James Taylor [Original recording remastered, Extra tracks]

James Taylor | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered, Extra tracks
• Label: Apple Records
• ASIN: B003XKMS8Q
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,334 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

James Taylor’s debut album, recorded in 1968, includes two of his best loved songs, ‘Something In The Way She Moves’ and ‘Carolina In My Mind’. Both are familiar to millions from the 1976 versions that open his 11 x Platinum Greatest Hits, but were first recorded for Apple Records in 1968. Here are the original recordings, alongside 10 equally strong others, made in London with a little help from top musicians and some baroque English strings.

This Remastered CD includes four Bonus Tracks, all previously unreleased:
• ‘Sunny Skies’ / studio demo, later re-recorded for 1970’s Sweet Baby James
• ‘Let Me Ride’ / studio demo, later re-recorded for 1971’s Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon
• ‘Sunshine Sunshine’ / solo acoustic demo of a song from James Taylor
• ‘Carolina In My Mind’ / solo acoustic demo of a song from James Taylor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't You See the Sunshine?, November 3, 2010

By 

Jeff "familyman" (New England, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: James Taylor (Audio CD)

I confess that I love vintage music and anything from the sixties. The music of the sixties came at you with an energetic freshness and unpredictability that stirred an entire generation and culture. It's still very pleasing, listening to these time capsules, many of which are period pieces in comparison to the everyday ordinary stuff put out today, IMHO.

I really think James Taylor requires no validation. I have always enjoyed listening to this individual album because of its intrinsic songwriting talent and skill. It fit well alongside S&G's Bookends, as well as Badfinger, Mary Hopkin, and everything else that was hip and eclectic back in the day. This is my third purchase of the eponymous work. I still have the initial Apple vinyl release, which I bought during high school in the early seventies, purchased the early Apple CD release and now, happily, this newly remastered gem.

I'm not one for 'it should have had this' or it shouldn't be like that.' It is what it is and I think it's James' magnum opus. James' close-mic'd vocals and guitar are intimate, coupled with the baroque interludes that lend a flowing stroke of whimsical color and quirky interplay to the overall conceptual beauty of the project. In my view, this is what sets James Taylor apart from the other loved albums of the day. Nothing should be changed. It is James Taylor's best work because of this feature.

James Taylor is a unique dragonfly in a maze of monarch butterflies of time. There is something about time that is powerful and, perhaps, even supernatural. James Taylor's self-titled debut on Apple Records has that type of allure and charm where it pulls you into its simplicity, clasped by the gentleness of its eloquently crafted embrace for truth. That is what the gift of time collects and engenders - truth, as well as youth, and the beauty they exude.

You must listen to this gem with a different set of ears than you would when appreciating his great, but commercial follow-up albums. Simply stated - a stunning personal masterpiece! It's perfect and it's alive. Thank you, James!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly Remastered, December 19, 2010

By 

Steven Springer (Silver Spring, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: James Taylor (Audio CD)

From vinyl to CD to the 2010 remastered disc, this has always been one of my favorite albums. And with this new remaster, the album sounds absolutely crystal clear and more beautiful than ever. As I write this I'm listening to Circle 'Round The Sun, which is an under-the-radar gem, and should rank up there with his other love songs. The orchestration now envelops you in a way it never has. The demos are a nice addition, especially hearing Sunny Skies and Let Me Ride in their original incarnations. Now we just need Warner Brothers and Columbia to remaster all of the other JT albums!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For me the best James Taylor album., October 29, 2010

By 

ScottE (Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: James Taylor (Audio CD)

One of the best James Taylor albums, This re-issue by Apple is just great. The music is so vibrant on this disc, and the bonus tracks are a good listen too. Great pics and essay also.