Reviews (page 5 of 9)
Smooth vocals, good acoustic guitar playing. Also kinda dull.
This is interesting. I thought I hated most music before about 1977. I was pretty sure I couldn't stand 60s/70s folk/soft rock. I've already decided that I haven't given 70s music a chance. I guess now I have to do the same with folk. Rating this is a bit difficult. I already knew I liked Fire and Rain at least a little. It's actually much better than I thought. Sweet Baby James and County Road are great too. The tracks I didn't like, I really didn't like, though. Oh, Susannah? Really? It's a 3.5. So 3 or 4?
Som en Ola Söderholm med självförtroende
5/10
Honestly not a bad album, I didn't LOVE any songs but I didn't hate any either. My fav was Suite for 20 G
Not mine
Sap city bitch. Poor mans John Denver
Sweet Baby James ist Songwriting in Reinform – ehrlich, warm und voller feiner Beobachtungen. James Taylor braucht kein musikalisches Feuerwerk: Ein sanfter Fingerpicking-Stil, eine beruhigende Stimme und Texte, die wirken, als würden sie direkt aus einem Tagebuch kommen. Die Arrangements sind schlicht – manchmal fast schüchtern –, doch genau das lässt die Songs glänzen. „Fire and Rain“ ist ein melancholisches Meisterstück, „Sweet Baby James“ selbst eine moderne Cowboy-Ballade mit Schaukelstuhl-Charme. Kein orchestraler Bombast – aber großes Gefühl im Flanellhemd.
I know some of these songs and there were a few good new ones.
way too pleasant and unoffensive
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
An all time banger. In my Top Ten of all time, and a serious contender for Number One. Absolute perfection from the master of pop folk.
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
Heck yeah. This album is awesome. James Taylor is awesome. Three all time classic tunes and a bunch of strong songs. Throw in Carole King on piano and my maths tell me this is a 5 star album.
I really like a lot of the instrumentation, but his vocals are just like room temperature froyo. No thanks.
Good folksy sound. I didn’t love all the songs be a very soothing voice
I wasn't familiar with James Taylor before. Singer songwriter and folk are genres that I don't really like. But I really liked this album. I could listen to it again. 4/5
I'm glad this was quite a short album. It's pretty inoffensive stuff, but it's a style of music I can do without.
That was nice. Fire and Rain is a classic.
This is too wet for me.
If "allegations" was a soft rock musician...
3.5
Famously, my uncle, who listens to Alice in Chains, Tool, Nirvana etc. (typical Gen X rotation) said that if he could see one concert from any person at any time, it would be James Taylor. Something struck me so funny about this, that I’ve held onto that factoid forever. I thought “maybe he’s just trying to impress my aunt?” I don’t know why after a close to 30 year relationship, he’d be trying to score points by pretending to like a folk singer songwriter, but I digress. Maybe he was on to something? We’ll find out in the next hour or so. Solve a mystery for me, James (pronounced Ham-Es). Sweet Baby James - I hate cowboy songs but I’ll be damned if this wasn’t nice. Great job James. Not my favourite, but decent. Lo and Behold - I’m ashamed of myself, but I really liked this. This kind of song rides a razor thin line between great and completely unbearable. He did a great job here. If he even attempted to get really attitude-y, I’d probably be tearing Sunny Skies - Like how can this not be funny when put in the context of my opening paragraph? My Nova Scotian uncle who loves “Man in the Box” sitting front row at a church listening to Sunny Skies. This is a little too bubblegum for me. Let’s keep it moving. Steamroller - The least powerful blues man ever. This is like those YouTube videos where they do lounge covers of Cannobal Corpse songs. This has moments but it sleepily does feel like a parody of blues. Please never put horns in blues music ever again. Some doofus blowing the saxophone over an excellent guitar solo should be a crime. I don’t even really like guitar solos. Country Road - I initially made one of my classic typos, and wrote “Country Toad,” which I think we can all agree, is an adorable image. That is the only cowboy apparel I approve of. This is fading for me. My lighter is running out of butane, and the senior citizens behind us are falling asleep. Bring it up, James. Oh, Susannah - Oh, Susannah, you’re here. Uhhh well this was supposed to be a James Taylor concert, but I suppose you could play a song or two. What a rip. It was just another song about being southern. Not terrible. More likeable than the cosplay blues number. Fire and Rain - Boring, yet not offensive. The low buzz is cool. Blossom - Is this about that show? Just another middle of the road song. Anywhere Like Heaven - Um James? People do count the time. It’s called age. We keep pretty good track of that on this continent. Kind of ingrained in the culture at this point. Although in the loosey goosey 70’s who knows. I’m six orchids away from my Age of Enlightenment man. No, you’re a 31 year old car wash attendant from Boise. I like making stuff up. Oh Baby, Don’t You Loose Your Lip on Me - Don’t call yourself LoverMan JT. Nice blues attempt. I hate doubling up what I say and what I write, but he really does remind me of if they brought in a musician to do blues on Sesame Street. The description fits like a glove. Suite for 20 G - 20G?? And people are freaking out about 5G. Yeah this is riverboat music to the fullest extent. Maybe my uncle secretly dreams of the ol St. Louis to Nawlins authentic 1920’s riverboat steamship cruise adventure brought to you by Raising Cane’s Chicken. Well. This was fine wasn’t it? A nice soothing half an hour with the elder statesman of horn-based white guy blues. Most of this was wholly inoffensive and wouldn’t be out of place on in the background. I wouldn’t lunge at the aux “auxperator” in an attempt to silence this, but if you catch me putting this on for myself, call a neurologist. I hope my aunt and uncle are able to fulfill their dream and see James play a half empty church, but lord almighty, I think I’ll stay in that night. This album feels like tea. And much like tea, I’ll never seek it out, but it will sometimes do in a pinch. 2.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Lo and Behold
Some of these songs hold a special place in my heart for they were sung to me when I was a child. And Taylor’s own voice is one of unparalleled serenity even on the surprisingly burly “Steamroller”.
Some good guitar playing, but overall too sickly sweet for me. And I really think he should keep his "sement-mixer" to himself!
I'm willing to bet that for people my age, all of their dads love this record. It's too sappy for me. Good guitar playing, but he's not exactly Paul Simon in that regard. Or as a lyricist. The thing about this album is that it's just...lame. Like there's nothing behind any of the songs that makes me want to like them. Fire and Rain is a good song, I've always liked that one but the rest? No thanks. 2/5
Beautiful stuff. He is such a good songwriter my lord. Just smoothest music ever
A little underwhelmed tbh but I do love James Taylor always. But not as good as gorilla at all. Second half better
I just don't connect with it. I remember in the early naughties walking out of his concert for the same reason.
Complete
A touchstone in the seventies Singer-Songwriter movement that revealed a more sophisticated folk music. Two powerhouse songs in Fire and Rain and Country Road manage to not overshadow the rest of the album. While his storytelling and earnestness can overcome the impending corniness of material like Steamroller. A beautiful album.
James Taylor is a real guilty pleasure for me, I don't think this is anything ground breaking but I find his singing super relaxing and this album has some of his catchiest hits. I guess this is a personal 5* that I might not rate that highly if I was trying to be impartial!
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.
This album is often hailed as a cornerstone of the singer-songwriter movement, and it’s got some big name musicians contributing, which adds to its reputation. That said, I don’t quite get why it’s held in such high regard. To me, it feels like the most standard, run of the mill example of singer-songwriter music—pretty plain and unremarkable. At least it’s only about 30 minutes long, because if it had gone on any longer, I would have lost my mind, and gone crazy out of boredom.
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.
Приятный альбом, уютно было слушать в машине под дождём
I can't say it's objectively bad but it is bland and saccharine
Perfectly nice apart from the hackneyed blues songs. Never heard JT before but I imagine there is more out there I'd prefer
I really wanted to like this but I just didn't. It was subpar, like nothing felt special or particularly talented. Sort of like the Elvis of country in a very bad way
James Taylor is weird. His guitar playing is great, his song writing can be good. But his voice is just too smooth, like it's too nice, there's no edge, I can hardly pick out any emotion from it. Some of it kinda works, but when he goes into his, I guess, seduction tracks it's like: what is this? Some kid at school who's never talked to a woman trying to copy the bigger kids but having no idea what he's saying. "I'm a steamroller baby" jeez. On that note he does love to drop a G-bomb every couple of tracks and I get bored of religious stuff quickly.
This album is getting a lot of (hilarious) hate in the reviews, and I think some of those points are easy to understand. This is a pretty schmaltzy record that's easily digestible for the masses; "mom rock*," I think I read. Doesn't matter to me though. I love listening to James's finger-picking style, simple and impactful drums, and he's just got such a sweet, easy to listen to voice. He's always been a favorite artist of mine, even if he's not breaking ground. Not every album has to be the cornerstone of a genre; they can just be enjoyable. Art is supposed to make you feel, right? This makes me feel relaxed and happy. Great album. *BTW, my Mom also likes James Taylor ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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.
Pleasant enough background country rock. Prefer the more bluesy tracks, but don't particularly dislike any of it. That said, I wouldn't choose to listen to it again.
Good shit
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.
Ok
Good old fashioned country, back when country was good.
cheers montage music
Who knew a man with a bad haircut and a blue shirt could pull off such a banger of an album?
There are a few good (Fire and Rain) to excellent (Sweet Baby James) on here. Threes probably some deep psychological issue here, but a lot of the other ones make me want to jump off a bridge.
A personal favorite American singer-songwriter at his best.
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.
Good
Some very good goods and some very MEH stuff in between. Good to have finally listened to the whole album!
Sounds really pleasant and good. There's also room for some variation, as somes tracks take elements from rock, blues or country. Still not really my thing, but I enjoy quite a lot.
Fine voice.
In my mind, James Taylor falls into the same folk subset as Joni Mitchell and Carole King, both of whom have created some phenomenal music. It’s surprising how little James Taylor I’ve heard, but nothing on this album was familiar to me at all. I definitely did enjoy it though. To reuse a simile I’ve said before, it is like drinking a hot chocolate by a fireplace, but for the ears. It’s soft and warming, and never gets boring. For me, it’s not quite as beautiful as Joni and Carole, but it’s not far off.
lowkey sounds like spring, has a rock and peaceful vibe to it, enjoyable
Pleasant but dull. Like a lot of people I know!!!
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!
Fire and Rain is such a beautiful song and means so much to me. A melody which resonates with my soul along with the very meaningful lyrics. So because that song alone is on this album make it one which I rate. James Taylor has a great voice and simple guitar style. A very laidback album which creates a mood that everything is right in your world. 4/5 8/4/25
Really like this. Great voice and some really nice tracks. Just on the four side of a 4.5.
Classic - mellow - will put you to sleep, make you tear up, make you feel good.
A good album, I liked Country Road and Oh Susannah the most.
Just not a fan of this style of country/folk. My favourite track was Steamroller - the only blues rock style song. The rest I didn’t enjoy.
This is fine. It's pretty saccharine and doesn't feel very authentic. But the guitar playing is good.
This is all fine. Can't object to any of it. Quite like bits of it. 3 stars.
This is definitely not an album for me. Boringly sweet with less bite than a 98 year old who has lost his dentures. It's not a bad album, it's just not something I would ever choose to listen to.
I listened to the remaster, so I'm not sure how much changed from the original, but I really enjoyed the production on this one. Everything sounded crisp (bordering on saccharine).
Een beetje saaiig album? het houd het midden tussen country en folk, maar eigenlijk leunt het voor mij iets meer naar Folk. Ik had eerlijk gezegd best een beetje zin in een lekker fout countryalbumpie, maar dat zit er dus niet echt in. Maar ja, dit is dus echt vrij gezapige, saaie muziek. het duurt gelukkig ook maar een half uur, maar zelfs in die tijd dacht ik continue verlangend aan de muziek die ik hierna zou luisteren... 1001 Albums, je hebt het weer gedaan; een album wat zo zaaddodend is dat ik bijna punk rock begin te missen! FAVO: Blossom
Sweet, rich folk from one of the masters of the genre. Taylor's unique picking patterns and harmonic choices are probably at his peak on this album - before he went into the more poppy/lively direction. A shining example of singer-songwriting of the decade. Best Tracks: - Fire and Rain - Suite for 20 G - Anywhere Like Heaven Worst Tracks: - Oh Susannah Rating: 8.5/10
A nice album. Not my type of music pop country but this one was way above the average I give these genere albums. Exquisit songwriting and you can feel the passion on the voice. Im a fan of James Taylor now. Sometime a bit to repetitive but overall surprisingly good
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.
Sweet Baby James is the second studio album from James Taylor, and the first to find significant success. Taylor's calm, clear voice matches his introspective songs, and his understated acoustic guitar playing supports the simple, elegant sound of his songs. The album includes two of Taylors' first hits, "Fire and Rain" and "Sweet Baby James." These - and most of the other songs on the album - help start the career of one of the successful, celebrated singer/songwriters in popular music.
Just a lovely thing to listen to. He makes it sound so effortless.
This is nice music, but it's a bit... Well... boring. It's all in the same tone. Perfect background music for generic US rom-com about country bumpkins. Bit too jesus-ey for me too.
mom music, but good mom music
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).
Not bad! Anyone that can write a song about traveling on The Massachusetts Turnpike or a song walking down a street near a mental institution in a Boston suburb and make both scenarios sound epic is the mark of a great song writer.
The first song on here does not set it up good. Thought it'd just be some regular old singer/songwriter crap. But wow, the rest of these songs really prove me wrong. There's always something interesting going on musically, and the melodys are downright angelic in places. This album is extremely well played and the sound is varied while still having that 70s air on it
Dull
[4]
Sweet, sweet baby James. Silkyyy smooth. I don’t want to keep giving everyone a 5 but I really can’t find a fault on here. Maybe too many blues tunes? Didn’t bother me though. Took a walk through the woods and this couldn’t have been a better soundtrack.
When JT started singing about being a steamroller in the sweetest, most polite college boy tones, I thought ‘there’s no way he can pull this song off’ - but then he started absolutely ripping the blues guitar, as nasty as anyone can play it, and halfway through I was fully convinced he is not only a steamroller steamrolling chicks on the reg but also a cement mixer chunking and funking, or whatever - but doing it all in the style of a friendly neighborhood pharmacist, making it even more badass. The son of an MGH doctor, he’s an inspiration to us suburb white boys all over - we can rock too! This an old man take, but listening to this album makes me kinda mourn how little premium is placed on raw musical talent with today’s music. JT is an absolutely filthy guitar player with a beautiful voice who could not only rock your dick off but also write a song that will move you to tears. He is an American treasure. This music is perfect for Saturday/ Sunday mornings with the family. Only negative is that as I was playing this album in the kitchen snd having these grand thoughts of JT steamrolling through Martha’s Vineyard or wherever he hangs out, my wife said ‘wow you’re really turning into your dad’ and I had no counter at all.
I think we needed a chill album to bring us all home after Hot Rats and All Hail The Queen Sweet Baby James is/was a 32 trip through country roads, gospel, blues and periods of ecstasy like happiness. JT has a pretty voice and an incredible ability to make little flurries of notes on his acoustic (having played fire and rain for a decade, I don't come across many players who choose to finger chord shapes like him to pul that off) One big takeaway was how soul/gospel JT is in his discography. Favorite two tracks were Country Road and Oh, Susannah. 4.5 stars and rounding up
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.
Great folk music
James Taylor always makes me think of Sesame Street
Not bad, not amazing. Nothing stood out, but still pleasant to listen to.
4/5 - I didn't realize this dude was the defacto folk rock singer.
Music for people who say they don't have sex, they make love. Gross.
21 years old. Wow
It's quite mellow, but upbeat. I love story time songs and there are a good few in this album.
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
ah, the smooth and silky voice of james taylor… the original JT.
This is pretty middle of the road and meh. Just don't care about James Taylor at all. It's fine, but man it's not something I would want to listen to while floating in space.
Too bluesy while MOR
I'm definitely overrating this one on account of the vocals. But after a slew of albums delivered by (frankly) bad singers – including SZA, Gang Of Four, Finley Quaye, Rahul Dev Burman, and Elvis Costello – somebody with a simple, strong voice like James Taylor's is a blessing. Everything about Sweet Baby James is sappy, conventional, boring... And yet it's delivered with such earnest that you can't help but love the guy. I completely understand why someone would give this 1 or 2 stars. I guess I'm giving a 4 to rebalance the scales a little. And because I'm a sucker for acoustic guitars. Taylor also sounds a heck of a lot better here than in "Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon" from the following year. He's not twangy, just smooth and comforting. Even though I think a low rating is justified here, I'm not convinced by the top upvoted reviews. - "It’s what I’d expect a murderer to have playing in the background whilst I’m strapped to a chair and he begins to systematically remove my face skin with a scalpel." Okay, but that probably wasn't happening to you. Surely the album is actually more enjoyable with the added juxtaposed relief that you aren't having your face removed? Like how horror movies can be fun, but being chased by an actual chainsaw murderer is not. - "The world is stagnant because of [James Taylor], failing to venture into richer realms of funk and rock, treading circular to nowhere, listening easy and listening safe." You could describe nearly all music of a given era like this. Any kind of acoustic soft-rock created before what's generally considered the musical "breakthrough" year – 1971 – shouldn't be thought of as regressive, but normal. And Taylor's clearly one of the best of his craft. The reviewer's comment above is like criticising high-quality punk music released during prime punk era for being too punky. 4/5 Key tracks: Sweet Baby James, Country Road, Blossom
Sweet Baby Inc detected. Soft, inoffensive, can't imagine anyone choosing this over anything else
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.
+1 star just because of the steamroller song
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.
Awful. Why does this project insist on giving me folk and country when I've said I don't want folk or country? This was about to be irredeemable until its final track.
I finally get it. This must be what folk sounds like to people who hate folk. This is so…nothing. It’s like a dry musty fart in an attic. And then the smell of Steam Roller Blues hits in what might be the most embarrassing song I’ve heard on this list yet. Truly a triumph in sucking.
I have a soft spot for James Taylor
Sweet vanilla baby
D - dad's a fan, but not for me
Not bad Does what it says on the tin 3
Great album
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.
First time listening. Ok. Maybe not quite my preferred genre.
On est dans le bayou du pain blanc depuis quelques jours, sortez moi d'ici pls
oh just so beautiful, great album
Not sure who the target audience is for this but I don’t think it’s me. At least it was only 31 minutes!
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.
I like “fire and rain” and I think his voice is pleasant. Here he uses it in service of an incredibly boring album. I’m not sure when I would ever listen to this. Not sure what mood this sets.
Fire and Rain is still pretty good. But that’s about it for me. It’s very pretty, if this is your thing. There’s a lot of honky tonk, white boy blues, slide guitar and Americana. Suite for 20G sounds like Carol King wrote it for him, but I still don’t like it. This is just meh, for me.
I've never really liked James Taylor that much but there was some good stuff in this album
There's a few hidden gems here and there, but overall, it is the same folk nonsense that I've already grown tired of after hearing Bob Dylan. The only difference here is that James Taylor does have a nice singing voice.
Country isn't going to be my jam. Too much Jesus, not enough movement. The saving grace from the 1 is the occasional talk of loneliness and addiction. It looked like it was going to pick up momentum on the last song, but then the album was over.
singer songwriter LEAVE ME ALONE
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
Yeah. James rocks.
Easy listening, would put it on again, but won’t seek it out
this made me feel like i was on sesame street not crazy about the blues tracks, giving white guy plays the blues vibes. more folk centric stuff was nice, but song writing didn’t feel strong enough to blow me away, with a few exceptions. his voice is sorta bland. the blues and god shit really drags it down. 4.5/10
Not bad just pretty boring.
too sweet and too sugary for me. but I can see why many people love this album! very decent but probably just not my style. "lo and behold" is prob my favourite. would love to hear it as a soundtrack to some detective movie
That era of white man what a time
Fuckin love jommy
Its just kinda eh? Doesnt have the soul to stand out as folk/country from this period
it's been 30+ years and I still can't listen to fire and rain all the way through
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
Awesome album. I’ll be coming back for more
1. jamez - 1.5 2. behold - 1 3. zunny - 1 4. zteam - 1.5 5. country - 1.5 6. zuzanah - 1.5 7. fire - 2 8. blozzom - 1.5 9. heaven - 1 10. baby - 2 11. zuite - 1
a great surprise, became one of my favourites
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
Some delicate gems that are smooth and pleasing
This album is literally the old people tamer. Play it to anyone over the age of 50 and they will instantly be calmer. If it worked on my parents, it'll work on yours!
Ei lainkaan hullumpaa! Pari kappaletta meni omille soittolistoille.
Nice and easy. Reading the reviews, I see the 90s babies hate it with a passion. That’s ok, I hate the gear-grinding white noise they call music. Having said that, Sweet Baby James is a bit meh, so 2.
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
Beautiful, gentle voice, guitar, folk. Gets a bit too cheesy 70s Pop. Blues with weird lyrics. Fire and Rain.
Sure you have “Fire and Rain” but all the other tracks basically sound the same. Taylor’s voice is nice but the music puts me to sleep. 2/5
Never understood the appeal of James Taylor. Like everything I've heard from him, this album straddles the line between the so-called "freshness" of simple pleasures to mundanity devoid of any real stakes so fast that it's hard for me to take this artist seriously. And the same goes for his vocal performance, so saccharine that it often makes me feel queasy. My theory for the success of "Fire And Rain" is that it owes a lot to the stellar cello arrangement within its string section. But like all the other rather hackneyed tunes in this LP, the song doesn't feel particularly memorable per se. Oh, and give me a break with that dumb rendition of "Oh Susannah"! How much more cliché can you go here? Gram Parsons, this is not indeed. More adventurous closer "Suite For 20 G" has the best arrangements and some very nice moments in its middle section, though. But by that time, it's too little and too late. 1/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums (mostly a protest vote for a slot badly used) 6/10 for more general purposes (5 + 1) Number of albums left to review: around forty, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 460 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 271 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 333 (including this one)
Still not for me but about as good as singer-songwriter with guitar gets
Nice easy listening.
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.
I’m not sure I’ve ever listened to these earlier James Taylor albums before. Sweet Baby James is remarkably beautiful. It’s a folk album, first and foremost, but there’s elements of soul, country western, blues, and even some bluegrass influences. It’s a far cry from the yacht rock I’ve come to expect from Mr. Taylor, and I really enjoyed it. The guitar work is fantastic, the singing is perfect for the music, and everything is arranged dead on. The horns on “Suite for 20 G” are an example of the excellent instrumental decisions made on this record. This is one of those records that I’m really glad I was exposed to by this project. 4*
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.
JT should be the album in this book over Sweet Baby James. Sweet Baby James is James Taylor at his worst/best, while JT is the album which has more highs than lows and shows a better variety of Taylor's songwriting skills. Steamroller is bad, but it is supposed to be bad because it's a parody of bad blues songs. That's the thing though...Taylor doesn't necessarily sing the song as a parody or as tongue in cheek. Everyone knows the three big hits (Sweet Baby James, Country Road, Fire and Rain) and there are other good songs on here. Overall, it's a very top-loaded album with the hits and Oh Susannah isn't a necessary tune. Apparently, Taylor just needed more songs and that's probably why he did Oh Susannah. Personally, I prefer JT as this is too mellow and exhibits the worst among Taylor's tendencies.
You won't catch me saying a negative thing about James Taylor
peruskauraa...
Beautiful voice, great singer, surprisingly good guitar work. The album was a bit all over the place with a mix of folk, R&B, rock, and pop, but it was all great.
Not sure if this is a 5 because of nostalgia or its just a 5 on its on, but still a 5.
Мы поняли, тебе одиноко. Кантри стайл
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.
I expected to like this a lot more. James Taylor has always been a blind spot for me in a genre I usually love. I found this pretty boring and cheesy.
Generally, it is very pleasant. The more RnB elements feel forced, though
OK.
Boy that's James Taylor alright
Disco super agradável de ouvir, pena que dura somente 32 minutos. Instrumentos muito bem alinhados.
solid but not memorable could i write poetry to this? n
James "Steamroller" Taylor brings it on this one, bro. Laurel Canyon's own "Mr. Excitement" drops eleven tracks ready-made for the grocery store, elevator, or dentist's office. Give him a half-star for inventing a system for tuning the guitar that compensates for the vagaries of the instrument that prevent mathematical perfection. Try it. It works!
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.
"Cliff, Everyone's seen fire and rain" "Oh. Well, then, i guess I got nothing to say."
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
Not too shabby
Yachty-aughty-dope-alicious.
Pleasant
A classic album! Saw him live in concert and had a great time.
I've long been a "hater" of James Taylor. Most of his work from the mid-70's onward is borderline unlistenable to me. His 1985 album in particular, That's Why I'm Here, is one of the worst albums I've ever had the misfortune of being subjected to against my will. The guy is just so fucking *vanilla*. And that's not untrue on this album, either. I mean, does anyone believe him when he says he's a "churning urn of burning funk"? However, the guy is clearly capable of writing some damn good songs, and in this particular stripped-down folky environment, he unfortunately concocts a highly listenable and enjoyable kryptonite to my Haterade. Touché, Mr. Taylor, and a tip of the cap to you. 4/5
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
Hypnotically white
Hmmm prima, vond het vooral heel goed klinken voor een plaat van 1970. Maar niet per se bijzondere muziek
Excellent slice of Americana.
MOR. Music for people who have given up on excitement and wear slippers and socks.
Bof. C'est souvent joli, mais pas vraiment mémorable. Vibe typique folk-rock années 70, ce disque a sans doute eu beaucoup d'influence sur beaucoup d'artistes, mais aujourd'hui c'est un peu beige. C'est probable que je n'écouterai plus jamais ça. Ce qui irrite, c'est qu'il y a tellement d'autre musique qui pourrait être inclue dans cette liste à la place de ce type de disque, mais ça nécessiterait d'aller au-delà de la culture anglo-saxonne qui domine outrageusement ici.
Super hyggelig musik
Good singer-songwriter. Pleasant but not exceptional. Wish he stuck to his folky songs, when he attempts the blues it's a bit boring (hard to make blies exciting at all, and he just doesn't have 'it'). When he adds some big band fills it's worse. But most of the songs are fine. Well written and sung. A generous 3.
Awesome chill sounds from my childhood
I find his voice very soothing. I want to listen while riding through the dark desert at night. Would I listen to it again? Maybe! I keep thinking he is singing to himself as Sweet Baby James, which is weird to me. But maybe that's the type of positive affirmation we need in our lives.
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.
Great
Quite pleasant.
Not for me
Nah
Very much not my thing, couldn’t make it through the first track on my first go, but listened through on a different day and can appreciate it might be good if it is your thing.
Really middle of the road stuff. Couldn’t get into it at all
Grand
Sweet baby James Bit too tame different styles tried blues, folk and southern fried His voice nice music paying price not amazed just a bit dazed
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
Easily forgettable
Relaxing but not the most memorable
Was ready to dismiss this as I don't like country, but Steamroller had some nice blues/brass.
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.
UgH. Oh God! Is there a greater. more self-important, overated muslin out there?!?!? Damn that a tool. sorry - not. a. fan.
I really enjoy this old school 70s American rock / country genre.
Vähän sais olla rouheenpaa, alun bluesimpi ote vihjaili siihen. Oh, Susannahin balladisointi noin on ihan tyhmää, ei sen kuulu olla kaihoinen biisi. Menee hyvin tunnelmapalana illan hämärtyessä, tietyssä mielentilassa imelyyskin voi toimia. Mutta pelkään, ettei biiseissä ole tarpeeksi kerroksia.
Standardisoitu Dylan - täydellinen ajankuva. Nautin paikoin levyn sisältämästä musiikista.
I grew up with James Taylor playing in the background... 55 years later he's still one of my "go to" artists when I need to chill
You're so James
Boring. Next.
I love james taylor, so probably a higher rating than the album acutally deserves, but I'd definitely listen again.
Really good folky rock. The blues songs were a bit jarring, they didn't really mesh with the rest of the album, but they were still good in their own right.
Another one I know with songs I know.
Nice album. I liked the blues songs
The softer singer-songwriter stuff is nice, although somewhat sentimental. The attempts at blues are quite awkward.
Pretty chill
Classic folk tunes.
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.
It was ok. Not big on folk music Will I listen to again: 2%
An eclectic album. Pulls from rock, country, folk, to have a very nice album.
Such a soothing classic. Fire and Rain is an amazing piece of songwriting.
I was not expecting to fall in love with James Taylor. Sweet Baby James is so lovely and charming, and my listening experience felt like his music washing over me. Taylor effortlessly navigates between serenading me (or the listener, I guess) or creating a jammin' blues number. This album contains folk, country, and blues, but the final song contains a spot of jazz, just to spice it up. I'm picky with folk and country; I still wouldn't say James Taylor would be my first choice when listening to music, but I get it now. I guess I'm a sucker for singer songwriters.
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.
A very good album with some of the best songs ever written such "Sweet Baby James", "Fire and Rain" and "Country Road".
Loved every song
4 - some very sweet melodic songs and not much filler
Woah this was actually really, really good. Surprised by how much I enjoyed this.
Lovely little folk album, was a good choice to start to day.
Sort of searching for sugarman
Mixture of country, blues, and rock music. James Taylor has a great voice, very soft spoken yet enthusiastic. Had a great time listening to the album. I enjoyed the country songs but not the blues ones. Standouts: Sweet Baby James, Country Road, Oh, Susannah, Fire and Rain, and Anywhere like Heaven.
all of the songs on this literally sound the same. even the lyrics.
I liked this album, glad there were some blues-rocky tracks in here
Not for me
Listen to it twice. It was nice.
Classic douchebag + guitar music
Sweet and lovely classic American from James Taylor. His blues and classic covers are wonderful as well. Excellent vocals and guitar playing. Wonderful album and a great snapshot of James Taylor's work.
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.
Nice cozy album with a few stand outs.
14 year old me would've gone crazy with this sound. It was good, nothing surprising neither in a positive or a negative manner.
Fire and Rain -5 stars. Rest was easy listening.
James Taylor can do no wrong in my book.
Solid album. Brings me back to being a kid.
Bland. 2/5
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.
This album doesn't sound bad at all. That's not the issue. The issue is that it sounds utterly and all-around unremarkable. Just pure background filler. A wide range of styles also doesn't mean all that much if all of them are performed in a milquetoast manner. Ironically, Suite for 20 G was the only engaging track.
An all time fav. It's been awhile since I have listened to the album. Glad it was on the list.
I guess I have the unpopular opinion of enjoying James Taylor. It’s easy listening and very safe, but it’s nice in spots
Cant really say any of the tracks grabbed me
Amazing, loved it!
Fire and Rain is one of the greatest songs ever written. Full Stop. The rest is great- songwriting is incredible. I’m just in the wrong frame of mind so I’ll say 2.5
Obviously a talented guitarist and lyricist but this is way too soft for me to have any real connection with. High 3.
Never been a James Taylor fan but I can deny that this is a great album. Begrudgingly I have to give it a 5.
Its a classic. Such a beautiful, gentle voice that works better for blues songs than it has any right to. Short and sweet!
Probably would give this album a miss in the future
I didn’t like James Taylor before, I do now
Really nice calming folk music. Standout tracks: Sweet Baby James, Fire and Rain
some good writing and some cool songs. will probably never think about it again but not a bad listen
p216. 1970. 2 stars. The source of an entire generation of 1970s male middle of the road singer/songwriters. There are a handful of standout songs (Sweet Baby James, Fire and Rain) and decent guitar picking, but it lacks any sense of excitement and there is a LOT of bland filler. On the plus side, it's short.
Great songs that don’t overstay their welcome. Musicianship. Mix of country folk blues and sometimes makes me think of Bill wurtz! 4.5
2 out of 5. Fire and Rain was the standout song for me on this album, but it was otherwise a little uninteresting as a whole.
I just love James Taylor. This is such a perfect record. “Fire and Rain” is an amazing song and stands out on an album full of amazing songs. There should be more James Taylor on this list, but I’m glad at least this one is here.
It was very good. An enjoyable soundtrack for working: smooth and relaxing.
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
My mom listened to this when I was a kid in the 90s, and I'm just now realizing this came out in 1970. Really like the sound, very relaxing
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.
mid af
'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.
Beautiful voice
decent
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 //
A very good album from a very good artist. Unmistakable soulful voice.
4.25
Pleasant soft rock, almost too sweet
I dont know not a big folksy guy
Standard de voz e violão.
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.
5 stars. I will always love this one. Eternal comfort. Everything will be all right.
Nice listen
It's a weak four for me, not because it's lacking anything really, but it's on the edge of what I would normally listen to on a random day. That said, there's a lot I like about the album, and I could easily recommend it to anyone who likes the broad singer songwriter genre.
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.
Another neat folk album with some blues and other cool stuff thrown in. Fun easy listen but nothing life changing.
Steamroller is a surprise. The other stuff is good. It’s just background music.
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.