The Barricades of Heaven

The Barricades of Heaven es una joya musical por la que no pasa el tiempo, del cantante y compositor estadounidense Jackson Brown, compuesta por él mismo junto a Mark Goldenberg, Luis Conte, Fritz Lewak, Kevin Mccormick, Jeff Young y Scott Thurston y que aparece dentro de su undécimo álbum de estudio lanzado en 1996 que llevó por título Looking East.

Con su característico estilo de rock suave y letras introspectivas, Brown nos transporta a un viaje por los recuerdos de su juventud evocando un sentimiento de añoranza y pérdida, reflexionando poéticamente sobre el paso del tiempo y el dolor de dejar atrás la inocencia de la juventud, cantando sobre su adolescencia en Los Ángeles y recordando cómo, en busca de éxito, sacrificó cosas valiosas e irrecuperables.

En este 2024 Brown nos regala un álbum en vivo con temas seleccionados realizados durante su gira por Japón en 2015, que lleva por título The Road East: Live in Japan, y que dentro de él está incluida una versión extendida de este maravilloso tema.

Running down around the towns along the shore
When I was sixteen and on my own
No, I couldn't tell you what the hell those brakes were for
I was just trying to hear my song

Jimmy found his own sweet sound and won that free guitar
We'd all get in the van and play
Life became the Paradox, the Bear, the Rouge et Noir
And the stretch of road running to LA

Pages turning
Pages we were years from learning
Straight into the night our hearts were flung
Better bring your own redemption when you come
To the barricades of Heaven where I'm from

All the world was shining from those hills
The stars above and the lights below
Among those there to test their fortunes and their wills
I lost track of the score long ago

Pages turning
Pages we were years from learning
Straight into the night our hearts were flung
Better bring your own redemption when you come
To the barricades of Heaven where I'm from

Childhood comes for me at night
Voices of my friends
Your face bathing me in light
Hope that never ends

Pages turning
Pages torn and pages burning
Faded pages, open in the sun
Better bring your own redemption when you come
To the barricades of Heaven where I'm from
Better bring your own redemption when you come
To the barricades of Heaven where I'm from

A Little Soon To Say

A Little Soon To Say es una preciosa canción del cantautor estadounidense Jackson Browne que aparece dentro de su álbum de 2021 que lleva por título Downhill From  Everywhere.

I came for inspiration
I came looking for grace
And found my reflection
In every passing face
In everyone who gathered
Standing on that shore
Searching the horizon
Not knowin' what exactly for

Searchin' the horizon
For what we can't quite see
When all we've ever needed
Has been there all along inside of me

I wanna see you holding out your light
I wanna see you light the way
But whether everything will be alright
It's just a little soon to say

I didn't find much wisdom
When time was on my side
Too little information
Too much time to decide

I took a couple of wrong turns

It only takes you one
To send you down a lifetime
Of wondering what you might have done

Searching for a lifetime
For what you wanna see
When all we've ever needed
Has been there all along inside of you and me

I wanna see you holding out your light
I wanna see you find your way
Beyond the sirens in the broken night
Beyond the sickness of our day
And after what we've come to live with
I wanna know if you're ok
We've gotta think it's gonna be alright
It's just a little soon to say

I came for inspiration
I came looking for truth
And joined in celebration
The passing of my youth

We're here but for a moment
And none of us can see
Beyond the horizon
What kind of world this world will be

Searching the horizon
For what we hope to see
When all we've ever needed
Has been there all along inside of you and me

I wanna see you holding out your light
I wanna see you light the way
Beyond the sirens in the broken night
Beyond the sickness of our day
And after all we've come to live with
I wanna know if you're ok
I wanna think it's gonna be alright
It's just a little soon to say

Take It Easy

Take it Easy es una canción escrita por el gran Jackson Browne y Glenn Frey, solista de la que ha sido para mi, la mejor banda de country-rock de todos los tiempos... Eagles.

El tema fue grabado por primera vez por los Eagles en su álbum de debut de 1972 que lleva el mismo nombre que la banda, fue su primer sencillo y llevó al grupo a las primeras posiciones y a la cima del estrellato musical.

En 1980 lanzaron su primer álbum en vivo, un conjunto de dos LP que llevó por título Eagles Live y como no podía ser de otra manera, Take It Easy estaba dentro del repertorio seleccionado.

Yo crecí escuchando a los Eagles... recuerdo que el primer disco que escuché fue un recopilatorio de ellos, que descubrí en casa de una amiga de mi madre, y cada vez que íbamos a visitarla todas las semanas, yo me sentaba en el suelo, frente al tocadiscos, sacaba de la funda el disco con un cuidado absoluto, como si fuese un tesoro (lo era) y posaba delicadamente la aguja encima de él... entonces empezaba a sonar la música y el tiempo se paraba para mi.

Desde entonces hasta hoy (y han pasado bastantes años), ese disco marcó mi amor por la música en general, y por esta banda en particular, de la que no me canso de escuchar sus canciones que para mi son mágicas y eternas.

Well, I'm running down the road

Tryin' to loosen my load

I've got seven women on my mind

Four that wanna own me

Two that wanna stone me

One says she's a friend of mine

Take it easy, take it easy

Don't let the sound of your own

Wheels drive you crazy

Lighten up while you still can

Don't even try to understand

Just find a place to make your stand

And take it easy

Well, I'm a standing on a corner

In Winslow, Arizona

And such a fine sight to see

It's a girl, my lord, in a flatbed

Ford slowin' down to take a look

At me

Come on, baby, don't say maybe

I gotta know if your sweet love is

Gonna save me

We may lose and we may win though

We will never be here again

So open up, I'm climbin' in, so take it easy

Well I'm running down the road trying to loosen

My load,

Got a world of trouble on my mind

Lookin' for a lover who won't blow my

Cover, she's so hard to find

Take it easy, take it easy

Don't let the sound of your own

Wheels make you crazy

Come on, baby

Don't say maybe

I gotta know if your sweet love is

Gonna save me, oh oh oh

Oh, we got it easy

We oughta take it easy