Sweet Baby James

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.

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?

I only really know who James Taylor is because of the lyrics from the song Begin Again, which is better than like half the songs on this album. The tunes are cute and cozy; I liked Sweet Baby James, Sunny Skies, Steamroller, Fire and Rain, and Anywhere like Heaven. Another positive point for the runtime, but can't give this more than the standard 3

Romantic and bluesy album. This one was tough because there a couple of really good tracks surrounded by others that lack attention and polish. Overall a fun listen. 6.6/10

Three of his big hits surrounded by pleasant enough songs. I don't know if the blues numbers really work for me, they sound a bit too sweet and refined. A solid 3/5

I liked sunny skies the most.

Solid, but not great

Fine.

Better than I thought it would be, JT usually bores me

Sweet Baby James Country Road Fire and Rain

Soft folky album.

Yeehaw. Not exactly my thing, but I can dig this. 3.2*

очень кантри, не моё

I like it OK. Not as good as his Apple debut album in my opinion and not as good as his later stuff like JT Great, understate of production and playing, but just not a lot of melodies that grab me.

Some good folk songs, some fluff, but all easy listening. I believe this is the album that put (the original) JT on the map. Fire and Rain got radio play through the 70s because it’s the best song on the album which rates a solid (2.9*s)

This may be a little heretical, but is this a little too nice? I mean this Steamroller Blues is one of the most polite versions of the song. He makes the phrase "a hefty hunk of steaming junk" sound purely descriptive wrt a demolition derby car. Still, James Taylor. The '70s almost literally began with this album.

For those of you hating on the 80s synthpop, I hope this has proved the antidote you needed. Personally, I find this too saccharine and soft. Fire and Rain is an undoubted classic, pretty much imprinted on our collective psyche and stays with you for days. There were some interesting arrangements like Oh Susannah but Steanroller felt a bit icky and had me hankering for Bobby Darin’s If I Were A Carpenter. I understand JT is a good songwriter but apart from the occasional lightning flash he is just grey drizzle to me.

I've heard this so much through the years that I'm tired of it. But it was a good album.

Didn't have many opinions at all on this, didn't hate it but didn't love it

maybe I gotta stop listening to msuic on spotify

nice and listenable

Not as horrible as I thought it would be. Three stars

Likeable enough 70s singer/songwriter, probably not something I would seek out. With the exception of Fire and Rain, which is memorable and well written. 3/5

James Taylor's voice is a drowsy Sunday afternoon in late May, watching dust motes float in a sunbeam. That is sometimes phenomenal, but I struggle to manage more than a couple of consecutive tracks without feeling claustrophobic. I was surprised by how much blues was on this album, though, and you can't deny his effortless guitar playing.

Title track and Fire and Rain are great. The attempts at the blues are embarrassing. The rest is bland easy listening. 3 stars for the 2 good songs alone.

Yeah. Its really lovely. His voice is pure nice. The sings are nice. It's got a gently nice production. Nice. Lovely. Nice. Lovely. Who listens to this? It's all a bit too nice. Nice. 3. Bless.

Sweet, mild, and soothing. Some might say they provide variety but I actually think the serene vibe is hampered a bit (and the saccharine vibe amplified) by the blues songs and the big band in the closer… either way, they don’t detract much from the whole product. Best song: Fire and Rain

Easy listen, mellow sound but also not that special.

I liked the acoustic guitar and a handful of songs made my playlist. A lot of it was too cheese whiz for me! Just barely a 3

Pleasant enough songs but a bit boring on the whole 3 ⭐️

I would definitely have chosen a different James Taylor album, but I guess they wanted “Fire And Rain” on the list. When he gets too bluesy on Sweet Baby James I lose interest - but at every other moment there’s just no denying the quality of Taylor’s vocals.

Not bad for my least favorite genre

Is it important? Yes. It helps launch the singer songwriter west coast thing. Is it well played? Yes. Excellent musicianship and songwriting. Did I like it? Fire and rain is a good song. And there’s a couple of others. Otherwise I’m going back to other acoustic music I prefer. That’s ok.

He's got a great voice, and great guitar style and you can hear how much work went into polishing the songs. But it's just so.... nice. I can admire it, but not nearly enough grit for my taste. A reluctant 3.

I find it hilarious how dramatically other users described the album :') It's nothing remarkable but nowhere as bad as some users have portrayed it to be.

J'ai bien aimé, ce n'était pas sensationnel mais ça se laissait écouter. Mon principal problème est que je vois mal pourquoi c'était nécessaire de l'écouter avant de mourir. 6/10

Had heard "Fire and rain" before and liked it. Nice to have in the background but nothing really stands out.

Ok

Not the right country road song. Overall decent though.

I definitely enjoyed the first half more than the second, I prefer calmer less upbeat folk I think. Overall fine, but would rather listen to Bob Dylan for a folk fix. Top tracks: Lo and Behold, Sunny Skies, Oh Susannah

Sweet baby Jesus

Doesn't offend, don't really know what else to say

Easy listen, enjoyed his blues tracks 3.5 / 5

Not heard of the bloke before but it was a pleasant surprise. Good songwriting and melodies throughout. 3/5

3.5 Enjoyed this, I’m a sucker for a bit of country. Fire and Rain hit me deep in my core, what a lovely song.

Soild folk rock albums deserves to be on the list.

Haven’t heard of this, not sure it’ll be my thing. Singer/songwriter from 1970. Actually not too bad right away, nice and chilled.

Enjoyable but few songs stuck out.

sounds nice but almost overwhelmingly basic, great singer and guitar playing but pretty much nothing else is happening. Fire and Rain is great but the rest is forgettable

Mid

Me comencé a aburrir un montón.Vacas, mi mujer, cabalgar y comer queso de cabra suena como la vida perfecta de un granjero de montana pero llega un punto donde ya. Pretty mid, great voice tho. 5/10.

Nice flower-power music

This was pretty good. Some good songs, some definitely lacking. Not upset about listening to it, but to modern standards, it's lacking a bit.

Part of me wants to give this album a 4 star review on the strength of "Fire and Rain" alone. If I had to point to the absolute peak of this strain of singer/songwriter, it's "Fire and Rain." Few other songs pinpoint the moment between disbelief and cognition of loss; the moment you realize a part of you and a connection to another being is dissolving and there's no fighting it. The line "I just couldn't figure out who to send it to" kills me every time. An in between there are deft and layered invocations of vivid images. "Sunny days that [he] thought would never end" always sticks with me. Is a never ending sunny day a good thing or oppressive to people of Taylor's temperament? It's a complicated and compelling. The title and leadoff track is as fine a ballad as you'll hear. Taylor's voice is sweet and soft without straying into the saccharine. His control of tones and melody is exquisite and belongs aside great singing cowboys. There are other nice songs that carry the usual James Taylor charm. He shows full command of a variety of rootsy song styles. "Lo and Behold" does a good job of working in the style of spirituals to focus on questions of right and wrong. "Sunny Skies" feels like the musings of a farmhand killing time between back breaking tasks. "Country Road" is a solid, soulful country song. It's when Taylor turns to the blues that the album stumbles. "Steamroller Blues" is a half baked blues pastiche, and joins some of the worst of the genre. We get another round of it with "Oh Baby Don't You Loose Your Lip on Me." Is he serious? Would that make it better or worse? This is still a wonderful Singer/Songwriter album. I'm probably dinging it unfairly for fairly minor transgressions, but something about well-my-baby-dun-me-wrong blues pastiche that makes my being revolt. Like, yogurt commercials used to do that shit.

Good, easy to listen to. Nothing that really will draw me back to this, however.

Loving that Buffalo Springfield sound when it hits. Favourite track: Lo and Behold.

Better then i was expecting. Between a 3 and a 4.

Folk-country bastante lento. Por lo menos canta muy bien. Ni fu ni fa.

Unmemorable, but not unlikeable

Pretty good.

Passed the time. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. MOR for me.

More soulful than I expected, I wonder who was callin this grown man sweet baby

Nr. 115/1001 Sweet Baby James 3/5 Lo and Behold 3/5 Sunny Skies 3/5 Steamroller Blues 3/5 Country Road 4/5 Oh, Susannah 4/5 Fire and Rain 4/5 Blossom 3/5 Anywhere like Heaven 3/5 Oh Baby 2/5 Suite for 20 G 3/5 Average: 3,18 Pretty good whilst also being unremarkable

Für Fans von leiseren, introspektiven Songs ist “Sweet Baby James” sicherlich ein Meilenstein. Ich fand es etwas monoton.

This album should be something I love but it's just missing some X factor, I don't know what, that makes it really dull.

Good. Very late 60s. I'd heard Fire and Rain before.

James Taylor is one smooooth man. It's not his fault that most of his songs sound like the opening titles of a 70's sitcom. Also, can we talk about what's going on with the random blues songs he has sprinkled throughout the album? In particular track 4, Steamroller Blues, is... not good. 3.25 stars

Super gentle singer songwriter album. Half and hour of very pretty acoustic guitar songs with just a couple of livelier and more fleshed out numbers to keep things interesting. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Fire and Rain Date listened: 19/01/24

Think it was ok, can’t remember much

Great voice, but I don't dig his style at all.

A good singer songwriter album, Country Road is a great tune. Overall it’s a fine album, Taylor sings well and the music is played well. Nothing really mover me much here. 3 stars

more bluesy than i expected but i still prefer the Quartet!

For country. I didn't hate it. System for 20G was the best song

it's ok

I really didn't expect to enjoy this album at all. I thought it was going to be quite a slog and pretty tricky to put up with all 36 minutes of it, but having said that this album really picked up after the first track and I was quite surprised. That isn't to say that I'm in a hurry to go back to it, but I also wouldn't be in a rush to skip any tracks of it when they come on in my library. It's my first James Taylor experience and it's been a pretty good one.

Fine old album that feels like the era

A bit too folky for me, it had a few real shining tracks but mostly I found it just passed me by

This is perfectly nice, easy folksy-poppy-pleasantness (as long as you ignore the incredibly inauthentic blues of Steamroller and the plain fucking weirdness of Sunny Skies. Oh, and you can get rid of Oh Susannah, too). Several times I thought "oh, Fire and Rain, I know this one" and it turned out to be a different song though, so read into that what you will. This is a nice, easy, unchallenging album to while away 30 minutes - it's very hard to hate, but also to love.

A decent album. Not my style. His voice is nice but the sound is pretty sleepy, overall.

James Taylor serves up some catchy tunes that I can't say I personally appreciate but I definitely know by heart.