I OFFICIALLY DESPISE JAMES TAYLOR

I never knew James Taylor was the Outer Banks Jimmy Buffett! my family only ever went vacationing in east central Florida when I was growing up & I don't think they fuck w/Sweet Baby James as much down there

I don't know much of his music aside from the biggest hits; I can't even remember how "You've Got A Friend" goes. His version of "How Sweet It Is" is p decent imo

xp the "something more" is a darkness I perceive in his otherwise-sweet music. I'm occasionally moved by his songs in a way that, say, Billy Joel never does for me, an artist with whom I have the same or even greater familial nostalgia connection.

Adding to what I said five years ago: "Fire and Rain," by itself, is worth more to me than Billy Joel's entire recorded output (it's that perfect, and he's that mediocre).

Yeah I'll never change my mind about Billy Joel. All his attempts at dark just read as butthurt.

I guess I'm also a sucker for that sort of "beneath the surface" stuff, where a song that ostensibly sounds like vanilla lovemaking by the fireplace has some demons lurking in it.

Fire and Rain is the only James Taylor song I know. I think I've mentioned that to people before, and their response was usually something like "surely you know ..." And then they play a song and maybe I recognize it and maybe I don't, but months later, regardless, Fire and Remain remains the only James Taylor song I know. And I only know the chorus, come to think of it! If it came on the radio I don't think I would even recognize it as Fire and Rain. I have a similar problem retaining Jackson Browne, but even with him I know (and can recall) several songs.

I know lots of Billy Joel, I guess. Probably not a single cut not on the hits collection, though. I only know (the) one Jimmy Buffett song. I had a friend back when I was maybe in my very early '20s who was into Buffett, and I asked him, if you're listening to Jimmy Buffett now, what are you going to listen to when you're 50? His answer (duh) was Jimmy Buffett.

Jackson Browne is someone whose voice I can never remember but I know a few of his songs due to Nico and others covering them

as was noted somewhere upthread, he's a first-rate guitarist

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, February 6, 2018 9:48 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

that's him on joni's "california" and he really makes the song

that's him on joni's "california" and he really makes the song

yeah I've listened to that song a million times and not really noticed his parts

His banjo parts on "Old Man" by Neil Young are pretty iconic

xp obv Joni is the the most important thing about the song, lyrics, vocal, etc. When I say he "makes the song," I don't mean to say "he's the reason the song is good," but just he helps the song stand out among the dulcimer-only songs like "a case of you" or "all I want." He adds a little California sunshine, with the little counter melodies between the verses

No need for sass, matt k

hadn't really paid attention before but I'm listening now and it's cool how they have the dulcimer panned right and hard left and they kind of duel with each other

dulcimer panned right and guitar panned left

apologies for sass, I just have an intense love for that song and specifically the vocal melody

me too! i love everything about the song and i think Taylor's playing adds a lot.

The whole sweet baby James is solid

sweet baby James album, I mean

2 things
1) if he was such an amazing instrumentalist (I believe those of you who say he is), I guess what I don't like about him are a) his songs and b) his voice. I applaud his instrumental prowess and can only wish he had quietly gone about his musical business wordlessly

2) last night i was watching some of those "what's in your bag" amoeba videos and one of the guys from red kross had a james taylor album. the clip they played didn't sound as repulsive as i expected, kind of like heavily produced sunshine pop. so much more palatable than his usual sack of singles. i will admit that i did not hate it. i didn't like it, but i didn't recoil in disgust.

this was the song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oAInzTXu_Y

Ha - I watched TWO-LANE BLACKTOP for the first time last night and nearly fell over when I saw the lead actor. He's pretty affectless and not much of a presence, but the disc includes his screen test with what I'm fairly sure is Joaquin Phoenix pretending to be James, performing the newly-written Riding on a Railroad which is bittersweet brilliant, fuiud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgg0ym7O6Rc#t=4m32s

Oh - time link failed to work, jump to 4:32 for the song.

just watched Two-Lane Blacktop for the first time. it was OK, but I liked James Taylor a lot in it. my man's pupils were pinned throughout

James Taylor will win over the grouches eventually. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uQa4dvrg1E

Also a fan of "Carolina in My Mind."

is james taylor the guitar player sitting on the stage in this video?
if so, i revise my assessment of james taylor. i don't like his singing or his songs, but now i have enjoyed his guitar playing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBI669Ac3cg

yes

James Taylor rules and this thread is absolute insanity.

pshaw

That's a beautiful performance

(also, james taylor wrote some great songs)

Terra Nova , come now

Never saw the gatefold art for Flag before--James and his gang look like a bar band that was forced to go 'New Wave'.

https://recordsalbums.com/11430-thickbox_default/james-taylor-flag-vinyl-lp-record-for-sale.jpg

What a douche

He's like 80% on the way to David Byrne in that pic.

he has a full substitute teacher sneer

god i hate him

I've never even really liked this song, but goddamn what a brilliant guitarist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws5kp1_iksw

Yup

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

hearing this to the tune of "I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson"

https://i.imgur.com/H5pLovP.png

still hate him

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

seen fuckin fire and seen fuckin rain

Have you read that book?

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

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

seen fuckin fire and seen fuckin rain

― Duke Detain (Neanderthal), Sunday, August 29, 2021

not the lyric iirc

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.

seen fuckin fire and seen fuckin rain

Oh, General Motors and IBM
AFL-CIO and all the king's men
When I began the game
See me singing about fire and rain
Let me just say it again
I'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)

He admits he gave John Lennon opiates in 1968, maybe for the first time. BAD MAN.

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..