Lives in the Balance cover

Released 40 years ago

Lives in the Balance

Jackson Browne · 1986

17 min · 4 tracks · country music

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

50 /100
Foothills
Higher than 23% of albums we've rated

The album features strong lyrical content and a blend of folk-rock elements but lacks overall cohesion.

What we noticed

  • Several tracks feature layered harmonies and prominent acoustic instrumentation, creating a folk-rock feel.
Composition 25% of the score
7/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
6/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
6/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
6/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
5/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 Lives in the Balance 4:12
  • 2 Candy 4:10
  • 3 The Load-Out 5:38
  • 4 Stay 3:28

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata