For Everyman

Last updated

For Everyman
Jackson Browne - For Everyman.jpg
Studio album by
Jackson Browne
ReleasedOctober 1973
Recorded1973
Studio
Genre Rock
Length41:13
Label Asylum
Producer Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne chronology
Jackson Browne
(1972)		For Everyman
(1973)		 Late for the Sky
(1974)

For Everyman is the second album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1973 (see 1973 in music). The album peaked at number 43 on the Billboard 200 chart and the single "Redneck Friend" reached number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2012, the album was ranked number 450 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. [1]

Contents

History

For Everyman marked the debut of multi-instrumentalist David Lindley's long association with Browne. Guest artists included David Crosby (harmony on the title track), Glenn Frey (harmony on "Redneck Friend"), Elton John (credited as Rockaday Johnnie, piano on "Redneck Friend"), [2] Don Henley (harmony on "Colors of the Sun"), Joni Mitchell, and Bonnie Raitt.

The title track was written by Browne in response to the apocalyptic "Wooden Ships", a song written by Crosby, Stephen Stills and Paul Kantner. His own version of "These Days" appears here after having been previously recorded by Nico, Tom Rush, who also covered "Colors of the Sun", and Gregg Allman. Nico was the first to record the song in 1967. [3] Browne later commented "When [Allman] did [These Days] I thought that he really unlocked a power in that song that I sort of then emulated in my version. I started playing the piano. I wasn't trying to sing it like Gregg; I couldn't possibly. I took the cue, playin' this slow walk. But it was written very sort of, kind of a little more flatpicking." [4] "Take It Easy" was written by Browne and Frey and became the Eagles' first single, released on May 1, 1972.

For Everyman was certified as a Gold record in 1975 and Platinum in 1989 by the RIAA. [5]

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. [6] 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.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [7]
Christgau's Record Guide B [8]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]

In her November 1973 review in Rolling Stone , Janet Maslin wrote that "for inwardly panoramic songwriting of an apocalyptic bent, Jackson Browne's second album is rivaled only by his first (the second one wins), and Jackson himself is rivaled by nobody," adding that "his work is a unique fusion of West Coast casualness and East Coast paranoia, easygoing slang and painstaking precision, child's-eye romanticizing and adult's-eye acceptance." Mostly complimentary throughout, she noted that his singing had improved since the first album, and consciously reviews the album by placing it squarely within the context of the times: "Jackson's concerns, even more than his genius for rendering them simultaneously intimate and universal, are the basis for the album's unique strengths. He stands alone as a composite of ambivalence about maturity, weariness of the race, fear that love may not be enough ... confusion over whether or not a lasting home can be found in a progressively nightmarish world. He also stands alone as someone who, resigned to all that, is still willing to seek out some quiet way of weathering his time's new trials. Brilliantly conceived, incomparably immediate, For Everyman truly earns its title." [10]

Acknowledging that Browne had a large task ahead of him in following his debut Jackson Browne in his review for AllMusic, William Ruhlmann claimed Browne "turned to some of his secondary older material, which was still better than most people's best and, ironically, more accessible..." and summarized the album as a "less consistent collection than Browne's debut album. But Browne's songwriting ability remained impressive." [7]

In a 1999 Rolling Stone review, Anthony DeCurtis claimed the album as uneven and that "Browne is still searching for his true voice on For Everyman. Is he the genial rogue of 'Red Neck Friend' or the mystical dreamer of 'Our Lady of the Well'? He will find that voice the following year on his masterpiece, Late for the Sky . But on For Everyman, he was testing his various talents with obvious joy, because, like his audience, he was just discovering them." [3]

Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a B grade, writing "Even as he lists toward the pretentious and the vague, the reflective evenness of Browne's delivery sets up an expectation of cogency that on this album is satisfied only by such relatively unambitious songs as 'These Days,' 'Red Neck Friend,' and the charming 'Ready or Not.' Which save it for me." [8]

Cash Box called "Ready or Not" a "catchy autobiographical sketch of life on the road" whose "story line is an intriguing romance with humorous overtones" and said the song had "excellent balance and instrumentation." [11] Record World called it a "nifty self-produced number that features good country-tinged instrumental work behind [Browns's] ear-catching vocalizing" and that "straightforward lyrics follow a solid melody line." [12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jackson Browne except where noted.

Side one

  1. "Take It Easy" (Browne, Glenn Frey) – 3:39
  2. "Our Lady of the Well" – 3:51
  3. "Colors of the Sun" – 4:26
  4. "I Thought I Was a Child" – 3:43
  5. "These Days" – 4:41

Side two

  2. "Redneck Friend" – 3:56
  3. "The Times You've Come" – 3:39
  4. "Ready or Not" – 3:33
  5. "Sing My Songs to Me" – 3:25
  6. "For Everyman" – 6:20

Personnel

Production

Charts

Album – Billboard (United States)

YearChartPosition
1973Pop Albums43

Singles – Billboard (United States)

YearSingleChartPosition
1973"Redneck Friend"Pop Singles85

Related Research Articles

<i>The Pretender</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Jackson Browne

The Pretender is the fourth album by the American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1976. It peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's album chart. The singles from the album were "Here Come Those Tears Again", which reached No. 23, and "The Pretender", which peaked at No. 58.

<i>Warren Zevon</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Warren Zevon

Warren Zevon is the second studio album by American musician Warren Zevon. This album was recorded in 1975 and released on May 18, 1976, by Asylum Records. A remastered version of the album with bonus tracks was released in 2008 by Rhino Records.

<i>Excitable Boy</i> 1978 studio album by Warren Zevon

Excitable Boy is the third studio album by American musician Warren Zevon. The album was released on January 18, 1978, by Asylum Records. It includes the single "Werewolves of London", which reached No. 21 and remained in the American Top 40 for six weeks. The album brought Zevon to commercial attention and remains the best-selling album of his career, having been certified platinum by the RIAA and reaching the top ten on the US Billboard 200. A remastered and expanded edition was released in 2007.

<i>Eagles</i> (album) 1972 studio album by the Eagles

Eagles is the debut studio album by American rock band the Eagles. The album was recorded at London's Olympic Studios with producer Glyn Johns and released on June 1, 1972, by Asylum Records. It was an immediate success for the then-new band, reaching No. 22 on the Billboard 200 and achieving a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Three singles were released from the album, each reaching the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100: "Take It Easy", "Witchy Woman", and "Peaceful Easy Feeling". The band, starting with this album, played a major role in popularizing the country rock sound.

<i>Jackson Browne</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne is the debut album of American singer Jackson Browne, released in 1972. It peaked on the Billboard 200 chart at number 53. Two singles were released with "Doctor, My Eyes", which peaked at number 8 on the Pop Singles chart, and "Rock Me on the Water", which reached number 48.

<i>The Allnighter</i> (album) 1984 studio album by Glenn Frey

The Allnighter is the second solo studio album by Glenn Frey, the guitarist and co-lead vocalist for the Eagles. The album was released in mid-1984 on MCA in the United States and the United Kingdom, two years after Frey's modestly successful debut album No Fun Aloud and four years after the demise of the Eagles. It was and still is Frey's most successful solo album throughout his whole solo career, having reached No. 22 on the Billboard charts, and releasing two top 20 singles with "Smuggler's Blues" and "Sexy Girl". The album achieved gold status by the RIAA in the US. It is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of Frey's solo work.

<i>The Glow</i> (Bonnie Raitt album) 1979 studio album by Bonnie Raitt

The Glow is the seventh album by the American musician Bonnie Raitt, released in 1979. It was one of the first albums to be recorded and mixed digitally.

<i>Lives in the Balance</i> 1986 studio album by Jackson Browne

Lives in the Balance is the eighth album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1986. It reached number 23 on the Billboard 200 chart. The title track as well as "For America" and "In the Shape of a Heart" were released as singles. The album was ranked number 88 on Rolling Stone's list of the best 100 albums of the 1980s. The album reached number 2 in Sweden.

<i>World in Motion</i> (Jackson Browne album) 1989 studio album by Jackson Browne

World in Motion is the ninth album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1989. It peaked at number 45 on The Billboard 200 and was Browne's first album to obtain neither gold nor platinum status. The album took three years to complete and makes statements about nuclear disarmament and the "secret" government that brought forth Oliver North and the Iran-Contra scandal.

<i>Im Alive</i> (Jackson Browne album) 1993 studio album by Jackson Browne

I'm Alive is the tenth album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1993. The title track, "I'm Alive", reached No. 18 on the Album Rock Tracks chart and No. 28 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Other singles released from the album were "Everywhere I Go" and "Sky Blue and Black".

<i>The Naked Ride Home</i> 2002 studio album by Jackson Browne

The Naked Ride Home is the twelfth album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 2002. It peaked at number 36 on The Billboard 200 chart. The single "The Night Inside Me" reached number 25 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

<i>Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1</i> 2005 live album by Jackson Browne

Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 is a live album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 2005. It reached number 4 on the Top Independent Albums chart and number 8 on the Top Internet Albums chart.

<i>Running on Empty</i> (album) 1977 live album / studio album by Jackson Browne

Running on Empty is the fifth album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. Featuring songs themed around life on the road, the entire album was recorded on tour, either live on stage, or in locations associated with touring, such as backstage, on tour buses, or in hotel rooms. Released in 1977, the album reached No. 3 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart in 1978 and stayed on the charts for 65 weeks. The single for the title track, "Running on Empty", peaked at No. 11 and the follow-up single, "The Load-Out"/"Stay", reached No. 20 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take It Easy</span> 1972 single by the Eagles

"Take It Easy" is the debut single by the American rock band Eagles, written by Jackson Browne and Eagles band member Glenn Frey, who also provides lead vocals. It was released on May 1, 1972, and peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on July 22, 1972. It was also the opening track of the band's eponymous debut album and has become one of their signature songs, included on all of their live and compilation albums. It is listed as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyin' Eyes</span> 1975 song by the Eagles

"Lyin' Eyes" is a song written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey and recorded in 1975 by the American rock band Eagles, with Frey singing lead vocals. It was the second single from their album One of These Nights, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 8 on the Billboard Country chart. It remained their only top 40 country hit until "How Long" in 2007–2008.

<i>Late for the Sky</i> 1974 studio album by Jackson Browne

Late for the Sky is the third studio album by American singer–songwriter Jackson Browne, released by Asylum Records on September 13, 1974. It peaked at number 14 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">For Everyman (song)</span> 1973 song by Jackson Browne

"For Everyman" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. It is the title track to his second album For Everyman, released in 1973.

<i>Love Is Strange: En Vivo Con Tino</i> 2010 live album by Jackson Browne and David Lindley

Love Is Strange: En Vivo Con Tino is the fourth live album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, and 16th official studio or live album. A 2-CD live set released on the Inside Recordings label in 2010, the album documents a March 2006 tour of Spain that Browne and David Lindley took part in with Spanish percussionist Tino di Geraldo. The seven shows of the tour in Spain were followed by four in the United Kingdom. The album preserves performances by guest Spanish musicians flutist Carlos Núñez, vocalists Kiko Veneno and Luz Casal, and banduria player Javier Mas. Some songs have introductions spoken by Browne in Spanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redneck Friend</span> 1973 single by Jackson Browne

"Redneck Friend" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released as the first single from his 1973 album For Everyman, and notable for its double entendre lyrics and guest appearances by Glenn Frey and Elton John, as well as the first appearance of David Lindley on a Jackson Browne single. The song reached number 85 on Billboard's October 20, 1973, Hot 100 chart, spending 10 weeks on that chart after debuting at number 99 on September 29, 1973. It was also released as a single in France and Japan, and as a promotional single in the United Kingdom and Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fountain of Sorrow</span> 1975 single by Jackson Browne

"Fountain of Sorrow" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. Released as the second single from his 1974 album Late for the Sky, at 6:42, it was the longest song on the album, and the longest song Browne had yet released. Two minutes were removed from the single release of "Fountain of Sorrow", but the song still failed to chart on Billboard's Hot 100.

References

  1. ↑ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  2. ↑ White, Timothy; Rosen, Craig (October 4, 1997). "Elton John, 30 years of music with Bernie Taupin". Billboard. p. 43.
  3. 1 2 DeCurtis, Anthony. "Jackson Browne > Review". Rolling Stone .
  4. ↑ Interview with Jackson Browne Archived July 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine , KGSR radio Austin, October 10, 2002. Accessed May 26, 2007.
  5. ↑ RIAA Gold and Platinum award. Archived September 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved July 20, 2010
  6. ↑ "Musical Maps".
  7. 1 2 Ruhlmann, William. "For Everyman > Review". AllMusic . Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  8. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved February 22, 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  9. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0195313734.
  10. ↑ Maslin, Janet. Rolling Stone, Review of For Everyman, November 22, 1973.
  11. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. February 2, 1974. p. 42. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. February 2, 1974. p. 12. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.