Maps of Music

Jackson Browne (1972)

Where the lyrics of Jackson Browne take you, and where it was really made.

Many fans call this 1972 debut Saturate Before Using, the words printed on its water-bag cover, and Asylum Records executives nearly rejected that cover art outright.

Key places

Recorded at Crystal Sound in Hollywood (1972)

Recording site The Music Grinder (Hollywood) — The album was recorded at Crystal Sound in Hollywood. The map point is set at city-center level, not at the studio building itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Jackson Browne: the self-titled debut studio album by American singer Jackson Browne
• Released in 1972
• Also known, by mistake, as Saturate Before Using
• Peaked at number 53 on the Billboard 200
• Two singles: "Doctor, My Eyes" reached number 8 on the Pop Singles chart; "Rock Me on the Water" reached number 48
• Ten tracks, all written by Browne
• Producer and engineer: Richard Sanford Orshoff
• Art direction by Gary Burden; photography by Henry Diltz

Background

• Browne had found minor success as a songwriter but had not yet obtained his own recording contract
• He sent a demo of "Jamaica Say You Will" to David Geffen in early 1970
• Geffen began looking for a record deal for Browne, ended up founding Asylum Records, and signed him

Recording

• Personnel include Leland Sklar on bass guitar and Russ Kunkel on drums
• David Crosby and Graham Nash contributed harmony vocals
• Craig Doerge played piano on three tracks
• Recording was done at Crystal Sound in Hollywood

Cover

• The cover was designed to look like a water bag
• Asylum Records executives suggested removing the words from the cover and nearly rejected the cover art outright

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Artist

Career

• Clyde Jackson Browne, born October 9, 1948 in Heidelberg, Germany, is an American rock musician, singer, songwriter and political activist.
• He began as a teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles and became a staff writer for Elektra's publishing company, Nina Music, before he was eighteen.
• His songs were recorded early by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Joan Baez, Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, the Byrds and others.
• He signed with David Geffen's Asylum Records in 1971 and released his self-titled debut album in 1972, which included "Doctor My Eyes" and "Rock Me on the Water".
• Running on Empty (1977), recorded on tour, is his signature work and his biggest commercial success, peaking at number 3 on the album chart.
• Hold Out (1980) was his only number 1 album on the US pop albums chart.
• "Somebody's Baby" from the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack became his biggest hit, peaking at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, inducted by Bruce Springsteen.
• Rolling Stone ranked him 37th on its 2015 list of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.

Activism

• Browne co-founded the antinuclear organization Musicians United for Safe Energy in March 1979.
• He performed frequently at benefits in the 1980s and campaigned for causes including Farm Aid and Amnesty International.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Rolling Stone (1972 review): said Browne's sensibility is romantic in the best sense, with songs that create a charged atmosphere and keep that pitch in the listener's mind after they end
• Circus (Ed Kelleher, 1972): said Browne is his own best interpreter, with the soul of a poet and the stance of a troubadour
• Robert Christgau: gave the album a B grade and was ambivalent, finding the voice pleasant and the lyrics intelligent but the music and ideas bland
• Most critics gave the album positive reviews

Reappraisal

• AllMusic (William Ruhlmann): praised it as a debut that does not sound like a debut, and as a timeless collection of reflective ballads
• The Rolling Stone Album Guide: described it as laying the groundwork for later heart-and-soul work, with "Doctor My Eyes" showing the subdued power of Browne's half-spoken melodies

Records

• Billboard 200 peak: number 53
• "Doctor, My Eyes" peaked at number 8 on the Pop Singles chart
• "Rock Me on the Water" reached number 48
• RIAA certified Gold in 1976 and Platinum in 1997

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The words Saturate Before Using appear on the cover, which was designed to look like a water bag, so the album is often mistakenly called by that phrase.
• The initial pressings included the text, and the cover had a burlap-like feel to further the water bag theme.
• When the album moved to CD, the words appeared on the jewel case spine as the album title, and the title confusion returned.
• In a 2002 DVD interview for Under The Covers, Browne said his record company also took the words to be the album title.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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