James Taylor - One Man Band [CD + DVD]
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Free Music Notes for One Man Band [CD + DVD]
Free Music Review: Only Getting Better with Age
Hit: 5 Stars
OK, I am a dyed in the wool James Taylor fan so this may be a little biased... just a little. As a freshman in high school I was loved of acoustic music and was learning to play guitar. Another musician friend of mine told me that I had to buy this album, Sweet Baby James and I did, sight unseen. I had a Girard turntable, a used Marantz receiver, and some speakers I ripped out of a stereo console that my cousin gave me. I would lie on the floor and put head between the two speakers and listen to this album endlessly. It was incredible. Ever since then I have listened to, begged, borrowed, and stole (well bought bootlegs) everything James has produced. I went to almost all the concerts locally. In fact my first date was the concert in 1970 at Anaheim Convention Center. She was 21 and I was 16. It was a magic evening however not magic enough (darn!). At least the music was fantastic, even though Carole King was ill.
Roll the clock forward to 2007. My wife of 30 years and I planned an evening out. You guessed it. We went to see JT at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills. Now the theater is exactly that. It is an old movie theater with fold down chairs and what not. I somehow missed the PR for the show and actually snagged tickets on eBay at the last minute. They were literally in the last row. It didn't matter though. There were only 30 rows. Every seat was exceptional and that was just the beginning of it. James came on stage and you could tell that this dyed in the wool fan was not alone. No wise cracks or heckling. Everyone wanted to hear whatever he played. The performance was nothing short of phenomenal. Often I would close my eyes and I was taken back to those years listening to the extraordinary riffs of a true virtuoso. The stories and limericks worked very well among the songs. In fact the video presentation was excellent and the drum machine is truly an extension of his humor and creativity. I had looked at Olsen guitars over the years and they are just out of my range for now. I guess I could sell my extra kidney for one to scare up the cash. The Olsen was a little tinny compared to the familiar rich Martin dreadnought sound. Apart from that it was the most incredible performance I have ever seen.
It was a no-brainer when I saw the release of the combination DVD and CD. I had to get it. I popped it into the DVD player and sat back. It was déjà vu' all over again, even better than live. The performance was flawless, the camera work excellent. The audience, his home town, was even more engaging. Again cheers but no hecklers calling out their favorites. It brought out the best in him. The warm ambiance, the down home style, and the phenomenal audio quality just plain worked. By the way, the Olsen sounds rich and deep on the recording. It might have been the acoustics in the back of the Wilshire that filtered out the bass end.
I also have to say I did not understand The Frozen Man until this concert and it lent greatly to my understanding of the nonlinear, almost non-causal thinking involved in music composition. JT even admitted he did not discover the real meaning until much later. It is interesting that his father was stationed on a base in the Antartic, the frozen man.
This performance really showcased his extraordinary talent as a musician, composer, and entertainer and was an insightful look into an enigmatic and creative artist, a legend in his time.
For those of you not blessed to be one of his big fans, I would say that this is an excellent introduction to his music. It would be a travesty to compare it to the VH-1 Story Tellers series since the quality and presentation is far superior.
For those who like to see his fret work, I picked up a ton of new stuff from the ample shots of his guitar neck. Boy! The video quality has sure improved lately. Nothing like looping a segment over and over until every bit of technique is squeezed from it.
Thanks Mr. Taylor (yeow!) and company for another excellent product!
Free Music Review: One of-a-kind portrait of a living legend.
Hit: 5 Stars
James Taylor is that rarest of creatures -- an unpretentious superstar. The 59-year-old iconic singer and songwriter, originally from North Carolina, presented his so-called "One Man Band" show at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA during July 2007 with such effortless charm that it was as if he were sitting around the fireside at home, talking with a bunch of old friends. But the ease with which he put it all across belied the rigorous attention to detail and sheer craft that went into the making of this delightful show.
Larry Goldings, who accompanies Taylor on piano, organ, synth, harmonium and melodica, is a one-man band. He has developed a following in the jazz world for his own compositions and recordings, as well as his live performance.
James Taylor sang some of his most beloved recordings, interspersing them with his insightful and humorous anecdotes on the inspiration for the songs.
He and Larry together serve up a full menu of Taylor's work over the past 40 years, from "Something in the Way She Moves" (the song which won him his first contract with the Beatles' Apple Records in 1968) right up to "Mean Old Man" and "My Travelling Star" from his most-recent release October Road.
An illustrated voyage around Taylor's life and times, the show begins with him alone, singing the gentle melody and picking out the lilting chord sequence of "Something in the Way She Moves", one of the first songs that he wrote.
Joined on stage (and on the record) by the piano player Larry Goldings, he moves on to another of his early songs, "Never Die Young".
.."That's always good advice", he told the audience. "But far too late for me, of course"...
On this 19-song set -- which marks a return to an earlier, simpler style of performance for the perennial, quintessential singer-songwriter -- Taylor sings with a touch that is nothing short of perfection.
You will enjoy some of his biggest hits "Sweet Baby James", "Carolina in my Mind" and "Fire and Rain" and the gentle, life-affirming mood of the album will continue to resonate long after your listening.
This isn't an album for fans of shoot-outs and car chases, as you might expect from a man who sings: "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time".
The album's highlights : "Carolina On My mind", "Chili Dog", "Something in The Way She Moves" and "You've Got a Friend".
All in all, this is an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind portrait of an artist, his renowned repertoire and the personal stories behind the songs.
Enjoy!
One Man Dog
The Best of James Taylor
James Taylor - Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
James Taylor (Live)
Free Music Review: "Unmistakale Warm Baritone ... James Taylor ... Hear Music (2007)"
Hit: 5 Stars
Hear Music presents "ONE MAN BAND" --- A new CD/DVD of live recordings and the stories behind the songs --- New performances from some of his most beloved recordings are interspersed with insightful and humorous anecdotes on the inspiration for the songs --- In Taylor's own words -- "Performing these songs in their original, stripped down form in small halls is like going to the well for water -- It reconnects me to the music and puts me back in touch with the audience --- I feel like we could take this evening around the world," --- Taylor says of his latest work. As his unmistakable warm baritone moves into a few bars of "Something in the Way She Moves," once again the world is drawn to him.
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, born in Belmont, Massachusetts --- Taylor's career began in the mid-1960s, but he found his audience in the early 1970s, singing sensitive and gentle acoustic songs --- He was part of a wave of singer-songwriters of the time that also included Joni Mitchell, Tom Rush, Cat Stevens, Carole King, John Denver, Jim Croce, Don McLean, Jackson Browne as well as Carly Simon, whom Taylor later married --- His 1976 album Greatest Hits was certified diamond and has sold more than 11 million copies --- He has retained a large audience well into the 1990s and early 2000s, when some of his best-selling and most-awarded albums were released.
One Man Band (Track Listings)
Disc One
1 Something in the Way She Moves [3:47]
2 Never Die Young [4:24]
3 The Frozen Man [5:07]
4 Mean Old Man [3:42]
5 School Song [1:27]
6 Country Road [4:08]
7 Slap Leather [3:07]
8 My Traveling Star [4:11]
9 You've Got a Friend [5:01]
10 Steamroller Blues [5:59]
11 Secret O' Life [3:42]
12 Line 'Em Up [4:39]
13 Chili Dog [1:57]
14 Shower the People [4:56]
15 Sweet Baby James [3:41]
16 Carolina in My Mind [5:04]
17 Fire and Rain [4:52]
18 Copperline [4:52]
19 You Can Close Your Eyes [3:08]
Disc Two
1 One Man Band: The Concert DVD
Hats off to Hear Music --- strongly recommend this CD to all music lovers and others who need to hear some great music --- James Taylor (singer, songwriter & producer), Larry Goldings (Organ, Synthesizer, Piano, Harmonium, Keyboards), John Oliver (Conductor), Michael Prichard (Choir, Chorus), Kurt Walker (Choir, Chorus), Kieran Murray (Choir, Chorus) and Caroline Taylor Choir, Chorus), please stand up and take a bow for this well deserved rare gem you've given us --- this is a keeper!
Total Time: CD & DVD ~ Hear Music ~ (11/13/2007)
Free Music Review: An instant CLASSIC!! A must-have for the ardent fan, or just someone who wants to know who JT really is
Hit: 5 Stars
As James has explained, this cd/dvd set is a "primer" of his music -- by stripping it down and going back to the basics: his amazing, soulful voice, the unique sound he creates on his custom Olson guitars and the accompaniment of the incomparable Larry Goldings on piano. I cannot emphasize enough how beautiful it is, a compilation/distillation of many of his very best songs -- some faves, but some lesser known. They span his entire career, from "Something in the Way She Moves," written when JT was only a teenager, to "Traveling Star," which was on his most recent album "October Road." Plus, it's 19 tracks and 2 hours of music! What more could you ask for?
This is not just another "greatest hits" album. I have all of his albums and none of the songs on this one are recorded the same way as on the original album where they appeared, or anywhere else. Notable examples are the use of the Tanglewood choir via videotape as backup on "Shower the People" and "Traveling Star" -- which is such a brilliant idea, by the way. Why hasn't that been used more often? Or the gigantic, wooden drum machine that accompanies a couple of tracks.
I was lucky enough to be in the front row of his "One Man Band" show in Los Angeles, so I was very familiar with what is on the dvd. It's such an intimate, special show in that he explains the inspiration for many of his songs and shows personal, family photos and video footage. You feel like you get to know the real person, what makes him tick, and you are also exposed to his great sense of deadpan humor.
If you are already a fan, then your collection is NOT complete without this set. But if you are not that familiar with this brilliant artist, this true American treasure, and are interested in getting to know him, then this is the set to buy.
In fact, I plan to buy several copies and give them to friends and family during the holidays.
Free Music Review: JT's homecoming
Hit: 5 Stars
There are four things that really impress me about James Taylor the artist: his wonderful vocal tone and phrasing, his extraordinary song writing ability, his excellent guitar work, and the appreciation he extends to his public. JT is a great storyteller and you can believe that his heart was really in this concert. Here he is, perhaps the most famous folk singer on the planet, performing in his home town, and drawing enthusiastic applause every time he mentions a local landmark. This was an official homecoming for JT, and the pinnacle for me was the brilliant "Line 'em Up". This is great song writing, rich in metaphor and wisdom. In it, JT reflects upon a time when, "my heart was all broke, I looked like ashes and smelled like smoke, and I turned away from my loving kind, try to leave my body and live in my mind". Well, he is back with his loving kind and the chemistry is wonderful. He sings of the homesickness that drew him back before he became famous, and as seems appropriate for a man about to celebrate his 60th birthday, proffers some gentle advice about the "Secret of Life" and dedicates a number of beautiful ballads to his devoted wife, who was present in the audience and participated as one of the choir backing the gorgeous "Travelling Man". I have watched the DVD four times, and have the CD playing every morning in the car as I make my way to work. It is pure ambrosia.