James Taylor - Sweet Baby James

the start of his future

James Taylor is a genius. This is the beginning of something unbelievable, I have been following JT for many years, this CD really shows his greatness and also the start of something great to come. August 9, 2008

"ROCK-A-BYE SWEET BABY JAMES..." (sweet, soulful and bluesy acoustic perfection)

Sweet Baby James (1970) is the second album from James Taylor, his breakthrough and his best. The sweet, bluesy acoustic guitar and vocals on this album are authentic and interesting. No, this isn't the easy listening JT of Handyman and Your Smiling Face fame, this is the down home and down-to-earth folk-blues singing and guitar picking JT. Of course, the quiet thoughtful folkie side of James Taylor is here, too. The themes are often reflective, and Taylor's sense of melancholy mixes well with his instinct to survive. He accepts his sadness in a realistic way by acknowledging it, but not letting it get the best of him.

The title song is one of JT's greatest, a two-part cowboy lullaby that's a description of James' car trip to meet his baby nephew (also named James) for the first time, and images of a young cowboy on the range.

And as the moon rises he sits by his fire
Thinking about women and glasses of beer
And closing his eyes as the doggies retire
He sings out a song which is soft but it's clear
As if maybe someone could hear

JT gets bluesy on Steamroller Blues, which starts as a one-man-band guitar and vocal blues, and shifts into a delicious and lazy rocking blues swing with help from a big brass band. Country Road is another one of Taylor's greatest songs. The Carolina boy sings of finding peace of mind on a country road in soulful tandem with his heavenly acoustic guitar.

I guess my feet know where they want me to go
Walking on a country road

Sunny Skies is a lighthearted tune, and JT does a remake of Stephen Foster's 1847 song Oh Susanna that sounds surprisingly good. Of course, the big hit on the album is the signature Fire And Rain, and JT has said the song was written in three parts. The first, about his friend who suddenly died, the second, about his own battles with drugs and depression, and the third, his dealing with new found fame and fortune. The song has a particular and profound personal meaning for many people in the world, myself included.

Well there's hours of time on the telephone line
To talk about things to come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground

JT gets bluesy again with the country-blues tinged Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me. There's some great acoustic blues guitar and laid back blues singing here, and it sounds sweet and soulful.

Sweet Baby James is quiet, down-to-earth and folk-style bluesy. It's also sweet in a soulful and thoughtfully acoustic way. It's James Taylor at his singing-songwriting best, playing songs that are touching, fun, sad, contemplative and of the highest quality. If you get any of James Taylor's albums, this should be the one.



April 9, 2008

i love Two Lane Blacktop, but this CD sucks

Two Lane Blacktop is my favorite movie of all time. I love James Taylor's acting in it. But, there is a reason he is not a successful singer. The evidence: Sweet Baby Jane. This is probably the worst CD I have ever heard, and I have listened to some bad CD's. I bought this CD because JT was in it, thinking it couldn't be too bad. I have never listened to it all the way through. I can't. Can't stomach it. There is virtually no intelligent lyrics, and I have absolutely no idea what the songs are about. This could have been called "Chronicles of the Tone deaf Drifters". Now, I have this album in my CD collection and people ask me, "What is that?" And, I say, "Oh, That's a CD James Taylor recorded back in the day." And, then they say, "Oh . . . Well, Should we . . ." And, I say, "No. NO! Don't ever listen to this CD. Ever. You would be better served picking lint out of your bellybutton or watching paint dry, because this CD is like that, with worse lyrics and less vivid accompaniment." But, that is probably the same reaction JT has now, when some random fan mentions this CD and he cringes, before putting his head in his hands, and saying "What was I thinking . . ." December 13, 2007

One of JT's best!

I loved this album in high school, still love it now after 30 years. Taylor is a true music man, from soul to skin. August 20, 2007

His Best Album Just Got A Whole Lot Better!

Just as any classic album should be there are no filler tracks on what must be James Taylor's best album at least during his full-set-of-hair days. This album is consistently good throughout and "Fire and Rain" isn't even the best track on this album. Perennial Taylor favourites like "Sweet Baby James", "Steamroller" and "Country Road" are here too. James Taylor fans will tell you that listening to a JT record is an extremely rewarding experience. JT has a very unique style and his voice is extremely soothing and has an honesty that comes across and hits you right in between the eyes of your heart. Great singer/songwriting is showcased within the 11 tracks here and the mini lp sleeve replica design is very well put together as well. All tracks have been remastered quite well so the sound quality is good and we get all the lyrics in both English and Japanese here as well. This is probably the best version of this JT classic that is currently out there and comes highly recommended. May 19, 2007

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