In my mid teens “Late For The Sky” was my favourite album. I got to see Jackson Browne on his first Australian tour in 1977 but not since. I was tempted in 2018 but was worried how his voice might be after all these years. Since then I’ve regretted not going to concerts by too many musicians who have since died that now when one of my heroes tours I see them regardless. In Jackson’s case I had no reason to worry. After 50 years of singing, his voice is still sounding fine. And as was to be expected, he was surrounded by a band of first rate musicians.
The setlist included 22 songs spanning Jackson’s 15 albums, a real showcase of his song-writing abilities. Most of my selections however, were taken from his early years:
Until Justice is Real (00:41)
Fountain of Sorrow (04:11)
For a Dancer (11:27)
The Pretender (16:27)
Too Many Angels (22:50)
Doctor My Eyes (28:43)
Running on Empty (34:20)
My one regret was that the title song of that beloved album from my teenage years wasn’t played. I suspect it missed out when an audience request for “Cocaine” was added impromptu.
This concert was originally scheduled for April, following his appearance at Bluesfest. Unfortunately, while in Australia Jackson caught covid and the Sydney and Melbourne concerts couldn’t go ahead. It was a clear sign of how important his fans are to him that Jackson made the long journey back eight months later to finish the tour. His Sydney fans certainly appreciated it.
2 дек 2023
