Customer Reviews

Classic Songs

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the first James Taylor CD I ever purchased, and I LOVED it. Later on, the CD became misplaced, and, rather than repurchase it, I went out and bought a bunch of the underlying CDs. My mistake. This import is a great collection which allows you to listen to all the good songs without a bunch of also-rans disturbing your listening pleasure. Buy this one CD it's worth the extra cost (and it covers much more time than the domestic greatest hits).

this is Without a Doubt the best overall Set on James Taylor.this Set Fully Captures The Singer&Songwritting Talent of this Man.He has Composed some Great Songs over the Years.this is a Very Essential Collection.Very Solid from start to finish.

Until James comes out with an overdue Box Set this is the best overall compilation of his greatest songs that you'll find. It's much more comprehensive that the states Greatest Hits collection. Buy this!

Amongst all of the many collections and albums available by James Taylor, this CD is truly the most wondrous of them all. Every song on this album is a hit song in and of itself. Each is recognizable to the listener whether they be 18 or 80. There is not a single other album which contains such variety and popularity at once. Even if the listener is not a die hard Taylor fan, this album is truly too powerful to resist.

Some of the songs are a little harder to come by than others, yet when this album was compiled, only the finest of Taylor's songs were included. Titles such as "Up On The Roof," "Handyman," "Fire & Rain," "Carolina On My Mind," and "You've Got A Friend" are probably Taylor's most recognizable songs, while these are then juxtaposed along with such purely melodic and beautiful selections as "Mexico," "Everyday," "Your Smiling Face" and "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" rounding out this collection and making it irresistable. If the listener could only buy one (1) single James Taylor album there is not one in existence that would be more highly recommended by me than this one. This CD is truly one of those great compendiums that should be chosen on that list of 10 albums to take to a desert island. To every Taylor fan, large or small, they should not be without this album. It will truly warm up any cold day and bring chills to the soul of the listener as everybody's past is reprised through the recollections that this disc brings to mind as it plays. Do not suffer without owning a copy any longer. Buy it while it is still available.

During the 1970s, James Taylor had a dozen or so major hit singles in the US (and a fair number in the UK also), and most of these are on 'Classic Songs'. Additionally, there are 3 absolute 'gems' which weren't big hits : 'Carolina On My Mind' (original version), 'Something In the Way She Moves' and 'Sweet Baby James' (as my memory best serves me, the latter two songs were never released as singles). There are a number of songs, mainly on the second half of the album, which don't do a great deal for me - a few originals which I find rather bland and a few covers which leave me moderately underwhelmed (with the exception of 'Handyman'). That said, all of these songs are amongst his most popular recordings - so it makes perfect sense to have them on this (or any) compilation.

Easy listening soft-rock isn't usually the type of music that I buy, and I doubt if I would be tempted by any of JT's regular albums. Nevertheless, he has a smooth and reassuringly pleasant voice with just enough of a distinctive edge to make him stand out from the crowd. Whilst I think that he has written some exceptionally good songs, I also think that his writing is uneven - but many of his best ever songs can be found on this album. Also, the production and vocal/instrumental accompaniment is very classy and the re-mastered sound quality is excellent. Moreover, those songs from the early 70s bring back some good memories - halcyon days before I had any kids (or a mortgage). The liner notes are very basic - no bio, song lyrics or musician credits.

There are 6 or 7 songs that don't appeal to me very much and, if I were rating this album based upon my overall enjoyment of it, I'd give it 3 stars. However, my personal preferences aside, as a compilation entitled 'James Taylor - Classic Songs' it delivers what it promises and, as such, it merits a higher rating. A viable alternative to this album is the less expensive The Best of James Taylor; this has 4 more tracks and it includes all of the tracks on 'Classic Songs' except 'Everyday' and 'Her Town Too'. I don't have this album, but I'm fairly certain that it isn't re-mastered; furthermore, I believe 'Carolina On My Mind' is a 1976 re-recording at a slightly slower tempo. Nonetheless, either album can be strongly recommended to casual fans who want to get their hands on some of the best of JT's earlier music - the one I just happen to own is 'Classic Songs'.

Yes, it doesn't have material from his more recent work (Never Die Young, Hourglass, New Moon Shine, etc.), but this is his best compilation even though it is an import.

It must be great... they had this as a sample disc when they were demoed CD players at the store where I bought my CD player (along with A Decade of Steely Dan). This was one of the 1st CD's I bought when I got my CD player (along with the Steely Dan one and U2's Joshua Tree)

This CD has most of JT's major hits from both labels, Warner & Columbia. Sound is tremendous and it is on a single CD.

Superb!

Among the singer songwriters to emerge in the early 1970s was James Taylor, he shared the type of arena of, among others, Cat Stevens, Jackson Browne and Carole King.
Introspective songs abound and more often than not, are sung in a sombre tone.
The guitar is understated and the backing low key
Some of the songs here are classics including Fire And Rain, You've Got A Friend and How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).
Covers of Everyday and Up On The Roof are comparatively smooth and not really to my taste.
Leaving the best to last, I enjoy Carolina In My Mind and Handyman, the latter in particular is welcome for it's more postive outlook.

More than 20 years ago I bought this CD on vinyl in German edition and although it took 20 years from then until now there is no better selection of James Taylor. The best of his career is on this CD. I bought it used in its original German edition for very little money and I am absolutely satisfied. Great Artist, and above all, talented, something missing these days in the world of music.

I have just about everything James Taylor has ever released.I liked the fact that they were able to combine two record labels on this disc. I also loved the re-mastering job that they did on all the songs.I am getting old like the rest of us, and the sound quality was much better then most cds released today.
Try it you'll like it!

I really ignore who the real genius was, to be able to "merge" in one album, almost all James Taylor's all-time Hits from both his Columbia/WEA catalogs. Thanks God, he was able to do it!
And in addition, doing it with a superb sound quality.
I got my German copy in a used-CD basket on a flea market. The box was slightly damaged, but the inner booklet and the CD itself were in mint condition. When I played it on my old (2nd or 3rd generation) Sony CD player, I got amazed on HOW GOOD the sound quality is!

If you're quite young and heard about James Taylor, but never heard any of his songs, get this album! "Fire and Rain", "Mexico", Shower the people", "That's why I'm here", "Handyman", "Your smiling face" and much more are included in it. Also, the Cover rivaling-to-equal version of Carole King's megahit "You've Got A Friend".
Even when I'm not very fanatic to "Cover" versions of such megahits as "You've Got A Friend", in this case I admit that JT's version of this song is no less than "As Good As" Carole King's.

A CD to be heard more than once or twice, and never get bored of it for sure!