Customer Reviews
something different - By: conjunction, 04 Aug 2008 
How did I live so long & never hear this?
When you're on the floor & barely walking,
get up & dance
A unique and beautiful album - By: Bard Groupie, 01 Aug 2008 This one took me by surprise! I've been a fan of James Taylor since the release of 'Sweet Baby James' but I had never heard this album until I found it on Amazon & decided I must have it.I suppose I thought "how good can it be?" because it was 'Sweet Baby James' that shot him to fame two years after he recorded this.(and I've never seen a copy of this CDin a record shop but they usually have SBJ).So imagine my joy when I heard this for the first time & discovered just how good it is. It is a stunner. I can't understand how I've lived all these years without it.(Of course I was only 11 when it was released & livedin a tiny village & had miniscule pocket money.So perhaps I can be forgiven for my ignorance). At first I was taken aback by the production & the little instrumental passages linking the songs together. It was disconcerting to hear this version of a familiar song like 'Carolinain my Mind' at first-the tempo & the strings came as a shock.I wasn't sure what I thought about it but the other songs captivated me completely.It is magical,here is 'something rich & strange'. It quickly became one of my most listened to albums & now I would say that this is my favourite version of 'Carolina' which had never been one of my favourite JT songs.The whole album has a unique,beautiful feel to it. The lyrics are never less than interesting,they are often beautiful & are,clearly,very personal. My favourite songs at time of writing are 'Sunshine,Sunshine',the simple acoustic 'Somethingin the Way She Moves','Brighten Your Night with My Day', 'Rainy Day Man' has always been a favourite song of mine-but this is the best version, the traditional song 'Circle Around the Sun' is gorgeous but best of all is the haunting 'The Blues is Just a Bad Dream'.However, ask me tomorrow & the answer might be different because all the songs are worth listening to over & over again,they have depth.Listen to them & then reflect on the fact that the artist was only 20 at the time. It is an extraordinary album & deserves to be as well-known & well-loved as 'Sweet Baby James' or 'Mud Slide Slim'.
The first but still the best - By: Rob Mason, 17 Jul 2002 I was so impressed by this album that I took up the guitar! A mix of rich acoustic sounds & melancholic melodies make this album a must for anyone who has not sampled the early works of James Taylor. The most well know song on the album is Carolina on my mind containing the unmistakable bass playing of Paul Mcartney. The electric guitar also has its placein Don't talk now, Night owl & the the raw "Blues is Just A bad Dream", James's first recorded attempt at this type of playing - For those who know the inimitable "Steamroller" on Sweet Baby James, the playing is more simple but just as effective. Some of the songs have been updated on his Greatest Hits CD's, such as "Somethingin The Way She Moves" but the originals are still the best, & rely on the voice & the guitar to bring the song to life. Many of the songs are linked by a simple cameo instrumental using instruments like a harpsichord, string quartet & guitar - these add a seamless blend of the best of James Taylors first works -a must for those who have worn their vinyl version out, or who want to know what a real acoustic should sound like
