James Taylor

The '70s were nigh and Taylor's fan base was platinum strong, so why not groom the mustache and embark on a concept record? The concept itself is not something so wild, however -- just another set of tales of the sensitive rambler that might have also made Taylor's first three LPs "concept records" if anyone had announced it. It's light on hits, but the coolest stuff is his whitey folk-funk, like the bongo-banging "Fool for You." By the time we get to "Little David," the vanilla soft-rock of Taylor's legacy was locked and loaded.

There is a "patrician arrogance" to James Taylor that accounts in part for his popularity
while it at the same time explains the critical resistance to his work. Those who see
themselves championing mass tastes can't accept the individualized point of view -- the
supremely autobiographical quality of his work -- even while the audience they presume
to speak for has made his modest output of albums among the best sellers ever r... More >