James Taylor's strong run of albums from 1991 to now.

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by PaulKTF, Oct 12, 2017.

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  1. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Am I the only one that thinks James Taylor's album output has been particularly strong from 1991's New Moon Shine to now? Granted, that's only 5 albums (of original material, anyway) but I think they're all stronger than a lot of his 1980's output.

    In fact, I'd drank New Moon Shine, Hourglass, and October Road as some of my favorite albums of his entire career.

    Anyone else agree? Or disagree, for that matter? :)
     
  2. Headfone

    Headfone Nothing Tops A Martin

    I'd go back to That's Why I'm Here, on through Hourglass (which I consider his masterwork) as his greatest consecutive run. October Road and Before This World are good, but not great, in my opinion. Prior to That's Why I'm Here, Gorilla was the high point for me.

    Enough To Be On Your Way is my favorite James Taylor song. A masterpiece.
     
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  3. JonUrban

    JonUrban SHF Member #497

    Location:
    Connecticut
    I'm an old time JT fan and continue to buy his new music. That run of albums does have some great tunes on them, but they don't have the "great all the way through" playability that his early work has, for me anyway. Face it, those albums got little airplay, so they were not exposed to the general public the way the '70s albums were, so not many people heard them.

    I give the guy credit for making it through all of the ups and downs of his life and he's still out there singing and making new music. He's getting pretty old now, not sure how much longer he can do it. Heck, I don't do half of the things I used to do these days, and he's 10 or so years older than me!

    Gorilla is one of my favorite "all the way through" albums of his.
     
  4. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    "That's Why I'm Here" is a terrific album! Love "Enough To Be On Your Way"- my favorite song on Hourglass by far.
     
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  5. Beaneydave

    Beaneydave Forum Resident

    Love the guy the guy and don't think he's made a bad album. I would agree this run is as strong as any and ,at this stage of the game, that is some achievement!

    peace and love✌Dave
     
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  6. Beaneydave

    Beaneydave Forum Resident

    I would also add a lot of JT's song need a few listens to sink in , there's often more going on than you first think.



    peace and love✌Dave
     
  7. Lovealego

    Lovealego Senior Member

    Hourglass is his best to me. I like his post dad loves his work albums more so than anything before.
     
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  8. FACE OF BOE

    FACE OF BOE Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I remember buying New Moon Shine on US import here in the UK back in October 1991. I loved it thinking it was a real return to form with a much more organic live sound. Also loved Hourglass which deserved its Grammy best pop album. October Road and Before This World are good and have their moments. But thats 4 albums
    since 1991 rather than 5 albums. Is the OP including 2008's Covers?
     
  9. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    I wasn't thinking of the two Covers albums, no. I wasn't really counting those (but they are a lot of fun!). :)
     
  10. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I was a pretty big fan of James Taylor, especially the early Warner Brothers albums through Columbia's "Flag" and then I slowly lost interest in him, but I always kept one ear on his following releases. Then came that unbelievably great "One Man Band - Live" DVD and it made me love his music more than ever. On that DVD, James sells James Taylor as a real "entertainer", rather than just the great "singer/songwriter" that most of us know and love. There is something about that DVD where James seems to actually be having fun and being "funny", which to me is a welcome spin on his usually quiet and somewhat boring persona and stage presence. Thanks to that DVD I have gone back to his catalog where I started losing interest and I have found many great songs that just didn't impress me the first time around.

    A few examples of those are:
    "Song For You So Far Away"
    "Line 'em Up"
    "Copperline"
    "Another Day"
    "Mean Old Man"
    and
    "Valentine's Day"

    Here is one song that really caught my ear on one of those later albums "October Road". This one has that "magic" touch of yesterday to me.

     
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  11. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    If you like the "One Man Band Live" DVD, check out the "Live At The Beacon Theatre" DVD- it's just as good, IMO. :)
     
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  12. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I will check that one out, thanks for the heads-up!
     
  13. freemanl

    freemanl Bass Lover

    Location:
    Central New Jersey
    Tons of absolute Gems from James Taylor since '91. I also consider most of them to be more moving than a lot of his 80's classics.
     
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  14. jeffd7030

    jeffd7030 I can't complain, but sometimes I still do.

    Location:
    Hampden, ME
    I really like Hourglass.
     
  15. Humbuster

    Humbuster Staff Emeritus

    New Moon Shine and Hourglass are great.

    Before this World was very good, but not as good as the two above, IMHO.

    That's why i'm here is my all time favorite.
     
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  16. Kiss73

    Kiss73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    I always thought October Road had the edge over Hourglass, although, for as much as I enjoy his version, I'd rather it didn't end on a Christmas song.

    As someone else mentioned, Caroline I See You is one of his absolute gems
     
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  17. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Yeah, I don't understand why he (or the label) decided to do that... I love his rendition of the song, but I don't really need to hear it in July. :)
     
  18. Lovealego

    Lovealego Senior Member

    His only misstep was Covers and Other Covers. I enjoyed the lead in "It's Growing" immensely as well as "Wichita Lineman" and "Seminole Wind"...but that's about it...
    I also have a big soft spot for That's Why I'm Here and Never Die Young albums. These albums are super fun to sing along with. I listened to these nonstop while driving to and from college in the late 90s for years.
     
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  19. FACE OF BOE

    FACE OF BOE Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Song For You Far Away from the 1985 'That's Why I'm Here' album was originally written for the movie E.T. in 1982. However Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams just decided to go with an all classical score. My guess is it would have been used on the end credits instead of the 'Over The Moon' piece.
     
  20. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Yeah, that makes sense that it would be in the end credits. I think it would have fit nicely there. Kind of a shame it wasn't used.
     
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  21. mbrownp1

    mbrownp1 Forum Resident

    I would include Never Die Young.
     
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  22. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    I love the title track on that album.
     
  23. tedg65

    tedg65 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Weymouth MA USA
    Great run of albums.........even the Christmas one....I just found out a girl I used to be in a band with sang on the chorus of a track on his October Road album....weird.
     
  24. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Love the Christmas album! :)
     
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  25. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Interesting, I never knew that! I'm not sure, even in hindsight, that I would want to lose "Over The Moon", as it's one of my favorite John Williams themes.
     
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