#450 – Jackson Browne, ‘For Everyman’

For Everyman (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: October, 1973
Label: Asylum
Genre: Rock
Producer: Jackson Browne

OK so here we are: 50 albums down – 1 per week makes for 50 weeks, so at about 75 weeks since I started I don’t think it’s tracking that badly. But whatever, just getting through it isn’t really the point I guess. For Everyman is pretty great – a good light and shade. Vocally Browne is really solid, and lyrically I think there’s a lot to like and lot to unpick. It surprised me to hear The Eagles’ “Take it Easy” on here, which Browne himself wrote. It surprised me more to learn that Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, Don Henley, David Crosby and Elton John (as Rockaday Johnnie) all appeared. 

There’s a nifty cross-fade between tracks 1 and 2 and then 9 and the final track. I love effects like this, and it reminds me of the effect on Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs between “Halflight I” and “Halflight II (No Celebration)” – so good.

Top tracks: The titular “For Everyman”.

 

#458 – Elton John, ‘Tumbleweed Connection’

Tumbleweed Connection (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: 30 October, 1970
Label: DJM (UK), Uni (US)
Genre: Rock, country rock,  Americana, rock and roll
Producer: Gus Dudgeon

This was a huge surprise to me: after years of listening to (and loving) Elton Johns’ various greatest hits, I remained a fan at a distance. I never knew that much about his career or back catalogue; he’s a legend, for sure, but beyond that I didn’t know much. The sheer American-ness of this record is what hit you most – a concept album through and through. It’s interesting to listen to and maybe I’ll leave it at that.

This week: First week of 2014 and we all have to get used to not writing 2013 on our pages of notes at work. Lots of crossed out dates.