 |  | I'm sorry, but this guy just bores me |  |
So Jackson, who was clearly listening to a lot of Bob Dylan records at the time, decided he wanted to be like a certain critically acclaimed, commercially successful living legend/cynical street poet with a really bad voice - only with a considerably better voice (technically speaking, anyway) and soft-rock instrumentation. Really, he only blew it on one count. Too bad that count was he didn't have the talent of Dylan's elbow. He tackles weighty topics - depression, suicide, drug addiction, apocalypse - but he doesn't say anything too revealing about any of them, and we wind up with several spare piano and acoustic guitar ballads that are lifeless and unoriginal, if earnest ("For Adam", "My Opening Farewell", "A Child in These Hills", et al). But he doe nail a couple of these: "Jamaica Say You Will" is a lovely ballad that's been covered by just about everybody; the piano-driven, pessimistic "Doctor My Eyes" is probably my favorite of Jackson's songs, and actually is pretty good as far as Dylan knock-offs go; and "Rock Me on the Water" is enjoyably apocalyptic. Now if the rest weren't so turgid, we'd have a classic on our hands.
November 22, 2007I think this is the most if you can say that about Jackson; the most introspective of his work. I also think it would be a good gift for anyone who is going thru hard times, he is so positive yet realistic. Enjoy this like I have, It's on iod lap top and in my suv!!! I listen to other artists as well but am making sure I get all the cd's so I can get them on the ipod my husband got for my birthday last year!!!Trips, its an esential, and flying also...Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (White)
June 17, 2007 | | I 've always liked Jackson Browne but.. | |
I didn't know what I was missing before hearing this one. Almost every song is a sweet pleasure for the ears. I've been reborn as a fan of JB!
June 13, 2007| | | The album that left me mute. | |
Saturate Before Using is one of my favorite all time albums, both in it's music and lyrical beauty. I have been playing guitar since I was 10. I started working on writing my own songs right around the time that I first heard this album. The lyrics were so sublime, honest, intimate, powerful and articulate that it sets the bar so high for what songwriting should be that for many years I found myself lyrically mute, feeling like the standard for what truly great songwriting should be was now set almost impossibly high.
At the same time the simple paired-down beauty of the music itself reveals that it isn't over-the-top production that make a song great, it's the passion with which it is written.
June 10, 2007 | | jackson browne's 1972 debut. | |
a fine first outting from the artist that epitomizes the sensitive singer-songwriter genre. "doctor my eyes," "something fine," and "rock me on the water," are fantastic, and the other seven tracks are excellent to boot. mr browne has a very pleasing voice that is warm and expressive, tinged with a heartfelt sense of melancholy which permeates his ballads. if you are new to jackson browne, i would recommend the "late for the sky" album as your first purchase. after that, "the pretender," or "running on empty," or this one (his debut), are all fine choices. good stuff.
March 23, 2007More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(26 reviews)