I'm Alive (Jackson Browne album)
| I'm Alive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Jackson Browne | ||||
| Released | October 11, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | 1992 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 47:03 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer | Jackson Browne, Scott Thurston, Don Was | |||
| Jackson Browne chronology | ||||
| ||||
I'm Alive is the tenth album by American singer/songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1993 (see 1993 in music). The title track, "I'm Alive", reached #18 on the Album Rock Tracks chart and #28 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Other singles released from the album were "Everywhere I Go" (UK #67[1]) and "Sky Blue and Black".
History
After veering heavily towards songs of a political nature on his two previous albums, longtime fans of Browne welcomed the return on I'm Alive to his previous style of songwriting.[2]
The song "Too Many Angels" includes backing vocals by Jennifer Warnes, Valerie Carter, Doug Haywood, Katia Cardinal and Ryan Browne while the song "All Good Things" includes backing vocals by David Crosby and Don Henley. The song "Sky Blue and Black" was also featured in the pilot episode of American situation comedy Friends.
The album was certified as a Gold record in 1995 by the RIAA.[3]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| The New York Times | (no rating) [4] |
| Q | [5] |
| Rolling Stone Record Guide |  [6] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
I'm Alive was considered somewhat of a comeback for Browne. Stephen Holden writing for The New York Times wrote "I'm Alive is a striking return to the kind of romantic subject matter that the Los Angeles singer and songwriter seemed to have abandoned after 1980 in favor of political songwriting. His finest album in nearly two decades, it has much in common with his 1974 masterpiece, Late For The Sky, whose songs also described the disintegration of a relationship."[4]
Critic William Ruhlman agreed though did not consider the album as strong. "Longtime fans welcomed the album as a return in style... Browne eschewed the greater philosophical implications of romance and, falling back on stock imagery (angels, rain), failed to achieve an originality of expression. While it was good news that he wasn't tilting at windmills anymore, Browne did not make a full comeback with the album, despite a couple of well-constructed songs."[2] The Rolling Stone Record Guide wrote Browne "returned to his forte: the personal joy and agony of day-to-day human interaction."[6]
In the original Rolling Stone review for the album from 1993, Kara Manning expressed the belief that "Browne has successfully managed to resurrect his persona of 20 years ago. I'm Alive shudders with the pain of someone who's been soundly dumped. And Browne has even gained a sense of gallows humor. Between despondent cries for reconciliation, the singer indulges in refreshingly silly self-deprecation." However, she wondered, "what does a younger, angrier generation — raging to Dr. Dre and Nirvana — make of all this? But '70s nostalgia is on a roll..."[7]
The album was in Q's list of "The 50 Best Albums Of 1993".[8]
Track listing
All tracks composed by Jackson Browne.
- "I'm Alive" – 5:01
- "My Problem Is You" – 4:40
- "Everywhere I Go" – 4:36
- "I'll Do Anything" – 4:31
- "Miles Away" – 3:52
- "Too Many Angels" – 6:04
- "Take This Rain" – 4:49
- "Two of Me, Two of You" – 2:56
- "Sky Blue and Black" – 6:06
- "All Good Things" – 4:28
Personnel
- Jackson Browne – acoustic guitar, guitar, piano, vocals, background vocals
- Sweet Pea Atkinson – background vocals
- Sir Harry Bowens – background vocals
- Ryan Browne – background vocals
- Mike Campbell – guitar
- Katia Cardenal – background vocals
- Valerie Carter – background vocals
- Lenny Castro – percussion
- Luis Conte – percussion
- David Crosby – background vocals
- Mark Goldenberg – guitar
- William "Bill" Greene – background vocals
- Doug Haywood – background vocals
- Don Henley – background vocals
- James "Hutch" Hutchinson – bass
- Bill Irving –
- Jim Keltner – drums
- John Leventhal – acoustic guitar, guitar
- Mauricio-Fritz Lewak – drums
- David Lindley – bouzouki, guitar, oud
- Kevin McCormick – bass
- Arnold McCuller – background vocals
- Dean Parks – acoustic guitar
- Steven Soles – background vocals
- Benmont Tench – Hammond organ
- Scott Thurston – guitar, keyboards, background vocals
- Waddy Wachtel – guitar
- Jennifer Warnes – background vocals
- Jai Winding – piano
Production notes:
- Jackson Browne – producer
- Scott Thurston – producer
- Don Was – producer
- Susann Mcahon – assistant producer
- Paul Dieter – engineer
- Rik Pekkonen – engineer
- Steve Onuska – assistant engineer
- Bob Salcedo – assistant engineer
- Kathy Yore – assistant engineer
- Ed Cherney – mixing
- Gavin Lurssen – mastering
- Doug Sax – mastering
- Ed Wong – technical engineer
- Edd Kolakowski - piano technician
- Robin Lynch – art direction, design
- Alli – mastering
- Bruce Weber – photography
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Billboard 200 | 40 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "I'm Alive" | Adult Contemporary | 29 |
| 1993 | "I'm Alive" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 18 |
| 1993 | "I'm Alive" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 18 |
| 1994 | "I'm Alive" | Adult Contemporary | 28 |
| 1994 | "Everywhere I Go" | UK Singles Chart | 67 |
References
- ↑ UK Chart info
- 1 2 3 Ruhlmann, William. "I'm Alive > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
- ↑ RIAA Gold and Platinum award. Retrieved July 20, 2010
- 1 2 Holden, Stephen (November 1993). "I'm Alive > Review". The New York Times.
- ↑ "I'm Alive > Review". Q: 74. December 1993.
- 1 2 Coleman, Mark. "I'm Alive > Review". Rolling Stone.
- 1 2 Manning, Kara (November 11, 1993). "I'm Alive > Review". Rolling Stone.
- ↑ "The 50 Best Albums Of 1993". Q: 84. January 1994.