Jackson Browne - Lives in the Balance

Usually among the most introspective of songwriters, Jackson Browne cast his gaze on the world outside on Lives in the Balance and did not like what he saw. Beginning with "For America," he lamented his previous indifference to social issues -- "I went on speaking of the future/While other people fought and bled" -- but immediately tried to make up for lost time. The album's context, of course, was five years of Ronald Reagan's presidency, with what the Left saw as an indifference to the plight of the poor at home and a dangerously aggressive policy against insurgent movements in the Central American countries of El Salvador and Nicaragua that they feared would lead to a Vietnam-like war. Without naming those places, Browne wrote and sang passionately against poverty in the songs "Soldier of Plenty" and "Lawless Avenues" and against war in "For America," "Lives in the Balance," and "Till I Go Down." Elsewhere, his more familiar themes of romantic ("In the Shape of a Heart") and philosophical ("Black and White") disillusionment also made appearances. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Name Credits Barry Diament Mastering Bernie Larsen Organ, Guitar, Clavinet Bill Jackson Assistant Engineer Bill Payne Keyboards, Synthesizer, Piano Bob Glaub Bass Bonnie Raitt Vocal Harmony, Vocals, Gut String Guitar Coke Johnson Assistant Engineer Craig Doerge Synthesizer, Keyboards Danny Kortchmar Percussion, Sequencing, Sequencers, Guitar David Lindley Guitar (Steel), Violin, Guitar Dawn Patrol Art Direction Debra Dobkin Vocals, Vocal Harmony, Gut String Guitar Doug Haywood Vocal Harmony, Gut String Guitar Doug Sax Mastering Ed Wong Technical Engineer Gary Myrick Guitar Greg Ladanyi Mixing Hugo Pebruza Percussion Hugo Pedroza Tiple, Charango Ian McLagan Keyboards, Organ Ian Wallace Drums Jackson Browne Guitar (Acoustic), Sequencers, Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Sequencing, Vocoder, Gut String Guitar, Keyboards, Vocal Harmony Jai Winding Organ, Synthesizer, Keyboards, Piano James Geddes Engineer, Mixing Jennifer Condos Bass Jim Keltner Drums Jimmy Wachtel Art Direction Jon Douglas Haywood Vocals, Bass Jorge Calderon Vocal Harmony, Bass, Vocals, Gut String Guitar Jorge Strunz Guitar (Nylon String), Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic) Kai Winding Organ, Synthesizer, Piano Kevin Dukes Guitar Kevin McCormick Guitar, Gut String Guitar, Vocal Harmony, Vocals Mindy Sterling Gut String Guitar, Vocals, Harmony Murray Dvorkin Assistant Engineer, Mixing Phil Chen Bass Phil Kenzie Saxophone, Sax (Alto) Quique Cruz Percussion, Zampona Richard Wachtel Guitar Rick Vito Guitar, Vocals Russ Kunkel Drums Sharon Rice Assistant Engineer, Mixing Stan Lynch Drums Steve Lukather Guitar Tchad Blake Assistant Engineer Waddy Wachtel Guitar Walfredo Reyes Conductor, Conga, Drums