Maps of Music
Looking East (1996)
Where the lyrics of Looking East take you, and where it was really made.
Browne's eleventh album reached the Billboard Top 40, yet it was still considered a letdown after the success of I'm Alive.
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Recorded at Groove Masters, Santa Monica (1996)
Recording site Groove Masters — The album was recorded at Groove Masters in Santa Monica, California, according to the Italian Wikipedia page and the Discogs credits. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Album story
Overview
- Looking East: eleventh album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne
- Released in 1996; peaked at number 36 on the Billboard 200
- Italian CD release by Elektra Records in February 1996
- Ten tracks on the original album
- Producers Kevin McCormick and Scott Thurston
- Mastered by Gavin Lurssen and Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab, Hollywood
Background
- Released over two years after the successful I'm Alive
- Browne returned to politically and socially oriented themes
- Only two songs credited to Browne alone as composer; the rest co-credited with his core backing band
- The most notable song, Barricades of Heaven, refers to the barrios of Los Angeles
- Guests: Bonnie Raitt, David Crosby, Vonda Shepard, Ry Cooder, Waddy Wachtel, David Lindley
Recording
- Recorded at Groove Masters in Santa Monica, California
- Engineer Paul Dieter; assistant engineers Sebastian Haimerl and Bob Salcedo
- Mixing by Ed Cherney
- Mastering by Gavin Lurssen and Doug Sax
Cover
- Art direction and design by Jackson Browne
- Photography by Dianna Cohen, Rob Gilley, Nels Israelson and Frank W. Ockenfels III
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com
Tracklist
| 1 | Looking East | 4:57 |
| 2 | The Barricades of Heaven | 5:42 |
| 3 | Some Bridges | 4:52 |
| 4 | Information Wars | 5:15 |
| 5 | I'm the Cat | 3:55 |
| 6 | Culver Moon | 5:46 |
| 7 | Baby How Long | 5:06 |
| 8 | Nino | 5:14 |
| 9 | Alive in the World | 4:51 |
| 10 | It Is One | 4:57 |
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
- Looking East was considered something of a letdown after the success of I'm Alive
- The album was judged a letdown even after reaching the Top 40 of the Billboard 200
- Coming two years after I'm Alive, it invited direct comparison with that hit record
- Critic William Ruhlman wrote that the album is a highly referential work from an artist who started where most end and has been earnestly seeking the right direction ever since
- Ruhlman said the album finds Browne in his own backyard, still searching
Records
- Peaked at number 36 on the Billboard 200
- Reached the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 on release
- Released on CD in Italy by Elektra Records in February 1996
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ja.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- Ry Cooder plays slide guitar on Baby How Long, one of the guest appearances listed in the credits.
- Bonnie Raitt provides harmony vocals on Baby How Long, alongside Renée Geyer.
- David Crosby sings harmony vocals on Alive in the World.
- Mike Campbell plays 12-string electric guitar on The Barricades of Heaven.
- The Information Wars credits list a long roster of backing vocalists and a choir arranger.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
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