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"Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2" Album Reviews 
Jackson Browne Solo Acoustic Vol 2Brings the Music to the Front by Russ Paris Feburary 2, 2008 JACKSON BROWNE SOLO ACOUSTIC VOL. 2 is the second in a series of solo acoustic albums by the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. The first volume was released in 2005 and this one continues where the last one left off. The songs are different, but the format is identical. Vol 2 showcases the same sense of intimacy and live energy on exhibit at Jackson's recent solo acoustic concerts. He's singing to you. This collection starts off with a stripped down version of "Never Stop" from his 2002 album The Naked Ride Home with Jackson on guitar. The acoustic nature of the arrangement places the emphasis on the words and it comes across as a beautiful love song. When Jackson sings "And when you make me smile, I'm the richest man I know", you really believe that he means it. Then there's an "intro" track where you can hear the audience screaming out things to Jackson. He laughingly pretends he can't quite hear one of the comments, when it's obvious that he did. He jokes about all the guitars he has on stage by talking about how Willie Nelson plays the same guitar for 50 years and never makes mistakes. It's very relaxed dialogue leading into the next song. The second song is an acoustic version of "The Night Inside Me", also from The Naked Ride Home. Again, Jackson is on guitar with an arrangement that puts the emphasis on the lyrics. Generally speaking, that's what these acoustic albums do. However, the arrangements often seem to be very complex in their simplicity! This is followed by another interlude where Jackson offers the audience a choice between "a really tender song filled with despair" or "a really weary song laced with hope". Again you can hear the audience crying out for their favorite songs. He picks a song and dedicates it to his sister, even though he didn't write it for her... The third song is "Enough of the Night" from 1989's World In Motion album. While not one of Jackson's more popular releases, listening to Jackson perform this song alone on his guitar will make you want to pull out that old CD and give it a listen. Even in an album that many might consider a low point of his career, there is some incredible song writing as showcased by this track: But you were never the princessThe third "intro" track is Jackson saying that this next song is one that he wrote in England the first time he went there. He also makes another very funny comment that harkens back to the number of guitars he has on stage, without specifically mentioning that, so it's somewhat of an inside joke for those who have attended one of his recent solo acoustic shows. He says that the song was written for someone he met during that trip to England. Jackson's version of "Something Fine" (still on guitar) is as tight as any version I've ever heard. It's an amazing thing that a song written more then 35 years ago can still be so poignant and contemporary. Jackson's voice has grown in richness since the original recording made in 1971, instilling the song with a new sense of revelation and awe that he must have felt at that original encounter. You can feel it in his voice. "Sky Blue And Black" (from 1993's I'm Alive album) has become one of Jackson's great anthems. Jackson plays his keyboard on this one. Everyone who appreciates music should hear this song: And I'd have fought the world for youThe fact is that Jackson's voice isn't perfect on this new collection. If it wasn't for the crowds screaming out requests, we would still know that this was a live album due to its "realness" and warmth, which are often lost in studio albums that are remixed and "cleaned up" to what is often thought of as "perfection". Listen to the REAL warmth and vibrancy of Jackson's voice in this track and you'll remember why you always liked Jackson Browne's music. "In The Shape Of A Heart" must be one of Jackson's personal favorites -- he has performed it consistently at his recent shows. The song comes from Lives In The Balance (1986), which Rolling Stone Magazine rated as one of the Top 100 albums of the '80s. The single only reached #70 on Billboard Magazine's Hot 100 Singles Chart, but it did hit the Top 10 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. It should have been a bigger hit, though this version, with Jackson back on guitar, adds little to the original. (Those who love this song may feel differently.) "Alive In The Word" from the Looking East album (1996) was always one of Jackson Browne's more under-rated songs of hope and redemption: I want to live in the world, not behind some wallYou can hear Jackson on keyboards on another wonderfully simple arrangement that brings the song to the front. The song urges involvement and living, acknowledging the difficulties but reminding us of the positives. At this point there's another "intro" track. Jackson is asked to play something for George W. Bush. So he picks one that he says is "a metaphor for what our public and private lives have become." "Casino Nation" (with Jackson back on guitar) is another song from The Naked Ride Home. The song laments the direction our country has gone in recent years and you can almost taste the anger in Jackson's voice, imploring us all to stand up and to do something about it. "All Good Things" is another one from the I'm Alive album. By this point in the CD, there is a feeling that Jackson programmed a sense of order into the tracks. Starting with songs that talk of looking back and maybe moving ahead to songs of love and hope, to songs about the struggle to make our world a better place. One gets a sense that this is his final song before the end of the personal show he's performing for you in your living room -- or wherever you happen to be listening to this intimate collection. From here, the feeling is that the show has wound down to its finale. In the next "intro" track Jackson thanks the audience for coming and toys with them about what he's going to play next. (This one probably could have been left out; it adds nothing to the next track.) "Somebody's Baby" still ranks as Jackson Browne's biggest hit single, peaking at #7 in 1982 from the soundtrack to Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Jackson's voice struggles to hit the high notes here, but it's a nice version of the song that might even appeal to those who haven't found the attraction of this particular song in the original version. Another "intro" brings more interchanges between Jackson and his audience. Strong and clear enough that some audience members may be able to hear themselves. It's like listening to a quality bootleg -- the way you'd want it to sound. "Redneck Friend," originally from 1973's For Everyman album, still holds up great 35 years later, but so does Jackson. In the introduction he sounds reluctant to play this one, but once he gets going he's obviously enjoying himself. The last "intro" gives a hint of what is REALLY going on at his solo acoustic shows. He asks for requests and people scream them out, and he talks directly to his audience... but he pick the songs he wants to perform... sometimes waiting until he hears the right one! "My Stunning Mystery Companion" (also from The Naked Ride Home) is a perfect ending for this collection, bringing it full circle. Where "Never Stop" is a love song with it's eye on the past and a wink to the future, this one is a love song clearly looking ahead. This is a deceptively simple guitar and vocal arrangement that fits the nature of the song much better than the original release. Overall, I expect that some fans will initially complain about the choice of songs: not enough hits. But some were already on Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 ("These Days", "The Pretender", "Take It Easy"), and hopefully some are being saved for Solo Acoustic, Vol 3. Hit songs like "Doctor My Eyes" and "Running On Empty" have not yet made an appearance in this acoustic series. Still, it is very rare that a live album is able to capture the true energy and vibe of a live performance the way Jackson Browne's Solo Acoustic CDs have. They are both essential for any fan of Jackson Browne's music, but also indispensable to those who want to study song writing by a master craftsman. This is the way music should be done.
Jackson Browne Solo Acoustic Vol 2Never Stop by Bob Lefsetz/The Lefsetz Letter Feburary 22, 2008 "Never Stop" You know I've got a Jackson Browne fixation. And I'm not apologizing for it. He made the best record I own, at least by my standards, "Late For The Sky". There's more truth in that one record than... Fuck the analogy, I'll just post a few of my favorite lines. From "The Late Show": "Now to see things clear it's hard enough I knowThat's the essence of life. What you find, what satisfies you, is not what you're looking for. "Late For The Sky": "You never knew what I loved in youThat's so creepy, I'm not even going to comment. Except to say if you haven't been there, you haven't been in a relationship. Finally, "For A Dancer": "I don't know what happens when people dieI recited these lines at my father's funeral. I think of Tony Wilson, who would have been 58 years old Wednesday, when I write them now. Anyway, none of these songs are on Jackson Browne's soon to be released "Solo Acoustic, Volume 2". But, "Never Stop", my favorite cut off his last studio album, 2002's "The Naked Ride Home", is. This solo acoustic take is different from the studio original. It's the same song, but sans the production, the focus is on the words instead of the groove. And I always loved the groove. Especially at this one moment, when suddenly, the song takes a left turn, when Jackson seems to get down on his knees and he sings: "Remember when you look into my eyesYou can trade in your lover, shitcan your relationship and move on. Repeating the same steps over again with someone new. Or you can hang in there, through the pain, for further good times, grown out of the mutual understanding that only years together can bring. You can't hear this version online. I'll just point you to the live take on YouTube, which features Mark Goldenberg of the Cretones on guitar, but is somehow sans the magic of both the studio or live acoustic versions. Oh, it's good. It's just that if you're not a fan, it might slip right off you: http://youtube.com/watch?v=A4aFaVPJaHs Anyway, and how many times have I said anyway in this piece anyway, I don't like to make mistakes. Nobody does. But when the overwhelming feedback comes in, like an unending tsunami, I can't stop it immediately, it takes time to send tens of thousands of e-mails, and everybody has to read the correction. So I need to detach. And the way I detach is to play stuff like Jackson Browne's acoustic "Never Stop". Because it's got nothing to do with the economy, nothing to do with money, it's like someone is bathing me, rubbing me ever so gently with hot oil. I feel like I'm going to be okay. I had a whole thing about Jimmy Iovine's video I was going to write yesterday. But I had to meet Lyor Cohen at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Off the record, of course. But I'll say one thing, anybody who thinks that guy is stupid is plain wrong. He's highly intelligent. You have to be to get that high in a worldwide organization. But that was more about him and less about me. This is about me. And you. I don't want you to come over. I don't want to sit you down and play you records. That's unnatural. When the sun goes down, and you're alone, I want you to fire up your favorite record. A quiet one. That speaks to you. And know what you're feeling then... is exactly what I'm feeling now. -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
Jackson Browne Solo Acoustic Vol 2The Rolling Stone Review by Anthony DeCurtis March 3, 2008 4 Stars Like 2005's Vol. 1, this reflective journey through Jackson Browne's catalog restores him to his coffeehouse roots and to splendid effect. Once again, the performances are live drawn from concerts around the world and unadorned. Browne accompanies himself on either guitar or piano, while reaching back for gems like 1973's "Redneck Friend," and "My Stunning Mystery Companion," from his last studio album. This stripped-down context emphasizes the longing even in upbeat singles like "Somebody's Baby," his 1982 hit from the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack. And the quietness in his treatment of a political song like "Casino Nation" only adds to its devastating force. Between songs, Browne speaks about his life and music with moving candor. His recollections of a brief love affair in England deepen our appreciation and his performance of the 1972 classic "Something Fine." This is Browne at his best, engaging his audience, his own experiences and the world around him, all in songs that will not lose their resonance any time soon. www.rollingstone.com
Jackson Browne Solo Acoustic Vol 2All Music Guide Review by Thom Jurek March 4, 2008 3.5 Stars Jackson Browne gave listeners the first volume of his solo acoustic live performances in 2005. It was steeped in the gems from his rich catalog, presented with spoken word introductions to many of his best-known songs with a smattering of newer ones. The commentary got tiring in the CD format, but the music was impeccable and illustrated just how valuable he's been to American music as a songwriter. This second volume, while it does the same thing, is -- in a manner -- a mirror image of the first. The songs here are primarily from his later years. What's really interesting is that it doesn't matter. Browne's later songs communicate so directly that, presented in this manner, with only an acoustic guitar or a piano as accompaniment, we can find ourselves wandering around in reverie, or re-glimpsing the traces of emotion and time's passage as signposts to the way we live now. While there are a few "classic" tracks -- "Redneck Friend," "Something Fine," and "Somebody's Baby" (from the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack) -- most of the material here comes from records after Hold Out. There are three tunes from his last studio offering, the generally ignored and underrated Naked Ride Home, which stack up seamlessly with his '70s material. Those tunes, "The Night Inside Me," "Casino Nation," and "My Stunning Mystery Companion," grace the beginning, middle, and end of this offering. In other words, no matter where else Browne goes (and he goes all the way back to "Something Fine"), he returns to the present tense, where he now exists as a songwriter. The performances of these tracks, and those from albums such as Looking East, I'm Alive, World in Motion, and Lives in the Balance, offer listeners an opportunity to hear Browne at his most elemental. His songs began this way, with a lone instrumental backing, as a melody dictating itself to words or vice versa, and were hammered out or came in the flush of white-heat creativity, but they were shorn of any adornment -- just as they are here. The spoken introductions to several numbers are overly long and may have been fine for a sitting audience, but don't necessarily translate well to CD. That's a small complaint, however, as these 12 songs are quietly powerful, full of a particular craft and enigmatic gifts -- no matter when they were written or recorded. Browne has never lost it as a songwriter; this is the proof. If you went to the trouble to purchase the first volume, this is an essential counterpart. www.allmusic.com
Browne enjoying growing success with acoustic recordsCharleston Post and Courier by Keith Ryan Cartwright March 20, 2008 Charleston.net Bigger isn't always better. After decades of albums produced on a grand scale to the brink of over-production, artists are once again harking back to the albums of yesteryear and championing the days of thought-provoking singer-songwriters. It could be argued that no artist represented honesty and emotion in defining the genre of songwriting more so than Jackson Browne. With a critically heralded and commercially successful career born out of his presence in the coffeehouse scene of the late '60s, Browne released his long-awaited self-titled debut in 1972 and almost immediately was noted for having a voice that spoke with "resounding authority." Two years later, in a profile published in Rolling Stone Magazine, Cameron Crowe wrote about Browne's recurring penchant for writing "song[s] of the retrospection, of a man looking back at the child." Browne later said of his own early career, "It was my literary period; long form rambling songs in iambic pentameter with the run on philosophical attitude. I was searching bleary-eyed for God in the crowds." Bleary-eyed no more, Browne has amassed more than three decades worth of material, both written and performed, that represents some of the most literate and moving songs of popular music. It is with that in mind that Browne has released two albums, "Jackson Browne Solo Acoustic Vol. I" ('05) and "Jackson Browne Solo Acoustic Vol. II" ('08), described by Rolling Stone as "completely stripped of their '70s-era excess production." Recorded live during a series of shows staged in the U.S., U.K. and Australia during a three-year period, the pair of releases each highlight 12 songs from throughout his career. Featuring minimal instrumentation, Browne alternates between playing his guitar and sitting at a piano, the albums trace Browne's roots back to the mid-'60s. The recently released "Vol. II" package is in many ways a mirror image of the presentation heard on the Grammy-nominated "Solo Acoustic Vol. I." The two albums differ in that the first one focuses more on his early material, whereas, aside from three classic cuts "Redneck Friend," "Something Fine" and "Somebody's Baby," the second album is primarily his later work from albums following "Hold Out." Born in Heidelberg, Germany, to American parents, Browne moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was only three years old. His father, Clyde Jack Browne, was a musician as well and once played alongside Django Reinhardt. As a result, the younger Browne grew up listening to, and appreciating, jazz music. During his teenage years, however, he developed a rather fond appreciation for then-modern day American poets such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. At only 16, he wrote "These Days," which would later become a career-defining song for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. "In a way, I don't choose what I write about," said Browne, in a 1993 interview. "It's a healing thing, a way of confronting what's important in my life at the time." A decade into his career, Browne's songwriting made a transformation of sorts from a personal romanticism to that of a more noticeable political, social and ecological nature. Not only were his albums viable and his singles a mainstay on the radio, but he also wrote material for The Byrds, Bonnie Raitt, the Eagles and Gregg Allman. It wasn't until in 1993 when he released "I'm Alive" that he made what was then thought of as a striking return to the personal and romantic subject matter that characterized albums including "Late for the Sky," "The Pretender," "Running on Empty" and "For Everyman." During what is clearly becoming a history-making election year for our country, one can only speculate as to the thematic focus of Browne's forthcoming studio album due to be released later this year. www.charleston.net
Jackson Browne: Solo Acoustic Vol. 2The Sydney Morning Harold by Bruce Elderk March 21, 2008 Jackson Browne is an almost perfect example of the tyranny of old age in popular music. He turns 60 this year and fashion has passed him by. His fan base is no longer running on empty with him, "looking out at the road" rushing under their wheels. Yet Browne is still making remarkable albums and still writes great, memorable songs. This is his second volume of acoustic versions of his songs (the first came out in 2005) and it sees his songs stripped back to vocals, acoustic guitar and piano. The effect is to give the material - both the love songs and the political ones - a greater depth and intimacy. Seven of the tracks are live and the versions of songs such as Something Fine, which dates back to 1972, and Somebody's Baby - his 1982 minor hit from Fast Times At Ridgemont High - actually sound as good, or better, than the originals. Great songs such as In The Shape Of A Heart - one of Browne's greatest love songs - and the savage attack of Casino Nation are given new depth by the sparse nature of the acoustic arrangement. Listen to Browne and be amazed at how he is still one of rock'n'roll's greatest songwriters. www.smh.com.au
Jackson Browne apela a la intimidad en su nuevo CD recopilatorioel semanal digital.com by Fernando Moya Lorente March 9, 2008 Los sueños tejen una realidad alternativa, en la que toda ilusión es posible. La libertad de soñar concede al soñador el poder de vivir lo que la vigilia le niega. ¡Qué enorme potestad... enriquecer nuestra circunstancia con el salvoconducto al territorio de la imaginación! Convertir el deseo en realidad no es prerrogativa del poderoso, del agraciado, sino del que es capaz de esquivar la tiranía de lo tangible y percibir con el alma. El poeta construye con el mágico poder de las palabras una y mil situaciones, pócimas de sensibilidad encubiertas en el ejercicio estético de rimas. La poesía es la arquitectura del sentimiento en su más pura formulación. Privilegio del poeta, alear vocablos en secuencia, ritmo y apariencia. El poeta es el cosechador de sensaciones. Siembra palabras que procrean emociones. Un ejemplo en forma de música Jackson Browne tiene ese rasgo diferenciador del imperio de la palabra. Esa majestad que toca sólo a unos pocos. En sus juegos de palabras se adivina su biografía, su descaro juvenil, su pudor inicial ante el amor, su posterior pérdida de pudor, el dolor del rechazo, sus causas perdidas y ganadas. Maestro de la ironía, se doctoró en la metáfora del sufrimiento. Los avatares de su dilatada carrera artística han llenado sus alforjas de obras que merecen elogios superlativos: Jackson Browne y For Everyman, debut y consolidación; Late For The Sky y The Pretender, obras maestras irrepetibles; Running On Empty, calidad y éxito; y I'm Alive, el arte de la desolación. Otras en el límite de aquéllas, como Lives In The Balance, Hold Out y Looking East. Algunas obras menores, con momentos extraordinarios, son Lawyers In Love, World In Motion y "The Night Inside Me." Anda tiempo distraído, Jackson Browne, de sus quehaceres creativos. No precisamente ocioso, porque su actividad ha sido siempre intensa. Conciertos, beneficencia y política, mucha política, acaso demasiada política. Nos dio mucho, por eso le exigimos mucho, porque presumimos una capacidad que no puede estar agotada a pesar de los peldaños descendidos, a pesar de algún que otro extravío. Me gustaría pensar que no está esclavizado en la dictadura de la "progresía", porque Jackson tiene la capacidad de la idea, que es viva y dinámica, en contra del sucedáneo de la ideología, que siempre tiende a la necrosis. Y volvió con fuerza En los primeros días de marzo ha visto la luz su último CD, titulado Solo Acoustic Vol. 2. Como un respiro, un aliento que recupera el resuello de fatigas externas. Es una continuación de la serie emprendida con el volumen 1 en su propio sello Inside Records, que traza una línea paralela entre lo que se supone ha de ser su carrera creativa y una reproducción de canciones de su repertorio, grabadas durante sus conciertos acústicos. A simple vista, no hay nada sorprendente en el CD: clase y dilección en la interpretación pero poco más. Solo Acoustic Vol. 2 es un CD muy agradable que descuenta las canciones con tranquilidad y espontaneidad. Jackson genera una complicidad sosegadora con su público. Explica sus canciones y regala claves sobre su significado. Cuenta con 19 cortes, 7 de ellos introducciones que puede eludir quien no guste de este tipo de transiciones. Sus comentarios son esclarecedores, porque domina como pocos la escena, salpica de anécdotas sus conciertos y predispone al auditorio a escuchar y a entender lo que va a oír. Un rasgo de amabilidad y cortesía. Ha escogido un repertorio extraño, con algunos momentos fuera de la órbita de sus éxitos tradicionales, "Enough Of The Night", "Never Stop" o la grata sorpresa de "All Good Things". Interesantes ejercicios acústicos de otras pensadas para banda, como "In The Shape Of The Heart", siempre sobrevalorada, "The Night Inside Me", "Somebody's Baby", "Casino Nation" o la joya "My Stunning Mystery Companion". Algunas propicias para la ocasión: "Something Fine", "Sky Blue And Black" y "Alive In The World". Recuerdos de juventud con "Redneck Friend"...ironía lasciva. El que estuviera acostumbrado a sus recitales acústicos no encontrará sorpresas porque su repertorio en solitario era amplísimo, pero para el oyente de su discografía original, puede suponer un acicate especial esta selección y esta faceta de Jackson Browne. Por otra parte, debe ser bien acogida su propensión a no echar mano de sus éxitos en directos. Le imprime carácter y es un ejercicio de honestidad. El acompañamiento La producción corre a cargo del propio Browne y Paul Dieter. Voz acompañada de su guitarra o de su piano, frente a una audiencia entregada; y palabras, palabras, palabras cantadas, palabras habladas, suspiros y quietud. Buena forma con un diseño de portada que sigue la línea de su predecesor y un sonido perfecto, casi en la pleitesía de la obsesión por la pureza de sonido que acompaña, casi atormenta a Jackson. Contaba Don Was, productor de culto que asistió al hito memorable de I'm Alive, su última obra maestra, que tenía mucho interés en trabajar con Jackson pero que fue un suplicio su terquedad con el sonido: parecía no estar conforme nunca con el producto obtenido. Echamos de menos una obra nueva de Jackson. Va para seis años desde su último CD original, la menor The Naced Ride Home, y desde hace tres, en los corrillos del microcosmos Browne, se alienta la esperanza de que está en el estudio y que "para finales de año" aparecerá un nuevo CD. Parece que este año se cumple el rito y vuelve a expandirse el rumor de que así será... pero habrá que verlo. De momento, hemos de conformarnos con este aperitivo, nada desdeñable, pero en modo alguno sustitutivo de los anhelos de sus creaciones. Dicen que su voz es más débil, más en la frontera de los sesenta, no está vencida, simplemente mecida por los vientos de los años, como juncos espigados que se inclinan pero no quiebran. La saga continúa en una liturgia contraindicada para corazones escarchados, porque el poeta y el sastre melódico anda midiendo y tramando nuevas formas de decir; y es que, bien pensado, un poco de Jackson Browne es más que suficiente. www.elsemanaldigital.com |