The Very Best of Jackson Browne

Disc 1
1	Doctor My Eyes 3:20
2	Jamaica, Say You Will 3:24
3	Rock Me on the Water 4:13
4	Take It Easy 3:41
5	These Days 4:39
6	Redneck Friend 4:01
7	For Everyman 5:58
8	For a Dancer 4:48
9	Fountain of Sorrow 6:51
10	Late for the Sky 5:36
11	Before the Deluge 6:21
12	Your Bright Baby Blues 6:03
13	The Pretender 5:52
14	Here Come Those Tears Again 3:37
15	The Load-Out Live 5:35
16	Stay Live 3:23
Disc 2
1	Running on Empty Live 4:59
2	You Love the Thunder Live 3:55
3	Boulevard 3:21
4	Somebody's Baby From Fast Times at Ridgemont High 4:24
5	Tender Is the Night 4:53
6	Lawyers in Love 4:20
7	In the Shape of a Heart 5:47
8	Lawless Avenues 5:39
9	Lives in the Balance 4:15
10	I Am a Patriot 4:05
11	Sky Blue and Black 6:05
12	I'm Alive 5:10
13	The Barricades of Heaven 5:40
14	Looking East 4:56
15	The Naked Ride Home 5:58
16	The Night Inside Me 4:39

Barnes & Noble

The career-spanning double-disc Very Best of Jackson Browne is both generous and astute. Throughout the '70s, Browne epitomized the confessional singer-songwriter genre: His songs were often introspective, personal, and poetic, tinged with melancholy and longing-but they could also rock, albeit in that laid-back, California way. Beginning with the soulful "Doctor My Eyes," the first disc covers the classics from the '70s, including the twangy "Take It Easy," which Browne wrote with Glenn Frey, whose Eagles had a hit with it; the wistful "These Days," covered first by Nico and more recently by Paul Westerberg; the touching "Fountain of Sorrow"; and the desperate "The Pretender." Browne reached his commercial pinnacle with 1977's Running on Empty, and "The Load-Out," "Stay," and the title track were Top 40 hits. In the '80s, Browne's work became more political, and while his albums could seem strident, the songs that make up the second disc, such as "Lives in the Balance" and "Lawyers in Love," are powerful and sharp. The set ends with tracks from 2002's The Naked Ride Home, which was hailed as Browne's return to form. The Very Best of Jackson Browne argues otherwise: Browne's consistently insightful and precise writing and his sincere voice have been constants for three decades. Steve Klinge

All Music Guide

Jackson Browne long displayed an aversion to hits collections, releasing his first one 25 years after his debut album. That 1997 disc, entitled Next Voice You Hear: The Best of Jackson Browne, had many hits, yet it was also missing many essential songs, leaving an opening for a collection that had all of Browne's hits and signature songs in one place. Released seven years later, Rhino/Elektra's double-disc The Very Best of Jackson Browne is more or less that collection. Produced by Jackson Browne and featuring 32 songs, this set has all the major songs -- "Doctor My Eyes," "These Days," "Late for the Sky," "The Pretender," "Fountain of Sorrow," "Redneck Friend," "Running on Empty," "Somebody's Baby" -- including songs missing on Next Voice You Hear, such as "Jamaica Say You Will," "Rock Me on the Water," "Take It Easy," "Before the Deluge," "The Load-Out," "Stay," and "Boulevard." However, there are a handful of smaller hits missing -- including "That Girl Could Sing," "Cut It Away," "For a Rocker," "For America," "Chasing You Into the Night," "World in Motion," and "Call It a Loan," the latter of which was on the previous compilation -- which may frustrate some listeners. Nevertheless, this is not a major problem since the collection does contain the great majority of Browne's best and best-known material in an attractive, engaging fashion (although the cardboard packaging may be a bit too flimsy to weather heavy, repeated listening), and for listeners who want a comprehensive overview without purchasing individual albums, this suits the bill nicely. Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone

Very Best makes a compelling case for Browne as rock's greatest confessional singer-songwriter. Bud Scoppa