Jackson Browne : "The Load Out" & "Stay"

I remember being a kid out on the beaches of Montauk and Amagansett with my family.  Scott and I must have been about 5 years old when we started going.  The sand dunes and wooden walkways to the water are forever embedded in my mind.  It was so cool.  It was laid back, we were there with my whole family and our parents' friends, the McGuires and their kids...it was awesome.  I remember that the houses we stayed in always had gravel driveways, and the crunch of the gravel as we drove over always reminded me that we were either just getting to the house or we were leaving.  I didn't like the leaving part as much as the arriving.

I'll never forget the music out there.  My dad and Mac (Mr. McGuire) were music fanatics and always had the best taste in tunes.  I swear that these times out on Long Island placed a solid cornerstone into my appreciation for solid songwriting.  From the Boss, to Bruce Hornsby.  From Bob Dylan to Neil Young.  Music was always on and music was always enjoyed.

Jackson Browne basically lived at our beach house.  Similar to the Boss living at 114 Grandview, Jackson Browne was a fixture at the McGuire/ Brown summer vacation house, and he held the position as Entertainment Chair.  My dad showed me Jackson Browne's tune, "The Load Out" which transitions into "Stay," and the rest is history.  It easily goes down in my book as one of the best written songs, and one that I heard on repeat on many warm nights at our summer beach houses.

There's a specific moment that I remember that I think is great.  Mac and my dad loved cooking lobsters at the houses.  They'd get lobsters, pretty good sized as this was eastern Long Island, and they'd bring them home and let them somewhat roam free on the ground.  Of course, Scott and I being twins and not at all competitive (insert giggle and wedgie here), we decided to race the lobsters on the floor.  Man was that fun.  When I hear Jackson open up "The Load Out," all I smell is the beach, I hear gravel crunching as we drive into the house, and I think of lobsters.  It's an amazing memory that will forever stick in my mind.

The reason why "The Load Out" and "Stay" are such great tunes is because they are contextually about music, and what goes into performing each and every night in front of a new audience.  "The Load Out" is entirely about Jackson's road crew.  He pays homage to them and celebrates them, as if they are right on stage with them.

"Now the seats are all empty
Let the roadies take the stage
Pack it up and tear it down
They're the first to come and last to leave
Working for that minimum wage..."

That's his opening sentiment.  It's a mellow piano riff with some emotion behind it, and then right into it.  Later on he goes:

"Now roll them cases out and lift them amps
Haul them trusses down and get'em up them ramps
'Cause when it comes to moving me
You know you guys are the champs"

Throughout the rest of the tune he basically gives you an inside look on what it takes to put on his show every night.  From the roadies, to the tour buses, to "Richard Pryor on the video," this IS the life of touring with Jackson Browne.

Name another artist who will write a song, and perform a song, solely for their road crew; the guys in all black with long hair, flash lights around their neck, smoking Marlboro reds while they push cases of guitars and sound rigs into 18 wheelers. These guys are no joke and these guys deserve praise.  What makes this song even more powerful is that he plays it at the end of his shows, or as we know it, the "encore."  The "encore" is meant for one purpose and that is to appease the crowd.  The "hit" is usually played as the encore. "Running on Empty," or "The Pretender;" these are all huge hits.  Sure, "The Load Out" and "Stay" did well, but in no way were they bigger than his other tunes.  This was done on purpose, like "listen, my road crew is the best and this is for them.  This is what they do every night, so check it out."

The song then turns into something for the crowd, like Jackson is saying "this party hasn't ended yet even though we might be leaving, but nah..."  Jackson then sings:

"People stay just a little bit longer
We want to play -- just a little bit longer
Now the promoter don't mind
And the union don't mind
If we take a little time
And we leave it all behind and sing
One more song"

This blows up into a huge instrumental and they jam for about 5 minutes.  Female vocals come screaming in, harmony vocals, sax solos, guitar solos.  You name it.  This isn't the end of show, this is a party and we're not quite ready to go.   This is when the song becomes "Stay."  


What a cool concept of a song and what great memories I have of it.  Close your eyes and picture you're at a beach house while you listen to the below live version from '78; lobsters about to get cooked.  Mom, dad and their friends are enjoying some tasty adult beverages.  As a matter of fact, if you're reading this then you're of age, so grab a cold beer and enjoy Jackson Browne pay homage to his touring crew.  What a tune.

Cheers, 
Kevin Browne