★★★★★
Much is made about this double CD being the first James Taylor collection to give equal weight to both his earlier Warner Brother and later Columbia recording years. Fair enough, but there are already two separate collections that do the same thing, both still in print. Since Taylor has been in career standstill with live, covers and Christmas albums keeping him bubbling under in the marketplace --his last album of original material was 2002's snoozeworthy October Road -there is little here...
- www.americansongwriter.com
2013-10-30
★★★★★
Injustice, in case you were wondering, has existed in every age. The late '60s were no exception. First, there was Richard Nixon's election. Nearly as egregious? James Taylor's virtually-ignored 1969 debut. Perhaps, as with Nixon, this all had to do with the times. This was, after all, a country deafened by the screams of protest and scored by tunes from those thunderous twits Iron Butterfly...
- www.americansongwriter.com
2013-04-25
★★★★★
Throughout my lifetime, few things have changed. The Yankees still wear pinstripes. McDonald's still has golden arches. The Statue of Liberty still raises her torch in New York Harbor. And James Taylor still sounds like James Taylor. In his recent release, "One Man Band," JT takes listeners down a very familiar road with some rather unfamiliar humor along the way. Recorded at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Mass...
- www.the-trades.com
2010-12-07
★★★★★
Sound: James Taylor is easily one of the greatest acoustic songwriters of our time. He crafts Beatles-esque harmonies backed with soft loving background music that creates musical bliss. 'Sweet Baby James' marked the solidification of the Taylor that would come to prominence as the 1970s wore on. The tones of the record range from soft rock to upbeat pop, and it's pure enjoyment every step of the way...
- www.ultimate-guitar.com
2009-11-15
★★★★★
Sound: One Man Band is James Taylor's latest effort, a live recording from the Colonial Theatere in Pittsfield, MA intended to (in Taylor's own words) "get back to basics and present the songs in their original form". Whether or not he accomplishes this is debatable, but there is plenty here for Taylor fans to enjoy. No doubt, many people are asking, "How much more can you strip down a James Taylor song?" It's a fair question. The answer, in many cases, is not much...
- www.ultimate-guitar.com
2009-11-15
★★★★★
As egotists go, Taylor is a talent--a gifted guitarist, a better-than-average melodist, a pithy lyricist whose feeling for Americanese is warm if corny. And his voice you can get used to--it's soulful in its way, and he can phrase. But melodies aside, he's not a star for his virtues. He's a star because he's an egotist--because he vaunts his sensitivity so expertly...
- www.robertchristgau.com
2009-07-17
★★★★★
What's wrong with most of these songs is that Taylor is singing them. He can sing, sure--the "Day Tripper" cover and "Is That the Way You Look" show off his amused, mildly funky self-involvement at its sharpest and sexiest. But too often the material reveals him at his sharpest and most small-minded; John Lennon might get away with "I Will Not Lie for You," but JT's whine undermines whatever honesty the sentiment may have.
- www.robertchristgau.com
2009-07-17
★★★★★
If even his admirers acknowledge that his music has lost some of its drive (lost some of its drive?), then even a sworn enemy can admit that he's capable of interesting songs and intricate music. Having squandered most of the songs on his big success, he's concentrating on the intricate music--the lyrics are more onanistic than ever, escapist as a matter of conscious thematic decision. From what? you well may wonder. From success, poor fella...
- www.robertchristgau.com
2009-07-10
★★★★★
No text for this review; see http://robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-cg90/grades-90s.php.
- www.robertchristgau.com
2009-07-10
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