The title for this CD says it all. It is a good mix of his classics.
June 12, 2008Jackson Browne has been a staple of the American music scene since the early 1970s, when he produced such great tunes as Doctor My Eyes and Song For Adam. But, he has never stopped producing great tunes, and this 2004, 2-CD album is a compilation of some of his best work, focusing primarily on his later career. Now, as with any "Best of..." album, there's bound to be disagreements about what should and shouldn't be included, and this album is no exception. Like I said, it skews towards his later career, which will please many of his later fans, and displease more long-term fans.
So, is this a great album? Overall, I would say, yes. The quality is excellent, showing of Mr. Browne's voice at it best. Plus, I like the one I got, which came in an environmentally-friendly, no-plastic holder. I really liked this album and don't hesitate to recommend it!
November 27, 2007 |  | Highly recommended 2CD collection from a great artist. |  |
I bought this album last week and have been playing it in my car and at home. It is brilliant, and represents 30 years of Jackson Browne songs from 1972-2002. I do not know all that much else about Jackson Browne, but the songs here speak more eloquently than any biography you might read. This guy can really write, and his songs are always tuneful with strong messages, emotional truths, excellent use of words, and quite a lot of up-to-the-moment social commentary where he writes about the times we are living in from an American perspective (he's from California originally, I think) . Particularly fine, I think, are his mid-70's songs from albums For Everyman (the title tune has wonderful lyrics) , Late For The Sky ( rated by many as his best-ever studio album) , The Pretender and Running On Empty. I love the lyrics of songs like For A Dancer and Before The Deluge. Running On Empty is an acutely-observed road trip of how you have to try and keep going even when the pace of your life seems to be getting out of your control.The Load-Out/ Stay is a familiar tune that tells all about life as a touring musician. Somebody's Baby was a pop/rock tune I always really liked from the radio back in Grade 7 in 1982, and it's on here too ( previously it was only on a film soundtrack album ), while the satirical Lawyers In Love and the lovely In The Shape Of A Heart were great songs from the 80's. Not all songs are in the tuneful West Coast style of his 70's stuff, but he does not stray too far away from the lyrical style that brought him to prominence back then. Later stuff from the 90's and early 2000's shows that Jackson Browne's songwriting is still as fine as ever, and he is still touring , I believe.
There is a lot to love about this 2CD set and really I can't find anything on here I do not like.
Just one thing - fans of his 1986 duet hit with E Street band saxophonist / vocalist Clarence Clemons : You're A Friend Of Mine should note that this song is not on here. I'm hoping it'll turn up on the next Best Of... in a few years !
Highly recommended 2CD collection from a great artist.
February 25, 2007| | | The Must Have Album for Jackson Browne Fans! | |
Includes all Jackson's hits except "Love Needs A Heart", and "That Girl Could Sing".
January 16, 2007What has happened to the song "Lives in the balance" on this set? If you go to his website it sounds really great!!! On this set it sounds awfull!! It sounds as if he was in a really big hurry to get the song over with. The packaging if you could call it that is really lame. Foam dots for holders? What do you do when those fall off? I suppose you put the cd's in jewel cases or else they will get really scratched up. Not to mention it is missing some of his greatest work! True you do get alot of songs for the money but, there should have been more time planning this set out before actually producing it. If you own an I-pod I suggest you go to apples I-tunes web page and import the great songs this set is missing as well as the others you really like off of this set and you will probably have spent the same amount of money if not less.
December 27, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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