Customer Reviews

Another Run Around the Sun (Dig)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I liked Ben Taylor's first release as the Ben Taylor Band well enough, but I thought some of the songs were a little weak, and I wondered what Ben's great voice would sound like in a softer, more obviously acoustic setting. I didn't think he'd dare drifting too close to his father's territory though. On this album he's managed to give me what I want and yet be himself.
So this is definitely much better than 'Famous among the Barns'. While I'm not convinced any of these songs will become standards, they're all really good. He has an ability to pen a catchy tune, and arrange it in an interesting and distinctive way.
And then sing it beautifully. Because of course it's the voice that's the best bit - one of the most seductive new voices around at the moment. Ben's sound is reminiscent at times of some bands from the sixties, but not overtly so. It also sounds very new and inventive.
It's a nicely produced album, bringing the vocals to the fore, with clean harmonies and sparkly acoustic guitars. Mostly a relaxing sound too, with no heavy or loud tracks to upset a late night chill out session, something this album is good for.
All in all, well worth getting if you like acoustic melodic stuff and want something fresh and new.

If you have any doubts as to whether talent can be transferred genetically, you haven't heard this album. Ben channels his father (James) in this acoustic masterpiece that struggles both to say true to its roots and be unique in its own right. Taylor seems to have struck that balance. Though on songs like "Some Day Soon" and "I'll Be Fine," you'll wonder if that isn't just a young James singing, Ben brings a slight edginess to the music that his father never had. Safe songs like "Sweet Baby James" are absent in favor of more raw songs like "One Man Day." Indeed, songs like "Think A Man Would Know," featuring his mother (Carly Simon), deal with difficult issues (in this case, probably his parents' divorce). Without question, this is one of the better albums I've found this year. Whether you're a dyed-in-the-wool James Taylor fan or just someone looking for a good acoustic album, you'll probably enjoy this Taylor-made gem.

I had never really heard ben's music, but went to one of his shows in Minneapolis a couple of months ago. I fell instantly in love with his sounds and purchased this cd. It's a great cd with a variety of songs. I can listen to it at work, in the car, or when I'm out and about with my ipod. Brilliant!

This a wonderful cd. I play it at work when I am having a stressful day and it is very calming. GREAT job Ben!

I recommend this CD immensely. I love Ben's music, just like I've loved his father's. Ben is extremely talented.

Ben Taylor's sophomore set is an excellent pop folk mix that keeps growing with repeated plays. Of my three favorite tracks, the opener "Nothing I Can Do" is a lovely folk melody with Ben's finger style guitar and some luscious Simon family background vocals and lyrics that are exquisite poetry, "When she spun 180 degrees & beheld the sweet light rising through the trees, she fell to her knees & she begun to smile because she had been in darkness for a long long while." It's a lovely awakening. The sweet shuffle of "You Must've Fallen" has a melody that bubbles like a brook in summertime as Ben floats over the notes, "I swear to God you must be some kind of ghost in disguise." "Think A Man Would Know" has a beautiful counter-melody to intro the track with Carly Simon on vocals and then blooms into Ben's pensive reflection, "I'm gonna do some changing, try to lead the life I know my life deserves to live." The track ends with a stunning call & response with strings punctuating the melody line. The other tracks on the disc are also strong including the breezy "Always," the wry "Someday Soon" & the gentle closer "Love." "Another Run Around the Sun" is so different from the pop onslaught of drum loops and sampling that it comes as a soothing lullaby from this fine young musician with the famous family tree. Enjoy!

I have been listening to this for over a week (online) and I think this is his best work yet! It is very relaxing and soothing yet you will find yourself singing it in your head. You must've fallen is my favorite so far! It's melodic yet funky too! It's just an all around great album.

This is one of those cd's that i will listen to until i can't stand it anymore. However, unlike other cd's that i've overdone, Ben is like his folks in that I think if he stays with this sound, i will be a fan forever. Simply awesome ... and wow.

On this sophomore release, Ben shows us all that he has all the intelligence, creativity, talent, wit and staying power necessary for a long and fruitful career that will easily span decades.

There. That was a really nice, pleasant endorsement, and a worthy one too. Therein lies the only problem I have with ARATS - the "edge". I can't find it. There's no "edge" to it.

The "edge" is what made his initial release seem so refreshing. He had the family chops, but IMO the deal-maker came by way his "Band" that was able to produce a more contemporary and upbeat sound that can be explored on tracks like rockin' "Let It Grow", Beatle-mellotron-violin-wielding "Safe Enough To Wake Up", or the fun-lyricked "Mushroom Dance". I've searched ARATS long and hard and can't seem to find any critical mass of these traits, so while ARATS is great listening in its own right, the "Band" that brought him to our attention, and presumably the "Band" that gave Ben his "edge", is sorely missed.

Hey, Ben, this is a fantastic album. Really. Awesome. I just look forward to the possibility that your next outing involves a call to your old studio pals and a little more self-inflicted angst. Maybe get really pissed off about something first (hints: Iraq, Bush, al Qaeda, global warming, gas guzzlers, The Gap)...*then* go record the next album in some quirky Boston warehouse or something.

And don't worry about whether or not we'll buy it. You bet your sweet mushroom we will.

*** UPDATE: It's been six months since I wrote that review, and I've come to the conclusion that I was a little too harsh on ARATS. The true measure of an album is its longevity, and to this day I find myself inadvertantly whistling the core melodies of so many of the tracks on this effort. I guess the intimacy of this album just took me a bit by surprise. Put down the phone, Ben...no need to find an abandoned Boston warehouse (but if you did we sure wouldn't object). I just look forward to a life full of Taylors in my ears.

I really enjoyed this album. After hearing "Nothing that I can do" (my favorite) I was craving more from this 'natural talent.' Ben's voice and style are, of course, reflections of his parents' sounds, but he's brought his own music into it as well. The more he sings the more he'll bring to us, from only himself. This is a lovely CD to play when you just want to relax and get lost in the music.