For Everyman is Jackson Browne's second album and there is no sophomore slump here. I remember going over to listen to it for the first time with my friend Paul Hobbs in his bedroom, the teenager's sanctuary.
Everyone realizes that Jackson Browne is an exceptional talent with the release of this album. For me, he quickly ascends to the same songwriting status that I had for James Taylor, Neil Young, Paul Simon, and Cat Stevens in the early 70's folk-rock era. This album also begins Browne's long collaboration with David Lindley whose lap steel guitar playing was a huge part of the Jackson Browne sound.
Everything about Jackson Browne's albums are intricate and intimate, including his album covers. Didn't everyone want to live in a spanish-style house in the 1970's? I sure did. When I saw this album cover for the first time, I immediately thought of my grandparents little spanish-style house on Park Street in Santa Maria, CA and their little brick enclosed backyard with its outdoor arched fireplace. I loved that house.
The album cover photograph is a depiction of Browne's childhood home in Highland Park, California, "The Abbey San Encino” which was hand-built by his grandfather Clyde Browne and owned to this day by his brother Edward. The photograph was taken by Alan F. Blumenthal. The cover of the original release was a cutout with the inner sleeve showing Browne sitting in a rocking chair. When removed the picture on the inside had the same background but Browne and the rocking chair were omitted. Wikipedia
I was told about For Everyman by my friend Danny Walker. He highly recommended it. I went to a record store in SLO, not BooBoo or Cheap Thrills. Must have been Stereo West. Lester Burns was working there and I told him I’d come to get Jackson Browne’s latest. He walks over and pulls out Late For The Sky. I was behind on my Jackson albums! I bought both For Everyman and Late For The Sky. What a major purchase that turned out to be.! They remain my two favorites though I love them all.
ReplyDeleteWell this confirms that my memory of 50 years ago can be very fuzzy at times and I got a good laugh at reading Paul's steel-trap memory of that particular series of events. One thing is for certain, we like many of our friends did listen to each other's records, and that not only influenced our taste in music, but bonded us as friends forever. Love you Paul.
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