James Taylor - 3 Studio Albums (1970-1972) [Audio Fidelity, 24 KT + Gold CD, 2010-2012]

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James Taylor - 3 Studio Albums (1970-1972) [Audio Fidelity, 24 KT + Gold CD, 2010-2012]

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Sweet Baby James (1970). James Taylor's second album, Sweet Baby James, released in early 1970, is the album that secured his spot among the most important songwriters of the 70s. The sweet, bluesy acoustic guitar and vocals on this album are authentic and interesting - this is a record that has everything from a blues inspired jam, packed with a big band horn section ("Steamroller Blues"); to a gospel revival-like track ("Lo And Behold"); to a traditional nursery rhyme made into a folk ballad ("Oh, Susannah"). And, of course, the album featured "Fire and Rain," which reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Country Road" was another Top 40 hit that struck a chord with music fans, especially because of its attractive mixture of folk, country, gospel, and blues elements, all of them carefully understated and distanced.
While Taylor gets help from some friends such as Carole King (piano) and future Eagles bassist Randy Meisner, its his stellar songwriting and heartfelt vocals that shot this album to #3 on the Billboard Album Charts and earned a 1971 Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. This recording launched not only Taylor's career - he's won more than 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards as well as five GRAMMY® Awards and was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame - but also propelled the entire singer/songwriter movement of the early '70s that included Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Cat Stevens, and others.

Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon (1971). Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon is James Taylor's third album. It contained his biggest hit,"You've Got a Friend," which became his only #1 on the Billboard charts. The album included another Top 40 hit, "Long Ago and Far Away" and concert favorites, in particularly "You Can Close Your Eyes". The album won two 1972 Grammy Awards including Best Pop Vocal Performance and Song Of The Year ("You've Got A Friend").
Mud Slide Slim shows a different aspect of Taylor's talents in that he has a wider selection of different types of songs, lovely, lilting, uplifting, pensive, hopeful vignettes that convey a peace and serenity rarely found so early in one's career. The music is mostly based around Taylor's acoustic guitar with help here and there from Carole King on piano, John Hartford on banjo, Richard Greene on fiddle, The Memphis Horns and Joni Mitchell and Kate Taylor on background vocals.
James Taylor perfectly synthesizes the white and black strains of American music. His undemonstrative singing style bespeaks great emotion, his harmonic songs are sophisticated and his embellishment of a melody line is almost always bluesy. This album is testimony to his wonderful talent and ability which has been there from the start…brilliant proof of just how incredibly talented an interpretive artist Taylor really is.

One Man Dog (1972). Over the course of his career, singer-songwriter James Taylor has sold more than 40 million albums, and won more than 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards as well as five GRAMMYs. He was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
James Taylor's fourth album was released in 1972 and it reached # 4 on the US Album charts. The recording is best described as a suite of brief musical experiments, 18 short pieces strung together, some of them instrumentals. The variety of musical styles illustrate the depth and range of James Taylor's composition and performance genius. The album features the hit "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight."
Stylistically, One Man Dog runs the gammut from James' familiar easy folk rock to country-flavored funk to smooth, bass driven jazz changes and everything in between. The songs are playful, unpredictable, and timeless. The medley on side two features such things as chain saws, cross-cut saws and hammers to create a complex, layered rhythm. Absolutely beautiful from start to finish.
All the musicians give a stellar performance including long-time sidemen, Craig Doerge, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, and Danny Kortchmar, and a virtual who's who of late-sixties, early-seventies folk rock musicians, with a little jazz thrown in such as Alex, Hugh, and Kate Taylor, Carole King, Carly Simon, Dash Crofts, John Hartford, Red Rhodes, Randy and Michael Brecker, John McLaughlin and Linda Rondstadt, as well as producer, Peter Asher.

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James Taylor - 3 Studio Albums (1970-1972) [Audio Fidelity, 24 KT + Gold CD, 2010-2012]

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James Taylor - 3 Studio Albums (1970-1972) [Audio Fidelity, 24 KT + Gold CD, 2010-2012]

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James Taylor - 3 Studio Albums (1970-1972) [Audio Fidelity, 24 KT + Gold CD, 2010-2012]

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