Sweet Baby James

The auditory equivalent of an alpaca fleece: sure, it's incredibly soft, but it's not very practical for making everyday garments. Alpaca would make a nice basic scarf to show off at the coffee shop where you're playing your acoustic guitar, though.

Favorite Track: Fire and Rain

Oh man. I knew the words to all but a couple tracks. Mellow and bluesy, but with the correct mood lighting, this one hits rights. Listened before Y Saved some tracks? Y Favorite tracks? Fire and Rain, Anywhere Like Heaven, Sweet Baby James, Steamroller Blues ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Loved it. Saved a bunch of tracks

After days of vocalists I could not stand, definitely sign me up for some James Taylor and Carole King. Yes, please! Love the acoustic guitar and piano. Listened before? N Saved to library? Y Favorite track(s): Steamroller, Fire and Rain, Suite for 20 G ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Loved it! Saved most or all of the tracks.

Kind of boring. Steamroller and Suite for 20 G were decent.

Standouts Fire and Rain Anywhere Like Heaven

I enjoy the genre a lot, and James Taylor is good at it. The album is pleasant and easy to listen to, but it doesn’t quite reach 4-star territory. “Fire and Rain” is a standout, yet it can’t carry the entire record, and much of the rest drifts into straightforward easy listening. Still, it sits a bit above many of the other albums I’d group in the 3-star range.

This is a very pleasant record and it’s nostalgic for me as JT was one of my Dad’s favorites. There are three excellent songs here, Fire and Rain, SBJ, and Country Road. Then there’s the “blues” songs lol, and the random cover of Oh Susannah, and a few other filler tracks. I dunno if it’s worthy of the list but it certainly helped define the sound of mainstream 70s radio

Sweet is an understatement, what a talent though

I don't feel like I could trust someone who chooses to play this album.

Quite pleasant.

Not bad, but the singer-songwriter-who-only-owns-a-guitar genre is not for me.

Not a bad album, just not my genre. But very boring 1,5/5

James Taylor has such a sweet voice and his guitar playing and compositions are like butter. How can you not like this?!? Liked Songs Added: Sweet Baby James Sunny Skies Country Road Fire And Rain

I like the title track but the rest is a bit dull.

I really like James Taylor. Great voice and gentle songs

I’m sure most music has a place in this world but I’m not sure where this belongs. Certainly not in my world!

Very limited instrumentation and what there was, was pretty dull. His voice is good but the songs were not.

This feels like what chat GPT would come up with if you asked it for some saccharine sweet country, blues, rock, easy listening Americana. There’s no denying he’s got a lovely voice and it all feels very chilled and wholesome, and no doubt you could take him home to meet your Mum. There’s also no denying that it’s just too lame for me.

Can’t do it

I’m from North Carolina, this album is in my blood. I was raised on it. And I really do love it. Gentle, sweet, clever, beautiful little songs that bring me serenity and calm. Sometimes you need that.

James Taylor is one of those artists that a lot of people either love or hate. I am kinda ambivalent about him. What I do know is that this album doesn't have "Chili Dog" on it and therefore loses a star. If you're going to have a song about hotdogs that must be on every fuckin album.

Country music aber trotzdem gut. Instrumentalisch gesehen sehr gut.

Solid singer/songwriter

nice

This album was a massive seller and ubiquitous in 1970's houses, but time hasn't been kind to it's innoffensive pleasantness. There's nothing inherently bad about it, and some songs like Country Road and Fire & Rain definitely grab the attention more, but out of the Laurel Canyon era this isn't an album that feels cool and happening in 2025.

Chilled country, easy listen. Bit bland overall with a couple of hits. 2.5/5

Short album. Pretty good. Will listen agaon

He's just not for me. Too syrupy. As I searched for it (I don't own it) I noticed one site listing his genre: folk, children’s music. I'm sure he’s not actually considered children’s music by anyone irl, but it still made sense to me. A bit like Graham Nash (even his CSNY stuff!), I can’t take it seriously as a grown up cos it’s just too…idk…wet? I gave it a fair listen and I’m sure I’m overlooking lots of nuance, but I'll not be swinging by “poor old loving man JT”’s way anytime soon. Offensively inoffensive.

En af dem som gjorde singer song writer populært fremadrettet. Det er soft rock og lidt country inspireret også. Alt der kommer efter som singersong writer er basicly inspireret af dette. Jeg tror ikke jeg er i en periode hvor det er noget som lige rammer spot on på mit humør, føler man skal være i et meget fredligt stadie i ens liv, jeg forestiller mig det er sådan noget jeg vil lytte til når jeg planter mine egne agurker og tomater engang og har drivhus og udekøkken og har et stille og roligt liv. Eller søndag måske? Når man bager pandekager eller brød eller sådan noget. Der er ikke mange tilfælde hvor jeg kan forestille mig det er noget jeg frivilligt bare har lyst til at sætte på, jeg synes simpelthen bare det er lidt halvkedeligt? OG jeg ved ikke om det er fordi jeg ikke lægger mærke til lyrikkerne osv. Jeg kan bare bedre lide Nick Drake f.eks. så, det har i det mindste et eller andet form for kant i guitarspillet. TRor det her bliver for ensformigt og sådan formular agtigt? Men det er åbenbart fordi det er meget revolutionernende fra 70'erne at man lavede noget som var så varmt, sårbart og intimt hvilket jo er fair.

I get why people enjoy this; it’s soft, pleasant, and James Taylor’s voice fits the tone perfectly. But for me, it’s just not my style. Easy to appreciate, harder to enjoy.

Im

Ehhhhh... none of this is particularly bad but it's very inoffensive and bland. I don't mind some soft pop music but this doesn't have anything to get me hooked. Pretty forgettable.

That was a very chill listen. I’ve heard Fire and Rain before and I really like that song. The rest of the album is pretty similar in tone and vibe but I liked that. Maybe because it’s the end of my work day and a chill vibe album was what I needed but I loved this!

Soothing

A decent, easy listen. Not super compelling, but good overall.

I enjoyed parts of this. Some parts were to melancholy. But overall strong vibes.

Beautiful voice. Need to be in the right mood to listen

Good vocals, smooth folk sound

в этот раз получилось наоборот, по обложке судя, заключил я, что говно меня ждёт но альбом хорош, чилловый и ковбойский, люблю такую музыку вдь ковбой я

Not bad, but not really my kind of music

It's a crime for this album to be only 30 minutes!

Title track and Fire & Rain are the two biggest hits. Soothing music and JT is an incredible acoustic guitarist.

Never liked many of James Taylor's hits, but I tried to give this a fair listen. Even I think Fire and Rain is great, and I don't think that's only because of how often I've heard it. Lo and Behold was a standout deeper cut that I'd never heard before. Better than I anticipated going in, but still didn't make me a fan.

Used to love, still pretty good, but I have outgrown my whiny antiestablishment mentality

Great voice

Martes 14 y vamos con un artista que creo sólo ubicar de nombre. ¿Quizás alguna de sus canciones ha sido parte de algún soundtrack de una película? Quizás. Música tranquila. De a momentos, rock. Por otros, blues. Pero siempre con un aura de folk sobre todo. Hasta mañana

Nope

Back in the early 80’s, I had a thing for a girl who spun this guy daily. She was groovy and sweet, and we gave it a go for a little while. But I was a dedicated punk rocker, and JT was a bit slow and sappy for my plate. Alas, she cut me loose. No regrets. Now I imagine she’s out there somewhere, spinning around a sunlit room, barefoot and flower skirt, singing Fire and Rain to a room all her own. Makes me smile. Thanks for the memories.

Correct, sans plus

[MichaelScottyellingNO.gif]

Es super piola, yo creo que tal vez si lo hubiera escuchado en su tiempo me habría gustado harto, pero ahora tiene un aire medio country que activa un poco mi sistema inmune. Ese último track full on 70ero hizo que no me arrepintiera de escucharlo hasta el final.

No talent trash

sweet baby ray's barbecue sauce.

grew up listening to James Taylor because my mom loves his music, but I have never really liked it. So nasally, kinda whiney, not pleasant for me in life experiencing

the folk pop songs are actually mega incredibly delightful but the acoustic blues stuff is not for me, so this album is like 50% pure joy 50% blah for me but the blah is still fine so 3/5 seems fine Fav song: Sweet Baby James or Suite for 20 G

Good melodies, but a little preachy for my tastes.

Boooooooooooring. But inoffensive

Good folk country songs !

3.36

mellow but i enjoyed it

This is my first exposure to James Taylor, and wow, call me a fan now. So sentimental, his voice and lyrics are very endearing

He really does have a great voice

great folk artist and album

Gosh, this added absolutely nothing to my life. Given it was released in 1970, I don't see how it could have contributed anything new upon release either. 2/10

Man, this was just so good. Everything about this -- the writing, the performances (vocal and instrumental), the producing, recording, mixing, just all perfect in every way. I had only heard maybe two of these songs before, but James Taylor constantly surprises me with how awesome he is at this. I listened to it twice. Five stars easily.

I've never listened to this album all the way through, and I don't know why. James Taylor has such a calming voice, and his writing is so vivid. loved this album.

James is lekker bezig in z'n singer-songwriter-uppie, hij bluest wat, slaat een countryweggetje in, gaat op de romantische tour. Ik word ontzettend nostalgisch van dit soort muziek, ik wil in de herfst door de Amerikaanse bossen rijden, om me heen kijken en in een truckerscafé een slappe bak koffie doen. Er gewoon effe zijn. Wat dat betreft heb ik dit op een ideale dag gedraaid, in oktober. Verder dan de Betuwe zal ik vandaag wel niet komen, vrees ik.

Je heet James, en dan noem je het album Sweet Baby James...Heb je toch je eerste minpunt al te pakken...Aan de andere kant, heeft James wel zelfkennis. Hij heeft een nogal zoete stem. Hij zet die stem prima in, waarbij hij de indruk wekt dat hij zelfs wat stemkracht achterhoudt. Ook zorgt voor een prima passende of zelfs helpende muzikale begeleiding. Het rustige Amerikaanse karakter maakt mij niet gelukkig. Maar ik kan mij goed voorstellen dat dit sterren scoort bij liefhebbers van het genre.

Mag ik van jou in de categorie boomerkampvuursingersongwriters James Taylor? Kwartet! Dit kwam echt uit de hoogtijdagen van dit soort muziek, met oa Carole King en de door mij zo verguisde Joni. Alleen waar de stem van Joni bij mij door merg en been gaat, heeft ome Taylor een zoetgevooisder geluid, wat heerlijk zacht aanvoelt. Met als hoogtepunt Fire and Rain, schitterend nummer. Voor fijne muziek hoeft de review niet zo lang te zijn. Prima 4 sterren.

didn't care for it in general

I don't think I'm american enough to appreciate this. Most of this is fine, but both "Steamroller blues" and "Country road" are actively made to annoy me, followed up with a version of "Oh Susannah" - who needed this in their life?

Not my style but I think anyone can appreciate slow songs that get you swaying. The very last song on the album is the best because of the liveliness and saxophone.

Taylor's voice is too smooth for my liking. Overall this is bland and forgettable.

Ouais bof, j'ai déjà écouté mieux en country. Jesus Jesus Jesus mama Jesus lonely cowboy ok la flemme. J'ai bien aimé Blossom quand même.

Franchement c’est sympa, apportez moi mon cheval

Très court, pas une mauvaise écoute mais pas très marquant non plus. Des airs de country qui n'est pas mon style préféré. 3/5

Not my thing

Beautiful instrumentation and songwriting throughout. Taylor plays around with different genres to varying degrees of success. It was hard to accept Steamroller Blues because his voice is just too sweet and friendly for the blues, but once the rest of the band kicked in, I was sold. The album plays out in 30 minutes making it a nice and easy listen. 3.5 stars

Always good. Probably a 4. Not as good as some other James Taylor. Maybe only a 3. I think it’s ok. 3.

Middle of the road, high quality but uninspiring stuff. I couldn’t find much to fault it but it didn’t grip me and I would be hard pushed to remember much of it. Meh.

Very bland for me and didnt stir much reaction. Nothing wrong with it but a weak 3 on basis it sounded pretty dated, rarely inspiring and after trying to listen to it nearly twice I thought if it cant capture me I need to give up. Cant say is terrible though.

A perfect example of the genre. I was surprised to learn that it's so early because it sounds timeless. Really nice singer songwriter vibes with high quality guitar that is at its best when the blues is coming through with a minimal backing band. The song writing is top notch and it's an album that won't ever lose it's appeal. It's a tough one to rate because I don't feel much of an emotional connection but also feel like, for what it is, it couldn't be better. I will score it generously and put it on the list to revisit.

Great bluesy folk album by James Taylor.

One of the classics of this genre and era. I also didn't realize that James Taylor also did some blues. Good album.

Reminds me of my dad. Can’t help but be nostalgic.

a little bit folk, a litte bit blues, a Lotta heart

- I guess I never really listened closely to his work before; I was surprised to come to the realization that, of all the singer-songwriters from this time period, he certainly was the weakest, at least as far as the writing is concerned. Perfectly competent, ultimately bland. He gets a 3 because "Fire and Rain" really is a great piece of songwriting but "Steamroller" is beyond cheesy and equals a minus 1. -

Sweet Baby James Country Road Fire and Rain

This album has some excellent guitar parts, and Taylor’s voice was pleasing to listen to. The more blues focused songs were a little weird to me, but overall it wasn’t bad.

Very relaxing to listen to but it was almost too relaxing and now means I don't remember any of the songs on the album 12 hours later.

some of the acoustic parts played on the bass strings sound good. some nice steel guitar. smug. bland. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

It’s good, it’s fine. I know people went nuts for James Taylor, I’m not sure he stands out to me THAT much. Different time I guess.

My mother is a vehement James Taylor fan, and I heard him while growing up. I never got into him, so I was excited to sit and listen and see if my taste changed in 30+ years. I just don't get it. While Taylor is an extremely gifted singer and songwriter, I just think this is the safest and most inoffensive music possible. That is, it's completely milquetoast, bland, etc. If it were food, I'd eat it and it would fill me up, but I'd be reaching for salt or hot sauce just to feel something. It would be a food served at the old folks home, which the boring suburban elite can eat up between their reruns and not worry about black pepper being too spicy. Perhaps this is too harsh, but it's just disappointing there is absolute no spice or edge here. Disappointing because of the backstory of Taylor being "essentially homeless" and broke when recording and due to his immense talent, so there could have really been deeper messages on capitalism (maybe indirectly with "Suite for 20 G") or loneliness or perseverance, etc. Some spice slips through in "Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me" or "Country Road", and "Fire and Rain" is indeed an excellent song. But overwhelmingly this is a white guy distilling folk, gospel, blues for a mass audience, with standard boring production. Sorry, mom.

There is absolutely nothing cool or interesting about this album

Vilken röst! Men vilka tråkiga låtar!

Kändes rätt oinspirerat och sömnigt.

It's fine and whatever. Some good but meh. 6/10.

Nice, but often cloying

There is something relentlessly likable about James Taylor. No matter how many times I have heard all of his radio hits, I still don’t seem to mind hearing them. And as is often the case in this project, I really dug the deep cuts on this album.

A solid album for those looking for folk and blues. “Steamroller” is better than I remember.

Great voice, but his music's always been too "adult contemporary" for me. I do love Fire and Rain, though, so this one gets 4* from that alone.

Favourite track: Sunny skies, Blossom

Seems like a great coffee shop album. I'd listen to this on a cozy couch with some fancy coffee and just hang out for a while.

I dont have a whole lot to say about this album. It was pleasant, some nice guitar and singing. Nothing mindblowing or super interesting. A bit bland. A completely average 3/5 for me. Standouts were "Lo and Behold," "Steamroller Blues," and "Suite for 20 G."

Might not be prefect but it's a 5 for me.

Ik vind het saai, en alle liedjes lijken op elkaar

Unfortunately did nothing for me - not to say it wasn't good, just not my speed at all.

Nesten en 3er, litt tam

I know this record well. In the Judd Apatow film “ Funny People” it’s quoted that the voice of god would sound like James Taylor. Great collection of songs that showcases the man’s talent. Underrated guitar player. Great poet with a voice to match. Horn section in “Steamroller” was divine. James even gets a little funky towards the end of the album. I love this album.

I enjoyed the listen and would play it again. Great guitar playing and all, but I don’t think any songs really stood out aside from “Lo and Behold” and “Fire and Rain”.

Meh

This album answered so many questions for me. Unfortunately they were questions like 'What if John Denver had been heavily into sleeping pills?' or 'What if Nick Drake had much more confidence, but much less talent?'. Not for me.

I liked his voice and most songs. I didn't know it was so Christian heavy before I started which put me off a little bit. Not a bad album but a bit too sweet and preachy

Great from start to finish. Not a bad song on here.

What a weird album. I got as far Steamroller, and was like "What the hell is this garbage?". I'm glad I looked it up and found out that the track is supposed to be a parody of other shitty blues bands full of white people. This dude is not a blues singer (or is purposefully being shit) and I get that song is supposed to be a statement, but it's unlistenable so I don't really know how I feel about it being on the album. Luckily much of the rest of the album isn't bad at all. Fire and Rain especially is a killer track that I'll be putting in my larger rotation. Overall this is a good country album, but nothing totally mind blowing to me.

An easy listen with some nice and moving tracks. Taylor’s voice is smooth and has a nice blend of country / folk / rock sound. Sweet Baby James, Sunny Skies, and Country Road are the standout tracks for me.

This keeps reminding me of Neil Young but has reminded me: I like old country. This is good! James has a really smooth sweet voice. Oh, Susannah is great. The guitar work is excellent, just playing in along with the casual vocals. Great. Some of the others feel a little more bland. Suite for 20 G, Oh Baby..., and others fall flat but nothing that's unpleasant.

Favorite tracks: Lo and Behold, Sunny Skies, Fire and Rain

Si t’es dans le bon mindset c’est cool

Banger holy crow

This was okay. 2 stars. I do like the sound of the acoustic guitar. I didn't think I'd know any of his songs, but I have definitely heard Fire and Rain.

not all great , but the odd standout here and there

I get it

Surprisingly silly, lots of jokes and skits. But the good songs are amazing.

not for me. steamroller made me intensely uncomfortable keep your cement to yourself creep

51/1089 he’s got a nice voice but it’s really not my style especially with it going down the christian country route on Lo and Behold really wasn’t very enamoured by this one, as i said his voice is good and shines occasionally but just isn’t utilised in a way i love for most of this album. highlight was Oh Baby, Don’t You Loose Your Lip on Me but it was way too short and the only song of it’s style 1 star or 15/100

Хороший софт/фолк-рок альбом з легким кантрі впливом. Дуже теплий звук на альбомі. Після не самої приємної ночі через кончених сусідів було приємно послухати. Додав в бібліотеку бо ще точно повернусь

Щось в мене цей сайт не зберіг попередню рецензію. Якщо коротко - такий фолк я люблю. Ідеальна музика щоб включити вранці в неділю.

Didint like. boring. whatever. who cares

My dad used to sing James Taylor to me when I was little. I think it's mostly nostalgic.

Nice guitar work and a smooth voice with the blues numbers providing a bit of a break from the gentle ballads. Overall, a nice album but I am not sure I will remember any of it by tomorrow.

This had a contender for the best metaphor I’ve heard in a long while - “I’m a cement fixer, a churning urn of burning funk”. Actually quite enjoyed this. Guitar playing was good though restrained although I quite like that it wasn’t too showy here as I thought it fit the aesthetic.

Ok but too slow overall

Quite charming. Never really gotten in to Taylor, although I have heard some bits and pieces. This were perfectly relaxing for my morning commute and I enjoyed listening to it. Not something I’ll come back to that regularly, but I’d certainly not be disappointed if it happened to pop up again. Half decent.

Awesome

Sickly, saccharin sweet? Yes indeed. But I like the smooth, calming qualities of James Taylor's voice, and the musical arrangements on this album, which are understated in the main, but never too spare. In short, I need this album in my Tidal library for those times when I just need to find some serenity, and since I like almost all the songs, I'm giving it five stars.

James Taylor - not really my thing, but obviously iconic folk singer.

Heard some James Taylor songs before. I expected to like this album more but? I didn't care much for most of the songs. Still, something in my brain is telling me to give it 3/5

Classic Americana. Too slow for my taste. Favorite song is Steamroller Blues.

Get the fuck outta here. Couldn’t have started this project off on a worse foot. I’m admittedly predisposed against James Taylor but would have happily been proven wrong. I knew the treacle — but the bad white boy blues? A cover of “Oh Susannah?” Good lord. “Country Road” and “Fire & Rain” are the only remotely salvageable pieces of this poorly sequenced, slapdash piece of Boomer nonsense, and believe me that’s damning it with faint praise. Silver linings: it’s only a half hour long, and things can only go up from here [smash cut to, I dunno, Peter, Paul & Mary] 💣

Nice enough. A bit wishy washy.

How I thought it would sound.

Esto es lo primero que escucho de James Taylor, artista que solo conocía por su nombre. Es por eso por lo que me esperaba algo más de su música, al ser una figura tan reconocida. Este es otro disco más de cantautor/folk americano que tanto se publicaba en esa época. Por poner un ejemplo, en sonidos similares prefiero a Harry Nilsson. 3/5

This was really nice. Taylor has such a silky smooth voice, it's incredible. I'm very familiar with the hit radio single from this album but I hadn't heard much of the rest. Oh Susannah took me by surprise, I loved it! Altogether a very high quality release.

I love Fire and Rain so I had high expectations for the rest of the album, which it failed to live up to. Initially intended to give this a 4, but I think if I’d come at this having never heard any of the songs before, I’d enjoy Fire and Rain enough to give it a 5, so that’s what I’ll do.

Fair play if you want a lovely bit of melody, JT is your guy. It also started raining on my run as soon as Fire and Rain came on. Was nice. Simpsons: Yes

Was alright, not good enough for a second listen though.

Yeah it’s good stuff

This is another 3 for me. Yes, there are at least a couple very good songs, but I also feel like James Taylor really sanded out too many rough edges from folk and turned it into something that mostly just feels like adult contemporary to me - made to be completely inoffensive and "radio folk."

Album No. 0026 on my list. This was a decent, but not very spectacular album. I've never heard anything by James Taylor before, and I liked the overall vibe of this album. For some reason, I found it nice that all the songs are relatively short - this is really an easy listen. Interestingly, I'm not a big fan of "Fire and Rain", the album's arguably most famous song. I like "Steamroller Blues" and "Suite for 20 G" much better. Overall, no other songs stood out to me too much. But as written above, this is a solid, decent, charming little album. 3/5 stars.

Nah

Pues tiene algunas canciones buenas, pero el disco es irregular y la producción realmente pobre. Es una pena, porque Taylor es un formidable guitarrista y no se aprecia su técnica en su esplendor. Creo que podría haber sido un disco mucho mejor con otra producción y selección de canciones.

Easy on the ears but nothing really remarkable on for me. Weak three stars. favourite: "Country Road", "Suite for 20 G" 2,5

I hate country music, and even at half an hour this album felt like a slog

What a sweet record and voice.

Not a huge JT fan, always thought his music was more background/elevator/doctor's office feel with a few solid hits but I liked this one. Can't say I remember too many details since it did fade into the background.

James Taylor è un altro di quei giganti del cantautorato americano che mi ha accompagnato durante tutta la mia infanzia e tutto ciò che scrive è per me l'equivalente di una carezza. Country Road e Fire and Rain sono meravigliose e militano da anni nella mia playlist, bravo James, ti voglio sinceramente bene.

Album che sa di innocenza di infanzia. Ne basterebbero due per fare il voto, ma complessivamente è davvero bello.

Not familiar with James Taylor, but this is really pleasant stuff. The vocals and songwriting are nice throughout and the guitar-playing really stands out on some of the songs (Country Road, Fire And Rain). I've heard Fire And Rain before and it really is a wonderful song. It's easily my favorite track here. The next best would be the title track or Country Road. While it was enjoyable, I struggle to get this to the 4 territory. There might be 2 or 3 songs that stand out where I want to relisten, while the rest fell into the background. Definitely right on the border, so I'm going with a High 3.

I have heard of James Taylor, but know very little about the guy. Gotta say, this was a very enjoyable album. This is billed as "folk rock" but I feel like most of this blurs a boundary into blues / alt-country. Vocals are pleasant and the guitar play is, at times, fantastic. Can't say it kept my attention all the way through, but it was quality background music. For that I'll say this is the absolute highest 3 I could give. Title track is a melancholy storytelling affair. Very pretty with the weeping country guitars and piano. Sunny Skies is a delightfully languid sounding song. Sounds almost like a happy Nick Drake song. Blossom is a favorite of mine from the back half. Nothing revolutionary, just a well-written song that is well-sung. Oh Baby, and Suite for 20 G both features some fantastic fretwork to close out the album.

Did not expect to like this as much as I did going into this. Never really listened to James Taylor but I expected more of a Bob Dylan vibe. It's definitely in that realm, but his voice is incredible and the rock aspect of it all was great on top of it all. This album flew by in a good way. Might have to start calling my brother Sweet Baby Van Vechten

Sweet baby Me. This was an extremely solid folk album. Fire and Rain always is a great song to listen to. Suite for 20g sounds nothing like the rest of the album but was a cool jazzy way to finish the album

Steamroller coming in HOT with those horns. That was some good ass folk rock there. Knew a few of the songs and they sounded great in the context of the album. We have been on a heater recently and I'm here for it.

Way too saccharine for my tastes.

The folks songs are fine, but the "blues" songs are peak cringe. I can't think of anyone further from being, "A churning urn of burning funk" than James Taylor. I just don't really understand the point of this type of homogenized third person story music.

This album is really a cohesive one and he's a master of words.

Great album!

Gostei. Conhecia algumas músicas, mas não é algo para ouvir no dia a dia.

I was forced to listen to a fair amount of James Taylor as a child, and never enjoyed it, and this album did not change my mind. The best parts of the album merely reach forgettable and inoffensive, and on the whole it sounds like a cross between Raffi and Neil Young (who, to be clear, I do like). Sunny Skies and Blossom are straight up Raffi, and the only way I can try and process Steamroller is as satire. I can’t imagine anyone being able to unironically enjoy hearing James Taylor, who sounds like if Mr. Rogers decided to quit TV and embark on a folk music career, sing that he’s going to “inject your soul with some sweet rock n’ roll and shoot you full of rhythm and blues” and call himself “churning urn of burning funk”, “a hefty hunk of steaming junk”, and a “napalm bomb just guaranteed to blow your mind”. Like, sorry bro, you are maybe the whitest person alive, you are not cut out for singing the blues. He’s just entirely toothless and so incredibly middle of the road. He’s like if cottage cheese was a singer.

I get it, FKA James Taylor is just about the most mellow rock star around. So mellow, I filtered him out of my lifelong algorithm. However, this record presented another perspective. Although his voice rivals the serene and docile sensation of an Ambien tablet, the selection and rendition of originals and blues/folk standards conveys a jubilation for rousing musical inspiration like 'Blues Brothers' and 'O Brother, Where Art Thou.' The way he salves my spirit with 'Steamroller' and gently breaks my heart with 'Oh, Susannah' and long for his velvety swat to the jaw with 'Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me.' There's the slightest chance he set all of this together ironically, and that would be alright.

nice

My parents stereo in the early to mid70s. Fire & Rain elevates this measurably.

MOR

Middle of the road music. So middle it makes you ache for more.

JT lures you in with simplicity and clarity... and charms you. It is quite disarming. I don't think I have listened to JT for the last 30 years, but the album still sound good, and even if nostalgia gives it a push, it is good listening, for sure. It may not push any boundaries, but again, simplicity can have great value.

Four of his best songs and the rest are all okay too. 5 stars or A-.

James Taylor is a Classic

Mellow and smooth

A little bluesy, a little folky, a little country. Very nice.

This is a 3.5 but I’ll round up because I listened to greatest hits a lot in college.

I hate james taylor

I can’t believe this is my first James Taylor album listen. Beautiful stuff.

3.8 - good, but got quite samey

Pretty nice, don’t have much to say about it though. A standard sort of three and a half 3.5/5

01) Sweet Baby James - 7,0 02) Lo and Behold - 6,5 03) Sunny Skies - 6,0 04) Steamroller - 6,5 05) Country Road - 7,0 06) Oh, Susannah - 7,0 07) Fire and Rain - 7,5 08) Blossom - 6,0 09) Anywhere Like Heaven - 6,0 10) Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip on Me - 6,0 11) Suite for 20 G - 7,0 TOTAL: 6,59 (66/100)

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.

I like the way he goes for mixing up the styles a bit and his voice and the overall vibe are pleasant but in the end this tends towards bland. Nice

good old country folk music. ни дать ни взять

Background music? Goes by so quick, only one line from Fire and Rain caught me.

I’m not sure I’ll ever understand the full shtick here; James has the vocal prowess to accomplish his objective, however the objective is either soft rock, blues, or country jangling. The blues especially feels flat, almost insincere. While the music itself is highly produced and recorded, I swear the quality is exceptional for a 1970s record. Otherwise, this is just decent music to be interlaced into classic stations.

Just outstanding

Ooh smooth crooner. Going back in the James Taylor archives here. Love Blues but could do with a bit more rhythm for me (love Steamroller)

Personal opinion: 1/5 -1 Sappy -1 Country music -1 Americana -1 Too much “oh lord” and thick accent that is typically shared by people with strongly opposed political views to me Opinion with atheist and anti-American biases aside: 3/5 The record is well done and James Taylor is obviously talented. I would rather drive in silence than listen to this on a long roadtrip but I understand why it’s award-winning.

It didn't click with me that much. Neat to listen to for the piece of history at least

Overall a very good album. Steamroller is bad, though. And Oh Susannah is unnecessary. Fire and Rain is amazing

He was tall, hot and he had a sweet voice Cute, slow album

This is the type of album this list is for! Such a good album. His voice is incredible.

Pretty chill. Not a huge fan of Jame's voice, but good album for the right time.

Solde gut zu hörendes Country Album mit seichtem aber schlüssigem Konzept. Gerne mal wieder.

How does James Taylor write brilliant & deeply meaningful lyrics like "Fire & Ice" yet writes the juvenile "Steamroller." For every sophisticated production "Country Road" there's two trite tales of "Sunny Skies" & "Blossom." THe blues songs are nauseating and somewhat insulting. There's brilliance here but its only 3 or 4 songs, the rest is forgettable and poor effort.

Not my vibe but certain songs were kinda good! Overall it was too Christian and country for me.

This was a good album, I always liked James taylor but I've only really listened to the hits so it was cool hearing a whole album!

Fire and Rain was such a great song from my youth! Wasn't crazy about and of the other songs.

great album, gets fun at the end

James Taylor has a voice that is like your favorite t-shirt… very familiar without being feeling too worn. Soft but appealing. Loved this

Great album consensus is it's a 5 star record. I think there are a couple of tunes that are a little lightweight

Zzzzzz

Noget af det var ret catchy men altså, det var jo ikke noget særligt

Very listenable. Folk, country, blues elements. Ååååååh Susanne vil du gifte dig med mig?

Except for the inclusion of a few fun blues moments and, of course, the one song everyone knows… I might have zoned this completely out. I’m sure this really spoke to people in 1970, but I couldn’t connect to it this morning. “Steamroller”: love the blues but glad there’s a guitar on his lap hiding the boner. “Fire and Rain”: the hit. This was definitely a go to for creepy autistic guitar guys at parties in the 70’s. “… Oh Baby, Don’t You Loose Your Lip on Me”: another blues banger just to prove he can be Miracle Whip when he isn’t so determined to be regular ass Mayonnaise. “Suite for 20 G”: there was money for other musicians this whole time? We really did all that boring bedtime music just to finish the albums with drums and horns??? Borderline unforgivable.

Another country/folk singer songwriter on this list. Again. Granted, his voice is great, and the guitar works are not bad, too. It is still not my kind of music.

This was very pleasant and then every now and then the religion would hit me in the face, which I was not expecting. An easy enough listen but one I wouldn’t probably listen to again.

That was awful. A lot of country and folk music conjures up images of a mythical world of freedom and justice and whatever. To me it sounded like stolen music listened to by white men with red necks and racist thoughts.

This was light rock/easy listening, but man James Taylor has a great singing voice. Only knew ‘Fire and Rain’ but really loved the title track, what another great discovery courtesy of 1001.. only song I didn’t like was ‘Steamroller Blues’ - decent song but did not suit his voice imo. Overall really nice listen, 4.5/5 had a great time with this one

James Taylor has such an incredible voice. So good that his songs can stand on their own with just his voice and some simple guitar in the background. Always a great artist to throw in the background and there's no songs you want to skip. I enjoyed some of the more soulful songs on this album and Fire and Rain is one of the greatest songs of all time. 8/10 (4/5)

A lot of talk about Jesus. Was he so Vain? The album was alright, just not my thing.

Country folk... this list seems to really enjoy country folk. This one wasn't too bad but heavily plays into the country stereotype with its lyrics.

Honestly doesn’t feel too impactful, there are a million dudes with a guitar making simple songs with more aura than this.

I always thought James Taylor was just a soft-singing folk artist. Boy this album turned that opinion around. There really isn't a bad track on this thing. Love it.

Nice, gonna listen again soon

Average quality material about cowboys and that. He can play and sing , but says nothing interesting

Lovely voice but the material is generally weak.

An interesting mix of traditional folk, blues and rock n roll. Taylor has a warm pleasant voice which makes for a very comfortable half hour but rarely tips over into electrifying brilliance. The highly arresting Fire and Rain is the exception to this which pairs a clarity of storytelling with extra oomph and drama in both the melody and production.

A low 3 from me, i like the vibe and on the right day i could really enjoy this but no real highlights

It's about as chill as I expected, but the vocals are very, very pleasant to listen to.

I may be a sucker for this kind of singer songwriter music as my Mom had the James Taylor greatest hits record on repeat at my house, but even if so this is a classic.

Enjoyed this. Nice easy breezy listen. Especially the stretch from Oh Susanna to Blossom

Great bluesy folk album by James Taylor. The guitar work is superb, and his voice is angelic. Fire and Rain is a classic for a reason, and it still resonates, while many other songs on the album are composed, played, and sung beautifully.

Another classic folk rock album that sounds like John Denver. Not very exciting, but a nice listen I guess.

Lovely classic.

Better than I expected, because I'd pigeon-holed James Taylor as looking dated and naff in the 80s, and had never actually listened to anything. Saying that, it doesn't exactly sound like a guy who'd done a lot of living in his late teens - I was surprised to read about the heroin, etc - it sounded very "safe" to me. He has a great voice and plays guitar really well, and there are some lovely melodic passages; the blues attempts are less successful. Overall, a bit too nice for me.

Bland and boring, I really struggled to finish this album.

Mixed bag. The slow songs at the beginning are a bit boring. But, once you get halfway and the band kicks in it picks up steam. The blues track is a bit cringy.

Extremely talented guitar player, composer, lyricist, and singer. Rare talent Anywhere like heaven is a veritable country rock classics I’m not the biggest fan of his blues tracks (don’t you loose your lip on me, steamroller blues) of course great guitar work and good vocal range it just feels a little silly Standout tracks - Sweet Baby James, Anywhere But Heaven, Oh Susannah, Fire And Rain James Taylor owns the space of acoustic + drum + piano + country guitar solo Palatably complex acoustic guitar — best guitar is in anywhere but Heaven

good (not for me)

this feels a little like a dish that's missing seasoning. its not bad and i could eat it, but it will be lacking that kick of spice. perhaps it would be more enjoyable if i was in a different mood. enjoyed steamroller blues the most bc well, blues.

thought it was pretty normal but i like most of the songs, lyrics were touching me and i felt wrapped in a hug

My first reaction was disappointment and dread and that was proven to be the right expectation. Obviously I've heard the typical James Taylor songs but never really delved into his catalog. When a "cover" of Oh Susannah came on I thought it was a joke or it was going to someplace else, but no, it was just James Taylor singing about a banjo on his knee. Excruciating.

Great album. Favourite track is Steamroller 4/5

James Taylor is a national treasure, and this is a sweet baby fastball of an album. I've loved Fire and Rain since I was young, and it’s surrounded on this record by gem after gem.

This just made me happy. It was groovy and beautiful and I enjoyed every song! Will absolutely listen again

Very soothing, lovely

I grew up on this album with Sweet Baby James being a bedtime song. For nostalgia purposes 5/5. But I also love James Taylor’s guitar playing. You hear a song of his and instantly know whose it is.

Loved it! Want to spend more time with this one. Wasn't too familiar with him before listening. He has an amazing voice and didn't feel repetitive like many other similar albums.

4/5

I don't know if "Oh Susannah" was a necessary song to put in there. I think of it more of a happy kids' song, not the somber thing JT put together. It's a nice folksy album, I have always liked James Taylor's voice. And it has the HIT on it as well. Top tracks: "Sweet Baby James," "Steamroller Blues," "Fire and Rain," "Suite For 20G"

I am pretty sure my dad had this album and it was on regular play. And I have always loved Fire and Rain - I know I'm not alone - what an amazing song. Country Road is another fave from this album. But man, James Taylor is a wuss. Pretty much every other song sounds like a breezy, upbeat, "golly ain't life swell?" kind of vanilla folk. And I know some of the songs aren't happy lyrics but he still sounds like a one trick pony. There's a time for that and his songs are uplifting. But there's no depth or complexity to what he does. So I can't go higher than a 3.

Mostly harmless. Nothing bad, but very little that makes me want to rate it above a 3 (Fire and Rain is a beautiful song, and rightly a classic, though). Light folk interspersed with country and blues sounds. To the latter, he veers into the cultural misappropriation zone, particularly in Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip on Me and the end of Suite for 20 G. Seriously: "Good God / Looky here, looky here!"?? Stay in your lane, James. Favorite tracks: Lo and Behold, Fire and Rain.

Not much of a cunt try music fan but I did like his dabbling into blues and funk. The funk song easily my favourite

The epitome of mom rock. Safe listening. Has some good parts, but best to take in small doeses if necessary.

Very boring and he even did covers. What's the point?

James Taylor's voice is so smooth he made me forget this was country. Rating: 3

Not bad but not really my cup of tea.

Boring

I have never felt whiter than when I was listening to this.

Ooooof. I feel so conflicted. This is NOT good but by jolly "Fire and Rain" is catchy as hell isn't it.

Sweet Baby James is definitely a pretty decent album. I'd say that every single track was written, performed and produced well as none of them have anything i really dislike about them. However, my main issue with this album is just the fact its not all that special. Outside of both Steamroller Blues and Suite for 20 G, there isn't really any standout tracks on offer. They are all still good songs but i think they are ones i will forget in a not very long amount of time. I definitely do not think that this is a bad album at all but this is a case where i am really running out of things to say about it. It is good, just not very memorable. Best Song: Suite for 20 G Worst Song: Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip on Me

Listened via YouTube music in the truck. Had heard most of these songs before from his best of album but the other tracks were really good if not a bit more country bluesy than the singles. Very much still a classic.

ähm, ja. singer/songwriter mit blueseinflüssen. geht so.

Ruhig und schön.

I’ve just never liked James Taylor. Something about the voice. But I recognize his impact. Please I love the fact that he references Stockbridge/the Berkshires in his songs. Lots of love for Stockbridge.

Fine but boring. A couple songs I enjoyed but rest didn’t stick with me.

Which one?

On the face I would have liked this - only it shudders between overly twee, uncomfortably religious, and misogyny disgusted as romance. Even if you can ignore all this the music is bland and the lyrics as simply bad writing - too many examples of unintentional hilarity and attempts at half-rhyme which leave you cringing. Left me feeling sticky and gross.

Easy listening, not a bad album, a few good tracks.

If you think Cat Stevens is too metal, this is your guy.

Not a bad folk album from a guy I've never heard of. Some of it veers a little on the country side, but never so much that it becomes boring or monotune. There's also some blues elements and more rock-like songs as well. Plenty of Jesus as well, enough to notice but not so much that you start to get the feeling you're listening to a Christian rock album. Not sure if I'll go back to this album, but might save a song or two for a playlist. 3/5

I had high expectations for this album, and it disappointed me a bit. A few of the sounds sounded like Fire and Rain and it just fell a little flat for me.

Pleasantly surprised that I liked this one. His voice blends really well with the acoustic guitar. The title track was probably my favorite.

I expected to pan this for my memory as a kid of James Taylor being total cheese ball band my parents forced upon us. I was very surprised to find I kept tuning into it, getting sucked into his lyrics, voice, guitar playing, instrumentation. This was way better than I expected. 1001 list has paid off once again, getting me to revisit a pre-conceived notion with fresh eyes.

Lindo Album

An album that simultaneously sounds sunny and joyful on the surface and conceals a dark undercurrent below. Brilliant!!

A few songs are a bit too sentimental for my tastes, but overall the album is a good fit for this list - Taylor is, after all, a singer/songwriter.

Beautiful start to the album, which ended way more blusey than I ever expected JT to get.

Older 70s ish vibes or running through a flower field with your gal sally sue dreaming about root beer floats for a nickel

I expected to like this a lot more than I actually did. It was kind of quirky, so I'm giving it 3 stars, but I was expecting 5 to be honest.

I like Steamroller Blues!

Y'know, it came as a small surprise to me to find out that James Taylor had written "Steamroller Blues". Like, "Huh — really? For real?" Until now, I'd only thought of it as strictly a Vegas-era Elvis song, all pumped full of that glitzy cheese he'd grown so fond of. Which, I mean, let me tell you, is exactly why I like it so much. It's one of the best Vegas-era Elvis songs, if you ask me. It really does feel like a steamroller with how powerfully it can plow through. Jus, mm, it's so good. So imagine me finally listening to the original recording and finding out just how... Weak it feels by comparison. And, y'know, it's an unfair comparison, I get that. Putting the way Elvis can belt next to James Taylor's "typical sensitive folk singer-songwriter voice..." By my standards, Taylor could never compare. I'm aware of that. Though, just as well, I can't say like it doesn't represent a way I feel about the album as a whole. Like, look, it's far from a bad album. For one, for having that "typical voice," Taylor does it really well. I'm not gonna knock him on that front. And, y'know, most of the album is this country-tinged folk material, but there is a fair bit of variety to keep things from getting boring. There's "Steamroller Blues", of course (which, by the way, for the record is a parody), but "Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me" is a nice sub 2-minute, blues-ish interlude, and "Suite For 20 G" is a big, fun album closer. Plus, the lyrics, from what I was able to read and comprehend (AuDHD brain, for those who're reading one of my reviews for the first time) seem pretty nice. However, my problem with this album is that most of it just comes off to me as, like... Soft. Which I don't mean as a completely damning criticism or anything; more just in the sense that, like, nothing on here ever really rose about being just "pleasant." And of course, there's worse things to be than that, but it makes it a little hard for me to hook onto, y'know? Like, you come back around to "Steamroller Blues" and it just doesn't hit as hard as I think it should. Really, the only time the album does get there for me is "Suite For 20 G", and by that time, well... Still, I'unno, I don't feel like being too hard on it just for that — unlike some people around here, y'know. Even if it's a bit too pillowy for me to be fully engaged, the instrumentation is great, it makes sure to vary itself up, and Taylor comes across as a fine singer and songwriter, so... Sure, fine. I'll give it a nod of recommendation and a pass. Just know that, personally, I'll be returning to Elvis's cover of "Steamroller Blues" plenty more times than I will this.

Damn. Mr. Taylor can write some good ass folk. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 5. I have a healthy appreciation for James Taylor, but as more of a two-hit wonder in my brain: “Fire and Rain” off of this album, & his cover of “You’ve Got A Friend” from its follow-up. I always figured I’d like the guy, and I knew he had a little more of a place in music than those two tracks, they’re just the ones that come to mind. Boy, am I glad this is on the list to finally kick my ass into listening to him: this was great. The first tracks here are really good, if a little more guitar-heavy off the top, but once “Steamroller Blues” opens up the soundscape to a new world of possibilities, this album rides into an even nicer stride. Hell, the final 5 tracks that end this thing are a fantastic stretch. If I have any missteps here, it might just be that the “Oh, Susannah” cover feels out of place; it could’ve been cut, and it would make for a remarkable run from Steamroller Blues to the end of the album. Beyond that though, I really have no complaints. James Taylor’s vocals glide like silk on these tracks, adapting to the mood & tone of any track on a whim. Even though the guitar is his main anchor, they both blend wonderfully into the instrumentation this album throws in, especially on the funky section that ends the album on “Suite for 20 G”. Even when it’s just him & his guitar, it’s still captivating & malleable all the same; something like “Oh Baby, Don’t You Loose Your Lip on Me” strikes me as a sort of lo-fi Muddy Waters. His songwriting is great too; I especially want to give a nod to “Anywhere Like Heaven”, which just clicked wonderfully for me, but there’s some strong, strong lines throughout this whole thing. It’s an extremely tight 32 minutes, and it says everything it wants to say & more. Again, outside of “Oh, Susannah” being here (which is just a personal preference more than anything), I think you can’t pace the album any better than that. I really enjoyed this, and I’m glad James Taylor is no longer a two-hit wonder in my brain. If it’s a little too bubbly at times, I can understand giving it a 3 or 4, but for my tastes, this is a very easy 5. I feel like I gotta listen to the follow-up now, even if it’s not on the list.

Good songs, meh singing. This could be a 4 star album with a different singer on it.

Only actually does something in the final song but overall it's fine

When he tries to step out of soft rock (whether it be blues like "Steamroller" or folk like "Oh Susannah), the results are pretty dire. As long as he's sticking to soft rock, it's fine enough, but mostly it makes me wish I had gotten Tapestry today instead. Oh well, at least this has "Fire and Rain", and Carole King playing piano.

Sweet Baby James and Fire & Rain are all time greats but the rest is mid tier

Surprisly great. Chill, good melodies, and it was catchy. I will be digging into more of is work

Good but in my opinion not he's best.

Better 4,5

Listened to this so much growing up. Great lyrics. James Taylor is timeless. Not necessarily my thing these days. But it’s pretty solid album. 3.95

Light to DECENT 7. Definition of nice once you've reached the point in your life when you don't use that description as an insult

Sweet Baby James is often hailed as a landmark album that helped define the singer-songwriter genre. Its historical importance is undeniable, but personally, I find it a difficult and somewhat dull listen. The album is simple yet beautiful in moments. Taylor’s guitar playing is understated—softly spoken, almost whispering beneath his vocals. This allows his lyrics and the emotion behind them to really shine. However, the overall pace of the album feels sluggish, almost as if it’s constantly waiting to get going but never quite does. Favourite Tracks: Sweet Baby James, Fire and Rain Least Favourite: Nothing stands out as bad; the album is consistently mellow. Album Artwork: A standard folk aesthetic—nothing remarkable, but fitting for the genre.

My favorite era of James Taylor and even the little known tracks on this are great. Easy 5 stars

I've always been a big fan of James Taylor. Great songwriter, guitar player and singer. But, although this is a very good album, I don't think he had hit his stride yet. For me, that wouldn't happen until a few albums later. That being said, this is still a brilliant album.

I promised my wife I'd give this album a 1 because James Taylor's voice has always creeped her out. She describes his shallow weak vocals as "singing like he doesn't have a throat" (I don't disagree). The instrumentals were passable most of the time, but otherwise found this dull with his singing being what pulled it down further. 1.4/5 - > 1/5

This one is a really easy listen but beyond 2-3 tracks there isn’t that much that particularly stands out. It’s very much a middle of the road but solid album. Top Track - Steamroller

Gostei

Nice production. A little too clean? easy listening and nice roadtrip vibes

Not bad but very samey and uninspiring. Pretty much every song is just soft vocals over acoustic guitar, which for me is not that interesting. 5/10

Cool but, sorry James Taylor, just a 3.

Listened to the entire album and only knew one song ‘fire and rain’. Not really my type of music so 2 stars