Jackson Browne, “Saturate Before Using” (1972), <i> Elektra/Asylum</i>

Jackson Browne made his best record on his first try out. From the tender “Jamaica Say You Will” to the emotionally hungry “Song for Adam” and the radiant, gospel-drenched “Rock Me on the Water,” he wrote convincingly of what it was to be a young, sensitive man grown up in the ‘60s, afflicted by post-’60s fallout. There is a longing, spiritual undercurrent to his voice, accentuated by some of the best studio musicians of the time (Russell Kunkel on drums, Leland Sklar on bass, Craig Doerge on piano--the same group that played on most of the James Taylor and Carole King records back then). “Saturate’s” tone is sparse but warm, Browne’s vision deeply intelligent, the tempo even; this is the world before ‘70s glam invaded everything. The focus is always clearly on Browne, his guitar and his words. And if that voice singing harmony sounds familiar, it’s a nice, Woodstock-era sound, too: David Crosby.