It is safe to say the 1970s will be remembered as the decade of the Singer/Songwriter. The list is endless: James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Dan Fogelberg, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, Carole King, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell (just to name a few.) Each of these artists had a unique style most-likely influenced by Bob Dylan who essentially re-wrote the rules in the 1960's. While other artists were singing about doggies in the window and "beautiful balloons" Dylan grabbed the world by the throat singing about real-life topics: Personal issues. Relationships. The government. War. Peace. Social issues. Injustices. Etc.. This opened the door for Singer/Songwriter Jackson Browne. And once that door was opened, Browne burst through and raised the bar. Jackson Browne's 1976 album The Pretender is simply one of the finest albums ever made by a Singer/Songwriter. In this first of a series of articles about The Pretender we will focus on the title song.
Born Clyde Jackson Browne in 1948 and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, Jackson Browne has recorded thirteen studio albums. Each collection is unique in its own right however it is The Pretender that stands above the rest. The album's title song features a full rock band led by an acoustic piano and guest harmony vocalists Graham Nash and David Crosby of Crosby, Stills and Nash fame. "The Pretender" depicts the story of an "everyman" as the opening lyrics reveal: "I'm going to rent myself a house in the shade of the freeway. I'm going to pack my lunch in the morning and go to work each day. And when the evening rolls around, I'll go on home and lay my body down. And when the morning light comes streaming in, I'll get up and do it again. Amen."
In answer to the question: "Who is the pretender?" Browne once said "...it's not me exactly, although sometimes people applaud for me at the moment in the song as if I am, but in truth there is a bit of the Pretender in me, but it's anybody that's sort of lost sight of some of their dreams...and is going through the motions and trying to make a stab at a certain way of life that he sees other people succeeding at..."
"The Pretender" is the closing song on the album of the same name. It is the perfect resolution to a collection of songs dealing with fatherhood, love, relationships, death, careers, despair and hope.
It is not just the lyrics that make this song stand above the rest. It is the combination of a strong melody supported by impeccable musicianship and produced in an almost-pop fashion while allowing the "sensitivity" of a singer/songwriter to still shine through. In addition, the clarity of the recording, song arrangement, harmony vocals and combination of electric and acoustic instruments is what truly makes this "The Pretender" a jewel in Browne's catologue.
Kenn Morr http://www.kennmorr.com/ is an internationally acclaimed Singer/Songwriter, Performer, Producer and Author with six albums to his credit. Originally from Long Island, NY Kenn lives in the foothills of New England's Berkshire Mountains with his wife and two young sons.
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