Jackson Browne and David Lindley
Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow
To set the scene for this show gives a number of important clues as to the nature of what follows.
The empty stage is crowded with equipment. Next to Browne's school is a keyboard, behind him a rack of 10 acoustic guitars. His counterpart and creative foil, David Lindley, is almost as well-equipped with at least six stringed instruments including a bouzouki, mandolin and the most utilised, a violin. Empty guitar cases litter the perimeter.
Also on stage, picked up on their current European trip is percussionist, Tino di Geraldo, whose contribution is limited to providing fairy dust on the interchanges between Browne and Lindley. The tools on offer and the basic lighting set-up makes for a subdued occasion, which perhaps lacks the warmth of Browne's entirely solo shows, but makes up for its lack o obvious crowd-pleasing with a depth and quality that draws on nearly 40 years of songwriting.
Though the fussiness, fiddling and tuning caused by a surplus of instrument changes can at times break the flow of the show, it cannot disguise Browne's enduring appeal as a lyricist. To hear such a broad selection from his repertoire (there are also a couple of Lindley's songs and a reworked traditional tune) emphasises his mastery of the political song.
Most of his best-known efforts are present and exemplify his ability when writing from both the perspective of the personal and from a wider world view. These Days, with Lindley's violin part echoing the world-weariness of Nico's version, is a case in point; Late For The Sky and Life's In The Balance are in many ways equally understated, but behind the melodic flow lies an articulate, concealed anger.
A rousing, comedy version of Stay and the ever-reliable, Take It Easy suggest a loosening up after the best part of two-and-a-half hours but these are atypically straightforward. Browne remains a far more complex proposition than these, his best-known songs, imply and as a consequence he has aged far more gracefully than the bulk of his contemporaries.
