Maps of Music

Lives in the Balance (1986)

Where the lyrics of Lives in the Balance take you, and where it was really made.

The album is known for its political songs, yet one of the songs best remembered from it is a personal one about a relationship.

Key places

Where the album was recorded (1986)

Recording site Sunset Sound Factory — The album was recorded at Sunset Sound Factory in Los Angeles. Mixing took place at The Complex in Los Angeles. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Lives in the Balance: eighth album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne
• Released February 18, 1986
• Reached number 23 on the Billboard 200
• Title track, "For America" and "In the Shape of a Heart" released as singles
• First Browne album where overtly political and socially critical songs dominated
• Three of the songs are about President Ronald Reagan

Background

• Also includes "In the Shape of a Heart", inspired by his relationship with his first wife
• Radio play for "For America" and "In the Shape of a Heart" brought in many new fans
• "Lives in the Balance" was used in the show Miami Vice
• New fans went back and discovered Browne's earlier works

Recording

• Recorded at Sunset Sound Factory, Los Angeles
• The Outpost, Los Angeles also listed as a recording location
• Mixed at The Complex, Los Angeles
• Produced by Jackson Browne; engineer James Geddes

Cover

• Cover artwork by Richard Duardo
• Art direction by Dawn Patrol and Jimmy Wachtel
• Back cover photography by Basia Kenton

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.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

• Critical press focused on the political direction of the album
• Rolling Stone's original 1986 review by Jimmy Guterman praised the album overall
• Guterman praised Browne's ability to link the personal to the political, which kept the songs from becoming too didactic
• Robert Christgau said Browne was a pop star stretching his audience and endangering his market share by making such a statement in 1986

Reappraisal

• William Ruhlmann wrote retrospectively that the specificity of the album's approach inevitably limited its appeal and long-term significance
• The Rolling Stone Record Guide called the title track a cutting slice of social observation, but found the rest of the album muddled
• The Rolling Stone Record Guide wrote that Browne seemed unsure of himself for the first time

Records

• Billboard 200: number 23
• Sweden: number 2
• Rolling Stone's list of the best 100 albums of the 1980s: number 88
• RIAA gold certification in July 1986
• Lower commercial success mattered little to Browne, according to a November 1989 Rolling Stone article

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Browne said he liked this album as much as any he had made.
• Browne said he felt a certain comfort and security in talking about something he felt this strongly about.
• The album reached number 2 in Sweden, the chart result that stands out beyond the US chart.
• The French Wikipedia entry notes the album placed 23rd on Billboard's Pop-rock album chart in 1986.
• The album's political songs were partly aimed at Reagan's policy in Central America, according to the French Wikipedia entry.
• Richard Duardo is credited with the cover artwork.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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