On his two-volume Solo Acoustic series, Browne reminded us of the undiminished eloquence and beauty of the music he made in his 20s. Though a number of his songs from the last three decades have contained echoes of his early greatness, fitting in nicely among the early classics in these solo treatments, Browne has also shown glaring lapses of judgment.
Those lapses conspire to sabotage Time The Conqueror – notably the wince-inducing literalness of “The Drums Of War” (“Why is impeachment not on the table?/We better stop them while we are able”) and the bizarre mix of compassion and prurience in “Live Nude Cabaret”.
The title song contains some lovely imagery enwrapped in one of Browne’s signature ribbons of melody, while the following “Off Of Wonderland” is a wistful look back on the early days, but both are presented in arrangements so bland it’s shocking they passed muster. Bet they’ll work just fine on Solo Acoustic Vol. 3.
BUD SCOPPA