The mild man of rock is on a roll!
James Taylor: Before This World (Concord) Verdict: Mellow magic ★★★✩✩
Nobody embodied t he si nger- songwriter boom of the Seventies quite like James Taylor. The American charmed a generation with his tuneful introspection and a persona so laid-back he was later portrayed in The Simpsons as ‘the mild man of rock’.
Alongside Jackson browne, Joni Mitchell and then-wife Carly Simon, he was a poster child for acoustic sensitivity. His fortunes ebbed under the onslaught of punk, disco and Eighties pop, but standards such as Sweet baby James and Fire And Rain have stood the test of time.
Now, he makes his living on the nostalgia circuit, and the past decade has seen him tour with longtime friend Carole King and issue two albums of cover versions.
but on Tuesday, 13 years after his last batch of new songs, James Taylor is releasing fresh material.
And while the mellow sophistication of before This World may not get pulses racing, its strongest moments rekindle Taylor at his best.
AFTER the long sabbatical, the North Carolina singer was worried about losing his songwriting muse so, to recreate the innocence of old, he removed himself from everyday life and composed alone in a snow-bound log cabin and on an out- of- season houseboat on the Rhode Island waterfront.
The seclusion has paid dividends, though Taylor’s contention that having teenage twin sons with third wife Kim Smedvig has dragged him ‘back into the culture’ doesn’t wash. The ten folk-tinged numbers here are concise and accomplished, but could easily have been recorded at any point in the past 40 years — not necessarily a bad thing.
There are a couple of standouts. Angels of Fenway is a love letter to Taylor’s favourite baseball team, the boston Red Sox. As well as poking fun at their historic rivalry with the more affluent New york yankees, it doubles as a tribute to his late grandmother, who was instrumental in him becoming a fan 50 years ago. It is a superb addition to the small canon of great songs about sport.
The other highlight is confessional Watchin’ over Me, which delves into his recovery from a wretched 20-year heroin addiction kicked only in the Eighties. He can still deliver heft amid the melodic hooks.
Elsewhere, wry reflection and crisp choruses dominate. The title track is built around strummed acoustic guitars, yo-yo Ma’s cello and guest vocalist Sting’s harmonies, while Today Today Today looks towards Nashville. Taylor’s wife and son Henry lend their voices on traditional folk tune Wild Mountain Thyme.
He hardly needs the help. despite a turbulent life, his familiar voice sounds clear and unravaged. Taylor says his burst of creativity owes a lot to his Troubadour Reunion tour with King, reminding him ‘how much the great songs mean to people’.
While he acknowledges a difference between the music made in his teens and this at 67, that autobiographical streak remains. Things change, ‘but not as much as you might think’.
He has come a long way, but Taylor is still Sweet baby James at heart.