Category Archives: deep dive

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Song of the Day #4,680: ‘For Everyman’ – Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne brought out the big guns for his sophomore album, 1973’s For Everyman, enlisting a star-studded cast of musical peers. Elton John, David Crosby, Joni Mitchell, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Bonnie Raitt all make appearances on this collection, a more confident and resonant album than his debut.

Browne also delivered his own versions of two of his most celebrated early compositions. The album starts off with ‘Take It Easy,’ which Browne co-wrote with Glenn Frey, whose Eagles made it a Top 40 hit. And he offers up a plaintive version of ‘These Days,’ previously released by both Nico and Gregg Allman.

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Song of the Day #4,679: ‘Jamaica Say You Will’ – Jackson Browne

It is finally here! Call this Meet Me in Montauk’s version of “Infrastructure Week” during the Trump administration. Come one, come all, to my Jackson Browne deep dive!

Over the next three weeks, I’ll feature a song from each of Browne’s 14 studio albums, then finish off with my personal ranking of his discography.

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Song of the Day #4,634: ‘All I Want’ – Joni Mitchell

I didn’t know what to expect when I embarked on this monthlong exploration of Joni Mitchell’s discography.

I knew no more than a handful of her songs very well and had zero knowledge of the ebbs and flows of her 40+ year career. I understood that she is an iconic singer-songwriter who inspired a generation of artists, but I didn’t know exactly how or why.

After dozens of hours listening to every one of Mitchell’s studio albums, I now have a pretty well-formed picture of her wild path. But I still don’t know exactly what to make of it. It is certainly a far more unpredictable and uneven journey than I imagined.

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Song of the Day #4,633: ‘Night of the Iguana’ – Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell made an unexpected return to recording in 2007, releasing Shine, an album that seems likely to be her last.

Mitchell suffered an aneurysm in 2015 which robbed her of the ability to talk and walk, though she recovered her voice and is on her way to recovering her mobility. Her old friend and lover, James Taylor, recently said he believed Mitchell, now 77 years old, could even record new music again. I wouldn’t count her out.

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Song of the Day #4,632: ‘The Circle Game’ – Joni Mitchell

Yesterday, I bemoaned the fact that 2000’s Both Sides Now wasn’t made up entirely of Joni Mitchell revisiting her back catalog. Well, Mitchell obliged with her next release, 2002’s Travelogue.

This double album, which Mitchell said would be her last release, presents 22 songs from across her 30+ year career, in new arrangements and backed by a full orchestra.

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