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''For Everyman'' is the second album by American singer-songwriter
Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...
, released in 1973 (see
1973 in music This is a list of music-related events in 1973. __TOC__ Specific locations * 1973 in British music * 1973 in Norwegian music Specific genres * 1973 in country music *1973 in heavy metal music * 1973 in jazz Events January–April *Jan ...
). The album peaked at number 43 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and the single "
Redneck Friend "Redneck Friend" (or, alternately, "Red Neck 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 ...
" reached number 85 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. In 2012, the album was ranked number 450 on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.


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 "Redneck Friend" (or, alternately, "Red Neck 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 ...
"),
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
(credited as Rockaday Johnnie, piano on "Redneck Friend"),
Don Henley Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as "Witchy Woman", "Despe ...
(harmony on "Colors of the Sun"),
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
, and
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...
. The title track was written by Browne in response to the apocalyptic " Wooden Ships", a song written by Crosby,
Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has com ...
and
Paul Kantner Paul Lorin Kantner (March 17, 1941 – January 28, 2016) was an American rock musician. He is best known as the co-founder, rhythm guitarist, and vocalist of Jefferson Airplane, a leading psychedelic rock band of the counterculture era. He cont ...
. His own version of "
These Days These Days may refer to: Music Albums * ''These Days'' (Bon Jovi album), and the title song (see below) ** These Days Tour, a 1995–1996 tour by Bon Jovi in support of the above album * ''These Days'' (Crystal Gayle album), 1980 * ''These D ...
" appears here after having been previously recorded by Nico, Tom Rush, who also covered "Colors of the Sun", and
Gregg Allman Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman Br ...
. Nico was the first to record the song in 1967. Browne later commented "When llmandid hese DaysI 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."Interview with Jackson Browne
, KGSR radio
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, October 10, 2002. Accessed May 26, 2007.
" Take It Easy" was written by Browne and Frey and became the
Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
' first single, released on May 1, 1972. ''For Everyman'' was certified as a Gold record in 1975 and Platinum in 1989 by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. 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.


Reception

In her November 1973 review in ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', 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."Maslin, Janet. Rolling Stone
Review of For Everyman
November 22, 1973.
Acknowledging that Browne had a large task ahead of him in following his debut ''Jackson Browne'' in his review for
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, 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." 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." Music critic
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
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." ''
Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' 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."


Track listing

All tracks are written by
Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...
except where noted.


Side One

#" Take It Easy" (Browne, Glenn Frey) – 3:39 #"Our Lady of the Well" – 3:51 #"Colors of the Sun" – 4:26 #"I Thought I Was a Child" – 3:43 #"
These Days These Days may refer to: Music Albums * ''These Days'' (Bon Jovi album), and the title song (see below) ** These Days Tour, a 1995–1996 tour by Bon Jovi in support of the above album * ''These Days'' (Crystal Gayle album), 1980 * ''These D ...
" – 4:41


Side Two

#"
Redneck Friend "Redneck Friend" (or, alternately, "Red Neck 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 ...
" – 3:56 #"The Times You've Come" – 3:39 #"Ready or Not" – 3:33 #"Sing My Songs to Me" – 3:25 #"
For Everyman ''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 ''Bi ...
" – 6:20


Personnel

* Jackson Browne – vocals, acoustic guitar (1, 2, 5, 7, 10), acoustic piano (3, 8, 9), rhythm guitar (6) * Spooner Oldham
Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...
(3) *
Bill Payne William H. Payne (born March 12, 1949) is an American pianist who, with Lowell George, co-founded the American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other rock pianists, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano roc ...
– acoustic piano (4) *
David Paich David Frank Paich (born June 25, 1954) is an American musician, best known as the co-founder, principal songwriter, keyboardist and singer of the rock band Toto since 1977. He wrote or co-wrote much of Toto's original material, including the ba ...
– acoustic piano (5) *
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
– acoustic piano (6) redited as ''Rockaday Johnnie''*
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
electric piano An electric piano is a musical instrument which produces sounds when a performer presses the keys of a piano-style musical keyboard. Pressing keys causes mechanical hammers to strike metal strings, metal reeds or wire tines, leading to vibrations ...
(9) *
Mike Utley Michael Gerard Utley (born December 20, 1965) is a former American football player. He played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1989 through 1991, when he was paralyzed during a game. Early life and college career A gra ...
– Hammond organ (9, 10) * Craig Doerge – acoustic piano (10) * David Lindley – electric guitar (1, 9, 10), acoustic guitar (2, 3, 4, 7, 10),
slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...
(5, 6),
electric fiddle An electric violin is a violin equipped with an electronic output of its sound. The term most properly refers to an instrument intentionally made to be electrified with built-in pickups, usually with a solid body. It can also refer to a violin fit ...
(8) * Sneaky Pete Kleinow
pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a Console steel guitar, console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all s ...
(1, 2) * Doug Haywood – bass (1–6, 8), harmony vocals (1, 2, 5, 8) * Leland Sklar – bass (7, 10) * Wilton Felder – bass (9) * Mickey McGee – drums (1) * Jim Keltner – drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 8) * Gary Mallaber – drums (3, 9) * Russ Kunkel – drums (7, 10) *
Don Henley Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as "Witchy Woman", "Despe ...
– harmony vocals (3) * Glenn Frey – harmony vocals (6) *
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...
– harmony vocals (7) * David Crosby – harmony vocals (10)


Production

* Jackson Browne – producer *
John Haeny John Haeny is an American-born music producer, recording and mixing engineer, sound designer and academic. From the late 1960s through the late 1980s he recorded, mixed and produced hundreds of albums. He worked with a variety of artists across m ...
– engineer * Al Schmitt – engineer, mixing * Kent Nebergall – assistant engineer * Rick Tarantini – assistant engineer * Greg Ladanyi – mastering * Anthony Hudson – art direction, design * Alan F. Blumenthal – photography


Charts

Album –
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
(United States) Singles – Billboard (United States)


References

{{Authority control Jackson Browne albums 1973 albums Asylum Records albums Albums recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders