The Pretender - Jackson Browne | Andy & Alex FIRST TIME REACTION! 

The bass player is the legendary Leland Sklar . The whole band are legends. Jeff Pocaro on drums, Craig Doerge on piano, Fred Tackett on guitars, and David Crosby and Graham Nash on backing vocals.

I am so envious of the young people who are experiencing this music for the first time. The Pretender is a classic!!

Alex is right…I have listened to this as a kid, an adult and now an old man…It is an S tier song for me, and probably for you after listening to it for nearly 50 years

"Who started out so young and strong ~ only to surrender." One of the best lines in this song. My favorite Jackson Browne song.

Bob Dylan and Jackson Browne were contemporaries and Dylan admired him highly. Dylan's favorite Jackson Browne song was the Pretender and Dylan even broke it down in his book: 'The Philosophy of Modern Song'. 'nuff said.

The 'LATE FOR THE SKY' album is Jackson Browne's Masterpiece. Every song is a must-listen-to Desert Island track. Browne stretched the limits of what could be found in what he called the beauty in songs. This is one of the records you hear the air trembling between instruments, making silence audible and meaningful. In terms of totality, feelings, and perfection, this album is at the very top. Although all of the songs are pure masterpieces, there are four songs that touch me every time I hear them: "Late For The Sky," "For A Dancer," Fountain of Sorrow, and "Before The Deluge." I'm now 75 years old, and it in my top 10 albums ever. The Pretender is in there too. Jackson is a poet and renaissance man, a one in a lifetime talent.

Jackson Browne is a top tier singer-songwriter. His lyrics rival anyone. Other songs of his to check out include "Late for the Sky", "For a Dancer", "Running on Empty", "Before the Deluge" and "In the Shape of a Heart" plus dozens of others. Do yourselves a favor, and dive in to his music. He's a treasure that I hope many younger people discover.

You really should have rated this S tier!!!! Just for the lyrics alone.

Huge thanks to you guys. He wrote Eagle hit “Take it Easy”. That bass was Leland Sklar. But if you want lyrics, check out early and later hits. Try Doctor my Eyes for early. For later Something like “Lives in the Balance”. So many songs.

"These Days" is a MUST from Jackson Browne...the lyrics are so profound and he wrote them at only 16 years old. It's a slower song but that pace fits the song perfectly

Jackson said this song is about being a person determined to not "sell out", but seeing no other choice but to 'pretend' that he hasn't, even though he's chasing the almighty $ like everyone else.

I think with repeated listenings, "The Pretender" goes way beyond "A" into "S-tier" territory. At least you got that it is lyrically profound. It's a gorgeous song, and Browne's vocal clarity and phrasing bring that out. "Here Come Those Tears Again" was another good one from this record. "For A Dancer" from the Late for the Sky album is beautiful as well.

At the Eagle's inception they lived above Jackson Brown who had what they called a "closet sized" room with a bed and a piano. They credit him for teaching them that songwriting was as much about work ethic as anything. They could hear him at the piano for days on end banging away at the tunes that would become his hits.

'69, I was 21 and I called the road my own I don't know when that road turned into the road I'm on --Jackson Browne

The lyrics are timeless because they are about the human condition and that never really changes.

The sad truth: growing up as a child with this song, (and several others) that warned me to avoid all the pitfalls. Understanding the pitfalls, and yet still 40+ years later, I still regret all the decisions I made that fell in line with so much of this song, hitting each pitfall along the way.

Jackson Browne is a singer/songwriter in the tradition of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell - intimate and intensely personal lyrics. Good stuff!

His voice is still super strong. Such a poet. I saw him recently, his voice is so clear and pure it made me tear up.

Jackson doesn’t write songs. He writes anthems!

They're really going to like this one. It's such an iconic song.

"Late for the Sky." Even if you don't do a reaction to it, perhaps you can listen to it for yourself. Superb song. Masterful songwriting.

By far my favorite Jackson Brown song out of so many. The older you get the more it tugs at your soul, and brings a tear or two. Brilliant S .

A&A, you'll love his "Somebody's Baby" and "Tender Is the Night" !!!!

This song will hit different for you if you listen to it at certain stages of life. I was a very young child when this album came out. My aunt was a massive Jackson Browne fan and she played this album nonstop. This song has always been my fave song by Jackson Browne. The lyrics will resonate with you for years. Listen to this next year, 2 years from now, even 5 years and it will hit different each time.

This is a mourning, lost and disillusioned Jackson Browne who had everything at this point in his life but had just lost his wife to suicide/overdose and was questioning the meaning of life. I got emotional just watching you two react to all those very profound lines.

His Mom taught at my high school in the 70s. Mrs. Brown would play his new lps! It was great!

Jackson is an original. One of the best lyricists of the last 70 years. If anything the other artists were stealing from him, not the other way around. He wrote Take It Easy that the eagles sold about a trillion copies of. He did that before he was even famous. Listen to these albums, "Late For The Sky", " For Everyman", Lives In The Balance". Listen to David Lindleys genius guitar work. These albums will blow you away.

For more Jackson Browne greatness, check out "Late for the Sky." Incredible, heart-wrenching tune.

To me this song is about selling out your dreams and pursuit of love for the legal tender. We “started out so young and strong, only to surrender.” Great song.

Andy & Alex, Can you imagine…run-down apartments. Jackson Browne on the second floor and Glenn Fry under him, both writing amazing music!

It’s a prayer / sermon about a man who has resigned himself to give up on his dream and settle for what the conventional world allows. He’s not that; he’s pretending to be. Say a prayer. Amen

Jackson Browne is one of my favorite lyricists. He really is a poet.

My favorite artist of all time.. can't count how many time's I've seen him over my 61 years...his music never gets old to me.

I'll say it again...we had great music in the 70s and 80s. Damn.

That last line before the repeat of the refrain just kills me every time; "He started out so young and strong, only to surrender..."

Phoebe Snow wrote the song "Poetry Man" as an homage to Jackson Browne. There are no bad Jackson Browne songs. "Fountain of Sorrow" is another strong song lyrically. "Doctor My Eyes" was the first of his songs I ever heard. I was 14 when it was released and I was sold. Dive deep guys. You won’t regret it.

Heard this one a week ago on the radio, just after my Aunt Marty, who was a MAJOR Jackson Browne fan, passed away. Remembered more of the words than I thought I would. I think Aunt Marty was with me in that moment, reminding me what the words were.

This song was sad and prescient. It caught the change in our society, when we were changing from a people who wanted to figure out how to make a better world for everyone (idealistic but bigger goals) to accepting the world runs on greed and will lean back on cynicism to keep things from really changing. I remember the sadness when I first heard it, but he saw it coming. It's a much smaller world now and you can hear it in the music before this (gradually) contrasted with the music after. Anyway, my five cents.

This is My personal favorite Jackson Browne song. I'm 57 and I still get goosebumps.

This was my stepsister's favorite song back in the late 70s. She used to play it all the time.Jackson Browne wrote some songs for other artists as well.. He is a great lyricist. I saw him once in the early 80s. He was so enigmatic :)

I wish I could hear this song again for the first time!

Perhaps one of the most underrated songwriters of our generation(s), Mr. Browne

His Greatest Hits album was always on our car playlist when driving to and from college - in the early 2000s. My parents really got me into him in high school, but one of the earliest songs I ever remember hearing on the radio was his "Tender Is the Night" back im the early 80s before I was even in kindergarten. Love him.

Straight up, before even watching the video - if this isn’t an S, there will be tears. This song has been this man’s sauce for the best part of 50 years.

One word to describe this reaction - enigmatic

These Days, In the Shape of a Heart and For a Dancer. And about another 100 songs. Toured last summer and sounded as great as always.

Funny you mentioned the Eagles. In their documentary Glenn Frey told the story of living above Jackson Browne when they were all starting off in LA. And listening as Browne went over one verse over and over like 20 times in a row until he got out exactly right. He also wrote "Take it Easy" one of the eagles biggest hits

Wow -- I hear this with new ears as a 61 year old man who worked hard, kept his job and never had a long relationship.

This came out when I was 14 and spoke to me while trying to find my place in the world and still does at 60. I wore that tape out.

Jackson is a great lyricist. He and Dylan had me mesmerized during the 70’s. Great musical era to be a teenager! Thanks for the nostalgia

You guys need to get into his first three albums. Rock Me on The Water, Opening Farewell, Red Neck Friend, Ready or Not, These Days, For a Dancer, Late for the Sky.

“Caught between the longing for love and the struggle for the legal tender” - great line. It resonates more as you get older.

Jackson Browne is one of the top five lyricists of all time for me, These Days and Late For the Sky are two of the greatest written tunes ever and definitely worth a billion listens

Glenn Frey told of when he and some band mates were renting an apartment when they were starting out that Jackson Browne lived in the apartment below them and that every morning they’d wake up and hear Browne’s piano as he would play one verse over and over again 20 times until he had it exactly the way he wanted. RIP Glenn ❤

“paint by number dreams” has to be one of my favorite lines in ANY song. So glad that you finally hit this gem. Agree with the Eagles comparison. Has the same vibe as “The last resort”. As always, keep on rockin.

One of the greatest singer/songwriter's ever.

One of the great Singer songwriters, of all time.

A&A, go see him in concert before he's gone... Absolute magic live.

Oh my word...I am thrilled that I got to watch you listen to Jackson Browne. One of the best in my Era. 70 years old and still relevant to me.

Great Great song. From one of the best of all time greatest singer song writers. So much so. This is my license plate. Love this guy. His early stuff is Lights Out. Ps...Please listen to it again...Ya might have missed a couple things?

I haven't heard this in forever. It may be the best song Jackson ever did.

This is one of those songs, for me, takes me back to the tortured teenager. Listening in my bedroom, waiting for my life to unfold... still love listening to it. I so, so loved the music and lyrics. It's a special song for me.

JB helped Frey finish “Already Gone”. Frey was living in the basement below JB’s pad in Cali.

Stellar! No one crafts a song like Browne. He reminds us that the piano is a percussion instrument. he blends so seamlessly with the rhythm section yet you can always feel the melody underneath. He’s one of my favorite pianists ❤❤❤

I’m 55 years young!! I saw Jackson Browne in concert when I was 19! With my mom & dad, who once were “hippies!” I have pictures of myself listening with headphones, while sitting in a brown beanbag chair, to Jackson Browne, Jethro Tull, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Joan Baez and The Mamas & the Papas and so many more greats!! I’m so thankful for being around in that era of great music!! But extremely happy that younger generations are also discovering and appreciating the legends!!

"Started out so young and strong Only to surrender..." That hurts so bad because it fits so hideously well. Very much enjoyed watching you intuit this incredible lyric.

Perfect time to circle back to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “Rosalita” live video from 1978! Absolute iconic performance of one of the greatest live acts ever, in their prime!!!

I grew up listening to the works of brilliant lyricists like Jackson Browne, Bernie Taupin, Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, all of them. Check out Jackson's 'In the Shape of a Heart'. That song just tears at my own heart. Also 'Fountain of Sorrow'. He wrote many songs after his first wife took her life. Doctors didn't know much about depression in the 70's.

Music of my high school days ❤ absolutely love the 70’s artists. 64 and still enjoying all those great groups from that era.

Back in ‘77 I was 14 years old and didn’t appreciate Jackson Brown because I was (and still am) more of a guitar focused rock fan (Stones, Zeppelin, Skynyrd, Aerosmith, etc.), but all these years later I can listen more carefully to the lyrics and the more subtle, yet intricate, embellishments from the musicians and have a whole new appreciation for what they produced. And it is very refreshing to hear young gents like you guys putting a fresh spin on the old classic tunes. Thanks so much.

This is my favorite jackson Browne song. So glad you did this one. A lesser known treasure💗

Lol, shame on me! I forgot to subscribe after leaving you the message a few minutes ago. I am now! Thanks again you guys are showing the generations the way of acceptance and connection rather than being separate and disconnected.

This is a great song. Jackson Browne is an amazing artist and Ive been lucky enough to have seen him twice and met him once briefly. The first time I saw him was in 1986 on the Lives In The Balance tour, and the second time was last year. Both were stellar performances. This song is a definite highlight in his catalogue and in performace. Enjoy!! :)

The entire rhythm section, Bass- Leland Sklar, Drums - Jeff Porcaro, Piano - Craig Doerge, is simply sick.

Dang, forgot how good this was. Thx! This was my 10th grade year of HS. Good times, great music, sweet chicks. Where did that go….

Good choice. You need to do For Everyman and Late for the Sky albums. Both classics.

A classic tale of life, and how dreams are often subsumed by the realities and the illusions of what we do. Great song & great review. ✌️❤️🎶

JB is a songwriter's songwriter... one of the all time greats at taking the mundane, the common struggles of everyday folk and creating an extremely listenable, often inspirational song. JB is a national treasure.

Very self-reflective song. Haven't heard it in about 30 years. Still sounds great.

This takes me back to sitting with my oldest and closest friend listening to the "new' Jackson Brown album and having a beer. He has been gone for decades, but I still miss him. Thank you for the trip to the way back.

I hear so much Eagles in the orchestra stuff in the back. I know they were friends and worked together some. Great song.

S tier for sure, vocals, background vocals, musical performance, mastering, and of course lyrics. S tier no doubt.

Every time I hear this song..I start to cry…absolutely beautiful

One of the greatest lyricists in popular music. And what a melodic gift he has, also. You will never hear a cliche from his lyrics. He always has a novel way of expressing even the most common thought.

Don Henley and Glenn Frey meet and get an apartment. Shortly after they hear a guy singing in the apartment above them. Turns out to be Jackson Brown. That's a whole lot of talent living in one apartment complex

GOOOOOOOOD MORNING A&A FAMILY!!! ☮️💟♾️

Jackson Browne’s connection to the Eagles is so close that literally, when Glen Frye moved to Los Angeles he rented an upstairs garage apartment and met Jackson who lived dowstairs. He said that every day he could hear Jackson working on songs, singing and playing the tunes that later turned into the classics that we all know.

listened to this SO many times and just realized the line break at "believe in whatever may lie/in those things that money can buy" can be read as a full stop. believing in the things that lie.

I think, when you review songs like these, you should take a quick look at the musicians involved. You will see a lot of these big artist sing great studio musicians over and over again - THOSE people you will begin to recognize, and see as more than bit players, as terrific artists in their own right. It is easy enough to look at, and it only seems rgiht. Theirs is the true center of the legacy of Rack and Roll.

“The sips bearing their dreams, sail outa sight”. At 50 this song means so much more than ever.

One of my favorite story songs or whatever you'd call this. They lyrical and melodic craftsmanship are out of this world. S tier for me.

Thank you for listening to this particular JB song. He is a master at music and word. Plus he still tours so I go see him every time he comes to town. This song is what turned me into a Jackson Browne fan back in 1977 in my senior year of high school. I have been a fan ever since.

Ah Jackson Browne. One of the greatest songwriters of the 70’s and beyond:) Really dig this song:) It definitely gives a shoutout to the plight of the workforce:)

S-tier lyrics.. ... As time goes by, both of you will up your rating of this song ...

In 68-69 Jackson and Gregg Allman we’re roommates in LA the guys that lived above them Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Duane Allman had left California went back and tried becoming a session musician at Muscle Shoals, and did so very successfully…. would love to be a fly on the wall around that place.

Just listened to an older review of yours covering Buffalo Springfield "Mr.Soul" This particular song and whom I believe to be perhaps one of the most underrated guitarists and lyrical geniuses that goes without much notoriety goes to the creator of Buffalo Springfield "Neil Young" this was his first introduction into the musical world early in his long career still active today nearly 60 years later from the time of Buffalo Springfields short existence. He later was with Crosby Stills Nash and Young playing at Woodstock before he broke off to form his solo career where he has up to today thousands of published and recorded songs perhaps over 4,000 plus songs. Most of these have never ever been heard by but a few except for a die hard follower of his works like me. And even I am still finding some really fascinating and surprising gems even today. On this one single artist you could do a weekly review of his songs for probably well over a 5-8 year period. He is known as the Godfather of Grunge and where this musical style of dress and musical style all began before Grunge was even known or classified as a musical classification. He had a close connection with Kurt Cobane and it is believed that Neil Young may have been the last person to speak to him on that tragic night Kurt's life and grunge's best known grunge act Nirvana ended. I encourage you to explore and perhaps cover some of the hidden gems that probably only a few of your viewers have heard of as well. I would be willing to help in this since it takes a considerably deep search to find most of what isn't what became a popular known song yet deserves to be one! I'm serious about what I say about this. He just has so much & so many to listen to that no one will ever know. They will be discovered long after this artist goes on to play in the sky. Thanks for the consideration. A good start to one of his hidden gems is this song: "Through my sails" on his Zuma album release with Crazy Horse.

Yay! Finally! My fave Jackson Browne song. Highly recommend you re-listen to it every year or two, just to remind yourself to make choices that allow you to avoid becoming The Pretender.

One of his top five songs brings a lump to the throat the words are so true. We should all be happy idiots! Amazing songwriter and artist.

jackson was one of the best writers ever. i hope you hit 'rock me on the water'. another great lyric song, with killer arrangement. it will take you to church.

I love Jackson Browne and all of his music. Genius. Thank you.