Running on Empty (album)
Encyclopedia
Running on Empty is the fifth album by American
singer-songwriter
Jackson Browne
. Released in 1977, the album reached #3 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart in 1978 and stayed on the charts for 65 weeks. The single for the title track, "Running on Empty
", peaked at #11 and the follow-up single, "The Load-Out
"/"Stay", reached #11 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.
The album produced two Grammy Award
nominations in 1979: one for Album of the Year
(the winner being Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track) and the other for Pop Male Vocalist for the lyrics to the song "Running on Empty" (the winner being Barry Manilow
for the lyrics to his song "Copacabana (At The Copa)
").
another four. Many of the songs deal with touring. In a Rolling Stone
interview about the tour during which the album was recorded, Browne expressed pleasure at finally being able to afford the session musicians he wanted to go out on the road with him.
The album was certified platinum in 1978 and is Browne's best selling album to date.
The album was certified as a Gold record in 1977 and Platinum in 1978 by the RIAA
. It reached Multi-platinum in 1997 and 2001.
review in 1978 by music critic Paul Nelson
praised the album, writing "What I really like about Running on Empty probably has little to do with the generosity or genius of its dual concepts, with the songwriter's craftmanship skill, with how much I admire the music of David Lindley and the Section
, but rather with Jackson Browne himself. In other words, as impressed as I am with Jackson Browne's art, I'm even more impressed with the humanity that shines through it. Maybe they're inseparable, but I doubt it."
In his review for Allmusic William Ruhlmann called the album "Browne's least ambitious, but perhaps most accessible, the album
ironically became his biggest seller. But it is not characteristic of his other work: for many, it will be the only Browne album they will want to own, just as others always will regard it disdainfully as "Jackson Browne lite.""
Rolling Stone
rated the album 5 of 5 stars writing "The album exudes intimacy, revealing the empathetic, flexible bond between Browne and his audience." Music critic Robert Christgau
gave the album a B+ grade: "Jackson sounds relaxed verbally, vocally, even instrumentally... I consider this his most attractive album. But his devotees may consider the self-effacement a deprivation." Blender
gave the 2005 reissue a 4 of 5 star rating, stating it "cuts deeper than most road sagas partly because Browne had the brilliant notion of recording on the fly... It also works because he tapped the culture’s circa-1977 sense that it was running on empty, feeling like a trashed Holiday Inn room—Empty is about something larger than the misery of room service."
Bill Shapiro called the album "Audio verité—one of the most conceptually fascinating recordings in the history of rock & roll." In 2004, in The 100 Best-Selling Albums of the 70's, Hamish Camp wrote: "Entering somewhat of a creative lull following some sterling albums... Running On Empty was regarded by many as lacking ambition but was nevertheless Browne's most commercially successful of his career to date, peaking at Number Three in the US and reaching Number 28 in the UK." At that time, it was the twenty-third best-selling album of the 1970s.
/Rhino
issued a remastered version with the following additional tracks: 11. "Cocaine Again" and 12. "Edwardsville Room 124" on Disc 2 of the package, which is a DVD Audio version of the album's track lineup that features a 5.1 surround sound mix, among other bonus items, such as video montages and lyrics. Disc 1 is a remaster of the original album's song list only. The remaster is missing the first 25 seconds of audience ambiance that, on all other previous editions of the album, led into the beginning of the album's title and lead-off track, "Running on Empty." For reasons unknown, this snippet, which included the sounds of the musicians' count in to the song's opening, was edited out on this version, though curiously the Disc 2 DVD Audio version includes the 25 seconds missing on Disc 1.
Production notes:
Singles
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
. Released in 1977, the album reached #3 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart in 1978 and stayed on the charts for 65 weeks. The single for the title track, "Running on Empty
Running on Empty (song)
"Running on Empty" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. It is the title track to his 1977 live Running on Empty album, recorded at a concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, on August 27, 1977...
", peaked at #11 and the follow-up single, "The Load-Out
The Load-Out
"The Load-Out" is a song by Jackson Browne from his 1977 album Running on Empty. It is a tribute to his roadies and fans. The song was recorded live at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland....
"/"Stay", reached #11 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.
The album produced two Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations in 1979: one for Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
(the winner being Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track) and the other for Pop Male Vocalist for the lyrics to the song "Running on Empty" (the winner being Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
for the lyrics to his song "Copacabana (At The Copa)
Copacabana (song)
"Copacabana", also known as "Copacabana ", is a 1978 song which was sung by Barry Manilow and written by Jack Feldman, Barry Manilow, and Bruce Sussman.-Song information:...
").
History
In addition to tracks recorded on-stage during concerts, it also contains songs recorded in hotel rooms, on the tour bus, and backstage. It is unusual among live albums, in that none of the tracks had ever appeared on a previous studio album. Browne composed only two of the songs himself, co-writing four others and coveringCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
another four. Many of the songs deal with touring. In a Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
interview about the tour during which the album was recorded, Browne expressed pleasure at finally being able to afford the session musicians he wanted to go out on the road with him.
The album was certified platinum in 1978 and is Browne's best selling album to date.
The album was certified as a Gold record in 1977 and Platinum in 1978 by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. It reached Multi-platinum in 1997 and 2001.
Reception
The original Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
review in 1978 by music critic Paul Nelson
Paul Nelson (critic)
Paul Nelson was a folk and rock music critic who wrote for Sing Out! and Rolling Stone. He was instrumental in launching and supporting the careers of Bob Dylan, The New York Dolls, Elliott Murphy, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon...
praised the album, writing "What I really like about Running on Empty probably has little to do with the generosity or genius of its dual concepts, with the songwriter's craftmanship skill, with how much I admire the music of David Lindley and the Section
The Section (band)
The Section was an American rock band formed in the early 1970s encompassing both studio and stage work by musicians Danny Kortchmar, Craig Doerge, Leland Sklar, and Russ Kunkel...
, but rather with Jackson Browne himself. In other words, as impressed as I am with Jackson Browne's art, I'm even more impressed with the humanity that shines through it. Maybe they're inseparable, but I doubt it."
In his review for Allmusic William Ruhlmann called the album "Browne's least ambitious, but perhaps most accessible, the album
The Album
1977 Polar Music International AB, Stockholm, Sweden.Stig Anderson helped us with the lyrics on "The Name of the Game", "Move On" and "I Wonder "....
ironically became his biggest seller. But it is not characteristic of his other work: for many, it will be the only Browne album they will want to own, just as others always will regard it disdainfully as "Jackson Browne lite.""
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
rated the album 5 of 5 stars writing "The album exudes intimacy, revealing the empathetic, flexible bond between Browne and his audience." Music critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave the album a B+ grade: "Jackson sounds relaxed verbally, vocally, even instrumentally... I consider this his most attractive album. But his devotees may consider the self-effacement a deprivation." Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
gave the 2005 reissue a 4 of 5 star rating, stating it "cuts deeper than most road sagas partly because Browne had the brilliant notion of recording on the fly... It also works because he tapped the culture’s circa-1977 sense that it was running on empty, feeling like a trashed Holiday Inn room—Empty is about something larger than the misery of room service."
Bill Shapiro called the album "Audio verité—one of the most conceptually fascinating recordings in the history of rock & roll." In 2004, in The 100 Best-Selling Albums of the 70's, Hamish Camp wrote: "Entering somewhat of a creative lull following some sterling albums... Running On Empty was regarded by many as lacking ambition but was nevertheless Browne's most commercially successful of his career to date, peaking at Number Three in the US and reaching Number 28 in the UK." At that time, it was the twenty-third best-selling album of the 1970s.
Reissues
Running on Empty has been reissued numerous times on CD. On November 15, 2005, ElektraElektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
/Rhino
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
issued a remastered version with the following additional tracks: 11. "Cocaine Again" and 12. "Edwardsville Room 124" on Disc 2 of the package, which is a DVD Audio version of the album's track lineup that features a 5.1 surround sound mix, among other bonus items, such as video montages and lyrics. Disc 1 is a remaster of the original album's song list only. The remaster is missing the first 25 seconds of audience ambiance that, on all other previous editions of the album, led into the beginning of the album's title and lead-off track, "Running on Empty." For reasons unknown, this snippet, which included the sounds of the musicians' count in to the song's opening, was edited out on this version, though curiously the Disc 2 DVD Audio version includes the 25 seconds missing on Disc 1.
Track listing
- "Running on EmptyRunning on Empty (song)"Running on Empty" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. It is the title track to his 1977 live Running on Empty album, recorded at a concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, on August 27, 1977...
" (Browne) – 5:20- Recorded live (8/27/77), Merriweather Post PavilionMerriweather Post PavilionMerriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor concert venue located within Symphony Woods, a 40-acre lot of preserved land in the heart of the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. It was named for the American Post Foods heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post...
, Columbia, MD
- Recorded live (8/27/77), Merriweather Post Pavilion
- "The Road" (Danny O'KeefeDanny O'KeefeDanny O'Keefe is a U.S. based singer-songwriter, born in Spokane, Washington, in 1943. O'Keefe's musical career has spanned four decades from his early days playing in the Minnesota coffee houses to his present station in the Seattle area...
) – 4:50- Recorded in room 301 (8/27/77), Cross Keys Inn, Baltimore, MD (first — 2:58) and live (9/7/77), Garden State Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
- "Rosie" (Browne, Donald Miller) – 3:37
- Recorded backstage (9/1/77) "in the big rehearsal room," Saratoga Performing Arts CenterSaratoga Performing Arts CenterThe Saratoga Performing Arts Center is an amphitheater in Saratoga Springs, New York, which presents summer festivals of all kinds of music , dance, and opera, as well as a Wine & Food Festival...
, Saratoga Springs, NY - Doug Haywood and tour photographer Joel Bernstein sing harmony.
- Recorded backstage (9/1/77) "in the big rehearsal room," Saratoga Performing Arts Center
- "You Love the Thunder" (Browne) – 3:52
- Recorded live (9/6/77), Holmdel, NJ
- "Cocaine" (Browne, Reverend Gary DavisReverend Gary DavisReverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica...
, Glenn FreyGlenn FreyGlenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her summer tour. The Eagles formed in 1971 and...
) – 4:55- Recorded in room 124 (8/17/77), Holiday InnHoliday InnHoliday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
, Edwardsville, IL
- Recorded in room 124 (8/17/77), Holiday Inn
- "Shaky Town" (Danny KortchmarDanny KortchmarDanny "Kootch" Kortchmar is a guitarist, session musician, and songwriter. Kortchmar's work with singer-songwriters such as David Crosby, Carole King, Graham Nash, Carly Simon and James Taylor helped define the signature sound of the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s...
) – 3:36- Recorded in room 124 (8/18/77), Holiday Inn, Edwardsville, IL
- Danny Kortchmar sings harmony.
- "Love Needs a Heart" (Browne, Valerie CarterValerie CarterValerie Carter to James J and Dorothy Carter, is an American singer-songwriter...
, Lowell GeorgeLowell GeorgeLowell Thomas George was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, who was the main guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Little Feat.- Early years :...
) – 3:28- Recorded live (9/17/77), Universal City, CA
- "Nothing but Time" (Browne, Howard Burke) – 3:05
- Recorded "on a bus (a Continental Silver Eagle) somewhere in New Jersey" (9/8/77)
- Russ Kunkel is credited as playing "snare, hi-hat, and cardboard box with foot pedal." The song was recorded aboard the band's Continental Silver Eagle tour bus (hence the lyrical reference to "Silver Eagle") while en route from Portland, Maine to their next gig in New Jersey. The bus's engine is audible in the background throughout, and its downshift and acceleration can be plainly heard during the bridge.
- "The Load-OutThe Load-Out"The Load-Out" is a song by Jackson Browne from his 1977 album Running on Empty. It is a tribute to his roadies and fans. The song was recorded live at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland....
" (Browne, Bryan Garofalo) – 5:38- Recorded live (8/27/77), Merriweather Post PavilionMerriweather Post PavilionMerriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor concert venue located within Symphony Woods, a 40-acre lot of preserved land in the heart of the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. It was named for the American Post Foods heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post...
, Columbia, MD
- Recorded live (8/27/77), Merriweather Post Pavilion
- "StayStay (Maurice Williams song)"Stay" is a doo-wop song recorded by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs. The song was written by Williams in 1953 when he was 15 years old. He had been trying to convince his date not to go home at 10 o'clock as she was supposed to...
" (Maurice Williams) – 3:28- Recorded live (8/27/77), Merriweather Post PavilionMerriweather Post PavilionMerriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor concert venue located within Symphony Woods, a 40-acre lot of preserved land in the heart of the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. It was named for the American Post Foods heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post...
, Columbia, MD
- Recorded live (8/27/77), Merriweather Post Pavilion
Personnel
- Jackson Browne – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Rosemary ButlerRosemary ButlerRosemary Butler began her career playing bass and singing in an all-girl band named the Ladybirds. The band appeared on several LA area television shows before opening for the Rolling Stones in 1964. She then joined all-female hard rock band Birtha who released two albums for Dunhill Records...
– vocals - Craig DoergeCraig DoergeCraig Doerge is an American keyboard player, songwriter and session musician.He began playing in a college band at Hartford, Connecticut, and then moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1960s to work as a studio player and songwriter with A&M Records, and with Jim Keltner and others playing on cartoon...
– keyboard - Doug Haywood – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, background vocals - Danny "Kootch" KortchmarDanny KortchmarDanny "Kootch" Kortchmar is a guitarist, session musician, and songwriter. Kortchmar's work with singer-songwriters such as David Crosby, Carole King, Graham Nash, Carly Simon and James Taylor helped define the signature sound of the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s...
– guitar, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, vocals, harmony vocals - Russ KunkelRuss KunkelRussell Kunkel , also known as Russ Kunkel, is an American drummer and producer who has worked as a session musician with a number of well-known artists.Kunkel was born in Pittsburgh, PA...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, snare drumSnare drumThe snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
s, cardboard box, hi hat - David LindleyDavid Lindley (musician)David Perry Lindley is an American musician who is notable for his work with Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, and other rock musicians. He has worked extensively in other genres as well, performing with artists as varied as Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton...
– fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, guitar, violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
, vocals, lap steel guitarLap steel guitarThe lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard.... - Leland SklarLeland SklarLeland "Lee" Bruce Sklar is an American musician, singer-songwriter and film score composer. A prominent bass guitarist, Sklar has contributed to thousands of albums as a session musician...
– bass - Joel Bernstein – background vocals (on "Rosie")
Production notes:
- Jackson Browne – producer
- Greg LadanyiGreg LadanyiGreg Ladanyi was an American record producer and recording engineer, known for his work with many musicians, including Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Type O Negative, The Church, Anna Vissi, Toto, Fleetwood Mac, Hollywood Undead, Don Henley and Jeff Healey.-Biography:Ladanyi co-produced the Behind...
– engineer, mastering
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Billboard Pop Albums | 3 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "Running on Empty" | Billboard Pop Singles | 11 |
| 1978 | "The Load-out"/"Stay" | Billboard Pop Singles | 20 |