Albums: 'For Everyman'
[Browne's] debut set I loved—"Jamaica Say You Will," "Song For Adam" and, especially, "Doctor My Eyes" and "Rock Me On The Water" were superb songs. The majority of those songs were the up-tempo part of the album—Jackson's rather mono-toned vocals became depressingly morbid on the slow songs. The same conditions prevail on his second album ["For Everyman"]. Both sides open with a fast 'un. The Eagles' hit "Take It Easy" (co-written by Browne and Glenn Frey) starts side one; the excellent "Red Neck Friend" gets side two rolling…. After the opener there's a rather tacky feeling to side one—a reliance on the slow-paced and the maudlin. On side two the pace varies more and the songs counterpoint each other the better for it…. Jackson takes "Sing My Songs To Me" back down to a minor mood … which segues into the stronger, title track which ends the side. As the two opening tracks on the first side had also been blended into one the effect is of placing quotation marks around the album. Between the quotes Jackson makes no astounding statements; just lays down his melodies and lyrics and leaves philosophising fairly well alone. A solid enough album but not as freshly appealing as his debut.
Geoff Brown, "Albums: 'For Everyman'," in Melody Maker (© IPC Business Press Ltd.), November 10, 1973, p. 28.
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