Maps of Music

The Pretender (1976)

Where the lyrics of The Pretender take you, and where it was really made.

Only one of the eight songs was written after Browne's first wife died, despite the common assumption that the whole album grew from her death.

Key places

Recorded at Sunset Sound (1976)

Recording site Sunset Sound — The album was recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, and the mixing was done at The Sound Factory in the same city. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• The Pretender: fourth album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne
• Released in 1976; Korean Wikipedia gives November 1976
• Peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's album chart
• Singles: “Here Come Those Tears Again” reached No. 23; “The Pretender” peaked at No. 58
• Eight tracks across two sides

Background

• Released after the suicide of Browne's first wife, Phyllis Major
• Contrary to popular perception, only one song, “Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate,” was written after her death
• “Here Come Those Tears Again” was co-written with Major's mother, Nancy Farnsworth, and is dedicated to her
• Production by Jon Landau; the album mixes several styles

Recording

• Recorded at Sunset Sound and mixed at The Sound Factory in Hollywood
• Mastered by Bernie Grundman at A&M Mastering Studios
• Engineers John Haeny (most tracks) and Greg Ladanyi (Track 3); mixing mainly by Greg Ladanyi

Cover

• Front cover photo by Tom Kelley; back cover photo by Jackson Browne
• Back cover reproduces Pablo Neruda's poem “Brown and Agile Child” in full, translated by Kenneth Rexroth

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

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

• Record World said Browne's tender concerns were expressed as insightfully as usual, and Landau's production added a subtle broadening of the rock base
• Record World singled out “The Fuse,” “The Pretender,” “Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate” and “The Only Child” as especially moving
• AllMusic (William Ruhlmann) called the album equivocal, saying Browne stepped back from the abyss of his first three albums without feeling better
• The Rolling Stone Album Guide (Marc Coleman) said the mellowing trend dulled the album's impact even when the songwriting was sharp
• The same guide said the title track predicts the rise of the yuppie, but the point is undercut by a creeping string section
• Robert Christgau gave the album a B, calling it an impressive record that he often hates; the grade was an average, not a judgment

Reappraisal

• Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian placed “The Fuse,” “Here Come Those Tears Again” and the title track among Browne's ten greatest songs
• The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll tied the album's despair partly to the 1976 suicide of his first wife, Phyllis
• In 2012 the album was ranked number 391 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

Records

• Peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's album chart
• RIAA certifications: gold in 1976, platinum in 1977, multi-platinum in 1997 and 2006

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

Trivia

• The title track was used in the 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus.
• The back cover of The Pretender reproduces Pablo Neruda's poem, translated by Kenneth Rexroth, in its entirety.
• The release includes a card-weight inner sleeve with lyrics.
• Kachejian said just about every song on the album could have made his list of Browne's ten greatest songs.

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

Maps of Ages ↗ (mapsofages.com)

Privacy · Contact