Customer Reviews

October Road (Limited Edition with Bonus CD)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I first heard James Taylor playing across a vinyl dinosaur on the Beatles' Apple label in 1969. The technology was archaic by today's standards, but when I spin that old disk on a worn-out turntable, one thing remains as clear now as it was then. James Taylor is possessed by a magical muse, which grows stronger with each dissonant guitar chord and intricate vocal harmony.

On that day in '69, James Taylor set me on a musical journey destined to last a lifetime, teaching me his pristine guitar style, consuming me with his haunting vocal arrangements, and touching me with lyrics that made me both laugh and cry.

A musical genius once clad in the faded hippie denims that were the badge of our unsettled generation, JT still touches the deepest regions of the heart and mind in his comfortable cottons, demonstrated by his new CD October Road.

When Taylor released his Grammy-winning Hourglass five years ago, it wasn't unreasonable to assume he had completed his ultimate masterpiece - a collection of brilliant musical pieces that surpassed anything done before. Notwithstanding that JT has created past albums full of classic, memorable hits that stand the test of time, Hourglass rose above the commercial appeal of FM conglomerates, with a collection of songs that fully demonstrated his musical and technical genius.

But along comes Taylor's long-awaited October Road, and one thing is now inevitably clear: JT raised the bar again. It is a bar that hovers far above a sorry music industry that normally panders to the belly button, pre-pubescent boys and tattoo crowd.

Despite the advantages of 2002 digital technology that makes October Road a flawless technical gem, Taylor is careful to keep his tone pure, as if he scooted up next to the campfire and hitched his beautiful Olson six-string on his knee. Invite some of the finest studio musicians and vocalists to the party, and you find yourself cruising down October Road with your best friend.

JT uses the old formula with fresh, new spices. In "September Grass," "October Road" (featuring Ry Cooder on lead guitar) and "My Traveling Star," JT covers the well-traveled path to which we're accustomed. He playfully teases with an old familiar guitar lick here and there that instantly transforms into a brand new tune, greeting you with the polite, southern charm of an old friend who's genuinely glad to see you again. For good measure, he adds "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," giving one pause to ponder in amazement that this is the same guy who knocks your hair off in concert renditions of "Steamroller Blues."

Taylor doesn't veer far from the road with "Caroline I See You," and "On The 4th of July," which pay tribute to his new love, or "Carry Me On My Way," and "Whenever You're Ready," a sweet, Latin flavored tune that provokes some serious toe-tapping.

But it is there where October Road takes new turns with "Mean Old Man," a clever self-examination in a style some critics compare to Gershwin. "Raised Up Family" is a dark, bluesy slash into Taylor's southern roots, where he alludes to a cousin whose life "took a whole lot of liquor just to let him live in his own skin" - a passage only Taylor could write.

The most uncommon tunes on October Road are "Belfast to Boston," a reminder of the artists' fears for our survival, and the most perplexing piece on the CD, "Baby Buffalo," which combines the dark imagery of mortality and obsolescence.

October Road showcases Taylor's often overlooked guitar skills, while his haunting baritone is as strong as ever. As always, he surrounds himself with brilliant musicians, and singers Kate Markowitz, David Lasley and Arnold McCuller are as familiar to the Taylor sound as his unique guitar riffs. As an added treat, Taylor's daughter, Sally, adds her strong alto to a few tunes, reminding those of us who remember the first time we heard the lullaby "Sarah Maria" that time marches on - double time.

Taylor's past success has benefited us all, for he can now take his time to create and nurture his muse, unrestrained by the profit-driven industry around him. He has cultivated a loyal audience that awaits his next work with patient anticipation. It is a luxury that few artists achieve, but the cream always rises to the top. James Taylor is more than a cultural icon. He is the beacon of a musical body that impacted the world far deeper than any that preceded or followed. As Eric Clapton is the mind, Bonnie Raitt is the heart, and Stevie Ray is the gut - James Taylor is the soul.

Do you ever feel like you've grown up with JT? His lifespan follows so many of our own that we think of him as an old friend. And, on this first-JT-CD of the millenium, he's laid it out for us like an old country road.

I'm no entertainment reviewer, but I can swear James samples his own tracks on this one. The familiar riffs, rhythms, and melodies we've grown to love show up often and in brief appearances, like a quick glimpse through a rear-view mirror. Maybe that was the idea, who knows.

James has not only come of age in the sweet, deep, and soulful melody department here - he's also confessing what his life really means now. From "September Grass", a tribute to the end of summer and a nod to autumn, to "October Road", a traveling song, JT is telling us he's totally happy in his own skin.

"On The 4th Of July", James tells the story of meeting the love of his life, Caroline, with whom he's the proud dad of twins now. This is one happy guy, I'm telling you.

"My Traveling Star" shines the brightest on this album, with backing vocals so sweet and tight they make you cry. (Ok, so maybe that was just me). Remember JT's "Enough To Be On Your Way"? You'll be reminded by it on "Carry Me On My Way".

"Caroline I See You" - say it with me - sounds hauntingly like "Carolina See You". Something tells me that's not a mistake, although the song is about his proposal of marriage to Caroline.

"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" rounds out this amazing CD. Deep in the Berkshire Mountains, or tucked within Brookline's treelined streets, it's a sure bet that James will be having the happiest Christmas of all time. Welcome home, James. You've given us the ride of our lives. Peace.

October Road is a breath of fresh air. Its predecessors, Hourglass in particular, met with great critical acclaim, but left me regretting James Taylor's indifferent settling into adult contemporary boredom. On October Road, JT drops the synths and explores different edges to his music, something that I hadn't heard on a James Taylor album since Dad Loves His Work.

The comfortable foundation of this album is necessarily the tunes done in the vein of JT's greatest hits: "September Grass," "October Road," "My Traveling Star" and a few others come to mind. These tracks show why Taylor is the greatest down-home balladeer since, well, ever. The tunes that are clearly written for pop-singledom are done tastefully: "Whenever You're Ready" is the most obvious example, with "On the 4th of July following as a somewhat unorthodox second. "Raised Up Family" is reminiscent of Dad Loves His Work's "Stand and Fight" and In The Pocket's "Money Machine," underrated tunes that lay down the funk in a unique way that only JT can pull off. Tunes like "Mean Old Man" and "Belfast to Boston" don't come from James's typical mold, and are refreshing.

In addition to being the best JT album since his last collaboration with Russ Titelman, In The Pocket, October Road has taken great advantage of advances in modern recording technologies. I didn't realize how really great this album was until I listened to it on a set of quality headphones.

Recommended for everyone. Best new album I've heard in years, hands down.

After the incredible success of "Hourglass" (which it certainly deserved) one can't help making comparisons with that recording which many felt was his best since "JT". "Hourglass" blew me away from the first listen: "October Road" is a more subtle effort and it takes a few listens for this recording to work its charms. While Hourglass was an immediate "adult contemporary" classic, "October Road" probably will hold more appeal for long-time fans.

From the opening guitar notes on this outing it sounds like an old friend is back. James reunites with producer Titelman to create something which sounds more like his material from the Warner Brother years than anything he's done in the last few decades. His wonderful work guitar is up front again and even the vocal delivery, which seems effortless, seems to recall his earlier work.

Also pick up the Limited Edition while it lasts. The instrumental "Benjamin" with Yo Yo Ma, Mark O'Connor, and Edgar Meyer is worth the additional cost. Also the duet with Mark Knopfler must be heard.

I've always looked at JT as being a national treasure, and his music is like a warm blanket for the soul. Naturally, this latest effort has "Grammy" written all over it. An unbelievable record from an unbelievable artist. I honestly don't understand how JT can extract such personal prose without suffering a complete breakdown during each performance. "October Road" rivals the now-classic "Hourglass" and it is quickly becoming my new favorite. Buy this CD people. It's undoubtedly the best album of the year - period.

MR Taylor has done it again with another smash ablum. And with the double set it was great to have the bonus of the video, to see him in the recording studio was very inovative and my wife and i enjoyed it very much. It was like he was in our living room singing to us. I bought this for a present for my wifes birthday and the only thing that would have made her happier would have been to see him in concert. Since we missed him when we first moved here to paris. We just hope this means another tour here, because we will have two tickets sold for him already. This is another great display of one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century,(and if you read this mr.taylor keep up the great work) and for the rest get the album while you still can, it says limited ,get while it last.

It must be hard to be a popular artist -- you have to walk the line between maintaining your old style (and running the risk of being "staid") or changing (and being running the risk alienating old fans and being accused of "selling out"). JT has hit just the right combination here for me by turning his back on the "rock" style he adopted in the 90s, and performing music "in the style of" his 70s work. So, for me, this is a nice throwback to my favorite JT style from Sweet Baby James, Mudslide Slim, etc. After a month of listening I think that while his best work is Sweet Baby James or Maybe Mudslide Slim or That's Why I'm here, this is just down a notch.

What I do find best about the CD, though, is the evocative feeling of fall that it evokes. September Grass, October Road. We've been having some fall-like days, and when I popped this in the CD player, it just brought me into the fall feeling. (Though Aaron Copeland was often asked how he did that a piece that he named "Appalacian Spring" at the very last minute). But maybe JT composed these songs last fall.

After listening to this CD for over a month, I still like it a lot. It's in rotation in my car CD player. Sometime I've had enough of it, as in it seems a little too sugary sweet. Other times it's nice to hear that familiar voice crooning at me.

If you like JT's earlier recording, this is a "buy." I like the additional songs on the bonus disc, so I'd definitely recommend the enhanced version over the standard one, though 3 songs almost isn't worth a whole other disc, especially in my car where there's only room for 6 CDs. It might be worth having just to burning onto another CD with some other JT tunes that don't warrant the whole album (e.g., Dad Loves His Work, Flag...)

Like a cherished friend stopping by for a long weekend of all night long coffee talk and cozy memories, 'October Road' makes you feel like you have known James your entire life. His songs touch moments of time and feelings long since misplaced. Once again he hasn't let us down and this album was well worth the wait. The limited ed. version has a second cd of favorite James Taylor tunes with a more grown up feel and musical expression. Get snuggled in with a warm beverage, let the moonlight in the windows and let him touch your heart and take you away to 'October Road'.

Which means this is an excellent, fresh album. I'm not quite sure I understand those few gadflies whose reviews blast JT for sounding like himself and using familiar guitar chords. What are you all waiting for, the James Taylor Plays Harmonica with a Clothespin on His Nose Limited Edition CD?
I would especially recommend this set for anyone who isn't a regular James Taylor listener because it has a nice range of musical styles and the 3-track bonus CD alone is worth the price of the set. A message to James - make an album with Mark Knopfler, you sound great together. Oh yeah, and keep up the great work.

James Taylor has raised the bar again on October Road. It seems that with each new record, he visits some old notes briefly and captures some new, and adds some instant classics to his collection of songs. On October Road James seems to be very content with his life. The rececent changes have done his music as well as his life very well it seems. His records seem to tell a story of emototions and the places we are shown in our lives. October Road is no exception. This record has a classic sound and each track is hard not to instantly like. I am sure that October Road will soon be recognized as one of James Taylor's best works.