Customer Reviews

James Taylor (Best Live) [Enhanced CD]

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was lucky enough to first see James Taylor live in a small outdoor venue called Avaloch in rural Lenox, Massachusetts in the summer of 1970, after this first album recorded by the Beatles in London had been released and just before the release of the fabulously successful "Sweet Baby James" album by Warner Brothers. He appeared alone on-stage with a full head of long, long hair in a simple denim shirt and cut-up jeans with his four or five acoustic guitars, and for two and a half hours proceeded to absolutely enchant the sprawling lawn-full of hundreds of audience members with a spellbinding performance of all of the work from both of those albums. Although virtually unknown at the time, word of mouth had spread so quickly in the Berkshires area (who still considers him one of their own) that many of us went out to get this album to play before he appeared. The rest, as they say, is history.

This is a fantastic folk album, and shows a different aspect of his talents in that he is much more somber, reflective, and open about his own uncertainties and personal troubles in the songs he sings, and in the delivery as well. But many of my favorites are here, including a spare and lean version of "Something In The Way She Moves", "Carolina In My Mind", and "Rainy Day Man". Yet I actually prefer many of the other cuts, such as "Brighten Your Night With My Day", "Don't Talk Now" and Something's Wrong". My all time favorite song from this album is a sleeper that he never plays and that no one else seems to be familiar with, a traditional song called "Circle Round The Sun".

His performance on it is a brilliant early indication of just how incredibly talented an interpretive artist Taylor really is, transforming this old folk song into a stunning contemporary number, complete with an indelible guitar accompaniment with the usual "Taylor" treatment and a haunting, suggestive vocal that literally oozes with heartfelt sincerity. This is a lesser album only in the sense that many of the works are unusually spare and folksy, but it is certainly a terrific showcase for how well Taylor can deliver on a variety of original works and covers of traditional folk songs. Enjoy

An old record my sister had in a Paul McCartney cover had more scratches on it than a couch in a house with twenty cats. I listened to it, and came to adore it. It was JT's first album on Apple records. To save my needle, I copied it onto a cassette, and played it for over twenty five years before a radio station told me the album was rereleased on CD. Talk about luck, the first store I went to had a copy of it. It was mine; all mine. For the first time, I could hear the guitar music without the background of all the scratches.

There is a tender sensitivity to this album reflecting a great deal of JT's emotional experience in his early years. His songs tell of warm loving relationships, expressed through greatly tender poetry. There is a softness and vulnerability in his voice, lyrics,and music we never see quite the same in his later productions.

"Something in the Way She Moves"

"And I feel fine any time she's around me now;
She's around me now almost all the time.
And if I'm well you can tell she's been with me now
She's been with me now, quite a long long time,
and I feel fine"'

"Circle Round the Sun"

"I love my baby, and she's bound to love me some;
Let me say that I love my baby,
And she's bound to love me some.
Now she throws her arms around me,
Like a circle round the sun, yeah".

"Sunshine Sunshine"

"Sounds of laughter, here comes sunshine;
Smiling faces all around;
They possess you, bless you sunshine
Now, you can never let them down
I say sunshine".

This album was always there for me when I shared the same vulnerabilities James had in his youth. What I could not express on my own was right there on that old cassette tape.

There are some reviewers here who write about any and every album ever created. I only write about those which have touched my life as this one did.

James Taylor's first album remains largely undiscovered. JT fans who think Sweet Baby James was his best, enjoy his later stuff but feel he never quite reached that level again, MUST hear this album. It is a masterpiece. Much of it reminds me of "Country Road" with strings bridging the songs (the strings style reminds me of Beatles orchestral works, such as in Yellow Submarine, from this era). Anyone who has wondered where the song, "Carolina On My Mind" came from will now have their answer. Another magnificent selection is "Circle Around the Sun," a traditional song that has been borrowed in part by the Grateful Dead (I Know You Rider) and Janis Joplin (Piece of My Heart). This album is hard to find. It is really the first half of the Sweet Baby James work. Get it-you'll thank yourself!

The king of mellow pop got his start here; it's a very good album to listen to as background to just about anything - communal dinners with your friends from the 60's/70's, whatever. And most of the songs are very good to listen to carefully, individually, when you take the time. He's very inventive - the feeling he conjures, even when sad, warms your guts (which can be very, very helpful). Between each two songs is an instrumental interlude; they are of all sorts, played by various players - there's even a harpsichordist.

Taylor isn't about to bring high excitement to anyone, but as for relaxation and groove, he's got plenty. It's not that easy to put 'bite' into 'mellow' - here he does just that. Let's not forget a sense of humor, which inhabits some of the songs - always portrayed with a quiet, confident touch.

Here, his voice doesn't come off nearly so reedy as later on in his career; nor is there even a twinge of his later, more lukewarm and self-absorbed, almost jaded sound. At this early stage, everything was dovetailing together quite nicely. If you don't mind the understatement, it's very elegantly, and eloquently done.

I had never heard of James Taylor until a guy I dated in 1970-71 turned me on to him. I shall be forever indebted to him for that! I played the LP so often that I practically wore out the grooves! "Something in the Way She Moves", "Rainy Day Man" and "Something's Wrong" are probably my favorite cuts, but I like them all.I have used this album for almost 30 years to mellow-out and it still works for me! If you listen to this and like it, you also need to hear "Sweet Baby James" and "Mudslide Slim", but this first James Taylor album (the first artist to record on the Apple label other than the Beatles and produced by Peter Asher) is the perfect adition to any collection of 60's music as well as a great starting point for any new James Taylor fan.Buy it, listen to it and you'll love it!

When 20 year old James Taylor managed to forward a demo tape to Paul McCartney in London, I doubt either of them knew where it would lead. But this very early James Taylor recording is a classic and an extraordinary album that any serious JT fan should own. From the haunting memento of his experience in Maclean Psychiatric Hospital, 'Knockin' around the Zoo', to a folky, quicker and more upbeat version of 'Carolina in my Mind', the album gives a blueprint of the easy, poignant style JT was later to develop on 'Sweet Baby James' and his later work.

There are a few low points, such as the lyrics of 'Taking it in', which are somewhat trite (references to chicken and beans lying on a plate, for example) and also JT's over-reliance on day/night/sun/rain imagery. However, the appalling string accompaniments and links provided by producer Peter Asher take the cake for negligent interference and all but ruin the songs in places. Asher felt that JT's acoustic style would benefit from such creative ministrations. It did not.

That aside, this is an album of immense beauty and pathos, and shows a remarkable songwriting talent in its infancy. One of my favourite tracks is the pared-down version of 'Something In The Way She Moves' which is clean, simple and powerful. His mellow baritone and mastery of the fretboard combine to create a style both unique and accessible. An amazing first album which should be acquired by all lovers of acoustic folk music.

Everyone can make one album. When the first album makes the listener hungry for more, you've got something.

This album was recorded long before anyone knew the name "James Taylor" or the wonderful music he composed and sang. Perhaps a bit disjointed at times, the music spans many years of his life and many, many changes. It is perhaps the purest of his albums. In my mind it is the best of his albums.

From the beauty of "Rainy Day Man" to the sweet "Carolina on My Mind" the album doesn't have a bad track.

To the best of my knowledge, this is JT's first album. I have listened to about all of his recordings, and this is far and away my favorite. From the opening notes of Don't Talk Now you hear JT raw, personal, and very talented. The next song is the beautifully arranged Greensleeves followed by the thoughtful Something's Wrong. My personal favorite "Knocking 'Round The Zoo" follows, and you hear a side of JT that never again surfaces in later recordings. You will instantly recognize Something in the Way She Moves, and Carolina in My Mind. They both appeared in later recordings, but these are the origional (and I believe better)versions. Every song on this album is very listenable. This album is a must for any JT fan, and any rock or folk fan should give it a listen. It delivers!

Its funny about JT. His voice just keeps getting better and better but the content never is what it was in the earlier days.

I have to second "Circle Round the Sun" being my favorite JT song ever and one of my top ten favorite songs period. I wish he would do it again, it is so lush and wondrous.

I am thrilled this CD is finally out as the apple album was the one you could never get and my tape of an aquaintances' has worn out.

I think his first is his best and that generally he went down from a very high mountain with each successive album. And the irony is his voice has gotten better. Guess now he has all the answers and I miss the young man who had all the questions.

There is nothing like the raw simplicity of a new artist's initial work, and this album is no exception. Little wonder that APPLE and Peter Asher saw the genius that is James Taylor back in London in '68. And thank God for that!
James' talent is attested to by his musical longevity and the respect he is given by other perhaps bigger-selling artists.
It is often said that genius comes from pain. James' debut solo effort whilst on heroin & coming to terms with an unfathomable world is ... well ... simply fabulous and the versions of 'Carolina In My Mind' and 'Something In The way she Moves', to my mind, are far superior here to the later slicker versions he did.
Sure, this talented musician went on to write several more great hits as he "matured" into the mellower performer & writer he is today, but for me, this beats the lot! A must-have!