADY OF THE WELL, LIVES IN THE BALANCE,ETC,ETC,ETC), BUT THE SHOW WAS A GOOD BALANCE OF THE MATERIAL THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER AND . I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THIS WAS PROPERLY RECORDED AND WILL BE PUT OUT AS A CD. WHAT A GREAT WAY TO SHOWCASE TWO OF THE LEADING PERFORMERS OF OUR GENERATION AND SOME TRULY PHENOMENAL MUSIC. IT WOULD BE MUCH STRONGER THAN THE ÒBEST OFÓ THAT WAS ISSUED LAST YEAR.
Greetings all y'all! (This northerner learned this weekend that "y'all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural!)
Our visit to Atlanta and to Chastain Park Saturday night to see Jackson and Marc Cohn was all I had hoped it would be! The venue was like none I had ever visited before. Coolers full of food and wine were toted in by most everybody and the entire evening was spent wining, dining and enjoying the show. Marc Cohn suffered through what most opening acts must...a steady buzz of chat from the audience as we set up our food and ate our dinners. His set was good and he finally got everybody's attention when he played "Walkin' In Memphis." I certainly understood his desire to have people settle down but his numerous requests for quiet lent a petulant air to her persona.
As soon as Jackson came on stage he told us a story about having the "rude" signs removed from the tables that instructed us to finish eating before the show! He even joked about getting his own table and plastic container of potato salad...and in a blink, a small table with flowers and a candle and a bottle of wine was set up right next to him on stage! His more relaxed attitude felt right.
By the time Jackson began to sing, night had fallen and the thousands of candles that patrons had brought along with their picnics flickered throughout the venue. The half moon hung over us and in spite of the heat and a few stray raindrops I felt that familiar feeling of being among friends as the music played right in my ear.
There were plenty of moments of humor as Jackson talked to the crowd between songs. At one point he said, as if speaking to strangers, "I write mostly sad songs..." The entire crowd laughed and he said, "Well I thought there might be one or two of you who didn't know. This is my saddest song..." And in that moment of silence a booming male voice from the upper reaches of the venue yelled, "Rosie!" Jackson gave us that smile and a nod of his head as if to say, "Exactly" and launched the song!
The evening was well worth the trip from Cincinnati! And getting to meet Lee & Mike Andrew was a special treat. But not only did we meet Lee & Mike, but I also had lunch with many other listmembers (all of whom where friendly and warm.) Each meeting felt like I was finally meeting face-to-face with an old friend.
Jackson's encore, after a beautiful duet with Marc Cohn covering Crazy Love by Van Morrison, rocked the house! DME flowed right into These Days and he ended with a rockin' Take It Easy.
So thank-you to the Andrews for their hospitality, thank you to my fellow listmembers who took the time to meet for lunch and to search out one another at the show...and thank-you, Jackson, for the music!
On Saturday night August 29th, Jackson played in Atlanta At Chastain Park. I must admit after 25 years of attending his concerts , this was by far probably the best performance he has ever given. Not only was his music extremely well played solo but his personal comments and his self humor were touching. He remarked " some of you may know that I write sort of sad songs" was positively received and actually funny. He poked fun at himself the rest of the evening about his song writing style and all in attendance were delighted and charmed. He played all of the songs that he played in New Jersey a couple of weeks ago but also played "Late for the Sky". His version of that song was extremely moving and touching. He played it flawlessly except he missed the very last note, and as he did, he slightly grimaced and hit it two more times correctly.
In conclusion, I have never seen him so at peace with himself and so delighted to be on stage. The crowd was extremely respectful of him and loved his sense of humor which was in full bloom on this very hot night in Atlanta. But regardless of how hot the night, Jackson never complained he just delivered the best show I have ever seen in 25 years.