打从60年代中期于加州民谣圈发迹以来，杰克逊·布朗（Jackson Browne）就以南加州民谣摇滚客自居，73年与The Eagles成员Glenn Frey合写畅销金曲《Take It Easy》打开创作名气，74年专辑《Late For The Sky》荣获滚石杂志推选为史上最佳百张专辑之一，他那充满自省风格的歌词文采于76年TOP 5专辑《The Pretender》中大放光芒，77年经典大碟《Running On Empty》进一步实践摇滚乐纪录片的创作概念，有棱有角的勾勒出人生旅程百态，专辑大破700万张，造就《Running On Empty》、《The Load Out/Stay》等TOP 40单曲，80年专辑《Hold Out》勇夺冠军宝座，82年持续以《Somebody's Baby》、《Lawyers In Love》、《Tender Is The Night》攻占TOP 30之林，86年专辑《Lives In The Balance》更被华盛顿邮报推崇为“一张质疑文化帝国主义、美国外交政策与美国梦的尖锐深刻的政治歌曲唱作”，并成就另一张滚石杂志最佳百张专辑，89年专辑《World In Motion》对政治与相关议题的探讨更是鞭辟入里。从自我内在的情感抒怀到对周遭环境的观点陈述，Jackson Browne以锐利的笔触与平实的歌声，真诚的扮演着歌者表达情感与看法的角色，除了个人专辑，Linda Ronstadt、The Byrds、Bonnie Riatt等歌手的专辑也都听得到他的创作才华，99、2001年还分别与Bonnie Riatt、Joan Baez合唱《Kisses Sweeter Than Wife》、《Guantanamera》。全球历年专辑累积超越1500万张的销售证明优质创作亦能同样享有商业销售的魔力。2002年2月，Jackson Browne获颁John Steinbeck奖 (表扬对环境与社会价值观察有卓越成就的艺术工作者，之前只有导演John Sales、剧作家Arthur Miller、Bruce Springsteen获颁此奖)，同年秋季推出的大碟《The Naked Ride Home》是他个人继96年专辑《Looking East》后睽违多时的创作，由他与Kevin McCormick (Melissa Etheridge的制作人)担纲制作，录音工程则是交由曾为Bruce Springsteen、Bryan Adams、Shawn Colvin专辑担任录音的巨将Bob Clearmountain操刀，专辑中有痛批美国政治现实与消费主义的《Casino Nation》、嘲弄性别议题的标题曲《The Naked Ride Home》、葛莱美奖得主Marc Cohen合声的福音风味情歌《Don't You Want To Be There》、弥漫着雷鬼气息的清新摇滚曲《For Taking The Trouble》、宣泄自我情绪的《The Night Inside Me》，还有向西部片导演Sergio Leone致敬的《Sergio Leone》，走过30年的光阴，Jackson Browne在新专辑中又一次成功的均衡了诗意与失意，调和了浪漫神采与社会意识，他依然是个很酷的加州摇滚客， 而岁月的痕迹让他的成熟内涵更显深厚。by Stephen Thomas ErlewineIn many ways, Jackson Browne was the quintessential sensitive Californian singer/songwriter of the early 70s. Only Joni Mitchell and James Taylor ranked alongside him in terms of influence, but neither artist tapped into the post-60s zeitgeist like Browne. While the majority of his classic 70s work was unflinchingly personal, it nevertheless provided a touchstone for a generation of maturing baby boomers coming to terms with adulthood. Not only did his introspective, literate lyrics strike a nerve, but his laid-back folk-rock set the template for much of the music to come out of California during the 70s. With his first four albums, Browne built a loyal following that helped him break into the mainstream with 1976s The Pretender. During the late 70s and early 80s, he was at the height of his popularity, as each of his albums charted in the Top Ten. Midway through the 80s, Browne made a series of political protest records that caused his audience to gradually shrink, but when he returned to introspective songwriting with 1993s Im Alive, he made a modest comeback. Born in Heidelberg, West Germany, Jackson Browne and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was three years old, and by the time he was a teenager, Browne had developed an interest in folk music. He began playing guitar and writing songs, which he sang at local folk clubs. Early in 1966, he was invited to join the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, whom he had met through the L.A. folk circuit. While he was only with the band for a few months, the group recorded a handful of his songs on its first two records. By the beginning of 1967, he had signed a publishing deal with Nina Music, a division of Elektra Records; Nina helped Browne secure songs on albums by Tom Rush and Steve Noonan in 1968. During 1967 and 1968, he lived in New Yorks Greenwich Village, where he played in Tim Buckleys backing band. Browne also began working with Nico, who recorded three of his songs on her Chelsea Girl album. When their relationship disintegrated in 1968, he returned to Los Angeles, where he unsuccessfully tried to record a solo album and form a folk group with Ned Doheney and Jack Wilce. Browne continued to play local clubs and his reputation as a songwriter continued to grow, with Linda Ronstadt and the Byrds recording his songs. By the end of 1971, he had signed with David Geffens fledgling Asylum Records on the strength of his widely circulated demo tape.Jackson Browne was released in the spring of 1972, spawning the Top Ten hit single Doctor My Eyes. Shortly after Doctor My Eyes reached its peak position, Take It Easy, a song Browne co-wrote with Glenn Frey, became the Eagles breakthrough hit. Many songs from his debut, including Rock Me on the Water and Jamaica Say You Will, became singer/songwriter standards, but the album itself didnt establish Browne as a pop star, despite its hit single. On his second album, 1973s For Everyman, he began a long-term collaboration with instrumentalist David Lindley. For Everyman was a commercial disappointment, yet it consolidated his cult following. Released in the fall of 1974, Late for the Sky expanded Brownes audience significantly, peaking at number 14 on the charts and going gold by the beginning of the following year. Brownes first wife, Phyllis, committed suicide in the spring of 1976, but in the wake of the tragedy he recorded his commercial breakthrough album, The Pretender. The record climbed into the Top Ten upon its fall 1976 release, going platinum in the spring of 1977. In the summer, Browne launched an extensive tour, recording a new album while he was on the road. The resulting record, Running On Empty (1977), was a bigger success than its predecessor, peaking at number three and launching the hit singles Running On Empty and Stay/The Load-Out. With his career riding high, Browne began to pursue political and social causes, most notably protesting the use of nuclear energy.The success of Hold Out, the 1980 follow-up to Running On Empty, was evidence of Jackson Brownes popularity. Though the album wasnt as well crafted as its predecessors, it became his only number one album upon its summer release. In the summer of 1982, Somebodys Baby, from the soundtrack of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, became Brownes biggest hit, climbing to number seven on the U.S. charts. Divided between love songs and political protests, Lawyers in Love was another hit due to success of the hit singles Lawyers in Love, Tender Is the Night, and For a Rocker. Nevertheless, the album also showcased a newly found social consciousness, which dominated 1986s Lives in the Balance. The album lacked any hit singles, yet its fiery condemnation of the Reagan era won an audience — the album stayed on the charts for over six months and went gold. Jackson Browne continued to write primarily political songs on 1989s World in Motion, but the record became his first album to not go gold. Browne was quiet for the next four years, working on a variety of social causes and suffering a painful public breakup with his girlfriend, actress Daryl Hannah. He finally returned with a comeback effort in the fall of 1993 entitled Im Alive. Comprised of personal songs, Im Alive received his best reviews since the late 70s and the record went gold without producing any major hits. In the spring of 1996, Browne released Looking East, which failed to gain the same attention as Im Alive. In 2002, he released The Naked Ride Home. Two years later the two disc The Very Best of Jackson Browne hit the shelves as Browne was being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by fellow Hall of Famer Bruce Springsteen. Around this time Browne took to the road and played intimate, acoustic shows around the globe. The 2005 release Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 was compiled from these concerts and appeared on Inside Recordings, an independent label founded by Browne.