He played acoustic guitar yes? That's a black mark.
― Tom (Groke), Monday, 28 October 2002 18:15 (twenty-one years ago) link
He played acoustic guitar yes? That's a black mark.Not necessarily. Some people can do amazing and uplifting things with an acoustic guitar. James Taylor just happens to not be one of them.
― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Monday, 28 October 2002 18:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
― dave q, Monday, 28 October 2002 18:20 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Monday, 28 October 2002 18:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 28 October 2002 18:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
Also, he played 'The Driver' in '71 road/drug flick Two-Lane Blacktop which is classic.
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 28 October 2002 18:41 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Clarke B., Monday, 28 October 2002 18:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
He wrote and sang backup on one of George Jones' most beautiful songs!
I mean I hear what you're saying, but it's a little obvious. Wyld peppermouthed youngsters would be better off eating at the curry shop cross the street than the nursing home cafeteria, sooo-prize soo-prize!
― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 28 October 2002 18:53 (twenty-one years ago) link
.still better than a gas chamber...
― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 28 October 2002 18:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Monday, 28 October 2002 18:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
but james taylor didn't DO YOU SEE!!!
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 28 October 2002 18:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
You prefer Jimmy Buffett, Lord Custos--you are IN-saaaaane.
― Arthur (Arthur), Monday, 28 October 2002 19:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
You prefer Jimmy Buffett, Lord Custos--you are IN-saaaaane.Face it: "Why Do We Get Drunk and Screw" is loads better than anything James Taylor ever did.
― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Monday, 28 October 2002 19:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Arthur (Arthur), Monday, 28 October 2002 19:16 (twenty-one years ago) link
― sundar subramanian, Monday, 28 October 2002 19:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Monday, 28 October 2002 19:26 (twenty-one years ago) link
For example, I used to utterly despise Burt Bucharach when I was a teenager...I dated this girl who loved him, and couldn't stand it. But I was listening to the Ruins at the time!
Years later, I just bought the Bacharach box set. It's terrific, ingenius pop music.
But I've listened to James Taylor intermittenly throughout my life, and every time I hear it, I instantly blurt out "jesus fucking christ, this is the crappiest fucking bullshit on the fucking planet! Jesus!" Even in front of the elderly.
― gage-o, Monday, 28 October 2002 19:31 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Monday, 28 October 2002 19:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sean (Sean), Monday, 28 October 2002 21:18 (twenty-one years ago) link
― J0hn Darn13ll3 (J0hn Darn13ll3), Monday, 28 October 2002 21:37 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 28 October 2002 21:40 (twenty-one years ago) link
― david h (david h), Monday, 28 October 2002 22:37 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 28 October 2002 23:14 (twenty-one years ago) link
Yes,yes. Plus he was married to Carly Simon. But in my usualy consistent thought of Yin-Yang his music makes me ill.
― brg30 (brg30), Monday, 28 October 2002 23:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 02:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
ME TOO!
― Tad (llamasfur), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 06:10 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tad (llamasfur), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 06:12 (twenty-one years ago) link
― dave q, Tuesday, 29 October 2002 08:01 (twenty-one years ago) link
Lord Custos, WXPN is far from perfect. Now back in the old days, before some point in the little 1980's thast was a fine station. I remember how they used to play an eclectic. . .
― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 29 October 2002 12:22 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 18:10 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 18:11 (twenty-one years ago) link
I'm going to say this here since it's a stupid thread anyway but this little habit of Lord C's annoys me a ridiculous, beyond-reason amount: more than James Taylor, Phil Collins, anything else on the board or indeed almost anything else I am likely to encounter in my daily life. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG.
― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 18:23 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 18:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
Don't get me wrong, I officially despise Phil Collins too. But we're talking about James Taylor right now.
― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 18:40 (twenty-one years ago) link
― nathalie (nathalie), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 18:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 18:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 13:11 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 13:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
By the way Fritz, after recess, it's your turn to clean the erasers. I've GOT DIBS ON THE TETHERBALL!
― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 15:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
Yeah, well I have it on pretty good authority that he *HATES YOUR SKINNY WHITE ASS TOO*, so be prepared for a big SWEET BABY JAMES-STYLEEE BEATDOWN when you least expect it, punk, `cos Dad Loves His Work...and hates hatas like yourself!
"HONOR THE FIRE & RAIN!"
― Motel Hell (vassifer), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 15:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
(Mod Up Dan Perry: +1 Contrary Asshole)
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 15:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 15:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
When I was a little kid my parents had the album 'Sweet Baby James'. And whenever they got it out people would smile in my direction and go "hey, this is for you, sweet baby James. Aaaahh."
And even at the age of 4 that really irritated me.
― James Ball (James Ball), Thursday, 31 October 2002 12:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
Man, I love "Fire and Rain" after hearing it in 'Running on Empty', but it would sound even better with a full blown hippy choir joining in on the chorus.
― baaderonixx, Friday, 29 February 2008 09:01 (sixteen years ago) link
if you despise james taylor you might as well despise bob dylan. that's all I'm saying.
― CaptainLorax, Friday, 29 February 2008 09:14 (sixteen years ago) link
i love james taylor
----- go.to/stevek
― max, Friday, 29 February 2008 09:40 (sixteen years ago) link
+2 insightfulness
― baaderonixx, Friday, 29 February 2008 09:52 (sixteen years ago) link
I know it was all a bit Acid Jazz but James Taylor is a decent organist.
― Dingbod Kesterson, Friday, 29 February 2008 09:52 (sixteen years ago) link
kool and gang backed him up, criteria miami sessions still soulful still unreleased.
such knee-jerk isms above--james taylor is good, a bit self-involved but so what. "mexico" and "don't let me be lonely" are really good.
― whisperineddhurt, Friday, 29 February 2008 15:28 (sixteen years ago) link
his voice creates a weird bio-chemical response in me...creating physical sensations of depression and nausea, general off-ness. kind of like car sickness. theres also something about his nostalgic sentimentality that gets me. (cat steven's voice does the same). so i hate the bastard, but can't claim it has anything to do, realy with his merrits or lack thereof.
in general i find the cleanliness of that era of singer-songwriter musics a bit shlocky, but far from hateable. and my love of melanie is documented around here
taylor though can stay as far away as possible from my ears
― bb, Friday, 29 February 2008 15:46 (sixteen years ago) link
I've never even really liked this song, but goddamn what a brilliant guitaristhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws5kp1_iksw
― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Saturday, 21 November 2020 05:12 (three years ago) link
Yup
― Indieland Phil and Indieland Don (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 21 November 2020 05:19 (three years ago) link
https://images.45worlds.com/f/ab/james-taylor-flag-3-ab.jpg
https://images.45worlds.com/f/ab/james-taylor-flag-2-ab.jpg
Flag inners of New Wave of JT & band from upthread
― "what are you DOING to fleetwood mac??" (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 21 November 2020 05:47 (three years ago) link
hearing this to the tune of "I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson"
― Lover of Nixon (or LON for short) (Neanderthal), Saturday, 21 November 2020 05:50 (three years ago) link
https://i.imgur.com/H5pLovP.png
― calstars, Sunday, 29 August 2021 22:26 (two years ago) link
still hate him
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 29 August 2021 22:27 (two years ago) link
Not really a fan, although I did recently enjoy reading how he was jealous of Mick Jagger, at least partially because of “You’re So Vain,” which humanized him a bit for me, and he did write this, which I never tire of posting:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vAuXP4hIoo
― Gwar ina Babyon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 29 August 2021 23:18 (two years ago) link
seen fuckin fire and seen fuckin rain
― Duke Detain (Neanderthal), Monday, 30 August 2021 00:49 (two years ago) link
Have you read that book?
― Gwar ina Babyon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 30 August 2021 01:05 (two years ago) link
someone did Steamroller Blues at a karaoke night once, it was so jarring to realize it was a JT song, even if it's a satire of the blues
― Duke Detain (Neanderthal), Monday, 30 August 2021 01:13 (two years ago) link
Yeah. It kind of works either way, as put-on or not. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/books/fire-and-rain-by-david-browne-book-review.html
― Gwar ina Babyon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 30 August 2021 01:16 (two years ago) link
― Duke Detain (Neanderthal), Sunday, August 29, 2021
not the lyric iirc
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 30 August 2021 02:04 (two years ago) link
Surely Neanderthal is referring to the old joke about the wise guy who makes a request to hear “Strangers in the Night” in 5/4.
― Gwar ina Babyon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 30 August 2021 02:09 (two years ago) link
Oh, General Motors and IBMAFL-CIO and all the king's menWhen I began the gameSee me singing about fire and rainLet me just say it againI've seen fives and I've seen tens
(from Taylor's own "Money Machine" - xgau was right, guy had a sense of humor that was nowhere to be seen on his worst yet best-selling hits)
― birdistheword, Wednesday, 5 January 2022 16:39 (two years ago) link
He admits he gave John Lennon opiates in 1968, maybe for the first time. BAD MAN.
― Alba, Thursday, 6 January 2022 08:22 (two years ago) link
Taylor had a harrowing addiction. He actually wrote a few good songs drawing on that experience, but again, it's a side of him that isn't really seen in his best-known hits which tends to be bland or syrupy..
― birdistheword, Thursday, 6 January 2022 17:28 (two years ago) link
James Taylor, hung or not hung?
http://www.kennethinthe212.com/2022/04/secret-o-life-epic-endowment-of-sweet.html#more
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 10 April 2022 03:33 (two years ago) link
Joni Mitchell said he was her best lover, no contest.
― Halfway there but for you, Sunday, 10 April 2022 04:26 (two years ago) link
JT BDE
― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, 10 April 2022 04:33 (two years ago) link
https://c.tenor.com/nGJdVgAyHaQAAAAM/eddie-murphy.gif
So long, walking man, so long...
― birdistheword, Sunday, 10 April 2022 04:41 (two years ago) link
pic.twitter.com/vujQLCLjUi— SNL Hosts Introducing the Musical Guest (@snlhostsintro) September 1, 2022
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 1 September 2022 22:39 (one year ago) link
Also a fan of "Carolina in My Mind."
That's a great tune.
I despised JT, along with Dan Fogelberg, John Denver, et al. back in the day. Like much of the music I hated then, it now has a huge appeal to me. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Thursday, 1 September 2022 22:55 (one year ago) link
Oh, and I especially hated Jackson Browne, mostly because he would get much more AOR airplay than those other dudes.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Thursday, 1 September 2022 22:56 (one year ago) link
JT blowing Stephen Colbert's mind about how he actually played on Blue (starts around 1:23)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJcZGK1yCYA
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 1 September 2022 22:59 (one year ago) link
FWIW, this was the reference CD-R I compiled for Taylor. Sequenced in more or less chronological order. (no re-recordings or live versions)
1. Knockin' Round the Zoo2. Something in the Way She Moves3. Carolina in My Mind4. Night Owl5. Rainy Day Man6. Sweet Baby James7. Steamroller8. Country Road9. Fire and Rain10. You Can Close Your Eyes11. Long Ago and Far Away12. Chili Dog13. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight14. Walking Man15. Mexico16. Gorilla17. You Make It Easy18. Shower the People19. A Junkie's Lament20. Money Machine21. Your Smiling Face22. Another Grey Morning23. Secret O' Life24. Handy Man
― birdistheword, Thursday, 1 September 2022 23:26 (one year ago) link
No copperline huh
― calstars, Thursday, 1 September 2022 23:47 (one year ago) link
Eh, come on! It's not nostalgia! This suggests passivity. Trust your intelligence. You hear these bros' good qualities.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 1 September 2022 23:54 (one year ago) link
"Copperline"'s all right (so is "Her Town Too" FWIW) but I'm still fine leaving them off. I'm not a big James Taylor fan - I dislike most of his stuff, but there was enough I was drawn to that warranted a reference.
― birdistheword, Friday, 2 September 2022 16:10 (one year ago) link
One reason I kept it a sharp cut off after JT was just to have a disc that could trace his development over that length of time, or at least what I thought was the better part of it, especially while the singer-songwriter movement was at its peak with Taylor being representative of it. Sometimes I like hearing a chronological comp for that reason, so I kept it concentrated on those first eight albums.
― birdistheword, Friday, 2 September 2022 16:19 (one year ago) link
I've been listening to his 1968 debut album and experiencing a big disconnect between his writing/singing/playing style (which I'd say is fully developed at 20, even if he'd write better songs later) and the psychedelic production trappings. Weird interludes between tracks, "crazy" overdubbed screaming, varispeeded backing vocals, even the bass and drum sounds don't fit with the "tasteful" latter-day James.
birdistheword, you have a greater love for his uptempo songs than I do. Stuff like "Knockin' Round the Zoo" and "Steamroller" sound too cute and showcase his weaknesses more than the ballads do.
Apparently him and Linda Ronstadt contributed harmonies to something on Harvest
He sang and played on Neil Young's two biggest hits, and I just realized that, as far as I know, they never collaborated again before or since.
Every second and every detail of "Fire and Rain" is brilliant.
My favourite detail is the arco bass holding on a pedal C for the entire third verse.
Just wait. In twenty years, the members of ILXOR 2022 will be posting to a thread called I OFFICIALLY DESPISE PHIL COLLINS...and saying the same damn things we're saying about JT now.
It actually seems that despising old music is seen as tedious here, these days.
― Halfway there but for you, Saturday, 3 September 2022 14:38 (one year ago) link
This came about--like the rest of the initial Harvest session in Nashville--because the three of them were in town to film an appearance on the Johnny Cash Show. A snowstorm came in, preventing their return to LA, so studio time was quickly booked at Elliott Mazer's studio with an equally hastily-assembled backing band (who only turned out to be the Stray Gators) and we all know what happened next...
BTW, "Old Man" is/was the only instance of JT playing banjo on a record.
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 3 September 2022 17:34 (one year ago) link
I can't say it's a great album, but I think his Apple debut is more interesting than most, maybe all, of his records. I think it's underrated in the sense that Taylor has openly expressed his reservations about it and it isn't consistently available - after a pretty good 2010 CD reissue, the physical release has again fallen out-of-print. (At least you can still stream it.) IIRC Taylor even mentions in recent interviews that he still cringes when he hears some of the production elements of that album. The interludes weren't his idea - I think Paul McCartney may have suggested them - and the album feels too ornate, but I don't think it was necessarily a bad idea, just overdone in spots. I also think he wrote a surprising number of strong songs for that album, and it kind of makes sense he would want to revisit them later. Not just for practical reasons like avoiding any licensing for his Greatest Hits - I think he really wanted new versions that suited his own tastes.
Halfway, with regard to those two songs, I kind of gravitated towards them because lyrically the former seems like one of his more harrowing songs diving into his own struggles and I actually appreciate the humor behind "Steamroller." I can see how they can seem a bit cute, especially the former, but they've always been more interesting or engaging to me than a lot of his other work. I do think both songs benefit from their original context, specifically the time they were released. I mentioned earlier that I kept my reference chronological for a reason, and this is partly why. I always keep in mind the counterculture when I hear those early songs, and though the production may be too much, it does keep the times in mind, including the drug experimentation that became harmful to that scene. When we shift into the Sweet Baby James songs, they sound better coming after those initial cuts for a lot of reasons: it's clearer why the stripped down production is so groundbreaking for a hit, mainstream album, the idea of the singer-songwriter movement being tied to the fallout from the '60s becomes clearer, and something like "Steamroller" suggests that Taylor came out of his struggles with his sense of humor intact. (It also reminds me that the overdone second-hand blues he was ribbing was fairly popular at that time.)
― birdistheword, Saturday, 3 September 2022 20:10 (one year ago) link
Imagine having that many thoughts about that album
― calstars, Saturday, 3 September 2022 23:50 (one year ago) link
imagine being a rich, drunk, stupid bitch all the time
― (grim) pump track (wales) (map), Saturday, 3 September 2022 23:51 (one year ago) link
he doesn't have to imagine
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 3 September 2022 23:55 (one year ago) link
Shower the people, y'all.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Saturday, 3 September 2022 23:56 (one year ago) link
LMAO
― birdistheword, Sunday, 4 September 2022 18:34 (one year ago) link