Reviews (page 4 of 8)
This was a difficult one to rate because some songs are *really* good but others are just generic melodies with honey syrup. More blues and grass would have been a better choice. However, in the end the album manages to encapsulate the 70s as a whole.
4,5. I dneska to zní moderně.
This was a pleasant listening experience, smooth and subtle. Really not much to say against it.
Essential singer songwriter record. The couple of blues tracks and the moments with big band horns didn't really age as well as the rest, but the straightforward folk/country rock songs are sweet, smart, and relatable. Definitely a timeless album and very nostalgic for me, reminds me of sitting around the house or riding in my mom's van as a kid.
I liked this. Come back to this album at some point for another listen
This is pretty mellow for my liking. It also is my first James Taylor album. I know him. Never listened to him though. Not bad. Not something I’d be to interested in listening to regularly. It feels timeless and dated at the same time. ‘Fire and Rain’ is a great song. But that’s about it for me on this one. For a greatest album, I feel like it should have more hits or really sticky songs. Cormac called it pleasant. But why am I listening this country stuff? 3.5/5 75/100
gostei do som da bateria. Eu conhecia o nome dele, mas acho que nunca tinha ouvido. Gostei do som, do estilo. Dá pra ver de onde muitos outros artistas de Folk Rock mais recente se inspiram,
That was just a really good album. James is very talented songwriter and, while I'm not a fan of steel guitar, the performances were pretty great as well. I kept finding myself wanting to dislike it because it felt a bit cheesy... But I couldn't dislike it. It just has such a nice vibe that it's hard to dislike.
Fire and Rain is one of the greatest songs. I remember the first time and with whom I heard it the first time. Good memories. And, Carol King playing piano.
Liked it a lot. Fire and rain is brilliant
The folk pop songs on this are pretty great. The "blues" songs are not.
This album gets 4 stars for the HOF Fire and Rain alone, with Country Road another good track. But it’s not an album that keeps my interest from start to finish and for that, 4 stars.
I think James Taylor is a great songwriter and I initially thought I'd be giving this album a 5/5. The standout tracks on this album are massive standouts for me, however, this album actually has some skip tracks for me as well. Some of the more bluesy songs I'm not as into. If I could I would probably give this album a 3.5, though since I know how strong James Taylor's output can be I'll round up to 4. Standout Tracks: Sweet Baby James, Country Road, Fire and Rain, Anywhere like Heaven, Suite for 20 G
Easy. Nice. Short.
The original JT! So smooth. Iconic.
It's stating the bloody obvious but I love the simplicity of singer songwriters. No clutter, no fuss. Just the songs and a stripped down approach to music. It's a very honest way of working and shows a great belief in your own talents. James Taylor carries this off effortlessly. There's a real mix of styles here, but the singer songwriter thing holds it all together. Some of the gospel reminded me of Alabama 3 - without the drugs; there was also nursery rhyme style chants that were oddly appealing. Steamroller Blues shows that JT has a sense of humour. I had no idea this was the original. I only previously knew the Elvis cover. Four stars on the first listen, probably five once I become more familiar with the songs.
Love James Taylor. This album has my favorite song by him, "Fire and Rain"
What an interesting album. James Taylor is a great songwriter with a very nice voice, but the style can get a little redundant to listen to after a minute. But then, out of nowhere, two big band tracks break up the monotony. I liked this a lot. Favorite track: Suite for 20 G
симпатичное из 70х немного/много кантри
I did really enjoy this
Sweet, beautiful, melancholic and peaceful.
Simple and fantastic! Great songwriting and he has a beautiful, effortless voice
Great voice and songwriting. The country wasn't too country, the blues were fun, the rest was pretty good too.
This music is so smooth, it's like landing on a soft pillow. "Fire and Rain" is a very moving song, I've heard it many times and it still hits me when I hear it.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I’m all for this old school folk/country. It probably helped I was driving on a highway for most of it, so it just worked well.
Sweet (Baby James) album. Can't go wrong with JT. 4/5.
Really liked this one
An enjoyable album, would be good on a road trip or a porch.
Love me some James
Classic.
Nice to chill out to
Much better than expected, and more variety too. A classic!
Steamroller was unexpected after the first three tracks, and demonstrates a potential for a greater variety of material. It is a shame that the album rests purely on standard country influenced ballads with the exception of Steamroller and Oh Baby, Don't you loose your lip on me (where he manages a very convicing Steve Miller impersonation). Not really in my wheelhouse but very competently done and worthy of respect on it's own terms. Can anyone explain why Fire and Rain has 250 million + streams?
It’s a really decent folk-singer-songwriter album nicely surprised by it… Side one as a whole is amazing with the title track as an opener being an amazing display of his sound kinda reminding me a bit of Nick Drake; but this is nothing in comparison to the 3 track run of Lo and behold (an otherwise stander song but has an amazing “happy clappy chorus), the upbeat sunny skies (a song that sounds destined to be a single (which thankfully it was)) and the bluesy bash steamroller. Country road has to be one of the most instrumentally pleasing tracks that I’ve herd in a long time like sunny skies it sounds like a single. Ending the side is the short and tender oh Susanna. Fire and rain begins side two with this man’s best song a perfect mix of enjoyable yet passionate! Blossom is another banger instrumentally it’s so lovely. Anywhere like heaven is also amazing I love the picking on this one. The worst track ( oh baby, don’t lose your lip on me) follows ( luckily this one is fairly short). Suite for 20g is a brilliant closer a track that goes from sombre and folky to a “rock and roll” tune. It’s probably a 4, but very close to a 5.
Some classic tunes here. Fire and Rain, of course is an all-time great song. Country Road and the title track are also favorites of mine. I prefer the live version of Steamroller Blues, but this one is still fun. JT has a really great blues feel and throws it around in many spots. His jazzy bluegrass on Oh Susanna is another great example of his great musicianship.
So many memories of my childhood are tied up in this album.
Not a long album, but packed with reliably good folk with blends of country and blues, interesting singing and overall good listening.
Warm and calming voice, Gentle soft rock, Easy listening
Cosy and very sweet to listen to. Highly liked to listen to the whole thing.
Catchy stuff Really dig it all. Good voice and talented writer Chad stokes of the 70s
Love me some smooth as silk JT. Legend.
Much better than I thought. Listened twice and it generated some good follow-up
"Sweet Baby James" is the second studio album for James Taylor. James was essentially homeless at the time of the recording and this album made him one of the biggest singer-songwriters at the time. Descriptors are folk, soft rock, country and soft rock. You hear all that at different times. I guess I knew what I was in for, somewhat. This is very listenable and good even if it's not exactly my main style of music. Although, I'm not sure what my main style style of music is nowadays. It probably hits the spot with all the other styles of music I heard at Lollapalooza. I sure didn't come across a folk singer or a James Taylor there. The album starts with "Sweet Baby James and sets the tone with a folk song about a cowboy. "Steamroller" is more blues-focused with horns and is one of my favorite songs on the album. The first single "Fire and Rain" starts side two. Great lyrics and is the one song I think of when James Taylor is mentioned. I love the sadly beautiful piano matching the lyrics perfectly. The second and final single "Anywhere Like Heaven" continues the folk-style and the guitar gives this more of a country feel. The album ends with a more rockin' song "Suite for 20 G." A song he needed to finish for the album and is one of the best on the album with a great guitar jam and horns. I enjoyed listening to this album. It is solidly produced and musically executed. It is easy to see why it was successful. I enjoyed the more bluesy songs which I didn't expect. His voice fits perfectly.
Former president James Taylor may have the most pleasant voice of all time. Just a nice folk album to listen to on a rainy day. "Ant's huh? We had quite a severe ant problem at the vineyard this year. I had Art Garfunkel come by with his compressor, and we created a total vacuum outside the house, and we blew the ants out the front door. But I'm sure you high-tech NASA people could care less about our resort-town ways."
Love this album! Classic, sweet, fun...
I was ready to rate this low, but just got better as the album went on!
Grew up on this, the greatest hit songs are timeless, the rest are a bit weak but a 4 nonetheless.
Sonzao legal
Beautiful amazing album. The reason it's a 4 instead of 5 is due to the fact it has cover songs. I wish it was all originals.
Se me hizo de lo más agradable que nos ha tocado del estilo singer-songwriter: una voz bonita y sin exageraciones, buenos arreglos para todos los instrumentos pero en especial para la guitarra, momentos un tanto blueseros mientras que otros son totalmente country y hacen una buen balance. Los puntos bajos fueron la carga religiosa (que es de esperarse en el género, zona y época) y la de "Oh, Susannah" que no logro tomar en serio.
good country music, lots of emotion
Beautiful
This is the epidemy of slipping into a hot soapy bath with a glass of your favourite beverage (up to you). The music's soft nature in Sweet Baby James has a ring of melancholy and despair to it, which reflects Taylor's lyrics very well I find. Never heard one of his songs before and only knew him from The Simpsons and the fact he inspired the opening lyrics of George Harrison's Something. But have that aside from a few meh blues numbers, it's a welcome addition to my Spotify. Really enjoyed Fire and Rain, and the title track the most.
Lovely, and all jokes aside he makes a fine album.
Sweet, baby james!
Country-tinged singer-songwriter music does not sound like my bag, but damn this is a beauty. Lovely song writing. Great voice, great music which draws from blues, country and folk. How does he make songs about cowboys and Jesus sound so profound? 4*
Ljúft og gott. Þægileg rödd. Góð nærvera í tónlistinni.
4.1 - Listening to James Taylor sing the blues reminds of the South Park episode where Butters becomes a pimp. If he weren't so damn good at it, it'd be hilariously awful but instead it ends up being pretty awesome and endearing. Standouts: "Steamroller", "Fire and Rain", "Suite for 20 G."
3.5
Call me an old softie, but I do love me a bit of James Taylor. And Sweet Baby James was my son's baby song.
The first half is random country music; the second half is pretty good acoustic rock.
Solid
Fantastic group of folk songs mixed with a tinge of jazz and country, interesting he was dating Joni Mitchell at this point. There was some strong tracks but it isn’t a five stars for me:)
Good album. Would listen again
Some great songs
Smooth, beautiful baritone, amazing and very individual guitar style. As laid back as it is possible to get.
chilled out country and western, what's not to like!
My mom loves James Taylor- he’s very chill- kinda made me want to road trip with the windows down-
Great stuff. Not something I'd listen to just anytime, but a perfect album for, say, a Sunday morning.
Mescalito
Very enjoyable, relaxing
Just a good singer songwriter. No edge but some nice country and blues elements. Enjoyed listening to this one and will come back to it.
shockingly, fire and rain are not THAT much better than the rest of the album
I really liked this! Going to have to learn Anywhere Like Heaven
Zabavno i poletno, svidilo mi se jer je baš moj stil Pogotovo mi je dobra pisma Steamroller Blues. Cili album je cozy i James Taxlor ima dobar glas!
Pretty good folk sound with some blues
Used to love this album but sounds a bit soft these days.
I've never been a huge JT fan. I love his hits, seen him live, etc. But never bought an album. I guess that it's 'cause I've never been much into many of the 60/70s singer songwriters.
Thanks James. From James
Some classic songs on this album, including A Long Way from Anywhere, which I sang at school. It's disconcerting to realise I still know my part, and all the lyrics roll straight off my tongue. Fire and Rain, Suzannah, are standouts, but I feel the same mix of attraction and repulsion to some of the more saccharine numbers. Some lovely guitar work, and the inimitable JT voice - know it anywhere. Some cringey appropriations. No blues singer, really. Even so, I'd give this 4 stars.
It was a good album! I didn't recognize the name but looking him up after was surprised how many hits he had that I knew. No recognized songs on the album
Super sympa au coin du feu avec un verre de whisky.
Good vibes!✌️
très agrèable de bon matin
Coming out of the 60s strong with a decently diverse folk country album with substantial hat tips to jazz and the South. Similar guitar phrasing fraternity as Paul Simon, piano that you know made Ben Folds listen. And at least two timeless classic tracks. An LP that 14yo S&G me is kicking myself I missed.
Well... I didn't think I'd like it based on the first song, but then I played the CD on a loop while I worked, so I guess I did like it. Great work music!
The timbres and textures are outstanding. The combination of James’s voice, the mix, and the omnipresent ambient noise makes this record a warm experience. It brings some kind of intimacy. A refuge. I can definitely see The Black Keys covering some of these songs. Love it!
Easy listening! Smooth guitar, very comfy 60s-70s sound. Feels like it's been in plenty of movies.
Already knew the song fire & rain, hadn't heard the rest before. At first I was like ehhh but then it started growing on me about a third of the way in. I would probably give it a 3.5 but I'll round up to 4
noit bad
Un album de folk con algunos tintes bluseros. De muy fácil escucha y melodías agradables con una voz super dulce de parte de James. Gran disco, con la cantidad de canciones justas
Decent.
I've never really sat down and listened to James Taylor, and to be honest I had the guy mixed up in my head with Jimmy Buffet. Ha! Once I realized (happily) I wouldn't be hearing Margaritaville, I settled into the album and was pleasantly surprised. James' vocals are so rich and clear, I couldn't help but be immediately drawn in. The album had it's share of folky ballads, which I expected, but the blend of country, folk, blues and even the touch of gospel provided far more musical diversity and depth than I expected. I think the tracks "Lo and Behold", "Steamroller Blues", "Oh Baby, Don't You Loose your Lip on Me" and the latter half of "Suite for 20 G" show this well. Given James' music remains ubiquitous to this day, it's undeniable that his music deserves it's place in this list. I've been remiss for dismissing it on account of having heard the "big hits" umpteen-million times, so next time I'm relaxing on a lazy day, I know where to go digging.
that was a pretty cool album, I’ll give it a 7/10 I also listened to Mud Slide Jim and liked that album a little bit more, I’ll give that one an 8/10 overall this dudes pretty cool
Rounded up to 4 out of spite
Oh Susannah & Fire and Rain...
School has started and the written reviews take too much time. Going to stick with the star ratings for now.
Liked it.
21. Sweet Baby James - James Taylor - 11 tracks. This is good. This is really good. A tiny bit Country, a little bit Folk. The double bass also gives it.... Soul? but heavy Blues influence too. A real roller-coaster of a journey. This is a proper album. Fire and Rain is amazing. 4/5
Smooth with some classic songs. The funky stuff hasn't aged so well
I enjoyed this album! Would listen again
Fav songs: - Lo and Behold
Excellent album. James Taylor’s guitar and singing is one of a kind. He takes simple songs and makes them special. Fire and Rain is a classic and this album is great easy listening from beginning to end. 8.3/10
Some of the tracks on this album I have heard dozens of times, and I'll still listen to them again. I haven't listened to James Taylor in a while. I had forgotten how much I like "Sweet Baby James" and "Country Road". "Fire and Rain" is a classic. Even though I'm not excited for every song on this album, it's easily a re-play for me.
I really enjoyed this album. James Taylor's more soulful and bluesy songs made me realize just what a versatile vocal he is. I've always known him more as a folk singer/songwriter, but this album truly showed off his range. I'm only giving it four starts because there's nothing that's terribly new or groundbreaking on this album, but it is executed to perfection.
James Taylor is great. Fire and Rain is one of the best songs ever written. The rest of the album is good.
OMG! i was certain i wouldnt like this. but I think I do.
The album that popularised James Taylor and god bless it for doing so.
I liked the blues-y stuff. My memory of James Taylor was more acoustic/folk.
Yeah pretty good ig
Beautiful guitar work, wonderful singing, an almost dreamlike quality as Taylor sings about turnpikes, county lines, cites and steamrollers - a classic American album.
Erster Gedanke: bitte nicht schon wieder ein weißer, amerikanischer Troubadour. Dann aber: der versteht sein Handwerk. „Sunny Skies“ wurde zwar zu nah am Zott Sahnejoghurt herankomponiert, aber der ganze Rest ist zugegebener Maßen ein völlig gelungen zusammengeworfene, bunte Folk Tüte mit Ausflügen in artverwandte Genres wie Blues („Steamroller“ / „Oh Susanna“). Die Songs werden aufmerksam behandelt und erhalten immer das passende, Qualität hebende Detail wie das Cello Rückgrat in „Fire and Rain“. Vollgepackt mit tollen Sachen, die das Leben schöner machen & dazu cremige 3.8
Pretty solid. The big hits on this album are incredible: "Sweet Baby James", "Country Road", and of course "Fire and Rain" but a lot of the rest are pretty unmemorable. Wasn't familiar with most of the rest and I'm pretty fine with that.
This album just barely earns a star on the incredible strength of Fire and Rain alone; the rest of the songs were decent to good, but couldn’t live up to that exceptional standard.
Starts out country, ends a little bit rock and roll. Enjoyable and smooth throughout. I wish he'd trim his eyebrows though.
Great easy listening record, a couple tracks I hadn't heard before that I really liked (Blossom), but the closing track Suite for 20 G is a cheese fest.
Very cool
So good
I knew this day would come. Where I would listen to an album by a 70s white ‘my car and my guitar’ dude and not want to solder my ears closed. And so it came to pass that the plaintive face on the cover, the awful album title and the hackneyed journey-across-America lyrics inspired not anger, but a kind of beatific wonder. There is enough variety in here that I can believe Taylor cares more about crafting tight songs and exploring a range of modes than he is appearing weather-beaten and road-worn. The tropes are just because that’s the voice he was exploring. Don’t like it? Stick around, he’ll find another mode. Perhaps you’ll like that. Maybe it’s Stockholm Syndrome. Maybe my ankle hurt too much yesterday for me to concentrate, but I felt this as part of a long lineage of genuinely talented songsmiths.
Loved this album! Very easy listening. Nice mix of country, blues, indie(?)
I have lots of feelings about this being included in the 1001 Albums list. My family owned this album when I was a 10-year old kid and I was a fan, up to a point. I would have never dreamed this album would end up on any sort of must-listen-to kind of list though. This will be the first time I've listened to this album all the way through in about 50 years. The first thing that strikes me is how relatively deadpan and matter of fact Taylor's delivery is. When delivering emotional material, the tendency at the time (and since) was for singers to try and sell the emotion. James Taylor wasn't having any of that. He just said what he had to say like he's having a conversation with a close friend. I find that both moving and comforting. The second revelation is how much he likes country, the blues, gospel, and R&B. That wouldn't have occurred to me back then because I had no real knowledge of music genres at the time--I just knew what I liked. Taylor pulls off his attempts at different genres with various levels of success. He's aces at country (Sweet Baby James, Anywhere Like Heaven), surprisingly good at gospel (Lo and Behold), but his attempts at blues and R&B are more problematic. Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me isn't bad, I guess, but it can get unintentionally funny sometimes: "Don't you loose your lip on lovin' man JT, whoo hooooooo...." The more subtle injections of R&B into folk material (Oh, Susannah) work, but when goes full throttle (Steamroller, the 2nd half of Suite for 20 G), the results are kind of embarrassing. It's apparent how much he loves R&B, but James Taylor is a Laurel Canyon singer songwriter down to the marrow of his bones. Listening to him to try be Wilson Pickett is like a little kid trying on profanity to seem more like an adult. The production and arrangements (with the exception of the latter have of Suite for 20 G) suit Taylor admirably. The sound is clean, clear and spacious, as are the arrangements. The backing is by Laurel Canyon stalwarts like guitarist Danny Kortchmar, drummer Russ Kunkel, and Carole King, as well as a couple of country specialists (Red Rhodes on steel guitar and Chris Darrow on fiddle). I should probably mention that Taylor himself is a decent guitarist. The playing is elegant and understated, in keeping with Taylor's approach. How to rate? Nostalgia will do doubt color my opinion. In a low key way, it was quite ambitious of Taylor to include so many genre elements in this music. More often than not, he succeeds wildly. Occasionally his reach exceeds his grasp, but I feel inclined not to punish him too harshly for that. So, I'll subtract a star for Taylor's embarrassing attempts at full on R&B.
Silky throated singer songwriter - with a dark underbelly. Best Tracks: Sweet Baby James, Steamroller Blues, Fire and Rain
Classic album. One of my favorites - takes me back.
My parents had James Taylor in their music rotation a lot when I was little so most of this album was familiar! Easy to listen to with some pretty classic songs.
Really good album. Soft slow but upbeat. Amazing guitar playing and voice. 10. Must be one of the first artist to refer to themselves in songs (JT) (also sweet baby James) Really like steamroller blues and 11.
Fun listen. Has some classics.
This kind of folky blues isn't really my thing, but I did actually like this. Last track is a tune.
Wasn't sure to start with but nice feel good song writing
We are starting March off, and this week, on a great note. I thought “You’ve Got a Friend” was on this album but these are all new songs to me and I really enjoyed them. James feels like he is exploring the studio space in this album especially on Steamroller Blues and Suite for 20 G. He always reminds me of a very soft rock folksy kind of fella so it was nice to see him try the blues and also cover a few songs too like Oh, Susannah. I liked Fire and Rain and Country Road as well but the standout tracks for me were Lo and Behold and Steamroller Blues. This album was short and sweet but the best part of that was I listened to it twice in a row. The album cover makes it seem like he is slowly getting upset at something but the title of the album and type of music is anything but.
Great album, fine acoustic by James Taylor one of those great 70's folk artists such as Jim Croce, a huge friend of him or Joni Mitchell. Very sentimental, true emotion. Love the guitar work.
Besser als gedacht, ein paar gefallen, manches leider auch arg durch
nice
A lot more Jesus than I remember. Listened 21/121
Surprisingly bluesy.
fire and rain gave it a 4
Smooth like a sweet baby jesus... euh.. james
Lekkere blues rock - Steamroller is een favoriet. Zang in dat nummer vind ik niet heel bijzonder. In country road komt de zang beter uit de verf, maar is de compositie en gebruikte instrumenten weer meer classic rock. Blossom is dan meer een "simon and garfunkel" vibe. Leuke muzikale afwisseling op het album dus. Niet heel verassend of spannend verder, maar zit wel goed in elkaar.
Soothing. The man must have been high when he wrote this album.
Calming jams.
I liked the music that was playing!
Can't deny the James Taylor's talent. And the album is good, really good. However, it is boring.
There's some seriously saccharine stuff here, but when he's on, he's on. Best track: Fire and Rain
most of this is just very comfy normal folk pop but there are a couple songs that just burst into loud brassy jazz pop partway through and its always a complete suprise. fuckin wild. good album
After taking a bite of the apple and acquiring the taste, James Taylor was left adrift amidst the ever growing tide of solo artists looking to break out. All that was needed was a whirlwind trip back home and an aligning sensibility with the universe to truly grasp things. Sweet Baby James is an unassuming yet major triumph in that regard, for James Taylor now had all the tools that was needed to put himself together into a palatable package to sell to the masses; it doesn't hurt that the songs are timeless as well. Favorites: Sweet Baby James, Lo and Behold, Steamroller Blues, Country Road, Fire and Rain, Anywhere Like Heaven, Suite for 20 G.
chill and refreshing, nothing stuck tho but definitely will listen again
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
Semmosta mediocre meininkiä ja kyllähän tätä ihan kuunteli, mut kyl jossain vaiheessa jo kurkki montas biisiä tässä on vielä jäjellä
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.
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
I was surprised - I thought I'd love this album. It's just ok. I'll give it a 3 but barely
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
Great voice. Fire and Rain is a classic. Most of the remaining songs are weak.
Not a bad album. Nothing too exciting, but listenable.
Sweet sound. Bit syrupy at times. But yeah, some pretty classic
1970 singer songwriter Country road Fire and rain
Classic
#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
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.
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
The reason why Suite For 20 G is named that is hilarious. Props to Taylor doing what he had to to get paid
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.
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
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.
Would highly recommend the film Two-Lane Blacktop, which James Taylor stars in alongside Dennis Wilson. Now that's a fuckin MOVIE
Smooth and comforting as butter.
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)
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.
6/10
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
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.
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
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.
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.
# 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.
He has a pretty voice, but it's too anodyne for me.
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.
Listenable enough but didn’t rock my workd
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.
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.
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
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
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.
Competent, but not for me. Only the last song piqued my interest with trumpets
Pleasant enough but boring.
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.
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
Tolerable
This was cute. Pleasant, nondescript, forgettable, but enjoyable.
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
Sweet as James
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.
ziemlich chill, wenn der vibe passt könnts ne vier sein. 3.49 sterne
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+
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.
Didn’t blow me away. Wasn’t bad though.
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. 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.
Country blues kind of thing, beautiful album
Pretty good and a lot more bluesy than I would have expected.
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.
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.
Jajajajaj Standard us album. Gemütlichi country vibes drin. Aber halt nix speziells. 3 cervelats am lagerfür und sweet baby james
“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.
Rate: 7/10.
Ok, but far from my style. ★★★
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.
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.
Great country vibes, some hits 3.4
buen album. se disfruto. 3 son los puntos, le daria un 3.5, pero es mas para 3 que para 4.
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.
Couple of good ones, not totally my Barry’s.
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.
Chill. Fine.
Meh
Q decirte muy country
I would give it a 4, but it's not quite there...
The voice is Clear and soft, and what else? Idk.
Pretty decent album, I enjoyed it here and there. Love, fire and rain, some of the bossa nova style is pretty great, but it’s not as exciting as I hoped it would be. 3 to 5.
Enjoyed this on the first listen but it lost a bit of its essence while repeating it. I will revisit it. 3.5
Smooth and sweet for a good part of it. Not a fan of the bluesy tracks
He has a good voice, I'm not sure his cadence does much too grab the listener. This is fine music, but just falls a little short. If this is what you need from your music, then this is a cohesive, and consistent album.
***An ok, easy listening album
This album is definitely background music, I put it on and I kind of got bored as I was listening to it. It’s good, I can’t deny that, but it didn’t really do anything unique in my opinion.
Good album. Excellent guitar arrangements. Most of the songs are short and deceptively simple (the last suite came as a surprise). However, even if admitting that this is good, I didn't find it particularly interesting.
Just average 70s soft rock
burning funk not in evidence
Inoffensive. Fire and Rain is the clear stand out. 3/5.
Sounds nice
Pretty decent folky soft rock album. My favourite songs were the ones where James went all in on the blues.
I’m not a big folk fan obviously but this was pretty nice to listen to. At least he can sing well, unlike some other folk singers I’ve been subjected to from this album list. This could also be influenced by my parents LOVING James Taylor, so I grew up listening to him. Fire and Rain is a classic. Also was surprised by Steamroller Blues, which didn’t really fit the vibe of anything else on the album, but it was bangin’
While this album is mostly unremarkable, I will say it's some of the chillest folk rock we've had and doesn't overstay its welcome at all. Pleasant! Standouts: Steamroller Blues • Suite for 20 G
Not great, not terrible. James Taylor is right down the middle for me and so was this.
Definitely slow for my preferences but well made and the man has a way about a song.
I am inherently immune to the vitriol this album receives, as I had countless little league coaches growing up who all landed in the James Taylor demographic, including my parents. I can take the easy delivery of James Taylor at face value and enjoy it for what it is, not having to wring my fist the way many other reviews on this album do. That being said, this record is just fine. Is it solely included for “Fire and Rain”? Maybe to an extent. It’s a great, contemplative, placid song. As are many others on here. But I won’t venture out further than to say James Taylor is occasionally easy on the ears. There isn’t a lot of seasoning added to the mix. I don’t think he reinvented the easy-listening wheel or anything with this project. But his recognizable voice carries a lot of weight. I’ll take a 3/5 for this one, a 6/5 if you’re taking an Appalachian road trip
This never gets to the point of greatness - Sweet Baby James is good, Fire and Rain is very enjoyable - but it does have some proper duds. Steamroller Blues just an appalling metaphor. Crap. It's a 4 when it's good and a 1 when it's bad.
okay
Very pleasant if not a bit dull. Lots of childhood memories associated with this. Some good - Sunday roasts. Some bad - feeling travel sick whilst my dad listened to the so often that it still triggers a slight feeling of nausea. Balances out as a 3 stars.
It was an alright album although I tended to like the non commercial songs on the album - Oh, Susannah version was cool and I liked the blues influenced songs of Steamroller, Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip on Me and Suite for 20 G. The others were too saccharine for my tastes.
I liked it more than I thought I would having no prior experience with J. Taylor
Overall, I am surprised that this was quite a nice album - it had a beautiful blues jam, there was a chill rendition of Oh Susannah, and it was a pretty decent experience having this in the background. This is quite an old album, so it may have been quite cool listening to this back in the day. Nowadays, it is a bit meh, but it's generally pretty nice.
Good vibes but nothing special
There’s a great photo of James Taylor and Carly Simon standing against a railing, I presume on a boat - she’s in some sort of bikini, he’s in a white suit, they are both wearing leis, and they look hot as hell. I mention it because the man in that photo looks like he should make much cooler, sexier music than this pleasant but slightly bland folk rock.
I can appreciate James, I think he is an underrated guitar player and he can clearly lay on the emotion in his songwriting. I will never purposely seek out his catalogue to listen to. I will never jump up to turn his songs off whenever they happen to come on.
capaz era para 3,5 pero no existe !!!
This was alright
This was a very comforting listen on the plane, super chill and pleasant. Nothing to write home about!
If you can get past Taylor calling himself "Sweet Baby James" (which is a fucking struggle, by the way) you'll realise that it's a pretty decent album with pleasant folky elements, but upbeat enough at times so it doesn't become boring. I might consider a 4 if the lyrics weren't so vomit-inducing
Pleasant
<<<Getting jacked off on your way to Tanglewood in your Subaru listening to this one
Lovely. Can't believe it took me so long to listen to this one front to back
Very chill 3.5/5
تجربة جديدة نوّع الالبوم مميز ما اسمع كذا كثير اغلبه فولك وما اسمعه كثير حتى فيه سوفت روك وكنتري و بلوزز اغنيه وحده وفيه وحده فيها ريحه بلوز وكلهااا ممتازه بصراحة تجربه جديده ممكن ارجع اسمع كم اغنيه اكثر من مره بس حاليا مافي شي علق بمخي الا Steamroller
Much beloved though pretty anodyne collection of songs, and Taylor got only more boring, and more popular, from this point forward.
Not bad. Soothing.