A Post by Dad
In 1973 I was lucky enough to spend 3 weeks away from my Pennsylvania home with my Aunt Linda in Los Angeles. I was 14 and this was the first trip to the West Coast and I was in awe of everything. Including Aunt Linda, especially Aunt Linda. At the time she was working at Asylum Records, which had been started by David Geffen just a couple of years earlier.
She rented a bicycle for me and I spent the days while she worked pedaling around the San Fernando Valley and hanging at the Arcade playing Pinball and drinking Coca-Cola. Just like I would have been doing in York, PA, except this was was much cooler.
One day Aunt Linda came home from work and said " You've got to hear this. It's a brand new song by Jackson Browne called "Redneck Friend". She had brought home the 7 inch hand labeled test pressing of the song. We listened to it twice, at least, and she said "That's Elton John on Piano!" I was suitably impressed.
A few months later the album came out and was delivered via UPS to my front door – I was on the Press Relations mailing list! I got new music in the mail along with 8×10 glossies and an artist bio. It was the coolest thing ever. Eagles, Warren Zevon, Queen, Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, Bob Dylan, all sorts of stuff that shaped my taste and world view would magically appear.
So anyway, on the album cover the piano on "Redneck Friend" is credited to Rockaday Johnny. Not sure if it was a record company or US work visa issue, I've heard both stories, But I knew better.It was Elton John, man – just listen to it!
I went on to become a huge fan of Jackson Browne and still count "For Everyman" among my favorite albums of all time. Tonight at Pier Six in Baltimore, Jackson and David Lindley, along with a full backing band will bring the classic songs to life and I'm genuinely excited to hear them and feel it all over again.