Reviews (page 8 of 9)
good country music, lots of emotion
me gusta pero no me atrae mucho el estilo el canto era muy parecido siempre y muy lineal. pero entiendo a qué corresponde eso
Υπερβολικα βαρετο, επαλαμβανομενο με μερικες αναλαμπες οπως το blossom και το suite for 20g 2/5
Just a bit MOR and countrified. Not offensive though!
enjoyed the first few tracks but got a little repetitive towards the end
Beautiful
Quite enjoyable. Didn't blow me away though.
Fine. A bit too country for me, but still decent, so I'll rate it a 3. In all likelihood, I won't listen to it again.
Warm and easy listening. Great for the background when you're doing something else, but not particularly engaging. 'Meh' sums it up for me.
Of it's time. Doesn't do much for me.
As much as the title track and Fire and Rain are undeniably classics, and considering his bitter battle with Warner's recovering decades of owed royalties...I always get the impression there's a very angry and cynical bastard singing the sweetest songs. I may be completely wrong, yet I can't shake the impression.
Surprised by this. Didn’t know what to expect at all, but pleasantly surprised and will definitely listen again.
This album can give you diabetes with a single track
This is the epidemy of slipping into a hot soapy bath with a glass of your favourite beverage (up to you). The music's soft nature in Sweet Baby James has a ring of melancholy and despair to it, which reflects Taylor's lyrics very well I find. Never heard one of his songs before and only knew him from The Simpsons and the fact he inspired the opening lyrics of George Harrison's Something. But have that aside from a few meh blues numbers, it's a welcome addition to my Spotify. Really enjoyed Fire and Rain, and the title track the most.
Lovely, and all jokes aside he makes a fine album.
Boring
Sweet, baby james!
Nice |:)
Par låtar in var detta en fyra.... några vitgosse bluesnummer och en låt om hur episkt sten och rull är senare är det en trea....
James Taylor is that guy who brings his guitar to a camp fire, and starts playing just when you're in a middle of a really lively conversation. And of course everyone has to stop talking and listen politely, cause he's pretty good after all, better than any one of us that's for sure, but what we really want to do is drink and talk shit, not feel all sad and nostalgic over cliches like empty country roads and lush green pastures and sunny skies.
Country-tinged singer-songwriter music does not sound like my bag, but damn this is a beauty. Lovely song writing. Great voice, great music which draws from blues, country and folk. How does he make songs about cowboys and Jesus sound so profound? 4*
Ljúft og gott. Þægileg rödd. Góð nærvera í tónlistinni.
4.1 - Listening to James Taylor sing the blues reminds of the South Park episode where Butters becomes a pimp. If he weren't so damn good at it, it'd be hilariously awful but instead it ends up being pretty awesome and endearing. Standouts: "Steamroller", "Fire and Rain", "Suite for 20 G."
Not my thing.
I've known of this album for a long time but never given it a proper listen. I loved it. Taylor's voice is just fantastic and coupled with that lovely acoustic guitar playing. Such great stuff.
3.5
I've never listened to JT before, talk about effortlessly smooth.
Call me an old softie, but I do love me a bit of James Taylor. And Sweet Baby James was my son's baby song.
No se me hizo la gran cosa
The first half is random country music; the second half is pretty good acoustic rock.
Oh god. I don't have a problem with this in theory. The sensitive male singer-songwriter. That's fine, if that's who you are. But I don't think that is who James Taylor is. I think it's a well constructed persona to sell records and isn't representative of who he actually is as a person. I don't buy it, I'm highly suspicious of it. Partly because I can't get past a grown man naming his album Sweet Baby James. That is truly wretched. And partly because in this photo he looks so much like my douchebag ex-boyfriend. The flowing long hair and the faraway, emotionally unavailable look in his eyes. I know that look too well. It's a meticulous ruse, a long con. The forlorn and brooding look of the tortured soul bad boy that you could reform, only you and your special love! That look has sucked me into a vortex of bullshit the likes I've never known and I'm not falling for it again. That look is the hallmark of the worst kind of womanizer: the one who truly believes his own manipulative crap. He isn't a player, he's just had bad luck with women. Well, fuck you Luke! Er. James. Fuck you very much. I'm glad he's bald now.
Probably the most boring, vanilla shit I have ever heard. It wasn't awful, but I just can't cannot get into this stuff at all.
Nie taki zły jak się zapowiadał
Decent James
Solid
I've never really heard any James Taylor, but have always had a bit of second-hand respect for him after hearing his name mentioned in the same breath as Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and more in the top tier of early 70's singer-songwriters. With "Sweet Baby James", that respect has taken a bit of a hit. From start to finish, it seems to be the definition of easy listening. The vocals remain in a comfortable range without much "oomph", the melodies are sweet and predictable, and the lyrics are earnest and plain. All of this, of course, adds up to a perfectly pleasant set of songs. None of "Sweet Baby James" is actively grating, unpleasant or challenging, so in some ways it's a little harsh to downgrade an album for not taking many risks. But there's just nothing that particularly grabs me. Even if an album prides itself on a stripped back, easy-listening approach, it's still nice to have songs that stand out. Admittedly, "Fire and Rain" is a good track, as is a lot of the closing "Suite for 20 G", bringing a much needed element of bombast. The most offensive end of the album is the purely throwaway stuff, like "Sunny Skies", "Blossom" or "Anywhere Like Heaven" which are so ephemeral they float by like dandelion seeds and vaporise completely at the end. In the middle are tracks like "Sweet Baby James" (I read on Wikipedia that Taylor was particularly proud of these lyrics... it's hard to see why), "Country Road" and "Steamroller." Hearing that the latter was intended as a parody of weedy white bluesmen redeems it slightly, but still doesn't entirely sell it as a great song. Overall, this album just didn't really leave much of an impression on me, which is particularly strange for a genre, style and era I usually really enjoy. Sorry James, this ain't it.
Milquetoast: The Album.
Fantastic group of folk songs mixed with a tinge of jazz and country, interesting he was dating Joni Mitchell at this point. There was some strong tracks but it isn’t a five stars for me:)
no
This was nice easy listening and well-written folk. Not much else to say honestly
Good album. Would listen again
Luckily this was a pretty short album, so it didn't overstay its welcome. Some nice melodies but I'm just not really into this completely stripped back country sound.
(tbh I coasted on yesterday’s ranking- I love Dusty but didn’t have the time to listen to that album again) So James Taylor kind of slaps? I always dismissed his stuff, but he’s got some killer hooks behind him. I prefer his original stuff to his covers, and I doubt this will ever be a favorite, but this is a nice, easy listen. C
Sorry James. Can’t jibe with this right now.
Some great songs
Sounds like at mix between Rodriguez (at least one song) and Jim Croze. Both of these would likley get a 5 from me. I enjoyed the record but have no connection to it which I think brings it down a bit for me. Had it part of my formative years I would see it as rating higher.
This is great. And I don't usually go for this kind of stuff. But every note, every artistic decision, the voicing and just every touch on the album is perfect. Loved it
Well. Sweet voice but some problematic material.
Soft and sweet singer/songwriter James Taylor serenades for all of a half-hour. It's nice enough.
Awful. Anodyne, insipid shite. Worst of all are the terrible attempts at the blues.
Smooth, beautiful baritone, amazing and very individual guitar style. As laid back as it is possible to get.
Country blues folk rock thing very much enjoyed!
I was only familiar of James Taylor for his brief appearance on the Simpsons. His music was described as bittersweet folk rock. I will describe it as bad. I did not know that Fire and Rain was the name of the song which he sang in the Simpsons episode. I once took the lyric of "Sweet Dreams and Flying Machines" and changed it to "Sweet Dreams and Pie Machines." Anyways pie is good. This album is not and thankfully it was short and thankfully I don't have to listen to it again.
Listened on RS 500.
chilled out country and western, what's not to like!
Smooth and soft..and that is maybe the problem here. I sm lacking a certain enge or nerve. So not for me thanks
My mom loves James Taylor- he’s very chill- kinda made me want to road trip with the windows down-
Great stuff. Not something I'd listen to just anytime, but a perfect album for, say, a Sunday morning.
Mescalito
Yes a good one!!
'sail on home to Jesus'
Very enjoyable, relaxing
Типовой и неизобретательный альбом
Just a good singer songwriter. No edge but some nice country and blues elements. Enjoyed listening to this one and will come back to it.
Total barrel of laughs. Straight in the bin.
shockingly, fire and rain are not THAT much better than the rest of the album
I really liked this! Going to have to learn Anywhere Like Heaven
Pour vous donner un peu de contexte, James Taylor venait d'apprendre juste avant l'enregistrement de cet album que ses deux sourcils n'allaient finalement jamais se rejoindre. Ni une ni deux, les textes de ce projet traiteront essentiellement de cette inquiétude passée. Les démons de Taylor ne s'éclipseront toutefois pas en un clin d'œil et son manque de confiance en lui continuera de transparaître dans Sweet Baby James. On entendra en effet dans plusieurs morceaux l'équipe technique lui murmurer des encouragements tels que « rapproche-toi, n'aie pas peur », « chante un peu plus fort on t'entend pas ici » ou encore « allez James c'est pas le moment de craquer »... Le projet d'enregistrer un album entier était peut-être trop ambitieux.
C'est bien simple, James Taylor est en fait une version évoluée de Gene Clark. En effet, James nous porpose une country impeccable pendant 30 délicieuses minutes, qui parvient même à surclasser celle de son grand ami Eugene Clark. Seul petit bémol, une présence scénique inexistante, James passant l'intégralité de l'album prostré sur son tabouret, à plusieurs mètres du jury. Il faudra travailler l'aspect chorégraphie de sa performance, sans quoi la place en finale risque d'être compromise.
nisan mogla dovršit, baš mi je monotono
Zabavno i poletno, svidilo mi se jer je baš moj stil Pogotovo mi je dobra pisma Steamroller Blues. Cili album je cozy i James Taxlor ima dobar glas!
one classic
fuck country music. fuck it right in its eye. chop off its tits with a rusty hacksaw blade. stick a fork in its throat. comfortably the shittest off all the genres. i know there has to be bad music for good music to exist and if country didn't exist then something else would take its place but fuck me its bad.
I don't know how long I could be a vet before I got bored and started shagging stuff.
Sweet baby Jesus, this is wank.
Sweet baby James eh? Bad peodo you lad.
James has always sounded a bit weedy, to me. This album doesn't change my mind. Fire and Rain is unquestionably brilliant, and there are some good lines in some of the other songs. But it isn't an album that I needed to hear.
Pretty good folk rock, and I get the hype, though it wouldn't be my go to album.
Liked fire and rain
Baby making music. Fav tracks: " Oh Susanna" " Fire and Rain"
Pretty good folk sound with some blues
Used to love this album but sounds a bit soft these days.
I've never been a huge JT fan. I love his hits, seen him live, etc. But never bought an album. I guess that it's 'cause I've never been much into many of the 60/70s singer songwriters.
Liked it, bit repetitive.
6/10 very listenable but very cheesy
5/10. Got impressively boring for only being half an hour long.
Wow, former president James Taylor. 8/10
One of the most soothing voices ever. Applause to you James Taylor!
3.5 a vecea es muy bonito y otras me siento en deep texas pero la voz de james Taylor la verdad es que mis dieses
Just too sugary sweet while trying too hard. It was like Splenda on the ears and not in a good way. My mother-in-law loves this tho, so there’s that 🤷🏾♂️
I like his voice and the tunes are all hummable. Frankly a little forgettable though. I dug into his wiki bio and it makes sense of the James Taylor hate that I'd previously only been slightly aware of. Lots of great breaks from friends and a wealthy family that can sweep in and fix everything at the drop of a hat but he still manages to find himself strung out on heroin and homeless. Inoffensive, gentle 70s tunes.
Passable. Nothing special.
there's no other!
Nice and chilled
Nice
Thanks James. From James
Best Song: Sweet Baby James. A smooth introduction to the album, where his voice is really able to shine. Interesting lyrics about religion as well. Worst Song: Steam Roller Blues. It just doesn't feel like he has the right timbre of voice to grit out this kind of song. His voice is altogether too clean, even if I do like the backing instrumentals. Overall: Not my typically preferred style of music, but the concise and well-written songs, in combination with Taylor's gentle and smooth voice, works as well as it can for me.
I used to enjoy this more than I do now. Not bad folk singer/songwriter stuff, but not my style.
Some classic songs on this album, including A Long Way from Anywhere, which I sang at school. It's disconcerting to realise I still know my part, and all the lyrics roll straight off my tongue. Fire and Rain, Suzannah, are standouts, but I feel the same mix of attraction and repulsion to some of the more saccharine numbers. Some lovely guitar work, and the inimitable JT voice - know it anywhere. Some cringey appropriations. No blues singer, really. Even so, I'd give this 4 stars.
It was a good album! I didn't recognize the name but looking him up after was surprised how many hits he had that I knew. No recognized songs on the album
Great album, one of the first \"Singer Songwriters\" this is a great album, love \"Sweet Baby Jane\" \"Steamroller Blues\" \"Oh Susannah\" and \"Fire and Rain\" James at his best before the alcohol and male pattern baldness kicked in! Look at that Mane like hair! Great Album Rightfully in the list in my honest opinion.
Perfectly acceptable record. Nothing more, nothing less. Wouldn’t ever switch it off, but would I actively seek it out to listen to? Not so sure! 3 stars it is!
Super sympa au coin du feu avec un verre de whisky.
Good vibes!✌️
très agrèable de bon matin
So soso. Si hubiese una hecatombe y creyese que soy el único superviviente del mundo, tras vagar durante varios años en soledad, una buena tarde me encontrase con este hombre tocando la guitarra y cantando sus canciones, me haría el sueco y pasaría de largo.
Solid. Not really up my alley but the songs were concise and well-written. James is an excellent performer on top of that so this made for a pleasant listen.
Coming out of the 60s strong with a decently diverse folk country album with substantial hat tips to jazz and the South. Similar guitar phrasing fraternity as Paul Simon, piano that you know made Ben Folds listen. And at least two timeless classic tracks. An LP that 14yo S&G me is kicking myself I missed.
Well... I didn't think I'd like it based on the first song, but then I played the CD on a loop while I worked, so I guess I did like it. Great work music!
It was chill in the background but I wasn't able to really absorb this one...on the other hand it didn't really jump out at me. Maybe it just isn't my thing.
The timbres and textures are outstanding. The combination of James’s voice, the mix, and the omnipresent ambient noise makes this record a warm experience. It brings some kind of intimacy. A refuge. I can definitely see The Black Keys covering some of these songs. Love it!
Alku vaikutti ihan lupaavalle, mutta olikin klassinen tapaus: muutaman ihan ok biisi ja loput tusinakamaa.
Kevyttä ja samaistuksen puute. Kantrivivahteet luonnollisesti ärsytti, mut paikottaiset bluesbiisit toi eloa.
I wanted to like this album, I really did. However, the good about it doesn't outweigh the fact that basically every song sounds the same. Steamroller blues should never have been included, since it sounds like Taylor took a class class called "How to play white guy blues for dummies." Oh Suzanna is similarly bad. Fire and Rain is a notable high point. The production is excellent as well. The character of his guitar really shines through. It just doesn't make up for the fact that this album is boring
Easy listening! Smooth guitar, very comfy 60s-70s sound. Feels like it's been in plenty of movies.
Already knew the song fire & rain, hadn't heard the rest before. At first I was like ehhh but then it started growing on me about a third of the way in. I would probably give it a 3.5 but I'll round up to 4
Rather bland, but I guess okay.
Much better than I expected; very pleasant and doesn't outstay it's welcome.
Lovely voice and guitar picking. Nice mix of folk and rhythm & blues. Contains several JT hits, so a good album overall.
Folk, country
Mildly buttery baby James
noit bad
rreally good
2.5
Folk-country bastante lento. Por lo menos canta muy bien.
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Sweet Baby James, Suite for 20 G Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: If you played me a 5 second clip from any one of these songs I'm not sure that I could reliably tell you which one it was from and I listened to this about 5 times.
Such a beautiful voice
Beautiful album. Very Bluesy.
Un album de folk con algunos tintes bluseros. De muy fácil escucha y melodías agradables con una voz super dulce de parte de James. Gran disco, con la cantidad de canciones justas
Oh OK but didn't invest
Decent.
So nice. Makes you want to go fishing all day on a row boat. Fire and rain is one of my favourite songs, but have never really listened to the others.
A bit too chill for me. Prefer Nick Drake if I'm going down that route.
Easy to listen to. 3/5
geht 2,5/5
Slow country. Mostly meh. Our Town by James is good but on a different album.
I've never really sat down and listened to James Taylor, and to be honest I had the guy mixed up in my head with Jimmy Buffet. Ha! Once I realized (happily) I wouldn't be hearing Margaritaville, I settled into the album and was pleasantly surprised. James' vocals are so rich and clear, I couldn't help but be immediately drawn in. The album had it's share of folky ballads, which I expected, but the blend of country, folk, blues and even the touch of gospel provided far more musical diversity and depth than I expected. I think the tracks "Lo and Behold", "Steamroller Blues", "Oh Baby, Don't You Loose your Lip on Me" and the latter half of "Suite for 20 G" show this well. Given James' music remains ubiquitous to this day, it's undeniable that his music deserves it's place in this list. I've been remiss for dismissing it on account of having heard the "big hits" umpteen-million times, so next time I'm relaxing on a lazy day, I know where to go digging.
just a bit too gentle and folksy nice for me
No no no
that was a pretty cool album, I’ll give it a 7/10 I also listened to Mud Slide Jim and liked that album a little bit more, I’ll give that one an 8/10 overall this dudes pretty cool
Good album. Nice voicing, good country
Soft rock en el seu format més reposat i californià. Excel.lent disc de carretera o de capverpre d'estiu. A més, destaquen és clar les lletres de Taylor i la seva veu melangiosa i crepuscular, fins i tot de jove. Un bon disc
Pretty nice but also lost me at some moments.
Nope nope nope
we get it you like jesus
Rounded up to 4 out of spite
-I like the horns and bassline in "Steamroller Blues" -"Suite for 20 G" is cool and groovy -Other than those 2 tracks, the album was generally just fine. No real plans to revisit
Oh Susannah & Fire and Rain...
didnt listen
A true treasure of an album, an aural comfort blanket that lifts the soul and warms the heart. James Taylor could sing the phone book and it would still be worth a listen. "Country Road" has a special place in my heart, featuring as it does in one of my most favourite films. Not one wasted second in this album, and one that I will listen to again and again.
School has started and the written reviews take too much time. Going to stick with the star ratings for now.
He has such a great voice. I don't love every song on this album, but his guitar and voice is just so great makes it worthy of 5 stars.
Mostly pleasant, if somewhat bland.
Liked it.
Not bad, quite up and down though - quite saccharine in places
21. Sweet Baby James - James Taylor - 11 tracks. This is good. This is really good. A tiny bit Country, a little bit Folk. The double bass also gives it.... Soul? but heavy Blues influence too. A real roller-coaster of a journey. This is a proper album. Fire and Rain is amazing. 4/5
- not really my type agin - can see why this was popular in the 70s - giving white girl in a long white dress particularly with blonde hair and and white head band - instrumental are a plus very calming
Fantastic album. There’s nothing like James Taylor. I could listen to this everyday and find joy in it. What a delight.
Smooth with some classic songs. The funky stuff hasn't aged so well
I enjoyed this album! Would listen again
Yeah. That’s an album. Not my thing, but I knew girls in college who were all about it.
Fav songs: - Lo and Behold
I'm not enjoying this much, it's like singer/songwriter/country but not as melodic, soothing or engaging as other artists.
Eh. Folky, country-y. Not my case
Excellent album. James Taylor’s guitar and singing is one of a kind. He takes simple songs and makes them special. Fire and Rain is a classic and this album is great easy listening from beginning to end. 8.3/10
Some of the tracks on this album I have heard dozens of times, and I'll still listen to them again. I haven't listened to James Taylor in a while. I had forgotten how much I like "Sweet Baby James" and "Country Road". "Fire and Rain" is a classic. Even though I'm not excited for every song on this album, it's easily a re-play for me.
Ohhhh, this is an all time favorite of mine. 5 all day
I really enjoyed this album. James Taylor's more soulful and bluesy songs made me realize just what a versatile vocal he is. I've always known him more as a folk singer/songwriter, but this album truly showed off his range. I'm only giving it four starts because there's nothing that's terribly new or groundbreaking on this album, but it is executed to perfection.
James Taylor is great. Fire and Rain is one of the best songs ever written. The rest of the album is good.
Not really my kind of music, but he has a nice voice and it's inoffensive. Steamroller was the best track, I could imagine a burlesque performance to that one.
The classic Dad album. Timeless songwriting and great recording. James Taylor is one of the best lyricists of all time and this album resonates with men of many ages. My dad loved it in his time as do I.
OMG! i was certain i wouldnt like this. but I think I do.
The album that popularised James Taylor and god bless it for doing so.
I liked the blues-y stuff. My memory of James Taylor was more acoustic/folk.
not for me
Obviously good, but JT bores me
Almost tempted to lower this to 4/5 because it's a little cheesy and I've heard the best songs too many times, but it's just too good.
James Taylor is not a churning urn of burning funk. However, this album is a hunk of steaming junk. It’s like a “lite” version of all the genres featured. His vocals and the instrumentation are very competent, but just too nice all the way through.
He can spin some pretty yarns, but doesn't span time well for me.
Fire and Rain is amazing... and James Taylor's voice is generally soothing, though i could pass on the uptempo Straemroller and really only really enjoy country road. The rest is fine, but leaves it at a 3.
One of the GOATS
Made me feel like I was a cowboy
This album was really good, easy to listen to. I enjoyed all of the songs! 5/5 stars.
Yeah pretty good ig
Fire and Rain- one great song. But the album seems to drag now.
Super nostalgic for me. This is a fantastic album and Sweet Baby James is an all-time great song. James' voice is smooth and effortless. A real treat.
I don’t like country
9th August 2021 Listened throughout the day on the phone. Really nice, easy listening. Simple songwriting is the most difficult and James Taylor is a master of it.
Beautiful guitar work, wonderful singing, an almost dreamlike quality as Taylor sings about turnpikes, county lines, cites and steamrollers - a classic American album.
I just don’t Think James Taylor is for me.
Surprisingly creative and fun folk/blues/rock album! The covers were great and the slower songs were gorgeous, too!
Erster Gedanke: bitte nicht schon wieder ein weißer, amerikanischer Troubadour. Dann aber: der versteht sein Handwerk. „Sunny Skies“ wurde zwar zu nah am Zott Sahnejoghurt herankomponiert, aber der ganze Rest ist zugegebener Maßen ein völlig gelungen zusammengeworfene, bunte Folk Tüte mit Ausflügen in artverwandte Genres wie Blues („Steamroller“ / „Oh Susanna“). Die Songs werden aufmerksam behandelt und erhalten immer das passende, Qualität hebende Detail wie das Cello Rückgrat in „Fire and Rain“. Vollgepackt mit tollen Sachen, die das Leben schöner machen & dazu cremige 3.8
There were loads of acoustic folk albums released in 1979 that I much prefer to Sweet Baby James. I have tried (not very hard) with this album before but it is just too sickly sweet for my taste. Nice but dim.
With all due respect, Mr. Taylor, this isn't the best time for your unique brand of bittersweet folk rock. We have a potentially critical situation here. I'm sure you'll understand.
Man first song in and I don't know if I'll be able to finish this. So fuckin cheesy. This slide guitar is just killing me. I can't finish this. I'll give it 2 stars cause the production is good but god. Ok I'll give it three stars for You've Got a Friend. Actually fuck that it's a Carole King song. Back to 2 stars.
Pretty solid. The big hits on this album are incredible: "Sweet Baby James", "Country Road", and of course "Fire and Rain" but a lot of the rest are pretty unmemorable. Wasn't familiar with most of the rest and I'm pretty fine with that.
Tja, ook daar verwachtte ik meer aan
Treurig plaatje, op elke mogelijke manier
Maar een beetje terloops geluisterd, maar wat ik hoorde was wel heel erg saai en veel te braaf voor mijn doen.
Poewee, wat een zijige toestand.
This album just barely earns a star on the incredible strength of Fire and Rain alone; the rest of the songs were decent to good, but couldn’t live up to that exceptional standard.
Beautiful home-grown sound. Not a lot of really surprising stuff, and didn't quite hook me very well.
Every year I get older I get more into James Taylor. A quintessential attribute of my suburban white dad final form I have to assume
Starts out country, ends a little bit rock and roll. Enjoyable and smooth throughout. I wish he'd trim his eyebrows though.
Classic Singer/Songwriter. This album help set the bar for all singer/songwriters to come.
Easy listening. Most of it was easy to ignore which is both good and bad. My favorite tracks were the bluesy ones...would listen to those again.
"There’s a song that they sing of their home in the sky / maybe you can believe it if it helps you to sleep / but singing works just fine for me" Relateable! This album went from a 2.5 to a 3.5 after hearing that line. Then it went to a 3 as it slowly progressed. Then, when it got halfway through ”Suite for 20 G” and we got the boogie-woogie we all deserved, it shot up to a 4. This album is safe, inoffensive and commercial. Sweet. So sweet that I feel a bit cruel for giving it this low a rating, but it didn't really stick with me in any substantial way.
Steamroller Blues
quite boring
Instant mood lifter. Great for the background of a relaxed evening or cooking
The "Sweet Baby James" song is a classic. The other songs are so so on this folk rock album by James Taylor.
very nice
Great easy listening record, a couple tracks I hadn't heard before that I really liked (Blossom), but the closing track Suite for 20 G is a cheese fest.
Absolutely amazing - the perfect album before bed
It's not at all the kind of thing I would listen to but I enjoyed it, even if it's more than a bit cliché.
Very cool
Sweet baby James. Some of your lyrics really ground my gears man. Yeah you had some nice twinkly twanky riffs but, bro, I just could not get on board. And for that reason I’m out.
So good
So bad and boring
Recklessly peaceful
didnt like
I knew this day would come. Where I would listen to an album by a 70s white ‘my car and my guitar’ dude and not want to solder my ears closed. And so it came to pass that the plaintive face on the cover, the awful album title and the hackneyed journey-across-America lyrics inspired not anger, but a kind of beatific wonder. There is enough variety in here that I can believe Taylor cares more about crafting tight songs and exploring a range of modes than he is appearing weather-beaten and road-worn. The tropes are just because that’s the voice he was exploring. Don’t like it? Stick around, he’ll find another mode. Perhaps you’ll like that. Maybe it’s Stockholm Syndrome. Maybe my ankle hurt too much yesterday for me to concentrate, but I felt this as part of a long lineage of genuinely talented songsmiths.
Good to cook to
Craving authenticity, Taylor slathers these songs with as much honey as he can get his hands on. Seems to have worked, as he's treated like an angel by many. Occasionally he sounds like one -- even less frequently these songs have a kick -- but the rest of the time he comes off like exactly the kind of dork who'd approve this album title and cover. He was never going to offer the nutritional value of John Prine or Gram Parsons -- I guess fast food salesman is a decent second place.
Its nice enough in a Sunday morning, put on something low key, did I really do that last night, shots were probably a bad idea, oh jesus I might have some calls to make sort of way. Can we also talk about the weirdness of calling your album Sweet Baby James if your name is James....
Mieux que ce que je pensais. 3/5 Fav : Steamroller
A tremendous album, I don't know how I've managed to miss it up to now.
Loved this album! Very easy listening. Nice mix of country, blues, indie(?)
I thought CHIC it was well fun, absolutely love a bit of disco! Didn't get to say that before. James Taylor really isn't the music I normally gravitate towards but it did match my mood in the moment I decided to listen to it
Don't understand why this is supposed to be so good. It's all quite weak. He's got a lovely voice though, and it's very easy listening. Maybe that's enough. (The last song is fucking dreadful though.)
Early country pop? Very moody, Colorado music. Not my favorite
Like his music
Some familiar songs, and everything else just feels familiar. Easy, comfortable, not exciting, but kinda pleasant overall.
I have lots of feelings about this being included in the 1001 Albums list. My family owned this album when I was a 10-year old kid and I was a fan, up to a point. I would have never dreamed this album would end up on any sort of must-listen-to kind of list though. This will be the first time I've listened to this album all the way through in about 50 years. The first thing that strikes me is how relatively deadpan and matter of fact Taylor's delivery is. When delivering emotional material, the tendency at the time (and since) was for singers to try and sell the emotion. James Taylor wasn't having any of that. He just said what he had to say like he's having a conversation with a close friend. I find that both moving and comforting. The second revelation is how much he likes country, the blues, gospel, and R&B. That wouldn't have occurred to me back then because I had no real knowledge of music genres at the time--I just knew what I liked. Taylor pulls off his attempts at different genres with various levels of success. He's aces at country (Sweet Baby James, Anywhere Like Heaven), surprisingly good at gospel (Lo and Behold), but his attempts at blues and R&B are more problematic. Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me isn't bad, I guess, but it can get unintentionally funny sometimes: "Don't you loose your lip on lovin' man JT, whoo hooooooo...." The more subtle injections of R&B into folk material (Oh, Susannah) work, but when goes full throttle (Steamroller, the 2nd half of Suite for 20 G), the results are kind of embarrassing. It's apparent how much he loves R&B, but James Taylor is a Laurel Canyon singer songwriter down to the marrow of his bones. Listening to him to try be Wilson Pickett is like a little kid trying on profanity to seem more like an adult. The production and arrangements (with the exception of the latter have of Suite for 20 G) suit Taylor admirably. The sound is clean, clear and spacious, as are the arrangements. The backing is by Laurel Canyon stalwarts like guitarist Danny Kortchmar, drummer Russ Kunkel, and Carole King, as well as a couple of country specialists (Red Rhodes on steel guitar and Chris Darrow on fiddle). I should probably mention that Taylor himself is a decent guitarist. The playing is elegant and understated, in keeping with Taylor's approach. How to rate? Nostalgia will do doubt color my opinion. In a low key way, it was quite ambitious of Taylor to include so many genre elements in this music. More often than not, he succeeds wildly. Occasionally his reach exceeds his grasp, but I feel inclined not to punish him too harshly for that. So, I'll subtract a star for Taylor's embarrassing attempts at full on R&B.
Wisselvallig. Op zich niets dat ik nog niet van iemand anders heb gehoord. Steamroller blues was nog het leukste.
easy-listening folk-rock, goed album voor op de achtergrond
Nääääeee inte country. Jäkla hissmusik, 2/5
This is offensively bland, I can feel my personality trickling out of my ears. Terrible, how did this even get on the list, is it a joke? Is it just here to make everything else sound better? This man never deserved the Taylor name. Appalling.
Silky throated singer songwriter - with a dark underbelly. Best Tracks: Sweet Baby James, Steamroller Blues, Fire and Rain
Fire & Rain is excellent (even though it reminds me of those awful AM radio days). There are also some other nice songs like Country Road and the LP also has some wicked licks thrown in for good measure such as the blues licks on Steamroller and Ok Baby Don’t…”. If I were listening to this in the 60s it would be above 3 but the 60s are long gone so this has to stand in a retrospective light. As such, I have only so many 4/5s to hand out to singer songwriters and those premium ratings will go to Bob and Leonard.
Nice n bluesy
Was pleasant enough just didn't much interesting from it. Lo and behold was a good track.
Not too bad at all
Pretty dull.
Classic album. One of my favorites - takes me back.
My parents had James Taylor in their music rotation a lot when I was little so most of this album was familiar! Easy to listen to with some pretty classic songs.
Really, really enjoyed this album. So easy to listen to and I honestly can't believe it came out in 1970! Love the country/Americana/blues vibe. Favorite album so far.
eh
Really good album. Soft slow but upbeat. Amazing guitar playing and voice. 10. Must be one of the first artist to refer to themselves in songs (JT) (also sweet baby James) Really like steamroller blues and 11.
Very unsettled by this, 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. Then he peels off and wears my face and mouths along to all the lyrics. Especially the song “sunny skies”
Simple & brilliant. I love the hits (particularly SBJ, Steamroller, and F&R) but I think the other tracks complement them nicely. I really like this album.
Obviously Fire and Rain is outstanding, but I really enjoyed the rest of the album a lot. It’s a really interesting mix of big band and country and rock that I didn’t realize existed before.
Any artist who uses my name Twice in one album is a rock star in my book! It is amazing how someone so talented had challenges with drug abuse and depression. He has such amazing lyrics that make you stop and listen. He seems to be telling a story of his life and journey in every track. Great talent on loan from God. I just saw him and Carole King doing a live set to an intimate audience and his agent was there. James thanked him for all the years of commitment . I say thank you for all the amazing hits you’ve put out all theses years. His words have healed him and maybe many others
not sure i'd ever be in the mood for it but it's ok
Always Great. JT is wonderful in every way.
"There's a song that they sing when they take to the highway A song that they sing when they take to the sea A song that they sing of their home in the sky Maybe you can believe it if it helps you to sleep But singing works just fine for me" (Sweet baby James) "Sunny Skies weeps in the evening It doesn't much matter why I guess he just has to cry from time to time" (Sunny Skies) Bastante bien, cada vez más metida en el country.
Fun listen. Has some classics.
This kind of folky blues isn't really my thing, but I did actually like this. Last track is a tune.
Wasn't sure to start with but nice feel good song writing
Really didn't enjoy this much. Some rancid lyrics
Really soft, as in, soft rock. The thing I dislike the most is his voice, which is bereft of soul and totally out of place on the two bluesier numbers. 2 points for Fire & rain.
low three, nice vibes
We are starting March off, and this week, on a great note. I thought “You’ve Got a Friend” was on this album but these are all new songs to me and I really enjoyed them. James feels like he is exploring the studio space in this album especially on Steamroller Blues and Suite for 20 G. He always reminds me of a very soft rock folksy kind of fella so it was nice to see him try the blues and also cover a few songs too like Oh, Susannah. I liked Fire and Rain and Country Road as well but the standout tracks for me were Lo and Behold and Steamroller Blues. This album was short and sweet but the best part of that was I listened to it twice in a row. The album cover makes it seem like he is slowly getting upset at something but the title of the album and type of music is anything but.
Great album, fine acoustic by James Taylor one of those great 70's folk artists such as Jim Croce, a huge friend of him or Joni Mitchell. Very sentimental, true emotion. Love the guitar work.
My mom used to listen to a lot of James Taylor when I was a kid and I got very burned out on it, but I was surprised by how much I like it now... maybe I'm getting old. Fire and Rain is great, and Steamroller is fun because Mama Rims used to skip that song because it's too dirty. I still think you need to be in the right mood for James Taylor but I found it pleasantly digestible.
Fuck Facebook! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpDGJbC8RMo&ab_channel=MikeMcCarty I love James Taylor. Fire and Rain is an all-timer.
Fire & Rain on this album. Easy listening album. 6/10.
Besser als gedacht, ein paar gefallen, manches leider auch arg durch
I expected more from this album. The folk songs were good, but the rock and funk songs felt forced.
Lovely
Un classique, j’adore 5*
There's nothing really wrong with this and I do like 'Fire and Rain', but if I'm listening to albums I'd rather listen to America or Gordon Lightfoot.
Not really my thing but I can see why people like it
Mom was just telling me yesterday that she wanted to see albums from the likes of James Taylor and Carole King. I told her to be patient, but I guess patience isn't necessary. Previously, I'd heard only "Fire and Rain" from James Taylor, and I love that song. He's a great singer-songwriter, akin to Jim Croce but probably a bit younger and more marketable. This is a solid album, with good lyrics and great guitar work. Also a nice degree of variety, so it doesn't feel like a one-note singer-songwriter project--good use of other instruments. The music feels very organic, and James sound right at home in the different genres he explores. I wouldn't say I love it, but it's very good and enjoyable. Favorite songs: Fire and Rain, Oh Baby Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me, Lo and Behold, Steamroller Blues (up until the point where the horns come in). Album art: This is a pretty classic picture. Fits the genre in that it looks like a senior photo. Wikipedia lore says James was basically homeless and couch surfing when he made this album. For that reason, I'll assume he's not wearing pants. Put some pants on, James. Otherwise, great job.
not bad
Huh! Well.. He can sing, for sure. And sometimes his music was even pleasant. But it was still boring the whole time. I also didn't like his texts, so all in all he doesn't have much going for him. Two stars. Maybe he got better?
Wasn't massively into it. And ew what a weird album title. Is he a big baby or something
I'm into it.
BUT I'M SURE YOU HIGH-TECH NASA PEOPLE COULD CARE LESS ABOUT OUR RESORT-TOWN WAYS.
nice
"I am a cement mixer for you babe". Schönes kleines Album, gemütlicher Blues. Nicht wirklich was besonderes, weder in die eine Richtung, noch in die andere. Ich hab die 2019 Remastered Version gehört. Da ich den direkten Link von dieser Seite nicht mehr hatte, weiß ich nicht ob es die richtige Version war.
i love this album every song is so good. while i am rating this 5 stars, i acknowledge that i have an extremely positive bias towards this album.
Old 70s Country with a hint of blues. Not really my type of music, but still pretty relaxing to listen to.
James Taylor is a talented songwriter, singer, and guitarist, but for me his music is sort of bland and not super interesting. 3 stars.
A little too slow and melodramatic for my tastes.
This was so boring, I have literally nothing to say. Was it bad? No. Was it good? No. It's like we didn't even have an album today. We've had a lot of stinkers recently, so I hope tomorrow is better.
Meh
Perfect
Honestly pretty mellow and pretty good. Definitely thought this was a black guy my whole life. Solid listen.
Absolute perfection, could listen to this album over and over.
A lot more Jesus than I remember. Listened 21/121
Fantastic soft rock album
Buttery smooth voice. Now I know what a slide guitar is. I couldn’t tell if his blues songs were like a 70s version of what Macklemore, Post Malone, or Eminem are to hip hop.
Couple skippers on this one but all is forgiven. 4.5
I can acknowledge that the instrumentation and vocals here are exceptional, but I didn't find anything memorable outside of that in this LP.
Fine tracks, nice easy listening.
Surprisingly bluesy.
fire and rain gave it a 4
sweet baby