Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1977…
#4 – Running on Empty – Jackson Browne
I did a Jackson Browne deep dive five years ago that gave me a strong appreciation for the man’s work. But even after digging into 14 studio albums, it was hard to find anything that compares to the one I already loved: Running on Empty.
This is a concept album about life on the road that was recorded on the road — in front of live audiences, on a tour bus, in hotel rooms and backstage rehearsal spaces. It captures the lazy haze of that vagabond existence and drips with the sweat of hard-working musicians and their supporting crews.
Apart from the title track, Running on Empty isn’t packed with well-known hits. A cover of the Zodiac’s ‘Stay’ also charted, closing the album after the lovely ‘The Load Out,’ a song that sings the praises of roadies and fans alike. And ‘You Love the Thunder’ was a minor success (and one of my faves).
The rest of the track list is made up of sweetly melancholic songs that could be described as filler if they weren’t essential to the success of the whole package. Indeed, this is a record that works primarily as a full album and it became Browne’s top seller by quite a distance, going 7X Platinum.
Running on Empty is one of the greatest vibe albums ever made (now there’s an idea for a theme week!). It’s warm, calming, and healing, even. It making only #4 on this list is yet another testament to the greatness of 1977.
Highways and dancehalls
A good song takes you far
You write about the moon
And you dream about the stars
Blues in old motel rooms
Girls in daddy’s cars
You sing about the nights
And you laugh about the scars
[Verse 2]
Coffee in the morning
Cocaine afternoons
You talk about the weather
And you grin about the rooms
Phone calls long distance
To tell you how you’ve been
You forget about the losses
You exaggerate the wins
[Chorus]
And when you stop to let ’em know
You’ve got it down
It’s just another town along the road
[Verse 3]
The ladies come to see you
If your name still rings a bell
They give you damn near nothin’
And they’ll say they knew you well
So you tell ’em you remember
But they know it’s just a game
And along the way their faces
All begin to look the same
[Chorus]
And when you stop to let ’em know
You got it down
It’s just another town along the road
[Verse 4]
Well it isn’t for the money
And it’s only for a while
You stalk about the rooms
And you roll away the miles
Gamblers in the neon
Clinging to guitars
You’re right about the moon
But you’re wrong about the stars
[Chorus]
‘Cause when you stop to let ’em know
You got it down
It’s just another town along the road
Meet Me In Montauk 