Customer Reviews

Deeper Than Gravity

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

 

 

When I put this CD on, the last name on the cover didn't jump out at me right away. Not sure why. Then the first words of young Taylor came out of my speakers and I knew his dad had to be James. Heck, even his uncle Livingston sounds like James. But Ben has a personality all his own, getting lots of the rhythm structure from his mom, Carly Simon.

Taylor wrote two of the five songs on this "EP". Only "Lady Magic" has the James Taylor feel while the other "Digest" has just enough "hip hop" rhythm to let you know it's the 21st Century, yet the stripped down acoustic arrangement gives it a relaxed feeling. I thought I'd had enough of Macy Gray's "I Try", Taylor gives it new life. (On the final track, "Glory Box". Taylor shares vocals with Meredith Sheldon, who actually sounds not unlike Gray).

The one song that I think fails is the standard "You Belong To Me". Though written in the 1930s that song belongs to The Duprees. It really seems out of place.

But, heck, this is a sampler, more or less, and has a list price of less than six bucks. It's a good introduction to the next generation of Taylors.

Steve Ramm

"Anything Phonographic"

Ben Taylor's EP "Deep Gravity" starts with a live version of "Nothing I Can Do" from his excellent CD Another Run Around the Sun. This acoustic version was recorded at a radio station in Boise, Idaho. "I Try" is soft with its hook-filled chorus, Ben's hushed lead vocal and the lyric, "I believe that fate has brought us here; We should be together, girl." Ben's "Digest" is densely lyrically packed played with a soft acoustic guitar backing, "I've been forced to digest this wasteful emptiness; I'm supposed to laugh as if nothing's going on." Ben's version of "You Belong to Me" that Patsy Cline recorded brings out the lovely melody with a stark acoustic guitar backing. Ben's "Lady Magic" moves from folk to pop, "She was cool like a magical groove* on a January day." "Glory Box" by Portishead that even has a version by British singer John Martyn on his The Church with One Bell CD is a soft plaintive track as Meredith Sheldon joins Ben as he sings, "I just want to be your woman." "Deeper Than Gravity" is a soft EP. I've played his two full-length CDs so much that this is a welcome addition to the changer. Enjoy!

*lyric according to my ear! :)

Sure you can tell who is Daddy is the minute the first note comes out of his mouth, but Ben's voice is softer and very easy on the ears. "I Try" is a moving love ballad made all the more effective by Ben's soft rendition. I also loved "See the Pyramids" with its gentle longing. I do wish the CD had more than 6 songs on it. Ben wins you over and you want more. I'm glad I have this CD, however short it is. James & Carly did SOMETHING right!

I am completely sold on Ben Taylors music. He may live under the shadow of his rock legend parents but he has a soulful and killer sound. I have seen him perform live and met him in person and he has to be one of the nicest people i have ever met. Hes much like his dad with the "Blue Collar Musician" outlook on his career and will hang out after a show and have a beer with his fans.

Great album, you will be hooked.

Ben Taylor was born to two of the brightest lights in the 70s folk/rock tradition. His parents paid their dues, and are currently blazing new trails some 35+ years after his birth. That can be a lot to live up to. Deeper than Gravity is most likely Ben's most stripped down project of all of his recent releases, and in my view, it best showcases his lyrical and musical gifts without the temptation of being the loudest boy in the room. True he has an excellent band, but I think he is at his best in this setting, letting his voice, and complex guitar playing steal the show with a minimum of distraction. Its certainly the best choice for someone who wants to sample his music with an eye twoard getting to know him more. I recommend this release above everything before or since, and hope he returns to its complex yet uncomplicated style soon. This also demonstrates a very fresh approach for his contempories to emulate!

this cd is fantastic. i feel ben is truly talented, no doubt a direct reflection of his parents influence.