Jackson Browne Brings Reflection and Fire to Later With Jools Holland, 16 November 1996
Jackson Browne delivered a quietly powerful and emotionally charged performance on Later With Jools Holland on 16 November 1996, marking one of his most compelling UK television appearances of the decade. Appearing during the promotion cycle for his then-new album Looking East, Browne performed two contrasting yet deeply connected songs: “The Barricades of Heaven” and “Two Of Me, Two Of You”.
Opening with “The Barricades of Heaven”, Browne drew the audience into a reflective meditation on youth, idealism, and the emotional cost of growing older. Long regarded as one of his most introspective compositions, the song unfolded with a sense of lived experience rather than nostalgia. On the Later… stage, Browne’s delivery was restrained but resonant, allowing the weight of memory and loss to speak through subtle phrasing rather than dramatic flourish. The performance highlighted his enduring strength as a songwriter whose work matures alongside its audience.
The mood shifted sharply with “Two Of Me, Two Of You”, a track taken from Looking East that captured Browne in a more confrontational and restless frame of mind. Driven by a tougher arrangement, the song explored inner conflict, fractured relationships, and the tension between personal conscience and the wider world. In contrast to the elegiac tone of the earlier song, this performance carried an undercurrent of urgency and unease, reflecting Browne’s growing engagement with political and social realities during the mid-1990s.
Together, the two songs formed a concise portrait of an artist at a crossroads: reflective yet alert, wounded yet resolute. Browne’s appearance fit seamlessly with the ethos of Later With Jools Holland, a programme known for giving artists the space to perform without compromise. There were no distractions or embellishments, only songs presented with clarity and conviction.
Nearly three decades on, this 1996 performance remains a striking example of Jackson Browne’s ability to balance poetic introspection with moral intensity. It stands as a reminder of why he continues to be regarded as one of America’s most articulate and emotionally honest songwriters.