Jackson Browne - Late for the Sky (1974)

This was my constant companion through much of my late teenage years. It was the first Jackson Browne LP I bought, and the I one feel has his best and most inspiring songs.

The themes are dark and gloomy — death, decay, loss and loneliness — but Browne's remarkable gift for conveying deep message in sublime melodies makes listening to 'Late for the Sky' not only a positively absorbing but also a profoundly affecting experience. There's such poignant poetry in pieces like 'For a Dancer' and 'Fountain of Sorrow' that you'd be just swept away by the supreme lyricism of the moment. And in the closing track, the enthralling 'Before the Deluge', Browne intelligently uses biblical imagery to paint a picture of hope for humanity in the face of self-induced destruction and devastation. It's truly a majestic achievement!

David Lindley contributes some excellent slide guitar work here, and the whole album is solidly grounded in terms of artistic vision, production and musicianship. This is the disc I would strongly recommend to anyone who hasn't heard Browne or any masterful, thought-provoking singer-songwriter like him before.