JACKSON BROWNE ALBUMS THE CRITICAL CHOICES

JACKSON BROWNE A.K.A. SATURATE BEFORE USING (1972)

Few debut albums have ever made as much of an emphatic impression as Jackson Browne’s stellar debut, a set of songs that defined him as an essential singer-songwriter at the peak of his prowess even early on. One of the first albums released on the budding Asylum Records label — later home to the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits and even Bob Dylan for a brief period of time — it set a standard for a sound and style thoroughly engrained within the roster’s template. It also established Browne as a surprisingly tender and trusting romanticist, albeit somewhat naive due to his obvious obsession with pure, unbridled optimism. The name of the album is still cause for confusion; while it was meant to be an eponymous effort, the words “saturate before using” suggested some sort of cryptic concern that the album’s contents has to be properly absorbed in order to be effectively enjoyed. Like The Beatles’ so-called “White Album,” the title allows the individual his or her own reference. Regardless, anyone seeking evidence of Browne’s early ability would be well