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interesting review of james taylor
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Still sweet, certainly no longer a baby, James Taylor plays the Key | Concert review
When James Taylor’s breakthrough second album, “Sweet Baby James,” came out in 1970, a friend put it on the turntable and half way through the first side, somewhere after “Steamroller,” I shouted, “Take that off! That guy doesn’t know the first thing about the blues. And he sounds like José Feliciano!”
We never got as far as “Fire and Rain,” the first classic hit by Taylor, who performs Saturday, May 31 at KeyArena. Too bad, because it might have changed that first impression.
That song was followed by many more, including “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” “Carolina In My Mind” and Taylor’s stone ownership of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend,” all of which he will certainly perform Saturday.
Back when Taylor hit the airwaves, the whole concept of the sensitive, pop singer-songwriter was pretty new. Bob Dylan — and the individual Beatles, to some extent — had opened the territory, but that only meant the bar was that much higher.
But writers rose to the challenge. Indeed, looking back, it’s clear that Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, Carole King, Willie Nelson, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young and Paul Simon, to name a few, ushered in a golden era of songwriting, penning a body of work that infused gravity into the music of the baby boomer generation.
One of Taylor’s strengths is the stripped-down simplicity of his lyrics. In the first six lines of “Fire and Rain,” he moves from a stark statement of loss through a zoned-out reaction (“I just can’t remember who to send it to”), a poetic objectification of manic depression — fire and rain — then lands on a heartbreaking refiguring of grief — “but I always thought that I’d see you again.”
Because Taylor also has a great ear, his payoff lyrics come with musical punches. That last line, for example, lands on a surprise major chord that reinforces the feeling of suspension and disorientation.
Songs like this aren’t written by accident.
Indeed, precision is Taylor’s hallmark, even as he’s laying behind the beat, a combination that recalls Taylor’s minimalist, swing era predecessor, Count Basie. That balance of care and calm gives his music a cool, elegant, yet focused and emotional sound that was quite new at the time.
Taylor has gone on to win five Grammy Awards and in 2000 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His “Greatest Hits” album has sold an astonishing 12 million copes in the U.S.
Though his career took a dip in the ’80s, he came back after the turn of the century with strong albums, such as “Hourglass” and “October Road.”
The serrated edge of his slightly mournful voice and the carefully calibrated emotion of his trim lyrics continue to be a huge pleasure.
But you know what? “Steamroller” is still a terrible blues. And though everyone has forgotten who José Feliciano is, Taylor still sounds like him.
8 p.m. Saturday, May 31, at KeyArena, 305 Harrison St., Seattle; $59.50-$79.50 (800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com).
Paul de Barros (206-464-3247 or pdebarros@seattletimes.com) covers music at blogs.seattletimes.com/soundposts/ or follow him on Twitter @pdebarros
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by P.A. on
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I have been a fan of James Taylor since the early 70's. I had an eight track tape of Sweet Baby James that I wore out. To me his music never gets old. I still like the singer song writer types there doesn't seem to be as many of them now days.
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Permalink Reply by blithe spirit on
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Expresses most of the things I like about him. I have seen James Taylor and Willie Nelson in concert more than any other musical artists..been a fan most of my life.
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Permalink Reply by Karin M Fichtner on
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I think James just gets better with age! I recorded the PBS concert he did with Carole King, and I watch it over and over. Also....as an aside.....he is the only person that has ever written a song with my name in it......"Carolina in My Mind".
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Permalink Reply by ProblemAgain on
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i thought there were some fans here..... oh they do have some singer-songwriters still..but very very few good ones
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Permalink Reply by Wayne Goodwin on
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When James Tylor came out with Two Lane Blacktop movie , I was hooked . Just keeps on giving ....
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In that movie he drove the 55 chevy the was used. In American Grafetti (sp) .
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Permalink Reply by frenchy on
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its funny but i was on youtube late last nite and i was watchin a bunch of his tunes .. him and carly simon and joni mitchell and i was thinkin how young they all looked and it made me think of uno's post about us simply fadin into the woodwork and a lot of it came into clear focus .. if you saw joni mitchell back then she was absolutely gorgeous .. and carly simon was such a fox .. and james was the epitome of the sensitive singer songwriter that every girl wanted to bring home .. and ravage till he couldn't walk .. and now ?? not quite so much .. just a quick before and after and you can clearly see how life can kick the livin shit outta us .. then ..
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Oh, now I beg to differ, French! I think he's a very handsome man. He has pretty eyes and a nice smile. I'd polish his bald noggin! ;-)
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i'll betcha that ain't all you'd polish karin .. you little trollop you ..
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here's one from carly simon even tho some of the pics aren't from 72 like the song is .. but its a great song anyway .. true story , i spent the weekend with a girl many many years ago and she came downstairs naked singin this song to me ..and she looked a bit like carly .. cept she didn't have them skinny legs like carly did .. so how can a guy say no ?? later on when she couldn't get me back after a bunch of shit she pulled she loosened up the lugnuts on my car ..thats love ain't it ?? at one time this song was romantic .. now its kinda scary for me .. still a great song tho..there's nothin you can do to turn me away .. uh huh .. scary..
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