Music Review: The Essential James Taylor

The Essential James Taylor (2013) Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings.  The Essential James Taylor has a good compilation of James Taylor Songs.  It starts with Sweet Baby James from Taylor's second album of the same name.  It then includes songs of his albums up until 2002.  It is likely the best compilation album of James Taylor's work, but there were three previous greatest hits albums.  

I cannot get enough of "Fire and Rain" and "You've Got a Friend."  But there are many more impressive songs.  "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," "How Sweet It Is to be Loved by You," "Shower the People" and "Your Smiling Face" are all very nice.  It seems just about everything James Taylor does turns out nice.  He even gives a different feel in "Steamroller" which also works.  

And that is the first C.D.  The second C.D. does not have as many hits but it carries itself.  "Her Town Too" is very nice.  As are the next couple songs, "Everyday" and "Only One."  "You are my only one" keeps going through my head.  I also like "You Can Close Your Eyes."  "I still love you, Close Your eyes, I don't know no love songs, I can't sing the Blues anymore.  But I can sing this song, and you can sing this song."  

Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits

 In this CD we have 20 Carly Simon songs, 19 of her greatest hits and a 20th song recorded with her daughter, Sally Taylor, as a bonus.  The song for me that makes this CD worth listening to is "You're So Vain."  This song is surrounded by mystery as no one knows to whom she is referring.  It seems to be actually a compendium of men, including Warren Beatty.  "I haven't got Time for the Pain" is a song whose lrics go through my head.  This and the song "Anticipation."  I also like "That's the Way I've Always Heard it Should Be" from her first album and "The Right Thing to Do" from her third album.  She sings "Mockingbird" with James Taylor.  She was married to James Taylor for ten years.  Simon has a distinctive and enjoyable voice.  She also plays piano.  She represents music from the 70s when I grew up.

Music Review: A Children's Celebration of Music

 A Children's Celebration of Music, various artists, AllMusic, 1992

This is a delightful collection of children's songs by the original artisits, some as long as 50 years ago.  Some are classic American Folk songs such as "This Old Man" by Pete Seeger and "Skip to my Lou" by John McCutcheon.  Peter Paul and Mary sing "Puff the Magic Dragon" and Loggins and Mesina sing "House on Pooh Corner."  There is also "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland.  A beautiful song is "Garden Song" sung by Maria Muldaur.  There is even "The Ugly Duckling" by Danny Kay and Gordon Jenkins.  Other artists include Paul Simon, Anne Murray, James Taylor, Burl Ives and the Doobie Brothers.  There are fifteen songs in total and all are enjoyable.  

Music Review: James Taylor: Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon

 This was James aylor's third album and his most successful.  It rose to number two on the pop 100 chart thanks in part to the strength of the song, "You've Got a Friend," which when released as a single is the only James Taylor song to reach num er one.  This song was written by Carole King.  Her album released the same year including the same song reached number one and kept the Taylor album from. claiming this spot.  King wrote the song as a response to James Taylor's song, "Fire and Rain" from his previous album in which he sings, "I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend."  Both these songs are two of my favorite of all time.  

The other song which mas ade a siungle from this album was "Long Ago and Far Away."  This song has a sad theme, dreams not turning out theme, which is a general feel of this album.  "Where do your golden rainbows end?  Why is this song I sing so sad?  Dreaming the dreams I dream, my friend. Loving the love I love to love to love to love.  Joni Mitchell provides backup vocals and Carole King plays piano.

The "Highway Song" was also made a single.  It is a traveling song, the life of a singer.  "You Can Close Your Eyes" is just James Taylor, his guitar and his song, with minimal back up.  It is the b-side of "Highway Song."  It is a lullaby where he is singing to his lover.  Taylor considered it a secular hymn.

James Taylor has a distinctive voice, and his own style of writing songs.  I enjoy the easy listening.

Music Review: James Taylor: Sweet Baby James

James Taylor: Sweet Baby James, Country Road Music, Inc., Warner Brothers, 1970. 

James Taylor is a singer and song writer.  This effort was his second album.  It reached number three on the billboard charts, and the song Fire and Rain also reached number three.  It was nominated for album of the year in the grammies.  Fire and Rain is a song that goes over and over again in my mind, especially the chorus, "I've seen fire and I've seen rain,  I've seen sunny days that I though would never end, I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, But I always thought I'd see you again."  It is one of my favorite songs.  It is very much biographical for James Taylor, describing he friend who passed away by suicide, and then his struggles with addiction.  I love that he could open up this way in a song.

Music Review: James Taylor Live at the Beacon Theatre DVD

This is a live concert that was made for PBS on May 30, 1998.  James Taylor is a guitarist and vocalist and has a very nice voice.  Many of his songs are of a folk nature and others are more Jazzy.  The DVD included the bantor and introduction of all the artists which made it more personable.  Special songs include: "Your Smiling Face," "How Sweet it Is," "Fire and Rain," "You've Got a Friend" and "Steamroller Blues."  "Fire and Rain" is a song of special note.  It was written at three different times in his life.  The first was when he heard his friend had passed away, then as he contemplated rehab, and finally as he was in rehab.  The chorus is really good,  "I've seen fire and I've seen rain; I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end; I've seen lonely days when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I would see you again."  This was really great,  I loved the entire concert.