James Taylor - The Best of James Taylor
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Artist: James TaylorBrand: SOMERSET ENTERTAINMENT
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2003-04-08
Music Label: Rhino / Wea
Soundtracks:
- Something In The Way She Moves
- Sweet Baby James
- Fire And Rain
- Country Road
- You've Got A Friend
- You Can Close Your Eyes
- Long Ago And Far Away
- Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
- Walking Man
- How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
- Mexico
- Shower The People
- Golden Moments
- Steamroller (Live)
- Carolina In My Mind
- Handy Man
- Your Smiling Face
- Up On The Roof
- Only A Dream In Rio
- Bitter Sweet (Previously Unreleased)
Music reviews of The Best of James Taylor
Music Review: fine sampling of James Taylor's artistry
Rating: 4 Stars
The Best Of James Taylor has nothing but wonderful, timeless music from the celebrated James Taylor. James could turn out a tune and make it shine brighter than most other artists could ever hope to do; and these songs are his gift to us. Sure, there could have been a few changes in the track list and that will cost this CD one star; but this is no real reason to avoid this CD altogether. James really sounds great on this album; the quality of the sound is nothing short of excellent. That artwork is very tastefully done as well.
The CD starts with an awesome song, "Something In The Way She Moves." "Something In The Way She Moves" has James front and center--his guitar playing is faultless and he doesn't sing an off note, either. "Sweet Baby James" has a fine melody with just a touch of country to it; the guitar work again is very strong and James Taylor delivers this with panache. "Fire And Rain" is truly a major highlight of this album; this touching song is both very sad and instantly memorable. "Fire And Rain" hit the airwaves big time back in the day; and it easily deserved all the recognition it got. "Fire And Rain" is truly James Taylor at his best in his natural element.
"Country Road" has a fantastic musical arrangement; and I really like another major highlight of this CD entitled "You've Got A Friend." "You've Got A Friend" is the perfect example of a timeless love song that explores a man's unconditional and undying love for his woman; and that's grand. Moreover, "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" has a very sweet melody; James delivers this with great sensitivity. I love it! James Taylor is one of the very few current male vocalists who are able to take a ballad and infuse it with so much tender sensitivity that it really boggles your mind.
"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" is another huge James Taylor that got a lot of air play when it was first released; and just one listen will tell you why "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" got all the attention that it received. James never sounded better and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" puts him right in the spotlight. I'm very impressed. In addition, "Shower The People" has a wonderful melody. James bats this straight out of the ballpark with his unique touch; those backup vocalists enhance the number even more.
We are also treated to a live track of "Steamroller;" James enjoys an excellent rapport with his adoring audience. After that listen for "Carolina In My Mind;" "Carolina In My Mind" sparkles brighter than silver and gold combined when James Taylor sings it. "Handy Man" was another huge hit for James; he does this flawlessly and his voice is as clear as ever. "Your Smiling Face" has a relentlessly upbeat melody and when James belts this out he really makes an everlasting positive impression! "Up On The Roof" is a great cover song; and the album ends strong with James Taylor singing "Bittersweet." "Bittersweet" has some excellent key changes to make it sound very good and it just might leave you wanting more!
James Taylor is a superb artist who keeps on performing to this day; and that's very special. I highly recommend this CD for his fans; and it is a good choice for the more casual fan who just wants a sampling of James Taylor's artistry.
Description of The Best of James Taylor
20 of his greatest singles and most popular album tracks released on Apple, Warner Bros. and Columbia/Sony. Slipcase. 2003.Any good singer can interpret a song, but it takes a stylist to make it his own. James Taylor is a stylist. This 20-track anthology obviously can't chronicle much more than the hits and high points of Taylor's career, but it nonetheless captures the artistic essence of a performer who's become a virtual synonym for "singer-songwriter" since his emergence in the late '60s. A lot of ink has been spilled ruminating about Taylor's role in soothing a '60s-burned generation, but given his own well-known demons (depression, addiction) his gentle voice often sounds like the physician wisely healing himself. His muse seems fully formed from the opening "Something in the Way She Moves," a track cut for the Beatles' Apple label in late '68 (and one that seems to share some symbiotic relationship with George Harrison's own classic "Something" from the period), its tone at once familiar and inviting--if ripe for a few decades of parody--as it wends its way from his seminal early '70s hits through a slate of later originals, R&B ("How Sweet It Is," "Handy Man") and pop ("Up On the Roof") covers. Tellingly, he delivers those chestnuts with an offhand confidence and illumination that makes them his own, a sense that informs even his jazz and Brazilian ("Only a Dream a Rio") flirtations. The set's newly recorded bonus cut, John Sheldon's "Bittersweet," is a pleasant pop confection that showcases Taylor's knack for being laconic and upbeat in the same breath. --Jerry McCulley
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