"...Shower The People..."
For long-suffering JT fans (and those who like the earlier hits
from 1970 and 1971 but don't know much more after that) - the big news here is
not just the sweetly handled new remasters, the tasty presentation box (hell it
even has an insert) and the extremely reasonable price (roughly three quid
each) – it's finally getting availability to these Seventies albums after
nearly four decades of digital shenanigans.
The Warner Brothers period of James Taylor's career has had a very
chequered CD past since the mid 80ts. Then after years of ok-sounding reissues
- there was the beautiful audio of the "You've Got A Friend" Best Of
compilation in 2003 with choice album tracks, followed by the six sexily cool
Japanese SHM-CD reissues in April 2010 with new mastering and exact repros of
the American artwork. There were also American Audiophile Gold CD reissues of
"Mud Slide Slim" and "One Man Dog" – and on it went. But
the average Joe has been looking at £20 to £30+ per album purchase (if you can
find them).
Well now – at last – in July 2019 - Rhino and Warner Brothers have
finally done Boston’s Walking Man the reissue business - six albums in one neat
clamshell box set, 75-Tracks from "Sweet Baby James" in 1970 through
to "In Your Pocket" in 1976 and new Remastering of the whole shebang
supervised by original Engineer and Producer Peter Asher (first three LPs).
There is a woke load of detail to wade through, so let's indeed get sweet on
baby James once more...
UK released 19 July 2019 - "The Warner Bros. Albums
1970-1976" by JAMES TAYLOR on Warner Bros/Rhino R2 587550 (Barcode
603497852390) offers six albums from 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1976
newly Remastered onto 6CDs with Mini LP Repro Artwork and it plays out as
follows:
CD1 "Sweet Baby James" (31:54 minutes,
11 tracks):
Second studio album, US released February 1970 on Warner Brothers
BS 1843 and November 1970 in the UK on Warner Brothers WS 1843 (reissued
December 1971 on Warner Brothers K 46043)
Tan label CD, single card sleeve with gatefold lyric insert as per
original 1970 vinyl LP
CD2 "Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon" (37:21
minutes, 13 tracks):
Third studio album, US released April 1971 on Warner Brothers BS
2561 and May 1971 in the UK on Warner Brothers WS 2561 (reissued in the UK on
Warner Brothers K 46085 in March 1972)
Tan label CD, gatefold card sleeve with no insert as per original
vinyl LP
CD3 "One Man Dog" (37:44 minutes, 18
tracks):
Fourth studio album, US released November 1972 on Warner Brothers
BS 2660 and November 1972 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 46185
Tan label CD, single card sleeve and lyric insert as per original
vinyl LP
CD4 "Walking Man" (34:03 minutes, 10
tracks):
Fifth studio album, US released June 1974 on Warner Bros W 2794
and June 1974 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56042
Burbank label CD, single card sleeve with no insert as per
original vinyl LP
CD5 "Gorilla" (39:02 minutes, 11
tracks):
Sixth studio album, US released May 1975 on Warner Brothers BS
2866 and May 1975 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56137
Burbank label CD, single card sleeve with no insert as per
original vinyl LP
CD6 "In The Pocket" (44:56 minutes, 12
tracks):
Seventh studio album, US released June 1976 on Warner Brothers BS
2912 and June 1976 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56197
Burbank label CD, single card sleeve with lyric insert as per
original vinyl LP
There are cool period photos on the front and rear of the
clamshell box and inside, a six-leaf foldout inlay (more period snaps) with new
liner notes from original Engineer, Producer and Manager of JT for 25 years - PETER
ASHER. Asher gives us a potted a backdrop into 1969 and 1970 especially -
Taylor's cohorts in rehearsal and studios – huge names like Carole King of The
City pre "Tapestry" fame, Randy Meisner of Eagles (before he'd joined
the mega Country Rock band), Red Rhodes of Bamboo, Chris Darrow of Kaleidoscope
and his regular rhythm section - Danny Kortchmar of The Flying Machine, Russ
Kunkle of The Section and Leland Sklar. There are even corrections to missing
musician credits - Craig Doerge (of Jackson Browne's band) playing Electric
Piano on "One Man Dog" while David Sanborn played Alto Sax on the
huge hit single "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)". They were
mistakenly left off the original inserts.
But the big news is a full-on vaults trawl for the remasters -
Asher working in supervision tandem with one of Rhino's longest-standing Audio
Engineers since the early 90s - BILL INGLOT - and then to final mastering by
the legendary BERNIE GRUNDMAN - a name synonymous with audio excellence. And
that's where this Box Set hits all the right notes - finally hearing deep album
gems like "Sunny Skies", "You Can Close Your Eyes",
"One Morning in May", "Wandering" or "I Was A Fool To
Care" in properly great audio is fab. A gorgeous job done, and as
mentioned earlier, not a box set that’s going to cost your life’s savings.
SINGLES:
This box set will also allow JT fans to sequence almost all 14 of
his Warner Brothers US 45s from the period (see Note):
1. Sweet Baby James b/w Suite For 20 G (May 1970, Warner Bros 7387)
2. Fire And Rain b/w Anywhere Like Heaven (August 1970, Warner
Bros 7423)
3. Country Road b/w Sunny Skies (January 1971, Warner Bros 7460)
4. You've Got A Friend b/w You Can Close Your Eyes (May 1971,
Warner Bros 7498)
5. Long Ago And Far Away b/w Let Me Ride (September 1971, Warner
Bros 7521)
6. Don't Let Me Lonely Tonight b/w Who, Don't You Know (November
1972, Warner Bros 7655)
7. One Man Parade b/w Nobody But You (February 1973, Warner Bros
7682)
8. Hymn b/w Fanfare (April 1973, Warner Bros 7695)
9. Let It All Fall Down b/w Daddy's Baby (August 1974, Warner Bros
WBS 8015)
10. Walking Man b/w Daddy's Baby (November 1974, Warner Bros WBS
8028)
11. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) b/w Sweet Maria (June
1975, Warner Bros WBS 8109)
12. Mexico b/w Gorilla (September 1975, Warner Bros WBS 8137)
13. Shower The People (Edited) b/w I Can Dream Of You (July 1976,
Warner Bros WBS 8222)
14. Woman's Gotta Have It b/w You Make It Easy (October 1976,
Warner Bros WBS 8278)
Note: the 'edited' version of "Shower The People" runs
to 3:52 minutes; the LP cut is 4:32 minutes
Also the B-side "I Can Dream Of You" is a Livingstone
Taylor cover version (his brother) and is a non-album track not available
here
No less that six of the eleven tracks from his 1970 Warner Brothers
debut album "Sweet Baby James" were issued across 1970 and 1971 and
reissued many times after – classics like "Fire And Rain", "Country
Road" and the title song "Sweet Baby James". But fans will go
straight for deep cuts like "Lo And Behold", the warm California
sound of "Sunny Skies" and the cool acoustic Blues of "Steamroller"
– a track he would return to for his first Greatest Hits set in 1976 with a
raucous live version.
As a simple Americana, Singer-Songwriter almost Folk-Rock album - "Sweet
Baby James" remains as much beloved in 2020 (50 years after the event) as
does the follow up from 1971 - "Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon".
And the Remaster here is gorgeous. For sure you can’t actually read the lyrics
in the repro foldout insert without a magnifying glass – but a nice touch
nonetheless. And they have correctly used the "Sweet Baby James"
title-only artwork of the February 1970 original - copies from late 1970
through to 1971 and beyond had "Including Fire And Rain and Country Roads"
printed beneath the album title when those tunes became huge radio hits.
While "Fire And rain" from 1970's "Sweet Baby
James" and "You've Got A Friend" from 1971's "Mud Slide
Slim..." made him a global star (Carole King and Joni Mitchell's
songwriting and vocal presence helped) - 1972's "One Man Dog" had a
lot of small tracks that felt awful like filler amidst the obvious singles like
"Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" and "Hymn" (with Randy and
Michael Brecker on horns). Linda Ronstadt lent her voice to the excellent
"One Morning In May" while a trio of Taylors (Alex, Hugh and James)
gave their family harmonies to "Woh, Don't You Know".
Although he managed a healthy No. 13 placing the US Billboard
album charts, it's safe to say that by 1974 and "Walking Man" (what
boring cover art too), the public was deserting him in the UK where the album
didn't chart at all. It's this forgotten album and the two that followed -
1975's "Gorilla" and 1976's "In The Pocket" when he'd
teamed up with Carly Simon and was having a parallel career with her on Elektra
Records - that will interest hard core fans the most. They are the albums you
don't hear and acoustic-peaceful songs like "Daddy's Baby" and
"Wandering" are tunes that deserve this second go round.
None other than Paul and Linda McCartney provided backing vocals
on the bluesy "Rock 'n' Roll Is Music Now" while his Walking Man band
featured famed guitarists Hugh McCracken and David Spinnoza as well as Carly
Simon on Backing Vocals. Speaking of pretty (she sings on) "Ain't No
Song" and its smooth production reminds me so much of Stephen Bishop's
delightful 1976 debut "Careless" over on ABC Records. For sure stuff
like "Hello Old Friend" with its city and country naming feels a tad
too Neil Diamond (and not in a good way) and the Chuck Berry cover of "The
Promised Land" smacks way too much of easily dashed-of filler. But then
you get "Migration" - a perfectly lovely JT song - feels just a
symphony to me - he sings - and I agree.
For sure there are those who would argue that JT has essentially
sung the same tune for 50 years – just in many tiny variations. But I saw him
live only ten years ago and it sure didn't feel like that to me. He was magical
– evenly paced – never flash - but classy – steady and true.
Re-visiting these albums has been both a joy and on occasion a
tiny bit of a disappointment (especially LPs 3 and 4). But I'm certain that
fans and newcomers are going to feel lifted up too - the good far outweighing
the bad. Shower the people with love, he sang all those years ago. It was a
good idea then and it still is now...
