Jackson Browne - Fan Letters & Reviews
February 2003
The following artice appeared in The Age, a Melbourne broadsheet, on Saturday 2/2/03.
Mission Browne
Author: Warwick McFadyenThere's a point, says Jackson Browne, where entertainment and activism meet. With war in the air again, his songs seem not only relevant, but prescient.
JACKSON Browne is the man who sailed around his soul and discovered the world. For 30 years, he has charted this voyage through song.
To many people familiar only with radio-friendly songs such as Take It Easy and Stay, he is the quintessential, gentle-on-the-ears songwriter who bobs up with a new album every so often, but whose heyday was a long time ago - in the golden summer of southern California in the '70s, under the palm trees with The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac.
Beneath the shimmering, however, runs a stream of social activism that bubbles to the surface, becomes public knowledge then returns to its quiet depths. To most who know his work, he is the everyman who gives voice to the everyday fears and form to the everyday shadows of life. From the '60s to the mid-'80s that was how he was perceived, but then came two overtly political albums, Lives in the Balance and World in Motion.
Sixteen years ago, Browne wrote: "I've been waiting for something to happen/for a week or a month or a year/with the blood in the ink of the headlines/and the sound of the crowd in my ear/you might ask what it takes to remember/when you know that you've seen it before/where a government lies to a people/and a country is drifting to war."
At the time, Browne says, that song, Lives in the Balance, was received cautiously. He told The Sunday Age: "I felt from the audience that they weren't sure about hearing about United States foreign policy. In the ensuing years people now know so much about it, that it (the song) gets probably the strongest response of almost anything. There's a kind of resounding . . . affirmation of the song."
Memory and history are important to Browne. Without memory, there is no history, and without history there is nothing. "We seem to be suffering a collective amnesia," he says.
His concern for the health of his country is evident in the song Casino Nation from his latest album The Naked Ride Home. The dominant and repeated image is of a people shaped "like a hammer shapes a hand" - an image he says he appropriated from an editorial in The Nation magazine. The song's first verse goes: "In a weapons-producing nation under Jesus/in the fabled crucible of the free world/camera crews search for clues amid the detritus/and entertainment shapes the land/the way the hammer shapes the hand."
"The style of the song is a kaleidoscopic, impressionistic view of all types of compounding things," he says. "We are shaped by the things that we do and what we produce."
Another signpost in that song is the reference to a place called Ruby Ridge in Idaho ("Must sound like an Australian wine," he jokes). The subject, though, is more serious. In echoes of the many deaths of Branch Davidians during the FBI siege at Waco, Texas, a gun battle erupted between federal officials and a family in which a US Marshal and several family members and a friend died. What bothers Browne, as he says in the song, is "justice fully clothed to hide the heart of glass/that shatters in a thousand Ruby Ridges/And everywhere the good prepare for perpetual war".
"I don't align myself with any of the vigilante groups or militias who generally occupy the right so far so that they come back around you and have a lot in common with the radical left," he says. "But what I liked about that image was the idea of blood-shattered glass and the thousand sharp edges that are produced - the ideal of justice for all being shattered.
"It doesn't matter that I'm not a white supremacist or isolationist . . . Nor am I even a Christian with a weapons hoard trying to set up a new faith in Texas, but it's clear that those people were denied their rights and due process."
To anyone stuck in the needle groove of Running on Empty and Browne's earlier period, this may come as something of a shock. This is the man who sang of taking it easy with seven women on his mind? Maybe he's just been growing up, maybe he has been slowly changing by degrees his latitudes and longitudes, maybe it's always been there in the background.
Jackson Browne was born in 1948 in Germany, the son of an Army father who also was a good enough pianist to play alongside the legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. When Browne was three, the family moved back to California.
He came to music though listening to a couple of school friends, Steve Noonan and Greg Copeland, who used to perform mainly bluegrass music. "They would play before school in the quad so I would hear a lot of Foggy Mountain Dew," Browne told a radio program last year. "So I had an eclectic Appalachian music influence."
Copeland is still a good friend, and someone Browne admires for his determination to make music on his own terms, that is, outside of the music industry. Browne produced Copeland's one album, Revenge Will Come. Copeland, who is a lawyer, did, however, co-write the song The Fairest of the Seasons, which was used in the film The Royal Tenenbaums. "Greg has the same grudge about entertainment and the role that it plays that I do," Browne says, "So he wants to make music and he wants to sidestep the industry."
Browne, however, knew that he wanted to make music. He took to the folk circuit in his late teens to early twenties and played with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for a short period. Like other singer-songwriters, he came to prominence through other, more established artists recording his songs, notably Tom Rush, Nico, Linda Ronstadt and the Byrds.
He signed with Asylum Records in 1971 and hit paydirt with the Top 10 hit single Doctor My Eyes from his debut album commonly known as Saturate Before Using. But it was Take It Easy, which he wrote with Glenn Frey, that brought him to greater attention. The song was a massive hit for the Eagles. His second album, Late for the Sky, while a critical success, didn't consolidate his chart breakthrough. In the mid-'70s came critical acclaim and commercial impact with the album The Pretender. The following year, Browne released Running on Empty, an audio documentary of life on the road, which reached No 3 on the charts. His next album, Hold On, released in 1980, continued that success.
It was during this time of his greatest commercial reward that Browne also began to publicly explore social and environmental issues. In March, 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant had a meltdown. Six months later, Browne was starring in the protest concert Musicians United for Safe Energy. It has been a signature of his career, be it large-scale or grassroots events, that Browne will give his talent and support to such issues.
Browne sees the role of the artist not merely to entertain ("I'm fairly ambivalent about fame," he says), but to question.
"I think one of the functions of artists is to generate questions," he says, "to provoke thought and dialogue, that's certainly needed, and to some degree, they're (the questions) not even the right ones.
"There's quite a lot of talk about a war on terror, but not very many people talk about what has produced the conditions that have bred this problem."
Lives in the Balance and World in Motion contain several songs that go to the heart of American foreign policy and the psyche of his nation. Indeed, the concerns raised then are equally valid today. In a paradox that may go some way to explaining his views towards mass entertainment, at the time of these albums, which failed to reach the heights of their predecessors, his profile rose for all the wrong reasons. He had a relationship with the actor Daryl Hannah. On both Lives in the Balance and World in Motion, he thanks Hannah. But the pair broke up in the late '80s in a public split that splashed his and her names across tabloid scandal sheets and TV shows.
Four years after the break-up, Browne released I'm Alive, a deeply personal, thinly veiled portrayal of their relationship and its aftermath. Browne has been married twice. His first wife, Phyllis Major, died in 1976. His second marriage was to Australian Lynne Sweeney, which ended in divorce. He has two sons, Ethan and Ryan.
Since the break-up with Hannah, there have been only two albums, Looking East, in 1996, and last year's The Naked Ride Home.
Browne may have been absent from record company release schedules, but his influence and conscience were being felt at another level.
If his profile is low in terms of record releases then that is because he is very busy in other ways. For example, and this could be any year, in 1999 part of his schedule was: benefit concerts for WOMAD in South Africa; against the death penalty in Tennessee; the Songbird Foundation (an organisation that uses performers to publicise the decline of songbirds through habitat destruction); for coastal conservation; to save the Yellowstone buffalo; to raise money for academic programs; and to aid Native American cultures.
One such example is in his work to bring to a wider audience the work of John Trudell, a Native American poet, songwriter and champion of indigenous people's rights. Browne met Trudell in the late '70s and since then has been instrumental in getting his music recorded. Browne is also aware that in raising Trudell's profile he may well be helping to keep him alive. "There were a great many unsolved murders of Indian activists in the '70s," Browne says. "It was the work of death squads."
There is an Australian connection, in that Trudell toured with Midnight Oil in the US. Browne saw them both perform in New York, but he wonders "how thoroughly people understood what Peter (Garrett) was talking about in the context of the songs".
On hearing of Garrett's resignation from the Oils and speculation of a move into politics, Browne believes that "he really should. He's needed and he's effective. I enjoy talking with him".
Browne doesn't see that music and politics are mutually exclusive. "People tend to make a separation between activism, music or entertainment or what we do for joy, but in fact there's a place where they come together."
It's this centrepoint that is the opposite of what drives the pop industry. "You can't compete with youth and the appearance of being new, not in this culture anyway," Browne says. "Any group of good-looking guys set the expectations for success at a level that is unrealistic. Those guys come and go."
They're the pretenders, he might well add.
One of Browne's great friends who has made a career in part by pricking at pretence is Warren Zevon. For many years, Zevon wrote, "Thanks always to Jackson" on his liner notes. Now Zevon is dying of cancer, but he is still working. "I've spoken to him a couple of times in the last few months," Browne says. "How can I say this? He's working, at a certain point I'm unable to help except to be his admirer. I was one of his first fans. I want him to sense that I'm there, but I don't want to crowd him. He played me some stuff that he's done and it's just incredible."
Last year, Browne received the John Steinbeck Award for his work. He joined film maker John Sayles, playwright Arthur Miller and songwriter Bruce Springsteen as fellow recipients who have produced art that embraces similar concerns and themes on society and the environment as that of the Nobel prizewinner.
To Browne, it was an honour "to be thought of as having embraced some of the same terrain and ideas (as Steinbeck) even though song lyrics cannot be compared with novels".
But the strength of songs, to Browne, is in their power to transport a listener with "impressionistic and interpretative images".
"Song lyrics can travel far and can go places that books can't," he says.
They can, in fact, circumnavigate a man's soul, and that's a voyage worth charting.
Jackson Browne will perform in Melbourne on February 21 and 22.
THE FACTS
BORN Heidelberg, Germany, 1948.
MARRIED Twice, has two sons Ethan and Ryan.
CAREER Played with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, before going solo. One of his co-compositions, Take It Easy, was a big hit for the Eagles. Gained greater fame with albums The Pretender and Running on Empty. Heavily involved with social and conservation issues. Received the John Steinbeck Award in recognition of his work on the themes of society and the environment.
I've been a JB fan since I was in high school in the late 70's. Unfortunately, I had never been to a concert until last May, when I saw his Greensboro, NC show. It was one of the most enjoyable nights I've ever had! So my husband has given me 2 tickets to JB's 3/7 London concert (for my 40th birthday!). I am so excited to have the opportunity to see him perform again! I'm now in the midst of planning a trip to London. If there are any British fans out there who would like to make suggestions of places to go before or after the show, I would love to hear from them. Email me at triciajd@bellsouth.net Thanks, Russ.
"Auckland Concert Review from the New Zealand Herald"
Jackson Browne at the Civic Theatre
12.02.2003 By PETER CALDER
Singer-songwriter Browne has been here twice before - on a crammed bill for a Rainbow Warrior concert and when he played an invite-only, radio-theatre concert.
But Monday night's gig, led with a short, well-received opening set by local songsmith Marvey King, was his first headline appearance and he made up for lost time with a 20-song, two-hour-plus show.
"They wanted us to take Auckland off the itinerary because it's so far to come but we wouldn't hear of it," Browne said to enthusiastic applause from the 1400-strong crowd.
The set list emphasised his later work - seven of the 10 songs on his new album The Naked Ride Home made a mid-concert stream interrupted only by the title track from his best-selling album, Late For The Sky.
That's hardly surprising since the on-stage lineup is the same as the albums, augmented by guitarist Val McCallum and backing vocalist/percussionist Catherine Russell into a solid, if conventional combo.
But the audience, sprinkled with a few younger faces who must have found Browne mid-career, included mostly diehard fans.
Though the applause for the new stuff was more than polite, it was the classics they had come for.
Browne made an easy and affable stage presence as he wrestled to tune an array of guitars, including a smudged and battered Gibson not much younger than the 55-year-old musician. The familiar songs were welcomed like the old friends they are and for the most part they landed shining like brand new.
These Days was rearranged from the slow original into a rolling, upbeat folk song and ended up seeming somehow inconsequential as a result - but early work such as Rock Me On The Water and a barnstorming second-encore finale of Doctor My Eyes were impressive, beefed-up facsimiles of the originals with Browne in fine voice.
The band, led by the unshowy guitar of Mark Goldenberg and powered by the driving and occasionally ornate bass of Kevin McCormick (who shares writing credits with Browne on the new album), was exemplary even if some of the later compositions seemed too slight to bear the sheer weight of the musicianship shovelled into them.
And the show, as a whole, lacked the light and shade that an intimate acoustic bracket might have lent it.
But Browne shouldn't have inferred the warmth of the reception from the crowd's timid, muted contribution to the 1960 Maurice Williams classic Stay.
He and that stunning back catalogue, in particular, are welcome back here any time.
Jackson stuns Brizzy...
Jackson was superb last night.
In my opinion this was the best concert I have ever seen him play! I don't always say that (seen him maybe 15 times) but last night the band...the songs...the chords...the 23 guitars on stage!!!...just incredible.
Even more astounding was this: the crowd were *totally quiet* between songs. I have never ever seen this at a Jackson Browne concert before. I don't quite know why. Has anyone else witnessed this? I bet not. My guess is that the concert had such anticipation (this was the first Australian gig of the tour, and is the only 2nd show at the same venue in the whole Australasian tour, and was the added show after the first sold out). Maybe it was full of true believers who were there as much top pray for the pretender, as to attend one of the greatest rock concerts of our times. I dunno. Certainly the atmosphere was one of incredible reverence and respect. Jackson made fun of us, I think, in his usual elliptic subtle paradoxical way by saying how the previous night he saw Dylan (also here!) and how Dylan never says a thing between songs! So he had to fill in the gaps for us with a fair bit of very pleasant and personable banter. He made many references and glances to the balacony where his beloved was sitting.
The sound was superb. I was centre 2nd row and the playing of the band could not have been any tighter. They played a set list to the T. The ONLY time an audience member shouted out anything in request-mode was a distant call for "Pretender!"...and he said, "yep, comin' right up...was going to play that one anyway!". Indeed, that was the song I was about to call out at that moment too! So I guess the whole audience was "in tune" with the man.
Mark Goldenberg (guitar extraordinaire) and Kevin McCormick (bass) are like the Two Towers. Jeff is solid as a rock - they both just frame Jackson perfectly. The black girl from New York [Catherine Russell] is superb on gospel vocals. And the new guy [Val McCallum] plays the funkiest guitars on stage! The whole band is providing the best platform I have seen him with thus far. One question I have for the musos is what is that new guitar Jackson plays - seems to have a little speaker in the body! Odd.
After I met a guy who runs a record and memorabilia shop here (Atlantis Music) who reckoned it was maybe the best concert he had *ever* seen - and he's an afficionado. And he and another guy and me admitted to the 'ol' tears welling up during parts of the show (secret men's business :). I would have to say "Fountain of Sorrow" was especially moving and I could see that Jackson himself really got into the depths of that song.
I am going to the Friday 14th sold out show too - and guess that the full audience will get a bit crazy and call out more stuff. We'll see. Last night's was about 70-80% full (as the only extra concert put on in Oz, not bad!).
Happy Valentines Day to you all!
Dear Jackson Browne,
You are a talented songwriter. I love your music alot. The CDs that i have are, running on empty, the next voice you hear, i'm alive, looking east. i would love to see you in concert! My favorite songs are, running on empty, the load-out, doctor my eyes, somebody's baby, etc. You just look like a nice guy. You have a gift of musical talent. And i really mean it! And i would like to meet you someday?
your big fan,
Jackson appeared a lot more relaxed & comfortable at this his second Brisbane concert in 3 days. He was more chatty, his body swayed to the music & he felt the need to occasionaly retune his guitars (always a good sign he is into the show) where as previously he only played around with the control to his bionic ear! He commented through the show "what a difference a day makes"
A different set list this time, starting with Somebodies Baby & ending with For a Rocker which realy sent people off on a high.
So if the concert on Wednesday was great this one was superb, the emotion JB put into the songs could be felt by everyone in the audience.
A young girl (maybe 12-15yrs old) approached the stage after the first encore for him to sign a CD, JB said this isnt my cd! but signed it any way which brought loud applause from the crowd. How many artists would do this?
Before & after the show I had the pleasure to meet up with some fellow list members, BJ from Vermont, Ange from NZ, Elaine from Melbourne, Katrina & her daughter Kirsten from NSW & Paul & Mira Treffner from Qld who are all off to see more JB shows in the next week.
Anyone seeing this show in the next few months will not be disappointed, people are in for a real treat, there are no poor JB shows, they just get better!
We spoke with the tour manager after the show who commented that it was a punishing schedule over the coming months.
Jackson said he would be marching in Sydney for the NO War rally on Sunday, my wife & I will be marching in Brisbane, we have never marched before but feeled compelled to express our feelings some how & with no elections due this is the best way to be seen & heard.
"When the roads were as many as the places I had dreamed of"
I have two tickets to Jackson Browne's concert on March 28 at the Dome in Brighton, England. Unfortunately I am unable to go to this particular show and would like to sell my tickets at face value. The seats are excellent, 6 rows from the front of the stage, but unfortunately not next to each other (fairly close, though). I paid exactly $61.50 per ticket. Could you please post this on your website with my e-mail address? Anyone interested should contact me via e-mail. Thanks.
I'm not one to write on these fan mail internet things but felt the need so here goes. I'll start on a low note first and finish on a more optimistic one so no-one will really hate me at the end of it all(????)
Tell me if I am wrong but I have a hard time understanding why someone would come 6000 miles and probably do a total of another 6000 miles around this vast continent to entertain his followers/fans and I presume to keep his them following him and yet not give one piddly little autograph to them. I'm sure it was given to the media and the so called guests(whoever they are) but not to the fans who paid in excess of a $120 a seat and paying more if they travelled to the Hunter Valley, to see him and tried there to get his autograph on the new CD (like me!!!) without success. I mean if he finds it all a big bore meeting and greeting the audience at a personal level (which I can understand on occasions) then he shouldn't have worried as Australians just don't get that excited so he would not have been inundated with a bunch of crazies (except me!!!.) The thing that really annoyed me though was I being led up the 'garden path' when I was informed that Jackson was signing in a particular tent for 5 minutes or would be in the foyer of the Opera House to meet and greet and it was just all a load of rubbish. I mean my time is valuable to.....my friends had a glass of wine waiting for me in one of the outdoor bars at the Opera House!! Also what is wrong with those Roadies?. I was very polite and they had to be some of the most ignorant, rudest morons I have ever met not that I want to get personal or anything. One of them with an American accent, a revolting little rotund man, told me to come back the next night to get the autograph, what an idiot he was to think I was that gullible or that desperate. I suppose I didn't help the situation by taking off his American accent ( which may I say is a very nice accent).It was meant to be funny unfortunately I didn't realise that he had been born without a sense of humor. I mean it's not my fault some of them didn't get a decent education and that this is the job they are stuck with. I actually started to feel sorry for Jackson that he had been surrounded by people like that for the last 30 years but that only lasted 3 seconds. Anyway to finish off the low note Jackson, next time it would be greatly appreciated if we could get a definite YES or NO with regards to the autograph thing so we don't get jerked around. I noticed looking around at the Opera House that your fans are starting to look a lot older over here. I would think in order to keep the numbers up it would probably be a good idea to keep your younger fans happy by doing those little, little things otherwise you might find next time you come out you either have a much depleted audience or, god forbid, have no-one to play to (except me) as most of your fans will have died of a heart attack due to old age or it is just all too difficult to go out with the walking frame.
Anyway enough of lows, onto a high note. The concert at the Opera House was terrific and a lot fun. Jackson obviously was excited about playing there, he had a funny looking smerk on his face I think. The band appeared more relaxed, I thought, than the Hunter Valley wine concert, however, the fans were a lot more relaxed at the Hunter Valley than the Opera House for obvious reasons.Taking the request for Rosie was a nice touch as none of the requests at the Hunter Valley were sung (if my memory serves me well as I had drunk a few (small) glasses of wine by the time Jackson came on). Some of the songs like 'Culver Moon' which I have never liked actually is a great song when you hear it live. Introducing the didgeridoos played by two of Australia's aborigines to the song the 'Last Voice You Hear' was just fantastic. I have no idea how they can play that instrument but I think that was the best song of the whole night. In fact I just had a "brillant idea" I think Jackson should add the didgeridoo to his band!!! I was very impressed when he sang 'These Days' and mentioned that he wrote that song when he was 16!! What a clever fellow! He sang my favourite Fountain of Sorrow and lots of other good ones like Rock Me on the Water and a lot from his new CD etc etc. All good.
Anyway a great night but it would have been a GREATER night had I got that bloody autograph. I was on a mission to get it and I failed....badly.
Hi Russ,
I like your site a lot, and I went to the concert last night at the Sydney Opera House. Following is my review, which I hope you can post on your site:
Dave's Sydney Concert Review-18/02/03
Well, let me kick off by saying I'm a major fan of Jackson Browne, ever since I sawa Rolling Stone special in 1992, where Jackson did a song "Running on Empty", which in my mind still rates as one of the greatest songs of all time. It got me at a period where every word struck true, and it was a great intro into the world of Jackson Browne. I then basically went down to a local library and borrowed a whole stack of Jackson CDs, which one by one, blew my mind. I was 18, and to me he is just the greatest inspiration, and just a really consistently great writer and musician.
So many years have passed, where I actually finished Uni and had money, so I started to buy Jackson CD's, my faves being Hold Out and Late for the Sky, but liking bascially everything. But I have never had the oppurtunity to see him play live, but that wish was finally granted last night, at the Sydney Opera House. I was extremely hyped, and went along to see him with my sister, who is also a big fan. (But not as big! :-) )
The opeing act was Renee Geyer, who has an excellent voice herself, and was very popular with the crowd. Due to a snafu with the ticketing company, even tho I bought tickets in the first 5 minutes of them going on sale, we had seats up the back, but with the elevation and my new binoculours they were actually good seats. I say that without irony. :-) Well, not much anyway.
Jackson came out, looking mellow and in black pants and a grey and white shirt. He looks incredibley good, and I sure hope I look that good at 54!! Again and again in the concert I thought how little he has changed since his glory days of the 1970's, even while his music has developed and his themes have also changed somewhat.
He kicked off with "Somebody's Baby", which buzzed along very nicely, and got the crowd going. I can't recall the exact set list as I was a bit excited, but I recall he did "The Night Inside me", which I really like from the new CD, and then did one of my personal faves, "Barricades of Heaven", a song from 'Looking East: which I rate among Jackson's best. He dedicated this one to his son, who is apparently growing up in Sydney. I loved it.
Poeple started calling out names of songs, requesting them and Jackson did play "Rosie" from Running on Empty, as a request, and he played it very well, but he did have to warn ppl that if he played requests, songs would have to be taken out of the programme. But he did squeeze an extra song in, which was very good of him, because all the hard-core fans have their personal favourites, and I can imagine he must be pretty used to it by now!! :-) Somehow I resisted screaming out "Late for the Sky" or "Fountain of Sorrow" as these are probably my two fave Jackson songs!!!!
But lo and behold, lo and behold, (as Dylan would say:-) ), all of a sudden there was Jackson singing 'Fountain of Sorrow" and he did a magnificent version, really going for that great emotion which is in all of his best songs. I loved it, and I had the binocoluars trained on the J Man, and it was totally cool.
From here on, I'm a bit more sketchy as I got distracted by the moment, he did "Casino Nation", "The Naked Ride Home" (which is five stars IMO), "Culver City" (a good song off "Looking East") , "Baby, how long?" which was a duet with Renee Geyer, and very good-and here I have to mention his band was super-tight , and also the woman doing backing vocals was excellent-a great band.
Now to the final highlights: now OF COURSE OF COURSE I spent the whole concert waiting for "Running on Empty", and even tho i figured he would play it, I didn't want to take it for granted: but it was sweet Justice when suddenly Jackson cut loose with that opening and we were into Running on Empty!!! :-) I LOVED IT!!!!! And he followed that up with "The Load-Out" and "Stay", before totally pleasing my sister with "Doctor my Eyes" which was a totally excellent version and had the crowd singing along!!!!!!!
Final notes: Three other great older songs: "Rock me on the Water" and "The Pretender" and "These Days" were also played and they kicked ass!! Impossinble to pick a highlight really, because all three bring up such strong emotions in me. Jackson is a really great perfromer, and I can say it was well worth the wait. 5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-) A great night!!!!!!!!
I have seen Jackson play in Sydney on three previous occasions, but I don't recall feeling the same level of excitement and anticipation as I did on Tuesday evening. The crowd was buzzing as they filled every seat (about 3000) of the Concert Hall of the world famous Sydney Opera House.
Renee Geyer, who preceded Jackson on Stage in a great support set, announced to the audience that we were about to experience something very specialÉ..and that Jackson is "the greatest" There was no argument about that statement from anyone in the crowd.
Jackson made his usual low key entrance onto the stage at 9.00pm, followed by the band. He was dressed in black pants with a contrasting grey patterned shirt, and sleeves rolled up.
He launched into Somebody's Baby, and immediately had the crowd in good spirits. After this opener, Jackson announced that he was "so glad to be back in Sydney" and that he had been looking forward to playing at the Opera House. He seemed relaxed and was sounding great in his next song The Night Inside Me.
Jackson then strolled to his keyboard and sang a very different version of the classic Fountain of Sorrow. It was just brilliant and the audience loved it. Jackson explained that his next song was about his own life as a teenager growing up with his friends in Southern California. He wanted to dedicate the song to his son, who is now growing up with his own friends here in Sydney. It was obviously a very poignant moment for Jackson and Barricades of Heaven could not have been sung with a better sentiment in mind.
After a stirring rendition of Casino Nation someone in the audience requested Rosie. Jackson turned to Catherine Russell (Percussion and Harmonies) and explained that she couldn't sing on Rosie as only the "boys could do it justice". It was the only request Jackson took, and it was all done in good humour.
Jackson then went way back with a great version of Rock Me on The Water. At this point of the concert Jackson introduced Bart Willoughby and Matt Goodwin, who accompanied Jackson and the Band on Didgeridoo on The Next Voice You Hear.
Jackson told the audience that he had marched on the previous Sunday in the peace rally in Sydney, which had attracted 250,000 protestors. He said he was pleased to see so many protests in so many places around the world. The audience, many of who had obviously joined Jackson at the march, cheered.
Jackson introduced his next song Never Stop as a song about a struggle to stay in love. About My Imagination followed which was great, but what followed next was one of the highlights of the night. Jackson said he wrote These Days when he was 16, and that it had been covered many times by many artists. He also noted wryly that he heard it in a film recently, but couldn't recall giving his permission. I have never heard him sing a better version.
Jackson, who was in an amiable and chatty mood, spoke of the differences between the freeway networks in Southern California and Sydney. He said that he had been using the freeways often whilst driving his son (who has his own band) around Sydney. He said that what happened in his next song may or may not have occurred, but if it did, it would have happened in California and not Sydney. It was a great story and the perfect prelude to The Naked Ride Home.
For Taking The Trouble was followed by Baby How Long (accompanied by Renee Geyer) and Culver Moon.
Jackson gave a very descriptive (and very funny) description of the Angelyne billboards referred to in Culver Moon.
Jackson then really surprised with a beautiful solo rendition of Sleeps Dark and Silent Gate.
Whilst many were pleased to hear Jackson's new songs, (in my opinion, The Naked Ride Home album ranks alongside his debut album Jackson Browne, Late for the Sky and I'm Alive as his best works) most were there to hear his classics. He finished his set with a quartet that left the audience completely satisfied.
The Pretender was followed by Running on Empty, after which Jackson left the stage to a spontaneous standing ovation. Jackson returned to an audience still on their feet to sing The Load Out/ Stay and then finished the concert with a thumping version of Doctor My Eyes.
Jackson really enjoyed himself on stage tonight and it came through in his performance. He was superb and his band was brilliant. Whilst watching Jackson tonight, I couldn't help but get the impression that Jackson felt very much at home here in Sydney. I can only hope that he visits us more often.
Hello!
It's really nice to read the consert rewiews from the Australian tour. It seems like our great expectations can be fulfilled when he comes to Euroupe.
I have two tickets for Jackson Browne's concert on March 6 at Hammersmith Apollo in London. Unfortunately, things have come up, we can't go to London that day (but luckily we get the chance to see Jackson i Stockholm later on). So if someone is interested in buying the two London tickets, please contact me via e-mail. I guess the seats are quite good: circle, row H. Many thanks!
Dear Adrienne D.:
Did it ever occur to you that maybe your snobby attitude persuaded the roadies to treat you the way they did. I have seen Jackson Browne probably more times that anyone not on tour with him (at least 30 in the last 4 years). I have had nothing but great experiences with Jackson personally and his staff. He has given me his autograph, back stage passes, many pleasant conversations on a one to one level. His staff has been nothing but cordial with me. It's all a matter of your persona and attitude. Do you realize how many thousands of people are constantly wanting something from him? Naturally he will instruct his staff to screen the people. I can rest assured that you were immeditely on the "DON'T LIST". Next time try a little patience and you may get somewhere... I am not about ready to have a heart attack either!!!!!
Still a Jackson fan forever....
Regards,
Hi Russ,
This is the first time I have written. I have enjoyed your site for over two yrs. I think it is actually more informative than Jackson's. As for The Naked Ride Home, man, call it what you want,(homerun, touchdown, a really well cut diamond) I think it is really a mature album. I have cut my teeth with Jackson's music. I have been a fan since he first came to Greensboro opening for America.
In 1994 I got the chance to meet Jackson. I went to the Charlotte, NC show (Carowinds Pavillion). Jackson did a benefit hosted by Jill (then Barger) Earnhardt. We had a great time. If you're out there Jilly drop me a line. Jill had met Jackson yrs earlier and he did an Aids benefit after the show.
The concert was awesome. Meeting Jackson was great. I was afraid he might not live up to my expectations (so what). He was very gracious and made sure everyone felt at home. Jill and I became friends. At this time, she was caring for a darling little girl born HIV pos. She was 6 at the time and had Aids. Eisha died the next year. I remember Jackson carrying Eisha around for a long time. When he spoke I took Eisha from Jackson. I have a video of the event. I take it out and look at it every now and then. I really don't need to much, for it is a memory I have etched deep.
The next yr. in Greenville S.C. Jackson dedicated Rock Me On The Water to Eisha. That was at the Looking East tour.
Hopefully we have all matured and yes we want to be there when the trumpet blows... And yes I am to be one of those he is coming back for.
Rock on Jackson. Hope to see you again.
P.S. Last time I saw Jill was at a J.B. concert in Charlotte. She was with the late great Dale Earnhardt, Michael Waltrip, along with Teresa and Buffy. They were headed backstage with Jill after Dale signed my Jackson ticket. I have them framed and hanging in my studio in the basement where friends and I play music. Do you think we cover any JB?
Hello Russ,
Last night at dusk in a picturesque setting in the wine growing region of the Yarra Valley east of Melbourne, Australia, Jackson Brown began a two hour review of his music history to the thrill of over 5,000. "A day on the Green" was reminiscent of the peace concerts before the cessation of the Vietnam War. As we have come accustomed to Browne's straight forward consciousness of world events, he predictably made comment on the Iraq conflict and expressed his pleasure at the Australian people's opposition, to which the crowd responded, giving no elusion as to where their thoughts stood.
Browne's laconic style echoed across the rich vine country on a humid mild night, with favourites such as Stay bringing the crowd hapilly to its feet. The band was tight, played with mood and style and the backing singers sensational. Browne showed that he still has the talent, although his falsetto is now left to the capable support singers. For those thinking of seeing the tour in the UK or beyond - don't hesitate. You will not be disspointed. A first class act!
I apologise if some of the details are a little out, but I only got back to Adelaide this afternoon, and didn't write anything down till now. (yes I flew to Melbourne to see the show... jb is skipping Adelaide completely).
First the basics:
Venue: Palais theatre Melbourne - old and musty venue (spring sticking through my seat I think, but eventually I stopped noticing). Packed out. (I guess that might be Australian for Full House)
Crowd: - very enthusiastic. Funny they all seemed so much older than me... or could I be that old too???....Are we really aging hippies? I looked out for young kids and there were a few there... what am I saying... my kids were at home, laughing at their old mothers' "obsession". I wasn't organised enough to meet up with any listers, but my thanks go to Meredith who shared her binoculars with me! (I was in row W!... but right in front of the piano!).
Outfit: (his not mine! of course you knew that!) Blue Jeans, black shirt with white circle pattern, (hanging out, not tucked in) long sleeves but he rolled them up after about three songs, black leather shoes, usual shiny hair do, and looking incredibly laid back.
General impression: they were really having fun. The whole group seem to have settled in well to each other, to Australia, to the tour and were very relaxed. Jackson was super chatty and really having fun! Even indulged us with four encores! He seemed keen to talk, interacted with the audience (loved the calling for songs "hey you are doing pretty well though.. all of those are mine"), stood at front of stage and played band leader to "audience as roadies" during Stay... was very respectful of his fellow musicians. He also seemed to juxtapose every Daryl song with a Dianna one, and pretty much told us so...when he did TNRH and Mystery Companion back to back!
Set: Sorry, not really in order: Started with Somebody's Baby and finished with For a Rocker (more about that later). Full 2 hours and 35 minutes. In between was Fountain of Sorrow, The night inside me, Something fine ("oh Ok I can play that one now if you like" - retunes guitar, band leaves stage, plays and sings WITH FEELING... beautiful... then tunes guitar back and gets on with what he was planning to play!) (my friend, a non-jackson fan puts in at this stage, "gee he's a really fine musician too isn't he!!" duh!), Rock me on the Water, Barricades of Heaven, Casino Nation, Never Stop, Culver moon (Very very nice version with a great band effort), Sleep's dark and silent gate, Your bright baby blues, These Days, Naked Ride Home, My stunning mystery companion, Baby how long (NOT "how long", he advises us he has one by that name too!!), Lives in the Balance ("not included in the show til my son in Sydney specifically asked me to play it, cos it's relevant for right now"), Dr My Eyes, The pretender, Running on empty (we got Moulin Rouge on video), Load out/ Stay (with much audience participation, see above!). Sorry if I missed one!
Banter: Again, not quoting word for word here, and probably not in the right order... but I'll try.
Early on he said how much he liked Australia and how glad he was to be here. He commented that "especially right at the moment" the appeal of moving here to live was quite strong (crowd calls out "migrate!!"). He banters on about how the band chat with each other "don't you think the food is a little better than last time, don't you think the place is a little nicer than last time... etc" Like they were trying to convince themselves to stay on!!
He talked about the peace marches and said how great it was that we were all getting out there and having our say. He commented that he was sorry he wasn't in US to show his support in marches there, but that he had been to the Sydney march and was glad to be there along side us all (for the record, in my town Adelaide, population 1 million, there were 100,000 people at the march on a wet Sunday morning!). He went on to tell us that we shouldn't be fooled about what we hear from US, and that it is portrayed as though there is no opposition to the war in the US, but in fact there is plenty. He comments on the media and how it reports and goes on to say that one of the better things about Australia is our relatively freer press and the fact that it reports more broadly on such issues (ie is not so misleading or biased... not sure I agree!). I guess he was trying to tell us that the US in general is not all for war, and not to give up trying to change the tide of opinion (in case we were wondering who listened to Australia anyway!!)
Dianna - after singing the Naked Ride Home, he made a special point to say that he had to sing My Stunning Mystery Companion next. Saying TNRH was about the ending of one relationship and Mystery Companion, very much about having moved on to the next one. "One is at the start of my last record and the other is the last song, and that makes sense" He raved for quite a while about Diana. Saying "my girlfriend", then laughing at the term, "I never know quite what to call her, having gone out with her for 10 years 'girlfriend', doesn't seem quite right. Sometimes I call her my wife, you know, in Islamic countries and stuff.(laughs)"
At another time in the concert, when he had finished a song (can't remember which, but in the context I think it was another of the Daryl songs) , someone called for something and he said "Often I'll go where you want, but I really have to sing this one next" and he sang Never Stop. It was like he was very deliberately saying I've been through stuff, but this is where I am now and I'm happy with that.
To follow on with the Australian comments, he also "had a go" at us over our language. He said something like "you know you Aussies, that is one thing you do you know, you are so particular about language. Like today I was talking to this guy and saying how I wanted to see the beach, and the guy says well there's no beach around here it is about an hour away or something. Then I get to the theatre and right behind it is this beach, but no... that's called what ....(audience says Bay)... he laughs and goes "yeah right, that's it, that is a bay". Then he starts to tell us about the Fosters for Beer ads in the US, and he is rambling on, and gets part way through and stops himself and he goes, "you probably have those ads here too right".
Before he played These Days (which was a highlight for me), he is strapping on his guitar and he says. "This is a song I wrote when I was sixteen. This is how I wrote it (for guitar) but when I recorded it I did it on piano, and then not long after I recorded it with someone else and they did it like this and that is the way I've liked to play it ever since". His voice on this was fantastic and kind of in contrast to the original recording when he sounded so young, and it really gave the impression of him reinventing the song, given what he knows about life now. You know how it happens that you listen to a song, and it means something to you, then you hear it again when circumstances have changed, or you know more, and it seems like a new song. It appeared that it can be like that for the writer too, not just the listener.
Speaking of his youth. When he sang Something Fine (done as a solo song), he stopped afterward and said something like "you know when I was young, Morocco was the place to go, everyone wanted to go there, now it's Amsterdam" as though he was apologising for the fact that the song might have aged.... then under his breath he says "or Spain".
He also did a bit of a "growing up" intro to Barricades.
For Culver Moon he did quite a long intro - explaining to us all about LA, and Culver City. This included an attempt to explain Angeline as "a women who puts up all these billboards with herself on them". He said that he knows lots about her because his friend Scott Thurston used to play with/for her (was she a musician??). As he was trying to describe her, he was a bit lost for words and he looks across at Kevin who is gesturing in front of himself to indicate that Angeline has large breasts. Jackson sort of laughs and says, "Oh yeah, like Kev says, "She's blonde" and he gestures as well and they all crack up laughing. He finishes off his word picture by telling us that "she wears pink clothes that (pause) don't fit".
Renee Geyer joins him on stage for Baby How Long (This is where he tells us that it is not How long... thats another song of mine). He tells us what a good friend she (Renee) is and how last time they were in Melbourne she threw a party for them and that is part of why they like Melbourne so much. They seem like good friends and he respects her music (even if she later missed her cue on "Stay") They do Baby How long, by taking turns with the verses, until he sort of lets her take over completely.
After he had played an upbeat number (sorry, which one it was escapes me), he was moving to the piano and someone called "looking into you" and he sort of cocked his head and said "Looking into You? I could do that but it's kind of long, drawn out and sombre, it wouldn't fit here, I'm going to do a short and sombre one instead" (laughs again) and launches into Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate (really beautiful).
This came back to this idea at the end of the concert. He came on for what was to be his last (fourth) encore. He looks kind of bemused and he says. "you know they said back there that we really have gone overtime and we shouldn't play anymore, but they can't figure out how to turn the lights on... so we thought we might as well just keep going". The crowd starts to call out for songs, and he just laughs and says, "you know, this really reminds me now schizoprenic my audience is, some of you are calling out for these really rocky and upbeat numbers and the rest of you are calling for songs about death and stuff". He laughs and looks like he's thinking (the band is waiting for some kind of clue about what instruments they should pick up). He says "you know if it were up to me I'd be playing the death songs (and he chuckles at the band) but I think the moment calls for something more upbeat. Then (while we are all still worrying that the guys out the back might finally work out the light switch) he straps himself into a guitar and they play "for the Rocker". When it is over, he knows he has to go, but he sort of waits for everyone else to leave the stage, gesturing toward each one as they go (as if to say "there goes Val, there goes Mauricio, there goes Catherine etc etc) then with a huge grin on his face he walks off himself. I should add that by this point the venue managers are probably not so worried about the light switch as the fact that half the audience is jamming the aisles to get to the front of house (where are those health and safety regulators when you need them!..NOT).
Anyway. All in all, a pretty fabulous evening. Such a pity I could only manage to escape for one concert. My husband was going to come with me (having never bothered to share my Jackson passion before now.. I can see I am wearing him down like water on a stone), but he had to work at the last minute and couldn't be away....so... I have to confess that I made a feeble attempt to share it with my husband at home, by calling him up on the mobile (cell phone) (don't scowl at me) during Running on Empty. My ten year old daughter answered (she should have been in bed but that is another story), and I could barely hear her over the noise... so all I managed to do was blurt (in what probably sounded like a motherly, gloating kind of voice), "Hi Mads, can you hear that... you're in a Jackson Browne concert!!"... luckily I didn't hear her response, 'cos I think she groaned!
So there you go.. I enjoyed it. Hope you did too!
Thanks for the great work you do, it's a great site Russ. Well, I've just been to Jacksons Melbourne concerts & they were both fantastic. The first at the Palais on friday night and yesterday at Rochford Eyton Winery......I'd been looking forward to this weekend since I got my tickets in early December !! My sister is now a converted Jackson fan after seeing him at Rochford ! Jackson and his band were awesome, seeing & hearing him live again just reinforces what a great talent he is. The concert started with 'Somebody's Baby', following with 'The Night Inside Me'......He said how glad they were to be here in Australia & what a great place Melbourne is.......he's right of course. The set was pretty much the same as that of the Brisbane concerts (set list in earlier e-mail). On the slower songs like 'These Days', 'Fountain of Sorrow' & 'Something Fine' his voice just sounded amazing and I wished I had seats right up close. Renee Geyer was the support act on friday night and she joined Jackson for 'Baby,How Long' which was really good. Catherine Russell, the backing vocalist was pretty impressive, especially on Culver Moon. There were no songs from 'I'm Alive' though......I love that album, would've loved to hear 'Too many Angels' or 'Everywhere I Go'.
The setting at Rochford Winery in the Yarra Valley was wonderful, there were many more people than I'd imagined there would be........a sea of people all having a great day, eating, drinking & enjoying the music. We arrived pretty early so we could get a good spot up the front; no deck chairs, though that didn't make much difference 'cos when Jackson came on......everyone up the front stood up, others came from wherever else they were sitting & it remained that way till the end of the show!
'Running on Empty' really got the crowd going & the Load Out/Stay had the crowd joining in......it was fanstastic, loved it......and when 'For a Rocker' started I was sad that would be the last song......
I'd hoped that Jackson might do the 'meet the fans thing' after the shows, but no luck there.........I just wanted to meet him, have him smile & 'autograph' one of my LP covers !!!!
Remembering where we'd parked the car.......in a flood of headlights.........well that's another story.
To all of you yet to attend a concert.......You'll love it !! Cheers
I think lots of fans here were disappointed that Lives in the Balance didn't get performed.
WA is the base of the Special Air Services regiment which is the main element of Australia's forward deployment in the Persian Gulf. Despite that and the campaign by our government to justify an act of unprovoked aggression in the name of peace, opinion polls show our community is 70% against a unilateral strike in Iraq.
Lots of people paid to go and see Jackson Browne because he has espoused sentiments such as the lyrics of Lives in the Balance. At an earlier performance of his in Perth he held up an Australian one dollar coin that celebrated the UN year of Peace and said how gratifying it was to see. At this concert we got good music, but less heart than some had anticipated.
Just looking at the fans comments page and nothing about last nights concert at Kings Park so I thought I would contribute.
What a great night!
The band was loud and tight.
The songs were well chosen.
Jackson was in fine form with the 'between song banter'. And, best of all, the Perth crowd went wild - Jackson's words not mine.
The concert was outdoor and the specially constructed stage built over and behind a duck pond. During the song 'The Naked Ride Home' a lady in her just her underwear took the plunge into the, now quite chilly, waters. The crowd egged her on, not that she needed it, and from that moment on the barrier between those on stage and those in the audience was lifted.
Jackson commented that it was fortunate his girlfriend had flown home the day before - I can only assume that our girl bared all at some stage (an obvious attempt to interpret the lyric as accurately as possible). Although she was escorted away by security at the songs conclusion it wasn't long before she returned during 'Running on Empty'. This time quickly joined by many other brave and soon to be very wet dancing fans.
It was quite a sight - 7000 fans on their feet, the now 100 or so strong synchronised swimmers and the lights picking up the spray as they kicked up the normally tranquil waters.
Jackson and the band went up a gear and played like I've never heard them before - wow, I was so pleased to be there.
Russ
Love your site - I've been visiting it regularly for years.
Jackson's evening concert in Perth's King's Park last night was a stand out! The concert took place on a warm Perth Summer night, in a beautiful grassed amphitheatre, with the stage set behind a large pond that is normally home to dozens of Pacific Black ducks. Throughout the concert ducks were flying past the stage, causing Jackson some obvious amusement. In relation to the current world events, he opined that maybe there was something relevant to us all about it hopefully being safe soon for the ducks to come home.
He was also amused, and almost lost for words, when during The Naked Ride Home a woman from the audience walked scantily clad (not naked!) into the pond and proceeded to dance to the music. Unfortunately the security personnel overreacted as normal and performed The Almost Naked Ride Out The Door.
The concert itself was wonderful. It started a little sedately, with Jackson seeming a little jet lagged after a rush from the East Coast where he had performed the night before. Things quickly warmed up though. If there was one song I was desperate to hear it was Barricades of Heaven. When Jackson introduced it my 13 year old daughter and I exclaimed "Yes!" in unison. We were not disappointed - a great song from a vastly underrated album . The set containing a few surprises. In response to calls from the crowd he performed Everywhere I Go from I'm Alive and a beautiful version of Rosie off Running on Empty. The latter was performed almost reluctantly: "You want Rosie? I don't think I want to hear Rosie. Does anyone else want to hear Rosie?" Enough fans indicated they did, and Jackson very generously gave it his all. Afterwards he good-humouredly ribbed the band about the backing vocals.
While many of the crowd were not familiar with Jackson's recent material and might not have got into the early part of the concert as much as some of us diehards, Jackson brought out everything they wanted to hear in the second half. After a riveting Doctor My Eyes, the whole crowd was rocking and before he had even got to the word "freeway" in The Pretender, people had started filing into the duck pond and Jackson rocked them on the water. For the last 4 songs the whole crowd was on their feet, the pond was full (the security guys had given up) and Kings Park was shaking.
This was the first concert I had taken my 13 and 8 year old children to. They both had a ball and hopefully Jackson's show last night can be their benchmark. Maybe one day they might see a performer with more talent as a lyricist and musician or more humanity and generosity of spirit, a backing band with more authority and class, or enjoy a better venue for an open air concert. Until then and hopefully thereafter, they'll remember the night of their first concert as a magical experience, as I always will.
For the record, the song list:
Review from The West Australian - Tues Feb 25th 2003
For the WA Zevon
Massive
Hi, all, just back from seeing Jackson Browne in King's Park, Perth - really good gig, tight band, jackson looking fine. Nice mix of old and new stuff. Lovely, balmy Perth evening, gig livened up a lot when lots of us got into the large duck pond in front of the stage to dance. Wet but warm.
I went with the rest of the WA Zevon Massive (Mark) and took a placard saying "ONE FOR WARREN PLEASE!". Jackson saw it, gave me the thumbs up sign, as did a few of the other band members, and for the last encore said "There's a sign down there asking for one for Warren - this one is dedicated to Warren Zevon" - they went straight into "For a Rocker" and the concert ended on one of the best personal buzzes I've had.
I got into Warren's music through the Jackson Browne link. To hear him doing tracks like "Late for the Sky" live would have been good enough, but the response to my sign made it ................PERFECT!!!
Catch the JB tour if you possibly can, and keep the tradition going!
All the very best
hi russ,
This is a request for jackson's fans to make a much needed staement. when i got tnrh cd one of the songs i passed over was casino nation. at first listen, it did not have the beauty of my stunning mystery companion or the spirituality of don't you want to be there. this morning i got the cd out and for the first time really listened to casino nation. the song paints with frightening accuracy where we are headed under the bush administration. we are facing unprecedented deficits, all of our children are left behind with the unfunded leave no child behind illusion, we are facing a certain alienation of 40% of the people of the world with an ill advised war, the bush recovery means working employed, but under employed (how many people did you know in the mid 90's not doing what they were trained to do----how many do you know now?). with the bush administration we are creating a future that is frightful. No one could have imagined our country sinking so far so fast. remember when president clinton went to ireland and 200,000 to 300,000 admirers turned out for him. in your wildest dreams can you imagine that happening for george bush. can you even imagine him going to europe on a good will tour?
when i grew up in the early 70's i thought music could change the world and it did! songs like wooden ships helped end the viet nam war. jackson, himself, can take a great deal of credit for the moratorium of nuclear power plant construction. without the muse movement, i am not sure we would have stopped building them.
we are at such a crossroads now and i for one still believe that music can change the world. the first song written that openly questions bush is casino nation. I ask all of the readers of this site to listen to the song and call up at least 5 stations per day during the month of march requesting it to be played. one close listen hits you like a brick in the face. bush is gambling with our future. please start a groundswell to have others listen to this incrediable song and to get others to think about what we are doing if we remain on this destructive course. thank you
Calling all JB fans going to the UK gigs over the next few weeks, but especially the next week.
My wife and I have tickets for three of his dates at Hammersmith, Birmingham and Warwick, however wife has suddenly had to go into hospital as of yesterday and is desperately hoping this isn't going to cause her to miss next weeks shows (wild horses wouldn't keep her away under any other circumstances!) Being as how this is the first time we will have got to see him live, and she's convinced she's going to burst into tears the second he hits the stage, virtually the whole CD collection and a discman are now at her hospital bedside, keeping her spirits up.
It would really give her a lift to see the UK setlists and fan reviews hitting the site as Jackson's fans give vent to their experiences, which judging by the Australia reviews should be pretty good.
So come on the UK, get those lists and reviews posted ASAP and hopefully we'll be there on our three nights.
Cheers everyone.
Hi JB Fans,
It might not have been the Sydney Opera House but the Newcastle upon Tyne ( UK ) version was surely rockin'last night ( 27th ) for the opening night of Jackson's UK gigs. Not much change in the set list, although I'm Alive put in an appearance half way through and the running order changed, he finally signed off with Doctor My Eyes. Obviously had some problems with the language barrier as members of the audience shouted their best wishes and thanks for him coming, not to mention the restart of Naked Ride Home as there was problem with the kick drum which gave off some large electrical noise each time it was hit. Jackson told us that he had visited the local laundrette that day to do his washing and witness the Newcastle " rush hour "( true ? ) and as usual gave some detail surrounding the background to some songs. As ever wonderful musicians on stage with him and thanks right down to the roadies for getting everything together from Australia. All in all a truly wonderful night enjoyed to the full by a " full house " One word of caution Jackson was popping the old throat tablets ! hope it's not a bad omen for later dates.
PS Holidaying on Route 66 during June anyone know if Jackson Summer tour dates are on route??
Hi Russ
I saw Jackson last night at the Newcastle Opera House, he was fantastic. The set list was perfect and he threw a couple of unexpected tunes in there, including a very special rendition of "a child in these hills", magic.
I met him and the band after the show and got my Saturate cover signed, I thanked him for a great show and told him that I hoped he would come by this way again.
I hope he never stops making music.
Well, I wish I could be as effective in my chosen profession just a couple of days after flying to the UK from Australia. There were a few gremlins ( JB felt the need for throat lozenges, but the slight vocal roughness didn't really detract from the overall effect, while a randomly-firing kickdrum caused The Naked Ride Home to be aborted after a few bars, being re-started only when the tech problems were resolved ).
As a long-term ( 30 years plus ) JB fan I can't give an unbiased view but I'll try and be as objective as possible. It's been my observation over the years that American bands tend to be more slick and proficient than their UK couunterparts, but that this sometimes shows itself up in a lack of feeling. Well, this band performed with both musical accomplishment and that intangible quality of feeling, verve, gusto, whatever.
As for Jackson Browne .... well, I am hardly worthy enough or objective enough to offer any meaningful criticism. However, my pre-show conversation with friends was very much along the lines of wishing that this was going to be an acoustic set ( as in late 1996 and Cambridge 1997 ) : Just how wrong can you be ??? Songs like I'm Alive, Late For The Sky, Barricades Of Heaven and In The Shape Of A Heart - all of which were personal stand-outs from the solo acoustic tour - were in no way diminished by being, to varying degrees, re-arranged for a full band. On the other hand, it was great to hear the songs from The Pretender and Running on Empty in their full electric pomp. Electric or Acoustic ? - what a difficult choice.
Everything from The Naked Ride Home came over, to me, at least as well as on CD - with the possible exception of Don't You Wanna Be There, which was squeezed in to the second half of the show as a request but didn't do the pacing and structure of the show any real favours.
When I first saw JB in 1982, I was transfixed by hearing Late For The Sky in a live show : I would never have believed that I would be similarly moved more than twenty years later, partly because I wouldn't have expected Jackson Browne to still be playing the song live by now.
That's one of the things I really respect and admire about Jackson Browne : his back catalogue is not something to discarded or to be restricted to a few surefire successes : it's something to be dipped in to, re-examined, revisited and re-presented ( hearing I Am A Child was a real treat ).
So, if the first night of the UK segment of this tour had a few teething troubles, the audience were not complaining in any way : if the wrinkles are ironed out from here on in, then future gigs will be as good as one could hope for. I'm just looking forward to Warwick Uni next month, where I shall hope against hope to hear Jackson perform Of Missing Persons : but if he doesn't, a repeat of the Newcastle show will be more than adequate.
We had a bit of a pre-show list gathering........when I got to my hotel it was really nice to find a message waiting for me from Mark. But where were you Mark? We were in Dylan's Bar as arranged at 7pm, but didn't see you. :-( I did meet up with list members Jackie and Juliet before the show, and we headed to Dylan's Bar together, where we immediately bumped into Alison and Sue who are not list members, but we've shared many concerts together in the past. Jackie and I were front row, just 3 seats apart; Alison and Sue were in the 5th row, and Juliet was way up in one of the balconies. Before the show both Jackie and I had checked at the theatre for the start time of the show, and we thought it was hysterical that they hadn't yet decided whether it should be 7.30 or 8!!! Of course we had to be prepared, so we were in the theatre before 7.30. While we were chatting in the front row, list member Allan found us. It was great to meet you Allan, and I hope your wife is in better health very soon.
So, to the part you really want to hear..........Jackson took the stage at 7.59 by my watch, so I imagine the start time was 7.30. ;-) He wandered in from the right wearing a sort of mottled black and grey shirt (we all liked it!), dark grey/black jeans that really fitted quite well (amazing!!), and big black lace up shoes/boots. Of course the shirt was hanging out. His hair was a little too short and tidy for my liking, but he certainly looked great. I was quite taken aback by the massive wave of sheer joy that came over me when I saw all the band members. I've not seen them since '96, and I was at least as happy to see them as I was to see Jackson. The bounded right into Somebody's Baby, which I have always loved. I simply don't know how my face didn't crack from so much massive smiling. :-)) BTW, it was pretty light in the front row and I know both Jackson and Kevin saw me pretty early on. I had a few looking me right in the eye moments with Jackson during the first two songs. I always find that quite uncomfortable, but I guess it's the price you have to pay for being in the front row. I got some really long looks from Kevin, which I find easier to cope with. From where I was sitting Mark was often blocking my view of Jeff, which was sad because I love Jeff to bits. The lady percussionist was Amanda something (I think). Thankfully Jackson was blocking my view of her most of the time when he was playing guitar. I'm afraid she really irritated me, and I completely didn't enjoy her wailing over Jeff's harmony vocals. Just my opinion. Fritz looked and sounded great, and I really loved Val, who I've not seen before. BTW Jackson played electric guitar for Somebody's Baby.
Then he went right into The Night Inside me, also on electric guitar but a different one. He had 3 electric guitars on stage all through the show, and there were at least 4 acoustics which kept being handed to a tuner who was sitting off stage to the left. This is not one of my favourites but I was so caught up in the overwhelming happiness of seeing the band again that I really enjoyed it. Jackson exchanged some great smiles with Jeff during this one, but I know they weren't as big as the smile that was still in danger of breaking my face.
Fountain of Sorrow was next, at the keyboard. Just magnificent and Jackson's piano solo is SO much better than that dreadful stuff Scott Thurston was playing in '96. :-)
Back to guitar (acoustic) for Barricades, which was the first song he introduced, telling us it was a song about growing up. Somewhere between the first few songs he did say that it was a pleasure to be in Newcastle and delighted the locals by pronouncing it properly. Us folk from the south of England generally do not. A local man in one of the balconies shouted "the pleasure's ours" and I knew Jackson wasn't going to understand the Geordie accent. He didn't, and it was very funny for a while as he asked the band if they understood. He didn't get an answer, so he moved on. After Barricades he introduced Kevin, having already introduced Mark after an early song. He went on to the other band members as the show unfolded. I liked that. The last time I saw him with the band he did all the intros at once near the end of the show. Barricades was beautiful but, during it, there were some *really* loud bangs from the bank of speakers right beside us. Jackson was obviously distracted by that, and messed up on some of his guitar playing, but Val instantly took it up. Very impressive!
On to electric guitar for Casino Nation without an introduction. I don't like this song, but it was much better live.
Back to the keyboard for Rock Me On The Water which he introduced by telling us they'd just come from Australia, and how "gratified" he was about so many people marching around the world for peace. He said they'd have marched at home if they'd been there, but they were in Australia so they marched in Sydney. This song was georgeous.
As he took up an acoustic guitar a few requests were shouted. Until then both Jackson and the audience had been pretty quiet. After a few shouts a guy near the front shouted "play what you want" and Jackson pointed at him and said "that's the one", and went into Never Stop. Again, not a great favourite of mine but I really enjoyed it. A couple more right in the eye looks from Jackson. Jeff was introduced after this one.
With a different acoustic guitar he played These Days. It was like a completely different song. I have heard it live many times, solo and with band, but never like this. It really was almost like a new song. I've been searching for words to describe it, and the only thing I can come up with (which is not really right) is almost light rockabilly. I did really enjoy it, but it was so unusual (to my ears) that it took a bit of getting used to.
Another change of acoustic guitar as he told us that he'd hitched a ride to the launderette yesterday and actually had the opportunity to do his own laundry. There were a few exclamations of surprise in the audience which seemed to surprise him a little, so he went on to say how he enjoys doing his own laundry, and what a nice change it made. Right Jackson!! In the intermission this was a main talking point between us. Imagine being in the laundrette watching your washing tumbling around and in comes Jackson with his!! :-)) He said he got a cab back when he was done, and experienced the Newcastle rush hour, which took him into The Naked Ride Home. Very soon after it began the really loud banging began again. It really sounded like gunshots coming out of the speaker stack. Jackson apologised and said he really couldn't go on with the song knowing that that was going to keep happening. It was coming from one of Fritz's drums, so there was some fiddling with that with Fritz and the crew (BTW, it seems to be a massive crew, but maybe I've just forgotten what band shows are like). When the bang happened again, somebody in a balcony shouted "the war's started". Jackson was in the semi-dark, so it was hard to tell, but I didn't think that went down too well with him. Kevin and Mark responded with the peace sign. Then Jackson said the technical reminded him of a true studio story and went on to tell us about record company executives who know nothing, so the technical folk have a "client knob", which is connected to nothing, but it makes the exec feel better. :-) Finally they got back to The Naked Ride Home, a song I really like, but I didn't think this was a particularly special version. I'm sure the false start didn't help.
Yet another change of acoustic guitar and then he told us that the previous song was about the end of a relationship. He said they'd be taking a short break after the next one, which was about an ongoing relationship. My Stunning Mystery Companion, of course. This is a personal favourite and maybe it was just me, or maybe something to do with the technical difficulties they were having with the banging, but I just didn't think the sound balance was right all through this one. It was long and ended with lengthy solos from Mark, then Val, then Jeff, then Kevin and back to Mark again. They all played beautifully. Then at 9.07 they were off for what Jackson said would be 15 minutes.
As I walked around during the break I heard a lot of people who obviously didn't know the band well talking about what an awesome singer Jeff is. I knew these folks in Newcastle would know their music. :-)) Jackie, Alison and I got together, and I was able to spend a bit more time with Allan.
At 9.30 they were back again, and straight into I'm Alive, with Jackson on acoustic guitar. This was fun, and got a great reception.
For the only time all night, he stuck with the same guitar and went right into In The Shape Of A Heart. He messed up with his guitar playing and Val had to step in again. Whenever I hear this song live it usually makes me very tearful, and I know it's the one song Jackson hates to mess up on. Right then I wasn't the happy idiot that I'd been all through the first half.
The guitar got changed again, for another acoustic, and it was For Taking The Trouble, an absolute favourite of mine. Jackson just didn't really seem to be there. They got through it okay, but it was sort of mechanical, and Jackson didn't have some of the words, and he didn't even really seem to acknowledge that he hadn't got them. I forget when, but sometime during the show he mentioned that they'd had a really tiring 24 hour flight from Australia. He said it should only have been 20, but there were delays. Seeing the looks from the band he said "I probably shouldn't have mentioned that, should I?". Much earlier in the show he'd wholeheartedly thanked his crew for doing such a magnificent job in getting everything set up after such a tiring journey from the other side of the world.
The acoustic was changed again and Jackson went straight into Lives In The Balance, not a favourite of mine. At least he didn't do his speech about people saying this song is a speech. For me this song was okay. As I said, no kind of a favourite for me. It got the most massive ovation I've ever heard a song get during the middle of a Jackson show, and Jackson was very obviously delighted. So everybody else was happy, which is very fine with me. BTW, Fritz was on the floor playing some instrument that Jackson did mention (didn't stick in my head!) for this song and the previous one.
Then Jackson was back to the keyboard for Late For The Sky. Powerful and magnificent. You don't need me to say more.
Back to an acoustic guitar to tell us the next one was a song he'd rarely played since the record came out. He certainly had me guessing. A Child In These Hills........awesome, awesome, awesome!! :-)) Val played beautiful harmonica and Jackson smiled so wonderfully at him all the time he was doing it. A big, big high point for me.
Another acoustic and Your Bright Baby Blues. Mark played slide and enjoyed this soooo much more than acoustically when I don't especially enjoy Jackson's slide playing. Oh that reminds me, during For Taking The Trouble Jackson was doing a similar guitar strum to the one I've seen him do acoustically during Linda Paloma. I remember he was particularly proud of it then. He was very matter of fact about it tonight, so I guess it's just another skill that he's fully mastered now. ;-)
Between songs a little earlier Jackson had put some kind of sweet in his mouth, something I've not seen him do before. After YBBB he sat at the keyboard and choked a little. He immediately hit the back of his neck, took the sweet out of his mouth, put it on the keyboard, and just kept on talking. After a few seconds he had the most delightful look on his face as he said "I can't believe that worked". A magical moment. BTW, he said it was a lozenge. A little earlier there had been a request for Don't You Want To Be There, which was the only request he seemed to seriously consider all night. He didn't play it when it was called for, but he did play it now. After the show a lady near me got the set list for the second half. Don't You Want To Be There was the only change from what they had planned to play. They were planning Sleep's Dark And Silent Gate. He pondered a while before they began DYWTBT, saying he wasn't sure that everybody knew it. Then he told Amanda that, if she didn't know it, she could join in if she wanted to. Unfortunately for me she did seem to know it.
Then he was on to electric guitar for The Pretender, which rocked, of course, but I've heard him do it better. He only did "say it" twice, but then I always want more, and always remember that awesome acoustic version in Purchase. When was that? 96? This got a standing ovation.
Electric guitar again for Running On Empty, and a massive, massive standing ovation for this one. I was looking around at all the band members as they began taking off their guitars and so on to leave. I just looked at Fritz in time to see him grinning and pointing right at me. That was fun! Then they were gone while we clapped and stamped.
Jackson and Mark came back, and Jackson sat at the keyboard and apologised for all the smoke around the stage. He said they did have some thing at the back "like Stonehenge" (everybody laughed) "but it got lost in the shipping, so we thought we'd do this", waving at the smoke. Then he did his lost look, but he already had everybody on his side by then. :-) It was The Load Out/Stay. The next other shows were Chicago and Detroit. I guess he's too jet lagged to remember he's in Manchester next. And they had The Long Good Friday on the video. As it was down under, he wanted the audience to sing the roadies' part. I don't think we did very well at all, but he smiled a little smile and said "that was sweet" rather quietly.
Then they were gone again, but returned for a rousing Doctor My Eyes, with all the audience on their feet. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to get them back again, but then it was about 10.50 by then.
Afterwards we all got together for a chat, and I think we were all agreed that we'd had a great time, but that something was missing and that it all seemed a bit mechanical at times. The five of us who are all going on to Manchester tomorrow are really, really glad that we've got another show right away. I'm sure the sound problems didn't help, and I just can't imagine how they're all feeling after all the travelling they've done over the past few days. I think it's a miracle they were able to do the show at all, and I admire them hugely for doing it. So please don't think I'm being critical, it's just that we were all agreed that we've seen better shows, and we have.
It was no more than 20 minutes after the show finished when we made our way to the stage door, and the band bus had already gone. That's the quickest getaway I've ever known from Jackson. I hope they're parked up in Manchester by now and are sleeping soundly. Which is something I must do, because I've stayed way longer than I ever intended. You know me, never can stop when I get talking about Jackson. Apologies for typos and the like, I'm way too tired to even think about checking any of this.
Good night from Newcastle. See ya later in Manchester,