Reviews (page 2 of 9)
Yet another folk/country record. I don't like this.
Que voz linda e suave. Puro veludo nos ouvidos. E os instrumentais são tão calmantes quanto. Álbum para zerar o cortisol. Delicioso pra só colocar pra rodar e deixar tocando, de vez em quando dedicando um pouco mais de atenção e se derretendo com suas melodias tranquilas. Mas não é algo que eu ouviria cotidianamente, por mais agradável que seja. Puramente inofensivo e relaxante. 3.5
I have a friend who was named James by his parents because of this album. When he found out, he immediately started going by 'Jamie'. I don't blame him. I would have gone by my middle name to get as far away as I could've
music is love
Classic Americana sound and songwriting. His music is very easy and gentle on the ears. Melodies pair well with his vocals and it’s just all a very nice production. No complaints here.
I thought I'd like this. Good guitar, but I felt like I was in an advert - safe, tame, annoying, sugary.
Classic AOR
I really have a spot for this laid back jazzy folk plus I love Carol King who plays piano here. In high school in the 90’s, a girl I knew would play this tape in her car constantly. Most of us were into Pavement, Dinosaur Jr, Nirvana and going to basement punk shows but this “uncool” music became unironically cool to us. I don’t know if I’ll be pulling this album out to listen to but I’m not going to skip a sing of it comes on.
Just so boring dude
Meh. Yawn-a-mundo.
I've been getting introduced to more and more James Taylor the past few years, and I wish I'd listened to him sooner. Such a creative folk songwriter, he's got a voice and style that matches the genre perfectly, you can see exactly why he's such an influence. Its funny how much his music reminds me of coming home despite barely hearing any of it throughout my life. Country Roads is my favorite here, but they're all very good. Great spot on the list.
A classic! Not every song hits but overall I love the majority of the songs on this one. Sweet Baby James are you kidding me?!?? A classic!
An enjoyable mixture of folk with some country and blues elements
So safe, so bland. Not much of a James Taylor fan. Feels like the whitest of white boy coopting R&b and the blues, taking the swagger and soul from it. Meh!
This is a mostly acoustic folk, kind of country album with a couple of bluesy numbers thrown in. Many of the songs had catchy melodies reminiscent of pop music ("Sunny Skies", "Oh, Susannah"). Overall, this was a pleasant listen.
Legendary, no?
Exactly as expected.
Prefer his folk vibes to bluesy ones
It's pretty decent MOR, some of the tracks are more compelling - the acoustic blues stuff isn't great - but there were some really solid pop tracks on the back half
There is a nostalgia to this album without having any personal nostalgia for it
It was fine.
Now here's the deal. I'm gonna play, and you're gonna float there and like it.
False advertising, while young, James is clearly not a baby when this was made. Not bad, he has a great voice and some of this is interesting lyrically, and if I was somewhere and this was on I wouldn’t protest, but I doubt I’ll be coming back to it.
Almost perfect. Great songs, lyrics and guitar work.
bella voce, musica rock rilassante da giornata autunnale
shit I fell asleep again
Good, chill album. I enjoy his vocals, but don’t love the songs or the lyrics for me to come back to the album. Enjoyed it overall.
Fire and Rain is one of my favorite songs
OK if you like depressing droning music
Semmosta mediocre meininkiä ja kyllähän tätä ihan kuunteli, mut kyl jossain vaiheessa jo kurkki montas biisiä tässä on vielä jäjellä
Tarinan kertomiseks jäi, musiikki puuttui.
Vähän kaksjakosta fiilistä tarjos tää levy. Muutamat hyvin perus-rallatukset, mutta sitten pari yritelmää, joissa vois olla ihan potentiaalia. Tää jarru on näköjään painanut ihan mittavan uran ja levyjäkin on tullut ulos tasaseen tahtiin. Uskosin, että vuoden 2006 joululevyä ei tällä listauksella kuitenkaan kuulla. Mut, mennään nyt ihan posipetterinä, kun ei tää osottautunut niin kamalaks kantrijunnaamiseks kun alkuun pelkäsin.
Oli oikein jees. Kauniita biisejä ja kivaa kuunneltavaa. Ehkä vähän jotain puuttuu, niin ei nyt vitskaa sentään, mutta helppo nelkku. Tuli parikin kertaa kuunneltua levy eilisen aikana.
Pret
Nice music. Sweet baby rays. I know him from Funny People
if i had white parents... holy shit would this have been their jam. imagine me... its 1996... i'm 13... my white parents are putting the Sweet Baby James 8track in the toyota corolla and taking me to price club ... god damn
Oh boy. Have we found the male equivalent to Joni Mitchell? I’ve heard of James Taylor and I get that he’s an important piece to the Musial history formula but again, this may be the equivalent to Joni Mitchell and if you have been following me, you’d know that it’s an instant boner killer when I hear something like Joni Mitchell. You know what? Fuck it. I’m tired of correcting my spelling and grammar mistakes on this app. No more for this review. Sorry. It’s so irritating . I do really like the recording quality. You can hear the fine tune of each instrument. I mean, mostly guitar but still. It’s actually taking away from the dryness of the songs I’m hearing.
I was surprised - I thought I'd love this album. It's just ok. I'll give it a 3 but barely
This is a really nice country-blues album, quite enjoyable, with some good melodies, nice songs too. Just not too interesting, not too innovative. But it works, and it has some really good songs too, also because of the folky sound and direction of certain songs, which are really great.
Zero clue about this one going into it. The title gives me the ick though. --------- Sugary sweet folk singer swoons sensitively over sedate songs. Unfortunately - more white man blues. Please kindly stop. 1*
I get why people would like this but I don’t like it for many reasons. Fire and rain is the sound he was looking for
File under easy listening… great background music
I like early 70s singer songwriters but Never really understood the all out love for JT’s sure soft, sure gentle, sort of pastoral take. It’s was just too on the mark, too right. I’m not sure what I am actually trying to say - it’s just so smooth, too sweet maybe. It’s almost passive, him dealing with his addictions. Apart from Fire and Rain it’s just so damn fuzzy, warm blanket human experience and instrumentation reflects this and is a little too slick. The songs are there, if you enjoy that gentle thing. It sure is well known and successful. So It is an obvious for this list and that’s fine but it has always been a bit too sappy for me, 3 Star
About what you'd expect if you'd heard James Taylor before. I don't consider myself a fan but I actually really enjoyed it. Good performances and writing.
Great voice. Fire and Rain is a classic. Most of the remaining songs are weak.
Top of his game. Lovely voice, some achingly beautiful songs. The folkie-sings-the-blues thing gets old fast.
Only two good songs. The rest of it kinda sucks.
Giving moms a bad name since 1970
Would buy
Not a bad album. Nothing too exciting, but listenable.
Sweet sound. Bit syrupy at times. But yeah, some pretty classic
He writes the occasional great song. And can sing better than Neil Young. A 3 because of Fire and Rain.
I want to diss this so bad. But when I listen to it it just makes me sad that the world I was born into is so thoroughly dead. I see James Taylor as an avatar for a sort of vulnerable cheesiness that used to be part of culture. It’s lame as hell, but I miss it. Against my better interests, I’m putting this on my must-listen list, #382.
James Taylor gets Five stars plus extra credit because he grew up in Chapel Hill
1970 singer songwriter Country road Fire and rain
Classic
I didn’t give this 5 because I loved it per se, but I have a deep respect for it. You can hear him taking gospel and blues and folk and applying them in his own voice. It’s makes for a neat listen.
All the reviews saying this album is too "sugary". Well I say there's nothing wrong with a bit of sugar every now and then. "Fire and Rain" hits a lot harder ever since I watched "Running on Empty" 😢 Favorite track: Fire and Rain 3.5/5
#404 My parents liked James Taylor so I heard plenty on long car journeys when I was young and so it’s a bit of nostalgia listening to this. It’s not something I would seek to listen to and I’m sure many would hate on this. I think we probably had a greatest hits album so this was mostly new to me and didnt contain most of the ones I know. Heard before?❓ Would I revisit? ❌ Listen before you die?❓ Fave track(s): Sweet Baby James Rating: 6/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not too bad actually
Cool folk album that has a mix of some other genres like jazz/blues influence.
Fire and rain is the famous song of this album. Great track but the rest is a bit forgettable.
Pleasant to start, but it wore out its welcome a bit. He bears a mildly unique voice for his folk scene, it's comfortable, it's rustic and soft like there's a little James Taylor playing songs for you in your living room, but not too much else to say
Buy on vinyl: maybe James Taylor is a great musician. Half of these songs are pretty slow, but the album takes a turn in the latter half. I didn't expect blues on this album.
Steamroller blues felt like hearing big bird cuss for the first time. He seems so innocent, polite and gentle to sing that song. At times it's really nice (Country Road and Oh Susannah) but other times it feels like he is covering his own songs for a high school solo contest.
I’ve always enjoyed his voice and his vibe, so I thought I would be more into this. There’s an emotion that feels lacking, which is weird, because he wasn’t lacking in emotional life experiences. Maybe it’s just how he delivers his messages that I have a hard time connecting with. Anyway, pretty music but I was hoping to be drawn in more than I was.
Twee and easy listening
Pretty good singer-songwriter music. Not my favorite, but I can see why he is adored by so many.
Really liked some of the lyrics but why does this sound like it was made by ceebeebies
Fine to listen to, inoffensive not overly impressive. Better guitarist than singer I reckon 5.5 / 10 Best track/s: Suite for 20 G, Country Road
Not bad
I don’t remember James Taylor being this cheesy.
funkier than expected. liked everything but fire and rain
I've softened a great deal on some of the more easy listening/soft rock type stuff over the years, but not James Taylor. I'm not saying I'd punch somebody who put this album on in the face, but I'd probably have to go for a walk.
This album is often hailed as a cornerstone of the singer-songwriter movement, and it’s got some big name musicians contributing, which adds to its reputation. That said, I don’t quite get why it’s held in such high regard. To me, it feels like the most standard, run of the mill example of singer-songwriter music. It’s pretty plain and unremarkable. At least it’s only about 30 minutes long, because if it had gone on any longer, I would have lost my mind, and gone crazy out of boredom.
Det er et fint album men også veldig banalt utenom to-tre tracks som man nesten kan huske i etterkant. Er det noe special sauce her? I første omgang tenker jeg nei. Og det blir ikke noen runde to. Bra steel guitar, da.
Finnes det noen med koseligere stemme enn James Taylor? Albumet er veldig bra i vise/country-landskapet, men tar noen alvorlige bomturer til bluesen.
I honestly expected to hate this, but I'm pleasantly surprised to say that it really worked for me. Maybe I wouldn't like this on another day , but it really worked for me today. It's very peaceful.I could definitely see myself listening to this on a summer's day. I think that Taylor has a nice voice as well.Just an album that blends together to create something that's for pleasant on the ears. The steamroller song is...something. It makes me laugh , but because it's really stupid and very clunky. It really reminds me of that song from fern gully, if you know, you know. Fav Track: Sunny Skies
I have no idea why but this album enchanted me
The reason why Suite For 20 G is named that is hilarious. Props to Taylor doing what he had to to get paid
Sweet 8.5oz baby jesus. 3/10
Whoa, 11 songs - 31 minutes, that's pretty tight. Very folksy so far. The song Sunny Skies from the Brady Bunch movie is on here. Oh! Then right into hardcore blues with Steamroller. Country Road is great. The last track, Suite for 20 G is also an acoustic beauty.
Pleasant, easy, totally boring with no edge
Doesn't hurt a fly. That's the issue Lovely guitar on almost the entire album, so crispy and authoritative on "Lo and Behold". Don't enjoy the Christian lyrics too much though I'm torn between 2 and 3, because it's a little repetitive and monotonous while still being cozy and relaxing Many of these tracks could be written by almost any of his peers of the time imho. It's almost indistinguishable from much of the contemporary music, I feel like. It's a really short album which is to the album's own advantage. If it was any longer it would reflect badly on my score. Let's say: 2.8 That's generosity for ya
Sweet Baby James James Taylor 1970 Genres: Rock, Folk Styles: Singer Songwriter, Folk Rock, Soft Rock, Acoustic 1. Sweet Baby James (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: Una mezcla entre canción de cuna y balada del Oeste escrita para su sobrino recién nacido, James. También funciona como un autorretrato de Taylor: un viajero solitario que encuentra consuelo en los sueños y en el camino. 2. Lo and Behold (★★⯨☆☆) - Contexto: Un tema optimista sobre viajar, descubrir nuevos lugares y mantener la esperanza de encontrar un destino mejor. Transmite una sensación de libertad y movimiento constante. 3. Sunny Skies (★★⯨☆☆) - Contexto: Habla de intentar conservar el optimismo a pesar de las dificultades emocionales. Bajo su melodía luminosa esconde una mirada melancólica sobre los altibajos de la vida. 4. Steamroller Blues (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: Una parodia de los clichés del blues tradicional. Exagera deliberadamente el dramatismo y las metáforas típicas del género con un tono entre humorístico y poderoso. 5. Country Road (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: Expresa el deseo de abandonar el estrés de la ciudad y volver a una vida sencilla, tranquila y en contacto con la naturaleza. Es un himno a la libertad y al hogar. 6. Oh, Susanna (★★☆☆☆) - Contexto: Versión íntima y relajada del clásico estadounidense de Stephen Foster, reinterpretado con el estilo cálido y acústico característico de James Taylor. 7. Fire and Rain (★★★★☆) - Contexto: Su canción más emblemática. Reflexiona sobre el suicidio de una amiga, sus problemas de salud mental, la adicción y las dificultades que atravesó al comenzar su carrera. Es una obra sobre el duelo, el dolor y la esperanza. 8. Blossom (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: Una canción de apoyo y consuelo dirigida a alguien que atraviesa momentos difíciles. Promete permanecer presente incluso cuando todo parece ir mal. 9. Anywhere Like Heaven (★★☆☆☆) - Contexto: Evoca la nostalgia por la infancia y la inocencia perdida, recordando paisajes, personas y momentos felices con un tono cálido y contemplativo. 10. Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip on Me (★★☆☆☆) - Contexto: Breve tema de humor con influencia country y honky-tonk sobre discusiones y pequeños conflictos dentro de una relación amorosa. 11. Suite for 20 G (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: Pieza construida uniendo varias composiciones incompletas para terminar el álbum. El resultado recorre distintos estados de ánimo y habla de incertidumbre, búsqueda espiritual y del intento de encontrar un rumbo en la vida. -TOTAL = ★★⯨☆☆ (2,73)
Chill
Confession: I skipped the three tracks on here that I've already heard 45 million times ("Sweet Baby James,” "Country Road,” and "Fire and Rain"). At some point there are songs from the early 70s where I just have to put my foot down and say no, I have heard this enough for a lifetime, thank you, next, move on. Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest: this is a collection of competent acoustic blues/folk songs, plus some of that strummy kind of guitar stuff that used to get used as TV theme music in the early 70s. "Lo and Behold" was my favorite track on this listen, just a straight-up acoustic blues song, beautifully done. (But "Steamroller Blues" is one of those jokey things that was cute in 1970 but gets an eyeroll from me at this point.) This is a fine album, just worn down from overexposure for me. I'm sure I'll hear "Fire and Rain" again at some point when I'm in a grocery store.
Decent enough - nice chillled vibe
Hard to hate, but also kind of hard to love. It’s sort of a perfect poptimisation of the soft folk rock of the Laurel Canyon scene for most of the album, well delivered but not much to really hold onto and chew into. But there’s a few tracks where he leans into the blues and he’s got a great sound for it and it’s like a little bit of spice in there for any real flavour at all. Begs the question why not more flavour, but hey, I guess that’s gonna make it less smooth and sellable so.
11 songs Safe, bland, sounds how wet bread tastes. Its only quality is that it's quite short.
could have done without the ‘shoot you full of rhythm and blues’ don’t know if that’s exactly the line because I’m not going back to check ! This was sweet (baby James) lol - I suppose … but meh? Not really a fan
Such a joy to listen to, some of the best folk music you could ask for and then the surprise blues tracks were the cherry on top. A no skip album for me
Classic country blues. Good job James! Voice - sweet, lyrics - they were there 🤣, guitar playing - whoooweeee! I liked it; Loved it, in fact. Got me feeling some type of way.
Enjoyable. Didn’t know the colts running back made music. He has a good voice but I didn’t read the lyrics. Probably makes it worse. Good sound.
Somehow both extremely bland and cloyingly sweet at the same time
Had me tuned in the whole time
4.7, muy cerca del 5, puede cambiar con el tiempo y edad. favs "Fire and Rain" y "Suite for 20 G"
Meh. I love singer/songwriter and I know this album is considered the gold standard but it's just okay for me. I'll take any Neil Young album over this. Fire and Rain is a standout tho
Sounded like a low-budget karaoke version of itself, at times sung by kermit and at others by robbie williams
Would highly recommend the film Two-Lane Blacktop, which James Taylor stars in alongside Dennis Wilson. Now that's a fuckin MOVIE
Gtfo
Listening session: july 12th, while chilling at home Listened to before: no Thoughts: not necessarily bad, but just boring and not something that I would consider one of the best albums of all time Favourite tracks: Fire and Rain & Blossom
Smooth and comforting as butter.
Yeah this was a pretty bad album. Most of it was just bad country, and like his voice was very annoying for most of it. But I rate it a 2 because I liked sweet baby James and sunny skies. Other than those 2 songs a pretty bad album
Feels like (yet one more example of) a single hit padded by a bunch of skippable filler just so it could be promoted as a full album. I ask you: a cover of 'Oh, Susannah'? Seriously? I like 'Fire and Rain' (or at least I thought I did), but sadly, the rest is just too cringy and unconvincing for me not to fail this as an album. Sucking and calling it parody does not absolve the suckitude. I'm genuinely surprised that I feel compelled to fail JT, but I gotta keep it real (since he couldn't).
This i pleasant enough for background noise. If Im going to invest in to fully listening to this it’s a a bit of a snore.
I don't know, maybe it's his voice, but there's an edge to Dylan that just isn't there in other folk rock. He did it first and he did it best. Lo and Behold has a Tracy Chapman vibe, I bet she loves this album. Steamroller Blues too. He has the least soulful voice. This album is the moment that "folk rock" became "soft rock". Steamroller Blues is like someone pretending to have the blues, I'd guess it made Muddy Waters vomit. Here's the Pete Seeger moment where he covers a real folk song. Oh, Susannah sucks. Fire and Rain is the hit, it is also the best song on the album. Sweet dreams and flying machines flying safely through the air. This is too soft. This dude is not a bluesman...so corny. I hate that The Band is what follows this on Spotify.
Had to turn on edit mode for this one. Initially it was 1 star after hearing steamroller but some of the latter songs in this album are decent. This is like a warm blanket of an album, very bland though but not unpleasant (except steamroller that song is laughably bad)
Probably more closer to a 2.5, but a fine album.
So sweet and serene
Wish more variation came from this project, but overall a sad and sweet melodic record. Soulful as this type of twangy country tends to be, the music here feels warm and sad like whiskey by yourself.
This record is good. Sometimes its hard to listen to a person who is as white bread as it gets say stuff like: "Oh, baby Don't you loose your lip on me no, no no Lord, have mercy, baby, now now now Don't you loose your lip on poor old loving man JT, no woah Now, I've tried so hard to be your good boy Good God almighty, don't you know, mama Tell me what more, what more In this world, in this whole wide world can one good boy Just one by himself man be, no woah" Take it easy slim. Your dad was a doctor, and your mom studied at The New England Conservatory of Music. You were born in Mass General, not a field in the delta.
6/10
An absolute classic, I will never turn James Taylor down Playlist add: "Fire and Rain"
A very chill time.
I don't hate folk music, but after a certain point I just get tired of it because there's not much that changes from song to song. This album is no different to me, I was into it when I first turned it on but I just got bored of it halfway through. I didn't hate the album though and I might try listening to it again sometime down the line.
Feels like a regular old pop-country album. Not doing much for me
Un temita bueno
It's ok
Relaxing folk rock that makes for a pretty decent listen. Just James Taylor's voice and a plucky acoustic guitar, but it works for what its going for. Nothing here blowing me away, but made for a fine half an hour.
Pleasant enough. Not transcendant, but it's a lot more listenable than many of the albums that have come up on this list so far, and doesn't overstay its welcome either
This is a very safe, but thoroughly pleasant album. I don't want to be too cynical and tear it to pieces for being so nice, but it is just that. It's nice. The music and vibes are nice. The whole thing floated on by in an accomplished and amiable manner. It didn't move me, but it was also a steady and calm presence while it was on. I can't recommend it, but you know... it was nice.
Musica country, me gusta, pero este disco me pareció muy lento
No fav song
I don’t mind this as folk/country music goes. I think it’s safe to say that it’s not rock music and the genre matching has gone a bit off grid here. I have a sensitive gag reflex when it comes to country music with their long-told tales of toiling on the plains with their horse and cattle and the first song on this album is a colour by numbers of that trope. The rest is similar, but manages to claw its way out of the bear trap of country music tropes. It’s still walking on one leg with blood gushing from a stump that was its other leg, but impending death means it focussed on the music more, to its credit.(I’m rewatching the walking dead as I listen to this at the moment. It may be having an influence on my review).
Um álbum de Folk e Blues muito bom. Algumas faixas brilham, como por exemplo Steamroller Blues. Pula Unicrom.
Sweet Baby James - 4/5 Lo and Behold - 3/5 Sunny Skies - 3/5 Steamroller - 2/5 Country Road - 4/5 Oh Susannah - 3/5 Fire and Rain - 5/5 Blossom - 3/5 Anywhere Like Heaven - 3/5 Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip on Me - 1/5 Suite for 20 G - 3/5 Average score: 3.1/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Off the bat, incredibly lame. Suuuuuuper lame, but goddamnit does James Taylor have a great voice. I would normally hate this kind of music if not for Taylor's gorgeous pipes; he's not a bad songwriter either.
I already knew of this album actually but, only Fire and Rain. So I’m actually quite excited for this! The lowlights of this album is that all songs sound quite similar and his voice can become a bit annoying by the end but, overall a great album. I’d recommend Sweet baby James, Lo and behold, Stream roller blues, Country road, Oh susannah, Blossom, Anywhere like heaven and Oh baby, don’t you loose your lip on me.
I dunno man, this doesn't do it for me. The smooth singer-songwriter stuff is fine, if anodyne, and washes right over me, but the blues stuff is jarring to me in a way that pulls me out of something I don't even really pay attention to anyway. Apparently I'm A Steamroller was a piss-take? I don't care, it still sucks. Drags down an otherwise smooth brain listening experience. I'll pass.
Sweet Baby James is a beautiful song that holds special meaning to me. The rest of the album is good, it had been a long time since I'd heard it.
Fantastic guitar as expected, smooth voice, cool songwriting
# Playlist Track - Country Road # Notes - I guess that, for me, James Taylor is one of those "Best Hits" singers. I do enjoy a lot of his songs, but they're spread in god knows how many albums and I don't have any particular reasons to be fond of this one. - Decent listen, though. Forgettable, but not bad.
Baby James !
He has a pretty voice, but it's too anodyne for me.
A lot of weird hate for James Taylor on here it’s like hating ice cream
A cosy album, nice music, nice voice, nice vibes…. Nice!
Nice. In quite a bit of mental and physical discomfort today and the quieter parts were harder to sit through, but it was more often than not a good and lively experience. Rollicking, I guess. Reminded me of Paul Simon.
I didn't want to like this, but dang it, I did! Disliked "Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me," but LOVED "Suite For 20 G." Thought his version of "Oh, Susannah" was nice, too.
Listenable enough but didn’t rock my workd
I think this album does really well when he’s using his light and relaxing voice to sing similarly light and relaxing songs, but not so well with the blues ones. There are a lot of really pretty songs on this and it’s perfect for the background during an activity but nothing super magical to me beyond the ones I already knew. Fav tracks : sweet baby James, fire and rain
My mom loves James Taylor so I always assumed he was a late 70s/early 80s soft pop guy that I wouldn’t like. You’re telling me he’s been a folk/SSW guy this whole time???
Really pleasant set of songs. You can’t listen to this and be mad. I’m not sure this is the best album in the great 70’s singer-songwriter category, but it’s still pretty good. Interesting instrumentation including slide guitar and the occasional horn section. Favorites were Sweet Baby James, Country Road, Fire and Rain, and Suite for 20 G.
A man mutters the words listlessly to the accompaniment of dreary music
You ve got a friend🫶❤️
James Taylor's voice was part of the soundtrack of my childhood. It's difficult to disentangle these memories of my dad listening and shaking his head gently (as if there was no greater sound ever created) from the uncomfortable realization that this white folkman is taking a misguided grunting stab at playing the blues. "Fire and Rain" and "Sweet Baby James" are undeniable hits. The rest is - at best - a mixed bag.
The radio sound of my early, early childhood. I'll never not love it. It's almost a 4-star album just for Fire and Rain and Sweet Baby James, but the rest of it is just pleasant and not much else.
Certainly one of the definitive singer-songwriters of, well, ever. And this album has a couple of his most beloved, at least by me, songs. You know what they are. You know all the words. You turn them up and sing along whenever you hear them.
I recognize a few of these tracks by name, but otherwise have never listened to this album start-to-finish. My early memories of James Taylor are of hearing him on classic rock radio in the late 80s and early 90s. At that time and at that age, I didn't really like his music that much. I feel I've grown to appreciate it more now. Maybe in another 30 years James Taylor could become one of my favorite artists? Who knows? I enjoyed this more than I expected I would.
I used to passively like James Taylor. Having not sat down and listened to him in twenty years has really, really changed my opinion
Overly sweet country-ish singer-songwriter Americana which makes me glad I do not live in the 1970s when I might have been forced to hear this on the radio. Steamroller Blues is stupid, and the whole album sucks. Well done for taking every sharp edge, every trace of rhythm, every hint of excitement, out of rock and roll. An album to check your watch by.
I don’t like this easy listening stuff.
He's got a nice voice and it's well recorded, more variety than I was expecting but if I'm thinking of an album as a singular piece of art that takes you on a journey this just isn't it for
This was another 70s singer-songwriter that I went in expecting to not really like, and I ended up loving it. A lot of it is very gentle, if somewhat standard singer-songwriter, stuff, but then every once and a while he pulls out some crazy horns and it's a whole other sound. It's a lot of fun, I feel like this sets the standard for a lot of what was to come in the "guy with a guitar" genre. Favorites: Lo and Behold, Oh Susannah, Fire and Rain
Quirky, folksy album that never really caught my interest.
Lovely album. Very relaxing. James taylor sings and plays well. His song writing doesn't have the sparkle of a Joni Mitchell, a Neil Young or a David Bowie that would elevate this to five stars.
James Taylor is very talented but he doesn’t always put it to the best use. No offense, but I just don’t need to ever hear Oh Susanna ever again and wish some other filler tracks had been replaced with more interesting material
I knew a few! Fun enough.
Personal 2.5, but rounded up to 3 because I know how influential Taylor is
Not my vibe
Nothing special, still nice though
Listened previously. Expectations: Mid - Verdict: Good - Sweet Baby James and Lo And Behold are a great couple of songs to open. It then settles into a slightly too nice pattern of pretty little songs. Fire And Rain is fantastic.
3.5+/5
White bread!
Competent, but not for me. Only the last song piqued my interest with trumpets
Sweet Baby James is my favorite song by James Taylor, so I'm glad I got to hear the whole album
Pleasant enough but boring.
Great voice, almost rodriguez-ish.
Wednesday, 3 June, 2026 Eh.
Classic album! This album has some of my favorite Beatles songs. Will never get old!
Yup…this one made me tear up. Beautiful record.
Good easy listening album. I think the album was recorded with a governor on the gas pedal… at times it seemed like they wanted to let their hair down and just ROCK.
i liked steamroller but why does he pronounce cement like that... 3/5 also he's lowkey a baddie...
Maybe I’m off on this but in my mind(I’m going to Carolina) James Taylor filled a similar niche then to what Noah Kahn fills now. Purely vibes based assessment but I feel like the music is good enough but doesn’t rlly stand out to me and I feel like he’d have a similar ish fan base to Noah Kahn. sweet baby James was my fav song off this album.
This album was alright. Pretty good even. I wonder why the self titled Townes van zandt album isn’t on the list
Way too soft and treacly for me. “Fire and Rain” is a classic of course but everything else? I don’t have the patience for this kind of blandness. I need bite.
I was in my early teens when this album came out, with a majority of listeners being female. I’m certainly not a fan, I think most of his work is overly sentimental and simplistic. I do however enjoy the title song and the song Fire and Rain is his best work. However, Steamroller Blues reminds me why pop singer songwriters should never sing the blues.
Lovely acoustic singer songwriter
Grew up on this one, I think I got it in one of those Columbia House 15 records for one cent deals. It's withstood the test of time for me.
I know it's saccharine sweet and overly sentimental and all that, but I can't resist getting charmed by this. Taylor's singing lulls me in, and the lyrics, mawkish as they may be, still find a way to hit home in places.
feeling better than every mf who listened to this album cause I liked the songs with fewer listens more
I tell you what, if you gave a white man with long hair an acoustic guitar and a little bit of motion in the 70s, he might’ve pumped you out a solid album. Hell yea James
Pretty dang good. Let it loop 4 or 5 times. Amazing voice, super relaxing. Something about his singing made me feel good.
Solid folk/blues album. Doesn't wear out its welcome 4/5
Tolerable
What a treat! I was fully of the belief that this was some dumb country singer for my entire life, Wrong! This was so charming and fun and full of life I really enjoyed my little 31 minutes with sweet baby James. First album in a little while that I know I'll be coming back to often which is really nice, it's just such easy listening and every song is wonderful. Good job James.
I already knew some of the songs on this album, but I don’t think I knew any of the ones with horns. I really enjoyed the contrast between the softer guitar songs and the songs with brass arrangements. I like his voice and the guitar and although a couple songs are a bit weaker, I think there’s good variation across the album. Overall I thought the album was lovely, some really beautiful songs. Fav song: Fire and Rain Least fav: Blossom
So iconic to name the song that completes the album you're getting paid 20 grand for "Suite for 20 G". Fun folky guitar and lovely voice, very calming album. Favourite song: Fire and Rain Least: Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me
This was cute. Pleasant, nondescript, forgettable, but enjoyable.
Not bad Fav track: Fire and Rain
fav song: sweet baby james safe, mellow, polished 40/100
I really enjoy James Taylor’s music. This album has some hits and brings me down memory lane.
If I was sitting by the fire and loving Jesus, this would be perfect. Fire and Rain being the biggest hit pretty much sums up this album. That blues song Steamroller was pathetic. Gimme Nick Drake for easy listening over this.
This record basically plays like a greatest hits album, since tracks like "Fire And Rain", "Country Road", and the title track are such huge staples of folk-rock. Listening to it is super comforting and wistful, like wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket or catching up with an old friend. His guitar work is gorgeous, and his smooth voice nails that classic singer-songwriter vibe, making it the ultimate chill acoustic album. "Fire And Rain" in particular is just an incredible, heartbreaking masterpiece. That said, listening to the whole thing front to back makes it easy to see why some people might find it a bit much. If you aren't in the mood for something super sweet and gentle, it can feel a little plain or soft. Whenever he tries to sound tough, especially on the clunky track "Steamroller", it comes off kind of silly, like a suburban guy trying way too hard to act like a tough guy. All in all, it’s a beautifully put together, if polite collection... perfect for when you need to relax, though it might feel a bit too slow if you're looking for something with a bit more grit to go along with the sadder tunes.
Taylor is an easy target in a lot of ways. One of the ultimate boomer singer songwriters, a lot of his stuff is easy listening and marshmallow-like. I've always had very mixed feelings about him. But this is a very good album with more diversity than one might think. He doesn't exactly rock out but I was a little surprised when the drums kicked in on the final song, "Suite for 20G." "Fire and Rain" is an all time classic. "Country Road" and the title track are right up there. "Steamroller" is kind of ridiculous and cringe but at least it's different for him. Pretty solid effort for the Cat Stevens of the USA.
Im not sure there's an artist i feel more neutral about than James Taylor. His almost aggressively gentle and cloying singing kind of irritates me sometimes, and I dont like when he attempts the blues. On the other hand, he's a masterful acoustic guitarist, which I can always appreciate, and he can write a good song, when he wants to, as Fire and Rain proves. Sometimes he just chooses not to, like with Steamroller. A perfect 3
It was alright, I enjoy the big songs. A tad boring but moves quickly. Rating: 2.3
Heartbreaking
yes, always to this classic. it’s just that overall pleasant and catchy. it fits into life.
Sweet as James
After 10 tracks of the same stuff I think the producer asked him to do something different. And he listened to this tip! Suite For 20 G is a good track. Why doesn't sound 75% of the album like this track? If so I would gave it more stars. Now: 2/5
I liked some of it, nice guitar
It's just lovely really isn't it
Amiable folksy sort of music that drifts by pleasantly enough until about half way through the album when he suddenly drops into a blues number where he seems to be comparing himself to a cement mixer for some reason. Wait, what? Anyhoo, checking his Wikipedia bio it turns out he spent a good proportion of the 60s off his face on heroin and methedrine which might explain some of the left field lyrics. It also might explain why he was the first American signed to Apple records which gave him his big break. Ok, I guess.
country classics
A Giant among a genre that’s one of my faves.
Boooo
Mid
Yeah I'm a steamroller, babe. I'm gonna roll all over you. Yeah I'm a steamroller, baby. Gonna roll all over you. And if you're pickin' up steam, babe, you can roll all over me too. Do it BB King Style. Can we get some horns up in here, too? Oh yeah. FUck yeah. We're about to make me sO much money.
yawnnnnnnn. steamroller blues is kinda nice and so is oh, susannah, but i feel Nothing listening to fire & rain. why are the strings there? why are the drum fills so loud? i was gonna say i can't hate him too much cause he wrote These Days but that was actually Jackson Browne. #IFeltNothing
i'm gonna fucking kill myself. fuck. same stuff mentioned prior. minus amish stuff. + the fred neil stuff + the "simple desultory" stuff (except steamroller sounds sick) + the fleshing out issues of "parsley sage" + "why is the best song at the end" of hms fable. there's only so many times/ways i can say the same thing. alternatively (to quote the Original 'oh susanna'): "Dis darkie'l surely die." don't worry. you can save me by slaughtering jann wenner. make it painful. 2.5-3.2.
Saccharine and a little too country for me
folky. jesus. chill.
For Fire and Rain alone this album is great. A beautiful easy listening singer songwriter record.
ziemlich chill, wenn der vibe passt könnts ne vier sein. 3.49 sterne
Bland
Good album. Restored my faith in country music
Few big hits, buttressed by a handful easy-to-listen to songs and a sprinkling of super mellow, non-offensive, sing-songy pieces. Short and sweet. 3+
Kinda uneven. When it's good, it's really good. But then a grown ass man has us listening to Oh Susannah.
decent
Not the most interesting folk out there but the hits are good for sure, he has a good voice as well
I really appreciate how pleasant and smooth this album is. It’s just so quaint, and wholesome. The music is so lush and vivid. The biggest problem for me is I just think it’s alittle somber and sad for me personally. It’s definitely slow as a snail but the wholesome and poetic nature of the album offsets that for sure. It’s just alittle dry for my overstimulated millennial brain. No joking aside this is an album I’ll look for in the future.
Very cool. JT in solid free and easy songwriting form it seems. I'm not crazy about the couple of bluesy numbers. The usual folky stuff is excellent though. Fire and rain is beautiful and there are a few other great little simple compositions. The atmosphere is so cool.
Oh, no. You are not going to make me listen to James Taylor. People liked this? This makes Gordon Lightfoot look like Bob Dylan. The 70s were wild. Taylor was good in Two-Lane Blacktop, though. He should have stuck to acting…alright, I guess “Fire and Rain” is okay. Best track: “Fire and Rain”
I hate the guy's voice. It's like he's trying to annoy me with his positivity.
nice and passive
Didn’t blow me away. Wasn’t bad though.
The most unconvincing steam roller/cement mixer/napalm bomb ever. Great craft, terribly dull, not for me.
Didn't really hit with me - nothing wrong with it but not an album. I'll go back to. (2 seems a low score but I've scored albums I've enjoyed more a 3)
Not a massive fan or James Taylor, he's definitely good but it never really gets me. BUUUUUUUUT Fire and Rain is like one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard and that alone makes this worth listening to. This was played at a friends funeral years ago and it killed. Album was decent, not bad but it faded into the background a bit.
James Taylor wrote and performed some of the most iconic songs of a generation. Definitely one of the best. Fire and Rain is super popular but it still gives me chills.
zijn lyrics en stem komen niet echt overeen. Te zachtaardig.
Not the worst of the white-guy-with-an-acoustic-guitar genre…
I bet if I listened to this on a road trip I’d like it more. Fire & Rain is an all-timer folk song. Also the album title made me laugh
Oh Susannah was a low point on this list.
James Taylor. He's an objectively good singer. He has written some objectively good songs that will remain in culture forever (probably). He's Easy Listening Folk, he's got some Blues, he's got some Soft Country. It's all pretty chill and pleasant. I can say this album is good. It contains his biggest song, 'Fire And Rain', and there's some good lesser-known songs. I just don't connect with James Taylor. Growing up I knew many people who considered him a definitive part of their musical identity. To me, he's the music equivalent to a couch pillow. It helps you feel nice, but it's low on the list of essentials.
A few exceptional songs sandwiched around a bunch of good efforts. My highlights are Fire and Rain, Sweet Baby James, and Country Road. Steamroller Blues is better live, the live No Nukes version is superior to this album version. The rest are good enough that if I had been of age when this came out, I would have loved to have seen him live. One stinker, I'll let you figure out which one that was. Obviously one of those, "We need one more song" to fill out the album situations.
Country blues kind of thing, beautiful album
Great singer. Unique voice. Music is always spot on. Musical star throughout the years. Never a bad song.
It’d be utterly somnambulant if it weren’t for the cloying sentimentality. Fire and Rain is worth one star, but Steamroller and Oh, Baby Don’t You . . . are such cringe-inducing, deluded, ‘Nilla Wafer offenses to the musical gods that I’d give the album a zero if I could.
James Taylor ce chef
Pretty good and a lot more bluesy than I would have expected.
I really enjoyed this album a lot!
A classic....four stars
It’s fine not really my THING Insane album title
I’m not a huge James Taylor fan. But dude knows how to write a song. And he can sing. A 4.
James Taylor had the writing ability of Bob Dylan and an actual voice. So much better than some of his contemporaries but doesn’t get the same love.
A lot of pleasant songs
Increíble pero un álbum de country que no fué un bodriazo. Nota: 3.4
Solid overall. Standout songs: Sunny Skies Country Road
Not my kind of music. Probably good of its type. Wasn't aware that James Taylor was married at one time to Carly Simon who I would rate highly. Perhaps some of her talent rubbed off on him. People seem to like and rate James Taylor so I fear more albums to come...
While I enjoyed this and thought the musicianship on display was commendable, I didn’t find it particularly compelling or significantly better than other folk rock albums of the era.
Sweet Baby Jesus.. Es Album wo de ersti Satz "there was a young cowboy, lives on the range" isch, het bi mir scho verlore. bin immer wider überrascht, wie sehr ich country wükli scheisse find. git ned meh wie 2 sweet baby Timons
Jajajajaj Standard us album. Gemütlichi country vibes drin. Aber halt nix speziells. 3 cervelats am lagerfür und sweet baby james
This took me by surprise. There were so many great songs on here and I'm looking forward to relistening
“Fire and Rain” is a great song, sure. The rest of this is halfway to country with a mix of bluesy noodling demos. I never really spent any time with James Taylor before this, but I’ve met people who think this album is among the greatest ever made, or for whom James Taylor is their favorite artist. I simply can’t make sense of why one would think that.
Better sound than expected: big, clean 70s vinyl. Swap out a few lyrics and this sounds like a great toddler sing along album
A lovely 70’s album by the truly superb James Taylor
Lovely album, and unimpeachable maybe (apart from the last track). It never stays with me as much as say, Nick Drake, whose songs are so much sadder and stranger. But it's gentle and listenable. 3.8
2.0 - Weak, only gets a 2 because Fire and Rain is a legit classic
Rate: 7/10.
Ok, but far from my style. ★★★
What a voice and what a singer songwriter. A true American musical icon. Sweet Baby James, Fire and Rain are classics. Tempted to go 5 here, but as a complete album there are a couple of unremarkable tracks. Still great though!
I found his voice quite whiney so this was astruggle.
I liked this album, very chill and country
A few good tracks for me, but overall nothing too memorable
Suite for 20 G absolutely rules. Some snoozers on here, some real good ones too though. Overall middle of the road for me.
A little boring at times but the song construction ability is undeniable. This gets a 4 stars for quality of album but can't say I'd want to re-listen much.
This album is magical. It's not a perfect album, but it's fantastic. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #182 Best Songs Sweet Baby James Steamroller Blues Country Road Fire and Rain Blossom Suite for 20 G
8/10
One of my favorite albums.
Easy listen
Not horrible but I’m not sold …right time right place maybe
Laid the unfortunate foundation for adult contemporary. Obv a great talent and not hard to listen to for a few, but not really my thing.
lovely lovely album, will relisten.
I don’t think I know who James Taylor is truly, but in a weird way, he looks like Bundy. I think that added to my discomfort, which is rather unfortunate for him.
Great country vibes, some hits 3.4
TODA VEZ QUE TEM UM "American singer-songwriter" NA DESCRIÇÃO EU SEI QUE VAI SER RUIM puta que pariu que ódio filho bagulho ruim da porra vsf
definitivamente um album. e dos ruins. não é odiável, acho que deve ser um daqueles albuns nostálgicos estadunidenses que os familiares ouviam perto de vc. sou brasileiro. caguei pra isso aí.
buen album. se disfruto. 3 son los puntos, le daria un 3.5, pero es mas para 3 que para 4.
3/10
We'll say 3.7 and round up to 4. It has some classics and also more blues in there. Easy listening while spring cleaning vibes.
I feel like this is one of the most faceless or unoriginal albums on the list. The country songs are bad, but that's just because of the genre - James is OK at performing them. The American folk songs are aimless and forgettable, but that's just because of the genre - James feels half asleep performing them. The blues songs are great, but that's just because of the genre - James is finally awake while performing them. Even the artist's name and album cover are completely replaceable without anyone noticing. That being said, I did like the blues on this. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing
a really swell album
I was looking forward to listening to this - I fully expected to find myself bathed in that glorious, sun-drenched, Laurel Canyon, singer-songwriter vibe that I'm so partial to... but... meh. Fire and Rain is a classic but it's literally the only one here that caught my attention. The rest just sounded very dry and a little trite - singer-songwritier-by-numbers - even though I know he was at the forefront of that whole scene. It was done better elsewhere by JT and his peers.
Yes, it's all very sweet, perhaps even cloying, just a bit too much all in one go.
chill and good!
you said you never met one girl who has as many james taylor records as you but i do
Wanted to like this more but I prefer some of the covers of Fire and Rain even if Taylor’s version is the most personal and there’s not much else here. Low-end 3
I’ve never cared much for James Taylor and he didn’t much on this album to beat the allegations of being the most milquetoast singer songwriter of the 70s. His saving grace is that it’s pleasant enough so as to not offend.
Listened to before? Yes Context? One of the biggest and earliest albums of the early 70s singer-songwriter movement; features James Taylor's first hits as well as some of his most successful; strongly critically acclaimed, though not entirely overwhelmingly so. As with a lot of singer-songwriter albums of this time period, I found myself listening, and thinking "wow! These are a lot of covers!" before looking at the songwriting credits and realizing...oh wow, these songs are all originals. I hadn't heard a lot of them before, but even those I felt like I'd heard before. The melodies are so perfect that they feel like standards. Sure, it's a dated album. Very 70s singer-songwriter, and the early rock n roll, folk, soul, and all-around Americana can occasionally toe the line of derivative. But the songs are just so good that it doesn't even matter. Not to mention that the melodies are utterly timeless. The instrumentation is also incredibly tasteful—which is impressive for a second album. What many artists seem to struggle with early on in their careers is knowing when to strip back on arrangements and add dynamics to their songs—to let them marinate before piling everything on. But it seems as if Taylor has it figured out. The arrangements and instrumentation are all beautifully mapped out to maximize the emotional affect. The emotional affect is kind of insane. It's a very happy album—from the opener about his love for his nephew to the closer detailing his love for rock n roll. A lot of singer-songwriter music tends to focus on sad subject matter, which is perfectly fine and honestly what I personally prefer, but it's always refreshing to see a poet who writes about love and its relation to humanity rather than pain. It's a very calming album. I swear, my blood pressure dropped while listening to it. I remember my parents singing "Sweet Baby James" to my younger brother when he was a baby. Maybe there's some sort of bias from that memory, but I honestly don't think so. I was sort of primed to dislike this album because the cover makes him look like a serial killer, and I'm not a huge fan of Americana stuff, but God, these songs were classics before they were written.
Couple of good ones, not totally my Barry’s.
Prachtig
bland and boring. This list has been filled with bad stuff!!! Who made this ?
Very heartfelt often moving songs. Taylor never sounded better than this. Sweet baby james and fire and rain are the standouts but there are a number of moments that take the breath away. The padding towards the end removes this from a 5 star album but it feels picky
Number: 100 Date: 04/12/2026 Artist: James Taylor Album: Sweet Baby James Year: 1970 Genre: Soft Folk Rating: 4 Notes: Before: ======= This is my 100th album today and its a decent pick to commemorate the occasion. My mom had it so I heard it a lot in my youth and I continued to listen to it on occasion up in to my late teens. I recall it was quite popular at some church retreats for teens that I went to while in high school My recollection is that it might by kind of sappy. Let's see. During: ======= 4 Sweet Baby James 4 Lo And Behold 4 Sunny Skies 5 Steamroller 5 Country Road 2 Oh Susanna 5 Fire And Rain 2 Blossom 2 Anywhere Like Heaven 3 Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me 1 Suite For 20 G ----------------------------------------------------- 3.31 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= Yeah, it is kind of sappy and I grew a little weary of it towards the end but overall I think it is very good representation of this particular type of music and definately deserves a place on The List. 3 my personal rating 5 suitability for this list 4 impact ----------------------------------------------- 4 composite rating
No private session used for Spotify. I was sitting in a hotel on a lazy Saturday morning when this album came up and I put it on. It hit my mood perfectly, it's mellow, sweet, and plenty of great acoustic guitar. My only complaint is listening to "Fire and Rain" knowing I had a flight in about 8 hours, then I looked it up and found out "flying machine" referred to Taylor's first band and not a plane wreck which I originally thought, so we are all good.
Not for me. 1/5
3.75
All very pleasant indeed, from one of the many Joni adjacent characters to appear from time to time. Not exciting, and sounded weirdly dated even for the time (my favourite song on here is from 1848, so maybe I'm part of the problem here). But pleasant, like a cup of tea made with a supermarket tea bag and semi skimmed.