An interesting concept at the time and some of the songs, like Running on Empty and the Load Out/Stay became big hits. Load Out/Stay is the mandatory end to a Jackson Browne concert, as it was when Bruce Springsteen and the E street band performed the song along with Jackson at the No Nukes concert in 1980.

You Love the Thunder, with Rosemary Butler as a tremendous backup voice, is a good song and Rosie, despite its unique subject matter, is a decent song that gets a lot of airtime still.

I could probably do without the song about big 18 wheelers but it fit the concept.

The album is only not great when compared to other Jackson Brown albums. Late for The Sky, Pretender and For Everyman are masterpieces and Running on Empty is a notch below that. I think the hard core Jackson Browne fan was glad when the Running on Empty frenzy died down and you could see Jackson in a concert hall, where he belongs.

Don McNay...


A great live album   October 21, 2000
retrowens (Alabama, USA)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

Jackson Browne has always been one of the best songwriters of his time, and with his live album, Running On Empty, he really proved it. He certainly wasn't running on empty when he released this album, because it is spectacular. The whole time I was listening to it, I felt a peace of mind, and I saw why he used to be so popular and why he was such an influential artist. One thing's for sure, if you ever want an album that is good while you're driving, this is one of them. All the songs are great, and Jackson Browne seems like a great live singer. It has two big hits with "Runnin' On Empty" and "Stay." My favorites from the album are those 2 songs, "Love Needs A Heart, "The Road," and "Shaky Town." I liked all the songs, but those were the best ones in my opinion.

If you like classic rock, great live albums, or good driving music, you need to get Running On Empty, it's a classic in my book.


A Top 100 Album of All Time !!   October 22, 2002
Max Soundstorm (North Miami Beach, FL United States)
12 out of 14 found this review helpful

There are some albums in your collection that have an amazing ability to create a mood or energy....they are timeless and when you go back to them you are always rewarded with a sound that can sweep you away !! Running on Empty is one of those albums. I like this one more for the songs that no one ever heard on the radio....songs like "The Road" which features some of the best acoustic guitar ever recorded, is an amazing snapshot of life on the road as a musician. Jackson is able to create vivid pictures of what its like....his images of the positives of being a big time rock star are juxtaposed well with the mind numbing time spent in between shows....and best of all the song is memorable and you can sing along with him as he goes thru it all !! Another classic is "Rosie" a song created from a sound technicians/roadie's perspective....you can't help feel the feelings of rejection this poor guy goes thru....he get's this girl great seats to a concert only to lose her to the drummer....but again the sadness is tempered with a little humor...."Rosie you're all right....you wear MY ring"...great stuff !!

"Cocaine" is a classic blues riff that captures a time in the American culture when the white stuff ruined many a musician...this is not the glorified "Cocaine" of Clapton...but a somber blues perspective of the highs and true lows of this little white powder.

And last but certainly not least...."The Load Out" which blends nicely into a memorialized version of "Stay" again offers vivid imagery of life on the road. Here the piano is the focal instrument and the "live" element here offers something magical you can't capture in the "retake" environment of a studio.....this is the best this song has ever sounded and they miraculously and fortuitiously caught it on tape.....the chord progressions bang into your soul and give you chills !!

This album can be picked up for very little cash...pick it up....put on some candles and listen to it with someone special...it is pure music magic !! Thank you Jackson Browne !!


Browne's shining moment!   September 4, 2000
Gary Gardner (Ellsworth, ME United States)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

For a recording artist, there is probably no trial of fire like taking the new music out on the road, and hearing fans' reactions to it. As a litmus test, a tour can make or break an artist, particularly one just starting out. Of course, when Browne released this album, he was already a grizzled veteran of playing stadiums; still, he felt compelled to lay down a permanent record of what road life was like. "Running on Empty" is a live recording, but unlike one ever made before. Some of the tracks were recorded backstage, away from the glare of the audience, some on tour buses...some even in hotels. It is as stark a view as one is able to get of the bumps in the road for a travelling band. The title track was a brand new song when it was played before an audience; it is still a radio classic. "The Road" is a song that specifically addresses the artist's concern about how his material will be treated by the fans, while maintaining one's sanity amidst the grueling touring schedule. The album is peppered with references to other realities familiar to the recording artist: groupies and drugs. "Cocaine" is an acoustic blues number featuring Glenn Frey of the Eagles. "Rosie" is a great double-entendre song about a groupie showing up backstage; Browne tries to pick her up, but the drummer sweeps "that girl away", leaving Browne to, ahem, take matters into his own hands, shall we say. "Love Needs a Heart" is a great ballad that demonstrates the singer-songwriter's virtuosity. "Nothing But Time" was recorded by Browne and Company on their tour bus after leaving a show in Portland, Maine, and shows Jackson in very lighthearted mood. "You Love the Thunder" is the outstanding rocker on the album, but the mood is mainly subtle throughout. Browne's images are extremely evocative, and he is at the peak of his career here. The album ends with the excellent FM classic, "The Load-Out/Stay", which the author reveals to a live audience he is just performing it for the first time. The live tracks played in front of crowds feature very little of the crowd response, almost like studio music accepted in first takes. "Load-Out" may be the only exception to the rule. Browne incorporates the Zodiacs' '50's song "Stay", featuring guitarist David Lindley's brilliant falsetto. This album is an essential for any rock enthuiast; each moment is thoroughly enjoyable. Do yourself a big favor, and definitely pick this one up.