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Looking East | 
| Artist: Jackson Browne
Label: Elektra / Wea
Category: Music
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $8.99
You Save: $0.99 (10%)
Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 38548
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 075596186728
EAN: 0075596186728
ASIN: B000002HKU
Publication Date: 1996
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Looking East | | • | The Barricades of Heaven | | • | Some Bridges | | • | Information Wars | | • | I'm the Cat | | • | Culver Moon | | • | Baby How Long | | • | Nino | | • | Alive in the World | | • | It Is One |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 Average Browne Release November 3, 2006
Steven Sly (Kalamazoo, MI United States)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This mid 90's era album came at a time when Browne's years as a platinum selling commercial artist were behind him. "Looking East" would prove to be his last studio album of new material for more than a decade. Overall this is a good, but not great Jackson Browne album. The CD starts out strong with the politically tinged title track and a nostalgic look back at youth in "The Barricades Of Heaven". The third track "Some Bridges" is also good. The rest of the album slides a bit with good to average Browne songwriting. The album closes with a reggae number "It Is One" which does not quite work to my ears. This is not a must own Browne album, but there is enough good stuff here to make it worth owning for fans of the man.
3 memorable songs, and the rest is competent May 18, 2006
Eric J. Anderson (Ankeny, Iowa)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Although not a stellar effort, Looking East is respectable. For me, the songs Looking East, Barricades of Heaven, and Culver Moon have lasting repeat-play value. The rest of the album is an entertaining listen once through at least.
Barricades is a great song, and like many great songs, I cannot explain to anyone why it is great. The music, words, beat, and mood all combine into a whole that remains, for me at least, rather hypnotic and undefinable. I honestly cannot tell you what barricades he's talking about, or what kind of redemption he means. Poetic words and poetic music -- make your own meaning out of it.
The hippie-dippy "we are one world" message of It Is One is cliche and tiresome. The other songs are just ruminations of Jackson's forty-odd years of life on the planet.
The opening track, Looking East, seems so appropriate today, when many are achingly disaffected with society and government. I like the rocking guitars and the power of Jackson's voice, too. Jackson sings, "There's a God-sized hunger underneath the laughing and the rage." Yet, this was written in the middle of President Clinton's two terms. Irony? Oh yes, a "God-sized" irony, if you ask me. But Browne remains hopeful, "looking east," waiting for the sun. I guess that is what keeps Browne's preaching from becoming opressive. He doesn't lose a sense of life's joys and hope, like so many whiny and humorless liberals.
Jackson's latest studio effort, Naked Ride Home is a better album musically and lyrically. I think it compares favorably with some of his early work. But I bought Looking East used for about 30 cents plus the shipping -- under three dollars total. For the three songs in Looking East that I'll enjoy far into the future, that's a bargain.
 Not his best, but OK February 11, 2006
J. Houzet (Chicago, IL)
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
I've been a fan of Jackson Browne's music ever since hearing the fun satire "Lawyers in Love." Being an '80s teen, that was my introduction to Jackson's music. I have since learned to appreciate his earlier work, especially the album Running on Empty. I was grateful for the first compilation of his hits, The Next Voice You Hear, even though it was lacking. It showed the excellence of the singer/songwriter.
But my inclination is towards Browne's three big '80s albums, Lawyers in Love, Lives in the Balance, and World in Motion. Not only is the music on those albums fantastic, but the lyrics are smart. Jackson is very political, but at his best his activism is tempered by great rock music, much like Midnight Oil.
Looking East is one of Jackson's more mediocre efforts. The title track is nice enough, but I don't understand why it was chosen for his double CD Best of from Rhino, when there were better songs on this album. "The Barricades of Heaven" is a good song, but I think "Some Bridges" is even better. I'm drawn towards music I want to listen to because of the hook that draws you in and a melody that's pleasant to the ear. "Some Bridges" is that kind of song. The other stand out song on this album is the closer, "It is One." It has a fun reggae beat and a thoughtful lyric. Jackson seems to like including at least one reggae tune on every album, as well as one song with Latin flavor and context. "Nino" is the latter. I'll give this album four stars instead of three based on the few memorable songs.
Some real classics and maybe a clunker or two January 15, 2006
Frank J. Guszak
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Interesting album, one that sounds like a return to his earlier pre-1980s work. Moreover, I would include "Barricades of Heaven" right up there with the best songs Browne has ever made. It sounds straight off "The Pretender." However, on this same album is one of the biggest clunkers Jackson has ever made and that is "Information Wars." This song is horrible! It is hard to fathom how this one got by the producer and on the final recording. Yes, the lyrics are intelligent, if not flowing. But the song sounds so ham-handed and dated, it is alomost like a Chevrolet commercial, with the horrid background vocals bellowing "Heartbeat of America!" I thought I was in 1985 again. HOWEVER, this sould not detract away from all of the other songs on this album that are consistently strong. So to sum up, one of Jackson's greatest songs ever, one of his worst, and several consistent songs. Is this a great Browne album? Probably not. Is it a bad one? Not at all. I own it and recommend it to other hardcore fans.
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