Browne’s debut lays the groundwork for future heart-and-soul excavations. “Doctor My Eyes,” an early hit single, communicates the subdued, subtle power of his half-spoken melodies, while “Rock Me on the Water” and “Song for Adam” foreshadow the free-ranging contemplation to come.  

 For Everyman strikes a balance between the cool introspection of “I Thought I Was a Child” and “Sing My Song to Me” and the warm humor of “Redneck Friend.” David Lindley’s loping slide guitar and arsenal of stringed instruments buoys Jackson’s occasional slides into melancholy.  

 Late for the Sky strengthens and solidifies Browne’s approach; it’s the quintessential Browne album. The metaphorical complexity of “Fountain of Sorrow” and the clear-eyed poignancy of “For a Dancer” would be a tough act to follow. 

 Browne’s once-hesitant singing improves with each album. But even when his songwriting is sharp, the mellowing trend in his music dulls the impact. Browne eerily predicts the rise of the yuppie on The Pretender’s title track, only to have his point undercut by a creeping string section.  

 Running on Empty collects new material, previously unrecorded cover versions, motel jams, loose ends, rough edges, mistakes, and unexpected moments of triumph. The album exudes intimacy, revealing the empathetic, flexible bond between Browne and his audience. 

 Hold Out returned to the popification program begun on The Pretender, though even the catchiest ruminations (the title track and “Hold On Hold Out”) don’t sink in over time like Browne’s thoughtful hooks of old.  

 Lawyers in Love marked the singer-songwriter’s transition from the personal to the political. The title track is a cutting slice of social observation, but the remainder of the album is muddled. For the first time, Browne seems unsure of himself.  

 On I’m Alive, Browne returned to his forte: the personal joy and agony of day-to-day human interaction. Here, he deals with the various stages of a failed relationship, from the thrill of attraction to post-honeymoon-period worry and, ultimately, the grief of breaking up.  

 Browne continued his renewed introspection on Looking East, to slightly lesser success.  

 Looser, warmer, and more live sounding than Browne’s other recent work, The Naked Ride Home takes on domestic mysteries (on the title track) and is passionately crafted and sung.  

 Probably the best overview of his catalog, the 32-song Very Best of was compiled by Browne himself.  

 The Solo Acoustic volumes are decent live albums; between them, they span Browne’s career. 

 The Solo Acoustic volumes are decent live albums; between them, they span Browne’s career. 

 The politics came roaring back with this savage indictment of the Bush adminstration. The criticism is typically direct, but the album’s sound is a good deal more subdued than its vitriolic lyrics, Browne’s longtime quintet providing uncluttered, expert folk-rock.