Sweet Baby James

The songs are nice, but not particularly interesting. His mostly unchanging voice gets old fairly quick too. Overall not a bad listen but not one I overly cared for either.

This is a nice album. But nice doesn't mean great. The best moments are when James Taylor is at his most singer-songwriter-y: "Fire and Rain," "Sweet Baby James," "Country Roads." The worst moments are when he goes bluesy, which feels tonally disconnected from the rest of the album. I like the album. But it feels too saccharine too many times. I'll always prefer James Taylor in "Greatest Hits" form. Also, it's hilarious to name your debut album "Sweet Baby James" if your name is James.

He makes me sleepy

Although his voice is great, I've never been much of a James Taylor fan outside of "Carolina in my Mind". However, I was very impressed with this.

Very chill and beautiful album. I particularly enjoyed "Country Road" and it reminds me of the song "The Greatest Adventure" from the old The Hobbit movie from 1977. I've always heard of James Taylor but never listened to him. Decent classic 70's small band music. 6/10

This was a pleasant listen. Nice vocals and lyrics with soothing guitar melodies. Not really my type of music, but I thought this was pretty decent.

“Sweet Baby James” by James Taylor is just as sweetly naive as the title suggests. This album probably fulfills all the clichés associated with singer-songwriters: it consists of naive poems about the author himself—more specifically, about how he felt at certain moments—which he sings himself over predictable chord progressions. What perhaps sets it apart from many others is that James Taylor is a fairly talented singer and that, despite their simplicity, the songs were professionally produced and recorded. On a positive note, you can't tell how old “Sweet Baby James” is—apart from a few wobbles in “Anywhere like Heaven,” which would certainly have been corrected before release after the advent of hard disk recording. Oh, and the last two minutes of "Suite for 20G" are nice - that's the way to play these songs!

Sounds amazing. Not for me. 3/5

This album is important from a sales perspective for the singer/songwriter movement of the early 1970s, but personally I have not been a fan, beyond the single of "Fire and Rain". Pleasant enough, though not my jam.

Cantautor más conocido por la versión del clásico de Carole King, You've Got a Friend, que por temas como Fire and Rain de este su segundo disco. Country Folk, más Jackson Browne que John Denver, pero ahí anda. Referente de todos los cantautores setenteros, es tanto una virtud como un demérito: a veces aburre. Aquí mete cosas de blues, algún tema con buenas hechuras de clásico. Toca y compone bien, de eso no hay duda. Participó además en el clásico Tapestry, mientras Carole se recomponía de su divorcio de Goffin. En su debut ya contó con McCartney y Harrison, de hecho fue una de las primeras referencias de Apple. No fracasaron por falta de ojo. Aquí Lo and Behold, suena tanto a Hi-Heel Sneakers (otro tema tocado por Elvis) como a Blackbird, con ese fingerpicking tan característico suyo. Sunny Skies es tan simple como hermosa. Steamroller es un blues ya tocado por muchos otros, Elvis sin ir más lejos. Aquí le mete una sección de metales desde la mitad del tema que sorprenden y le hacen ganar muchos enteros. Country Road me gust más, no me recuerda al clásico de Denver aunque tengan títulos parecidos. Oh, Susannah es un clásico cien mil veces cantado (por los Byrds en Turn Turn Turn!). Esta versión suena limpia y sincera, más reposada. No es poco. Abre la cara B, el clásico Fire and Rain. No termina de despegar, es un buen tema pero podría ser mejor. Por ejemplo con el piano de Blossom, que incluso gana profundidad con unso coros doblados. Carole... Anywhere Like Heaven es country de principio a fin. Pero no es un tema que porte demasiado. Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip on Me en clave blues tampoco. Bonito cierre con Suite for 20 G. También suena a Cat Stevens. A mí me gusta más Neil Diamond o áun más Paul Simon, pero se deja escuchar bastante bien. Las letras son buenas.

Great voice! Not usually what I am in the mood for, but buttery smooth with a country twang. And Fire and Rain, is, well, fire. 3.5. Not quite in the four range, so will get rounded down. But pretty darn good. 3.

Nice chill listen, great playing and nice voice

FIre and Rain is one of the best songs ever recorded. The rest of the album pales in comparison, but isn't awful. Some doesn't age well (Steamroller Blues I'm looking at you), otherwise an absolute classic. An enjoyable listen, one of the defining albums from a master of the singer-songwriter genre, during its absolute peak era.

Baby I’m a cement mixer!

"White guys who pretend to have the blues" is of of my least favorite subgenres in this project. "How big is my dick? and "I want to have sex with a sixteen year old" are two other ones, but I digress. But seriously, what sort of blues can this man possibly have? I spilled chamomile on my LL Bean catalogue and didn't catch what they said on All Things Considered? My beeswax candle is burning unevenly? You just know that the crowds go wild at Tanglewoods when he busts out one of these (ahem) "funkier" numbers though. Get up, Gordon. Dance like you just cashed a stock dividend. The thing is, despite not caring one way or another for his music, I kind of really love that James Taylor has his own sound that he sticks to. Sort of connected to the great singer-songwriters of his era, but not quite the same stature, and more improtant, immediately recognizable as his own self, which makes the blues turn feel even weirder - completely unnecessary. I definitely added a star here because he gives a shoutout to Stockbridge. Let's go, 4-1-3!

This seems like a good choice for a James Taylor album, and I guess this is supposed to be the token American soft-rock album (since there's no Jimmy Buffett, John Denver, Neil Diamond, etc.)? I don't know James Taylor's discography all that well, so I don't have a sense if this earlier album is a bit more wide-ranging than later stuff, but I was surprised with the occasional blues- and gospel-oriented tracks interspersed with his well-known hits, and I always enjoy hearing his almost Cat-Stevens-style "Country road" and "Fire and rain" (not so much his rendition of "Oh, Susannah"). And funny to read that the "Suite for 20 G" track was cobbled together last-minute and named for the fact that adding this track meant completing the album and getting $20,000, which was probably a healthy cash infusion for a guy that was couch-surfing at the producer's house by that point. (3)

I bought JT when it came out--I was 13 or so--and that's enough James Taylor for me, though Fire and Rain is a really good song.

pretty nice little album - classic 70's acoustic pop.

A couple classic acoustic bangers but dang I may need a producer all kind of weird stuff that shows up on here. I don’t wanna hear James Taylor singing the blues. Sorry I just ain’t at work.

nice smooth tunes good voice.

I enjoyed it!

I really liked this album. Never heard of James Taylor before, but he blends a very good amount of lighter songs with intermittent heavier songs that often times come out of nowhere and kick ass. The better songs on the album are few and far between, but being only 31 minutes long, you never have to wait too long to get to them. For instance, the first three songs are pretty light and traditional Singer Songwriter pieces. A little fillery in places, but they’re still fun to listen to. Nothing special. James has a voice that doesn’t necessarily blow me away. In fact, it took me a little bit to warm up to, but I still think it’s pretty good, and at the end of the day I ended up rather enjoying it. Song 4, “Steamroller Blues” is where this album starts getting really good. A few very good songs as well as a tight playtime save this from being a low 3, and this is one of them. This song sounds like it’s parodying classic Blues aspects, since the first 3 songs had nothing to do with that genre, but it’s executed so well here, and stands out so much by itself that it ends up being my second favorite song on the album. Immediately following it is “Country Road”, which was another fun one with some charming Country aspects, naturally, as well as the only song I recognized my first listen through. Following that is another filler song, and then “Fire and Rain”, his most popular song. I thought that one was just ok personally. Reminded me a little too much of the music you’d hear at a school graduation for my liking. 3 more filler songs and then finally, my favorite song on the album, the closer, “Suite for 20 G”. Not an amazing song name, but a pretty amazing song. It starts off light, like the other songs on the album, but then out of nowhere you get a killer guitar solo to end the album off on a strong note, and some very old fashioned Rock and Roll aspects that again feel like more of a parody or an homage to the genre itself. It also truly stands out, so much so that if the rest of the album had more of that, I’d consider giving this a 5. As it stands now, there’s a lot of filler here, but the short run time makes that not as big of an issue when the song variety itself here is pretty good, especially when you get to one of the better songs on the album. It feels rewarding to listen to them almost. This is very much Singer Songwriter first and foremost, but the random interspersion of other genres make it an interesting and truly worthwhile listen. I did end up adding the closer to my usual rotation as well. Good album, thank you James.

Favorite song off the album: Man on the moon Number of songs I liked/added to a playlist: 4 Not one I’m likely to repeat but generally pleasing, it was pretty good and not quite but almost rock.

Me encanta cuando un album te transmite “vibes” de tu, encima de tu caballo caminando hacía el atardecer, hasta verte a tu mismo discutiendo con tu hermana porque deja a vuestro hijo solo mientras tiene sexi time con vuestro padre.

A fine "contemplating in the car" album. I will not complain about listening to "Fire and Rain" 3.5

Rach love this guy, I find him to be very average.

Niet slecht, maar deed me ook niet veel. Had meer nummers als Suite for 20 G kunnen gebruiken, de pure folk-nummers kabbelen maar wat voort en komen niet echt binnen

Wel gezellig, beetje achtergrond muziek. Ik hou niet van dit rating systeem, 2,5 sterren

Best chill albumpje om in de zon te luisteren, wel beetje randlm blues

Ik ging hier verrassend goed op, maar niet echt wauw

Arme James maakt prima muziek, maar dit is uitgebracht in de tijd dat Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Carole King, Neil Young (en ga zo maar door), die een beetje uit dezelfde vijver vissen, allemaal met knaller na knaller kwamen. Dan moet je iets heel goed doen om op te vallen, en dat doet dit album gewoon niet. Verder best aardige melodietjes. Sommige nummers deden echt helemaal niets voor me.

Favorite track was fire and rain

Nice

YES! Fire and Rain er en av mine favorittlåter. Gleder meg til å sjekke dette ut i sin helhet. / Jeg er veldig glad i enkle album. Dette føles rått og strippet helt ned til beinet. Ingenting overflødig, bare helt rått fra hjertet. Det er derimot ikke særlig banebrytende, og har noen lowlights. Veldig fint album Høydepunkt: Sunny Skies, Blossom, Fire and Rain Lavpunkt: Steamroller Blues, Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me

Another new experience for me, listening to a James Taylor album, and it was pretty good. There were a couple of really good tracks, especially 'Suite for 20 G' which was a great closing track. On the basis that 4 stars, in my own grading system, means I would seek the album out again then I will have to award 3 stars this time.

If anyone gave up before the Big Band Jazz Country Craziness then you only have yourself to blame, that shit kinda slapped. The rest, however, did not.

This was fine, but nothing special: not required listening before I die.

Appreciate his talent.

Honestly thought this would be worse. Has some rock grooves in it

Disco bem arranjado e muito bem gravado. Traz canções bonitas como "Fire and Rain", "Blossom" e a incrível "Suite For 20G". Mas traz uma presença de elementos blues e country que me desagradam um pouco.

Kolejna americana. Alabama mentioned. Te albumy niewiele się dla mnie różnią i mają zdecydowanie mniejszy impakt, kiedy nie jest się z Ameryki. Fajna mieszanka gatunków tho.

Simplistic, but in a good way. Well written songs and melodies. A little one note at times. Overall a good album. 3.5/5 Might listen again

I can tell that it's good music, but it's not something I would want to listen to.

A couple of classics and a few other suprisingly good songs

It's pleasant and charming in a certain way, but I don't really dig folk rock. Listenable at least, but I won't be going back.

"I'm a Steamroller baby, I'm about to roll over you" What did he mean by this?

It was good experience of listening such a soft country-ish album. I did not feel anything special about it and it was not bad.

Huge amount of variance in quality here. "Fire and Rain" and "Country Road" are deserving classics- arguably two of the greatest folk songs ever written. Then there's dated white-boy blues slogs all over Sides A and B that drag the experience down significantly. Still, those two big hits really do a lot of heavy lifting here, so a 3/5 is in order.

Gear: Focalman Cleardara Artwork: 😐🪵🟦 Production (2019 Remaster): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🌧️🛋️📖 Rating: ☕☕☕/5

One of his best!

gute Musik, aber nix besonderes

I like his sound, but after about two songs it all starts to sound the same. "Fire and Rain" is one hell of a song.

The blues songs weren’t bad. He should have stuck to those

Some classic tunes here from a classic singer songwriter. Only real complaint that they are all similar in tone and emotion.

He has a lovely voice but I find the whole thing a little too smooth and bland and it did kinda wash over me in a very mellow way.

James Taylor will forever be Mom music to me... Because he's my mom's favorite. That said, it's still decent music!

Liked some of the tracks

singer songwriter, 1970 -> 3

Probably not a frequent addition to very many party playlists.

Reminiscent of stuff I was listening to in my late teens… would probably have liked it much more then, but still enjoyed it.

There's a moment about half an hour into the "Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii" TV special where whatever mix of Quaaludes, benzos, speed, and booze the King had downed before the show evens itself out. To that point, Elvis' performance had been pretty damned rough. Losing some lyrics, slurring, and basically looking awful. And then it's like a switch is thrown and he becomes ELVIS PRESLEY again. Until I saw that show, I never really understood why people went crazy over this deep voiced white dude. When he remembered he was a rock star, his stage presence was downright Plant, Mercury, Daltrey, et al. Why does this matter in a James Taylor review? One of the songs that Elvis absolutely rips through in the back half of the show is "Steamroller," which is a silly little throwaway on this album. I had no idea it was a cover when I saw it, but Elvis absolutely sells it -- makes it sexy as hell. Go watch Aloha from Hawaii. As for this disc, it's fine. Super mellow sounds of the 70's. Nice and unassuming, but that's about as far as I'll go.

I've never listened to this album (57). Fire and Rain slaps. The rest is some just ok 70s guitar dude stuff.

I felt meh about this.

Very bluesy, a fun listen

Nice little folk album, I enjoyed it but it's nothing particularly memorable or mind blowing.

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.

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

Quite pleasant.

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

Can’t do it

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.

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.

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

Not bad, but not really my kind of music

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.

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

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.

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.

3.36

mellow but i enjoyed it

He really does have a great voice

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.

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.

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

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.

Great bluesy folk album by James Taylor.

- 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. -

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.

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.

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

Nice, but often cloying

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."

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”.

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

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.

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

not all great , but the odd standout here and there

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.

Ok but too slow overall

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

nice

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

MOR

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.

Mellow and smooth

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 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

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.

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)

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

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

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!

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

good (not for me)

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

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.

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.

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

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

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?

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

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.

Lindo Album

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!

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

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

Good but in my opinion not he's best.

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

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.

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.

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

Cool but, sorry James Taylor, just a 3.

Smooth vocals, good acoustic guitar playing. Also kinda dull.

5/10

Look, it’s cozy. It’s calm. It’s got that folky, introspective thing going. But I couldn’t latch on. Feels like a lullaby someone wrote in a guest cabin in Vermont after eating too much soup. I can appreciate the softness and sincerity, but it never really made me care. Maybe it’s one of those “right time, right place” albums and this wasn’t either. Sounds like John Denver and Cat Stevens had a very sleepy baby. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Sweet Baby James - Country Road - Fire and Rain

aikanaan ollut suht kuuluisa personaaliteetti ilmeisesti, ja nykypäivään asti ihan hyvin sitä. the fame has been kept... monet tietää.. minä en tiennyt taikka tuntenut henkilöä ennen tätä päivää mutta joo ihan kivaa. 1970 ja joku lettimies kuvassa niin sieltä on tulossa akustisen kitaran soittamista ja jonkin sortin laulamista se on selvä. näinhän siinä kävikin tälläkin kertaa. olen onnellinen siitä, että tämä henkilö (james taylor) ei ole jonkun kuuluisemman bändin jäsen, jonka takia hänen soolotyöskentelynsä olisi lisätty tähän projektiin. jahas wikipedia ei toimi. jahas kun laitetaan tota sivustoksi ikipedia niin ei oikeen lähde käyntiin tämä varmasti tiettää hyvää ihmiskunnan intellektualismin kannalta.. (nooei saa käyttää wikipedia tyhmä lähde, älä koskaan käytä... laita vaan chatgpt...) lo and behold

Good folksy sound. I didn’t love all the songs be a very soothing voice

That was nice. Fire and Rain is a classic.

3.5

I just don't connect with it. I remember in the early naughties walking out of his concert for the same reason.

Complete

His music is more interesting than the songs some of his peers are playing. It has still a cool blues vibe to it. But unfortunately it’s not recognisable in every song.

One of the classic 1970’s singer songwriters, folk/blues acoustic guitar. The blues elements seem included just because he can not from any great conviction. Great songs, great voice but for my money tapestry is the better album.

Lovely, easygoing singer-songwriter album of folk, country and blues. James Taylor has a wonderful voice — very smooth and balanced. The production is fantastic too. Again, really nicely balanced. This would be an excellent Sunday morning album.

Beautiful and timeless acoustic guitar playing and singing. I like James Taylor and I liked listening through this album. I think there are times where I feel like he gets a lot of credit but only in small circles, and that he is known by a lot of people but is the "favorite artist" of a much smaller number. Regardless, there's some nice tunes on here.

Perfectly nice apart from the hackneyed blues songs. Never heard JT before but I imagine there is more out there I'd prefer

A nice chill country album. Very enjoyable

this is among the easiest of easy listening fare you can find, the polar opposite of my album from yesterday (Atomizer by Big Black). James Taylor is a songwriter in the folk and soft rock vein, and his music is an uncontroversial blend of those sounds with those of Black American styles like R&B and jazz, not to mention a country undertone that never really lets up. it's definitely not "cool" to like this type of stuff (nor does Taylor attempt to make it sound very cool), but I can't help but enjoy it. it's no accident that a generation of jazz musicians in the 70s and 80s were taken by his work! the closer ("Suite for 20 G") is an especially keen demonstration of Taylor's flexible harmonic frameworks and keen sense of melody. strong 6/10.

Lovely, concise singer-songwriter fare. There are a couple of songs I loved; otherwise this was simply pretty. He has a good ear for melody and I like his conversational singing voice. "Fire and Rain" is a classic, but I could do without the strings.

cheers montage music

This was an album that combined elements of blues, jazz, country, folk, and rock. Honestly it was a nice little taste of everything. I think Chris would really like this album. Taylor’s voice was smooth and the guitar was lovely. I thought I was going to hate the country-ness of it but it wasn’t too much and the folk-ness was perfect.

Fine voice.

lowkey sounds like spring, has a rock and peaceful vibe to it, enjoyable

Ok it wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it would be boring, and it wasn’t the most exciting but I imagine hearing this at the time would have been fun! There was some bluesy stuff in there that surprised me! Nice to have on!

This is all fine. Can't object to any of it. Quite like bits of it. 3 stars.

It’s good, but a little unbalanced. The great songs are great, but there are some misses are just meh. Not bad, but averages out to just a good overall experience as opposed to a great one.

I'm not a big fan of this style of music, but it was fine.

I thought I liked James Taylor, but this was so saccharine. It wasn’t bad, but thirty minutes was the limit (and thankfully the entirety).

An album straight from my parents catalogue, and thought I would dig this more. Really beautiful finger picking and always love James vocals - Fire and Rain stands out as always. Maybe just not the right headspace for this one today, but felt pretty bored by the listen overall.

James Taylor always makes me think of Sesame Street

Not bad, not amazing. Nothing stood out, but still pleasant to listen to.

My wife has told me on a few occasions that her late father enjoyed listening to James Taylor. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever heard any his music before, but I’m fairly familiar with singer-songwriters from the seventies, so I have a good idea of what to expect from this album. Here’s to Sweet Baby James! I thought this album was fine overall. James Taylor has a great voice, and I think he’s a good songwriter and musician, but this album didn’t really grab my attention very much. The worst songs on Sweet Baby James were dull, but most of the best ones were only pretty good. Granted, as far as singer-songwriter material from the early seventies goes, I can see how this landed well with critics and listeners. When it comes to the things on this album that I enjoyed, I thought “Fire and Rain” was the best song on the album. The double bass playing was great, and I really enjoyed the guitar playing. Everything really came together on “Fire and Rain” to create a beautiful song. The title track, while not as good as “Fire and Rain,” was pretty good. I liked the steel guitar playing, and I wish there would have been more of it, instead of the blues-inspired songs. “Blossom” was pretty good too; I liked the guitar and piano playing, but I wasn’t very into the lyrics and singing. My feelings about “Blossom” are pretty indicative of how I felt about most of the album; there would be things here and there that I liked, but it was incredibly rare for a song to put all the pieces together into a better whole. This album would be pleasant to have playing while hanging around the house, but it’s not something I’d really actively listen to again.

A few nice songs but on the whole it didn't grab me

Too bluesy while MOR

1001 albums that sound identical to each other at least this one was a bit mellow

I liked this a lot a few years ago. On this re-listen, I found it a bit lame? Fire and Rain is still good, but some of the others....yeesh.

Speaking as someone who’s heavily exposed to yacht/soft rock during the summer days at home thanks to his parents, I think I built an immunity to the saccharine nature of soft rock. Judging by some of the reviews, you might think musically I exist in the seventh layer of music hell. But I don’t mind it. It’s an extreme guilty pleasure of mine. Now James Taylor is a weird case for me. His voice is insanely recognizable, but for whatever reason, I barely hear any song from him. I never really hear him on the radio and the only songs I know from him are How Sweet It Is (which I’m a little embarrassed to say I just learned that it was his song. So much for insanely recognizable) and his Christmas songs. So I’m due to hear some of his work. To be blunt, I think this album is a little unfocused. I feel James’ talent is strongest during the softer parts of the album. Fire and Rain is wonderful and a gut punch if you look up the context, especially the line “But I always thought that I’d see you again”. His cover of Oh, Susannah is actually pretty good too. But the album tries too hard to diversify the tracks, leading into some inconsistency. Suite for 20G and Lo and Behold both feel too vibrant for James’ vocal style. And the less he sings the blues, the better. (looking at you Oh Baby, Don’t You Loose Your Lip on Me) It’s an alright effort overall. I kind of wish they just honed it on the mellow side of James Taylor. It wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I would probably be okay with it. I would have to anyway, cause I would still hear it every summer thanks to my parents. Favorite track: Fire and Rain Other hits: Oh, Susannah, Sunny Skies, Blossom, Country Road, Anywhere Like Heaven

About as easy listening as it gets. I went to high school with a guy who looked exactly like James Taylor and that's the kind of sexy scandal this album needs.

Sweet vanilla baby

Not bad Does what it says on the tin 3

Sleepy album of course we know fire and rain. Oh Susanna was corny. It’s fine and exactly what I expected. Three plain vanilla stars.

On est dans le bayou du pain blanc depuis quelques jours, sortez moi d'ici pls

Ah, James. A lovely voice, wrote a bunch of great songs, contributed to Carole Kings’s Tapestry (my #2 fave album ever), but individual albums of his are a mixed bag, like this one. A couple of great songs that were hits, but the rest is kinda bleh. Steamroller is much better as a live track on JT’s Greatest Hits Volume 1, a very solid album across the board.

can imagine putting this on after a long day and relaxing to it but I kind of feel like it's lacking something especially compared to so much great folk from this era

Easy listening, would put it on again, but won’t seek it out

Its just kinda eh? Doesnt have the soul to stand out as folk/country from this period

Wow, a folky acoustic album where the guy actually has a pleasant voice? Was this included by mistake? How could the authors stand it?? Not all the songs are winners but I mostly enjoyed it

Sweet Baby James 3.3 Lo and Behold 3.4 Sunny Skies 3.1 Steamroller 3.5 Country Road 3.2 Oh, Susannah 3 Fire and Rain 3.4 Blossom 3.3 Anywhere Like Heaven 3.1 Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip on Me 3 Suite for 20 G 3.5 Score: 3.254545455

Pretty standard folk rock. Moves close to country and blues on some tracks. It's pleasent to listen to, but I probably won't seek it out again. Standouts Sweet Baby James Country Road 3/5

Ei lainkaan hullumpaa! Pari kappaletta meni omille soittolistoille.

beautifully recorded, fire and rain is a pretty sweet track you’ve got to admit

Liked this more than I thought I would but still a little bit too bland for me? Also didn’t love when he tried to be bluesy

Still not for me but about as good as singer-songwriter with guitar gets

Good 3.5

I'm not a folk lover, but this honestly wasn't too bad, and he livens up the album with some good old rock and roll too. It's pretty OK.

James Taylor has a nice voice but I really found this quite boring. It’s pretty, but boring. “Fire and Rain” is a fantastic song, but it’s one of those instances where hearing a great song in the context of its album makes me like it slightly less, which is a shame. Meh/10.

You won't catch me saying a negative thing about James Taylor

Nice, but not special

I didn’t expect to like this. My dad has listened to James Taylor my whole life and I never cared for his unique blend of bittersweet folk rock. However, it’s been years since I’ve heard his music, and I was pleasantly surprised. I liked most of the songs on this album, Steamroller Blues being the big exception. The whitest man in the world did not need to try a blues song, it was painful to listen to. Other than that, when he stuck to what he’s good at, it was enjoyable. I won’t probably go out of my way to listen to it again, but if it’s on I wouldn’t turn it off either.

I tried a few times, and it's pretty nice, but nothing really stood out. Decent enough and warm production though.

solid but not memorable could i write poetry to this? n

The downside of the 5 star rating system. This album is fine. Not as good as some of the other 3 star albums I've rated, but 2 stars seems way too low. 🤷

Very relaxing, very mellow. Classic James Taylor. You get a nice mix of folk, country, blues and even a little funk on this album. I love James’ voice, he could sing the yellow pages and I’d listen. But I will say that at the end of the day I am not really amazed by this album, and I don’t know that I’d revisit it often, but I’ll keep it in the back pocket for when some easy listening is required.

There’s nothing bad about it, but I am never revisiting this thing. There isn’t anything I really find special here.

Not bad, bit boring if I had to criticise.

3.5

Yachty-aughty-dope-alicious.

Pleasant

6/10 The vocals are amazing no doubt but its just a bit boring Favourite Song=Sweet Baby James Least Favourite Song=Oh Susannah

Ничего особенного

Hmmm prima, vond het vooral heel goed klinken voor een plaat van 1970. Maar niet per se bijzondere muziek

How exactly this albums breaks into "greatest of all time" territory beats me, though I'm not complaining. It's very nice lyrically, instrumentally and vocally. Thank you, one thousand and one albums generator dot com.

Quite pleasant.

Grand

November 26, 2024 HL: title track, "Fire and Rain" Along with the Carpenters' 1970 release, this is gentle pop rock I want to like more than I do. Also like aforementioned Carpenters, has some evergreen hits that makes it hard to argue its relevancy and acclaim

3.2 pleasant

Relaxing but not the most memorable

Was a bit dissappointed in this album. Fire and Rain is a good song and there's a few other good songs like Country Road on here. A lot of the songs I didn't enjoy or found to be very forgettable though. Runtime is short as well and I find this album doesn't really stick out in the sea of 70's singer-songwriters.

nice folk

Entre folk et blues, intériorité et douce intensité, à la Carole King.

Pretty chill

Just flows past - Fire and Rain is a pretty good song though

Honestly, a nice and sweet album with a funny cover. I don’t see why some people hate this, it’s not creepy or boring. It’s just a guy playing music with neat lyrics.

An eclectic album. Pulls from rock, country, folk, to have a very nice album.

Not James Taylor's first album, but definitely the album that put him on the map. I would say this album is a good breakthrough for a legendary singer songwriter, with even better to come. Though this may not be his "best" work, his music tends to feel like a warm, sweet hug, and this album is no different; he had that part down. I think I would put this higher than 3, but less than 4. Not quite high enough of a 3 to make it a 4, though.

Fire and Rain a classic.

Sort of searching for sugarman

I liked this album, glad there were some blues-rocky tracks in here

Listen to it twice. It was nice.

Your first girlfriend's dad's favorite artist! I don’t really have a lot to say about this one. It’s pretty milk toast, but hard to dislike if you’re a fan of folk. Straight down the middle, safe bet type music that may not be valued or remembered in 50 years.

Short and sweet, Baby James is not without his folksy charms, though his sleepy melodies may put you in a tranquil daze.

14 year old me would've gone crazy with this sound. It was good, nothing surprising neither in a positive or a negative manner.

Normally not a fan of country but the voice wasn't too grating. Some songs nice. Last song a shocker, almost lost it a star at the end.

I guess I have the unpopular opinion of enjoying James Taylor. It’s easy listening and very safe, but it’s nice in spots

Obviously a talented guitarist and lyricist but this is way too soft for me to have any real connection with. High 3.

some good writing and some cool songs. will probably never think about it again but not a bad listen

Enjoyed. Nice mellow sound.

A nice little collection of mainly acoustic tracks that don’t leave too much of an impression but are lovely enough when they’re on. The attempts to expand out into more of a bluesy sound are very mixed - Steamroller Blues is a clear low point of the album with some truly awful lyrics, but the more ambitious closer Suite for 20G with its funky outro is probably the best song here

Pretty good country album

It's a nice folk rock country blues hybrid that makes good use of some horns. It is just not something that I'd put on this list.

'Sweet Baby James' is a pleasant album. It's introspective and relaxing. As far as folk rock goes, it's decent, but maybe not at the level of some of his contemporaries. Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, and Carole King among others, did it better, though King does appear on the album. Taylor does incorporate elements of country and what I'd almost call funk, placing him firmly at a crossroads of the early 70s. Also interesting to note that he was effectively homeless when recording this album. It's not a favorite, but it's not a bad album.

Fine album, and I will continue to listen to Fire and Rain, because it sounds the best of the songs on this album that all sound very similar.

Steamroller Blues // Fire and Rain //

This is #day31 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... the first full week of September 2024 is coming to a close. A beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon. As I listen to this album, I watch my loved one sitting on a couch, an apple in one hand, a book in another, and I feel happy. The music on the album matches the mood, throwing me back to Carole King's Tapestry. It's warm and comfortable. I particularly liked the string of songs beginning with "Steamroller" through "Anywhere Like Heaven." The whole album, actually. But since I'm not sure I'll be coming back to it soon, this is a 3 out of 5. It's a nice discovery all the same. Looking forward to #day32.

Nice listen

I don't find very much to enjoy in James Taylor, but it was a very precious coincidence for this \"Sweet Baby James\" record to be generated on the same day my new nephew James was born into the world.

Lovely and gentle at its best moments, but there aren't too many. The title cut and "F&R" are well nigh irresistible. "Country Road" is a shade better than decent. And no one ever had a more pleasant voice, but lord is this light. And points off for including "Susannah" – were there no better songs available? The blues cuts are entirely unconvincing, to put it mildly. Indeed, "I'm a churnin' urn of brunin' funk" may be the least credible lyric any singer ever delivered, on any song ever. While the remaster amps up the clarity and precision of the overall sound, the addition of horns (which one doesn't remember from youthful listenings) make the already insufferable "Steamroller" even worse. (The song's incongruous vibe disrupted more high school make-out sessions than one cares to remember.) "Suite for 20G" is just variety show schlock, a pretty dreadful ending that positions JT as little more than a slightly hipper Wayne Newton or Pat Boone. And to think how he might have maintained his integrity playing coffee shops across New England instead of fame finding him out.

I often wonder what kind of music someone like this would make in the here and now. I mean this guy apparently likes to rock and roll. I certainly appreciate the folkier songs as another review mentioned. But Lo and Behold this is not for me. Fave: Sweet Baby James

I've apparently listened to this album once before but it didn't leave much of an impression. It's getting a weird amount of hate in the reviews here, did James Taylor do something? 😳 Seemed inoffensive enough to me - the attempts at soul were a bit cringe, preferred the folkier end of things, for sure. Fave tracks - "Lo and Behold" for the folkiness. "Fire and Rain" rang a bell when I heard it and I was initially thinking maybe I heard a cover version, but I'm pretty sure it was the appearance on the Simpsons I was thinking of! 😆

It has now been 16 albums since I gave out my last 5, which is the longest dry stretch I've had out of the 231 albums I have rated. I hope I get something I love soon. Anyways, back to this album, uh... it's ok. Folk and Singer-Songwriter are my least favorite genres, not because I find them bad, but I just don't get much out of these type of songs and I find most of it boring. James Taylor has a good voice and the songs sound good, but this music is just too calm for me and a lot of it sounds the same. The blues track was interesting and I liked the horn section. Not really sure why Fire and Rain has 350 million streams on spotify and Oh, Susannah only has 4 million. To me these songs sound exactly the same, not really sure why people would so heavily gravitate towards one. Anyways this album was more enjoyable than I thought it would be, but not something I think I would listen to again.

One of those classic early folky 70s albums with a hazy blue tinge (Joni Mitchell, Simon & Garfunkel). It's all very pleasant but I prefer the darker, deeper singer songwriters of the period. Oh and be sure to check out Two Lane Blacktop😎

The less popular bbq sauce, and for good reason (2.5/5)

Fine. To its credit, this album does sound like something that would be very popular in 1970. Good job Jimothy!

Pretty decent but mostly meh. I think I don’t like James Taylor’s voice. Some of these songs are awfully cheesy too. Dude does Oh, Susannah like he’s Raffi or something. But then Fire and Rain is legitimately good, so. You know.

This album has always just been OK for me. I’ve never been super into James Taylor. Acoustic or Acoustic/Electric folksy music is usually my thing, but this guy seems so docile. Reading other reviews, I think the “sappy” and “sugary” criticisms are fair and probably the biggest knock against it for me. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a three, but if Cat Stevens did this album, it probably would’ve gotten a five.

I think it was pleasant enough - it sort of came and went…

Pleasant

Didn't rock my world, was alright but just that

-Not really my kinda music at all but had some good songs. I guess I’d give it 2.5? -Favorites are Sunny Skies, Steam Roller Blues, and Suite For 20 G

Was always familiar with "Fire and Rain" but the rest I either hadn't heard or rarely heard. I don't know that Taylor's normal stuff really "speaks" to me but I was pleasantly surprised by the blues tracks on this album and really enjoyed them.

What I like about Taylor is how clear his vocals are. They soar above his minimal guitar. He has strong melodies. Fire and Rain is an all timer. 6.3

James Taylor has no business playing blues, given how white bread his vibe is. He makes Blues Brothers 2000 sound authentic. His chill folk stuff though is pretty alright. He answers the question, what if Oh Susanna was too hard?