Jackson Browne & Phoebe Snow At Hill Auditorium

So much popular music these days is really devoid of humanity. Examples of washed-out muzak are everywhere, from John Denver and Olivia Newton-John to the hard rock nonsense of Aerosmith and the excruciating repetition of Chicago. So few musicians speak from their real souls to our real souls. Aside from several jazz musicians, the only humanity available on record is from a few sensitive lyricists who are writing, using real poetry. Remember poetry.

Unbelievably, two of these song writers were present at Hill Auditorium April 19. The pairing of Phoebe Snow and Jackson Browne was a beautiful job of booking, and UAC, who sponsored the concert, is to be commended.

Phoebe Snow opened the show, and as you know if you've heard her MCA album or single ("Poetry Man"), she is the most refreshing thing to hit the AM airwaves in years. Trying to describe her would inevitably lead to comparisons to other vocalists which would not do her justice. Suffice it to say that her song writing style is poetic and original and her vocal ability so distinctive that she is instantly recognizable. She did most of the songs off her album and added Billie Holiday's "No Regrets" and Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down." These last two afforded her ample opportunity to display the vocal improvisations that brought cheers from the audience. You're going to hear a lol from this truly beautiful person.

Speaking of beautiful human beings, it must be remembered that as Phoebe Snow was sending chills down my spine, I also knew that Jackson Browne was still to come. What can I say about him that will reach you people who are not familiar with him? You see, I hate superlatives; they're so easy to argue with. So I'll beg off a little and just say that Jackson Browne is the most insightful, aware human being writing songs in the 1970s.

But the adoring audience at Hill Aud. that night already knew that. They came to hear him sing all those songs, from the frighteningly introspective "These Days" to the apocalyptic "For Everyman" to the rockin' "Redneck Friend." Unfortunately. some bad sound mixing washed out some of the lyrics. And, since many of the melodies are quite similar and these lyrics are so important, it was the vocals I'd come to hear.

The particular sound of Jackson Browne's music is mostly the work of David Lindley on slide, lead guitar and fiddle, and he was there laying down the very familiar licks (and a few surprises) from all three Jackson Browne albums. Jackson blew the lyric on the opening to the second encore because he was distracted by some moron in the audience with a harmonica. He started over after saying, "Is there someone up there with a harmonica?!...Well, we're gonna be in E." A touch of humor that did not reach the boor.

Those of us who came to this concert and were touched by either or both of these performers can rest comfortably knowing that probably "we were meant to live after the deluge."

-Bruce Weinberg