One at a Time - "The Pretender" (1976) by Jackson Browne

What is One at a Time? Check out the introduction here.

#391 "The Pretender" (1976) by Jackson Browne

Since I went to see Jackson Browne last night at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, the man is on my mind, so today I’m going to cover The Pretender, from 1976, listed at #391 on Rolling Stone’s list.

Now, first of all, my two main gripes here: where’s Running On Empty? and how could I possibly be the youngest person at a Jackson Browne show? Jackson Browne is cool. Undeniably so. He’s pushing 70 but he acts like a 35-year-old. He’s been a rock star for most of his life, and his persona is effortless, but he doesn’t lack any fire or anger or caring. When I say that Jackson Browne cares, I don’t mean it in the lame way writer’s use to describe sensitive-type singer-songwriters. But Jackson Browne gives a shit. He’s above that useless unaffected rock glaze. He’s environmentally and socially conscious. He was literally making up the setlist based on the crowd’s suggestions last night, and he has a string of hits that are also great songs. Not to mention a catalog deep enough to hardly ever play the same set twice while still killing it.

I thought there’d be a decent amount of people my age (24) and 30-somethings. But it looked like there were hardly any people under 50, let alone people my age.

The Pretender came out in 1976 and has a tight but varying track-list that culminates in an epic title track. The only misstep for me on here is “Linda Paloma”. While I typically love a song where the object of the song is more than just that, an object, I don’t think that this Mexican cantina-inspired song fits on the disc. It’s a little bit jarring.

Other than that, The Pretender has stone-cold classics like the aforementioned “The Pretender”, plus “Your Bright Baby Blues”, and “The Fuse.” 

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2. "Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ" (1973) by Bruce Springsteen 
3. "All Things Must Pass" (1970) by George Harrison
4. "Tapestry" (1971) by Carole King
5. "Document" (1987) by REM
6. "Tea for the Tillerman" (1970) by Cat Stevens 
7. "Car Wheels On a Gravel Road" (1998) by Lucinda Williams 
8. "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" (1974) by Richard and Linda Thompson 
9. "Number One Record" (1972) by Big Star
10. "Something Else By The Kinks" (1972) by The Kinks
11. "Bookends" (1968) by Simon and Garfunkel 
12. "The Pretender" (1976) by Jackson Browne
13. "Elton John" (1970) by Elton John
14. "The Bends" (1995) by Radiohead
15. "Armed Forces" (1979) by Elvis Costello and The Attractions
16. "Stop Making Sense" (1984) by The Talking Heads 
17. "Honky Chateau" (1972) by Elton John  
18. "Tunnel of Love" (1987) by Bruce Springsteen
19. "Green River" (1969) by Creedance Clearwater Revival 
20. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967) by The Beatles
21. "Burnin'" (1973) by The Wailers 
22. "The Rolling Stones Now!" (1965) by The Rolling Stones
23. "Born Under A Bad Sign" (1967) by Albert King
24. "Heaven Up Here" (1981) by Echo and the Bunnymen 
100. "The Slim Shady LP" (1999) by Eminem