In many ways, Jackson Browne is the quintessential sensitive California singer/songwriter of the early '70s. Only Joni Mitchell and James Taylor rank alongside him in terms of influence, but neither artist tapped into the post-'60s Zeitgeist quite like Browne. While the majority of his classic '70s work was unflinchingly personal, it nevertheless provided a touchstone for a generation of maturing baby boomers coming to terms with adulthood. Not only did his introspective, literate lyrics strike a nerve, but his laid-back folk-rock set the template for much of the music to come out of California during the 1970s.