Sweet Baby James (1970) ( )

Artist: James Taylor
List Price:  See Details$11.98
Price: $7.59
Shipping: $2.25

                Total Price: $9.84

Ships from and sold by MovieMars
What's this?
Format:  CD
Permalink
Marketplace Buying Choices
Buy.com
Price: $8.99
+ $1.90 shipping
In Stock
Supermart
Price: $6.92
+ $2.99 shipping
In Stock
See all 8 New from $6.92 + $2.99 shipping
What's this?
Product Summary
Label: Wea/warner Bros.
UPC: 00075992718325
Release Date: 3/10/1989
Buy.com Sku: 60146969
Item#: M27YVF
Format:  CD

Song Listing

Disc 1
Song TitleSample
1. Sweet Baby James ~ James Taylor (Popular)
2. Lo And Behold ~ James Taylor (Popular)
3. Sunny Skies ~ James Taylor (Popular)
4. Steamroller ~ James Taylor (Popular)
5. Country Road ~ James Taylor (Popular)
6. Oh, Susannah ~ James Taylor (Popular)
7. Fire And Rain ~ James Taylor (Popular)
8. Blossom ~ James Taylor (Popular)
9. Anywhere Like Heaven ~ James Taylor (Popular)
10. Oh Baby, Don't Loose Your Lip On Me ~ James Taylor (Popular)
11. Suite For 20 G ~ James Taylor (Popular)



Though James Taylor's self-titled debut introduced his mellow melodicism and affecting songcraft, Sweet Baby James was the album that rocketed him to national recognition. With Sweet Baby James, Taylor abandoned the slightly psychedelic structural ambition of his first record (the first side was composed as a suite), and settled fully into the folk and country styles to which he is best suited. The top ten hit "Fire and Rain," for instance, a deeply personal story-song based on the artist's experiences in mental hospitals and the suicide of a friend, is built around Taylor's gentle, understated voice, acoustic guitar, cello, piano, and drums.


The plaintive, melancholic air of "Fire and Rain" resonated with millions of listeners, as did the rest of the album. Taylor's lyrics, which address personal identity, religion, and relationships lost and struggling, are highly confessional, yet associative and lyrical enough to reflect the lives of listeners. At times, he marries the plight of the sensitive soul to the myth of the cowboy in songs like the title track, a kind of campfire lullaby, or to country traditions, as in "Country Road." In all, these elements combine to make Sweet Baby James, arguably, Taylor's definitive statement, and one of the most influential albums in the singer-songwriter genre.
 

Album Notes and Credits

Notes & Personnel Info
Personnel: James Taylor (vocals, guitar); Danny Kortchmar (guitar); Red Rhodes (steel guitar); Chris Darrow (fiddle); Jack Bielan (brass); Carole King (piano); Randy Meisner, John London, Bobby West (bass instrument); Russ Kunkel (drums).
Recording information: Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California (12/1969).
Though James Taylor's self-titled debut introduced his mellow melodicism and affecting songcraft, SWEET BABY JAMES was the album that rocketed him to national recognition. With SWEET BABY JAMES, Taylor abandoned the slightly psychedelic structural ambition of his first record (the first side was composed as a suite), and settled fully into the folk and country styles to which he is best suited. The top ten hit "Fire and Rain," for instance, a deeply personal story-song based on the artist's experiences in mental hospitals and the suicide of a friend, is built around Taylor's gentle, understated voice, acoustic guitar, cello, piano, and drums.
The plaintive, melancholic air of "Fire and Rain" resonated with millions of listeners, as did the rest of the album. Taylor's lyrics, which address personal identity, religion, and relationships lost and struggling, are highly confessional, yet associative and lyrical enough to reflect the lives of listeners. At times, he marries the plight of the sensitive soul to the myth of the cowboy in songs like the title track, a kind of campfire lullaby, or to country traditions, as in "Country Road." In all, these elements combine to make SWEET BABY JAMES, arguably, Taylor's definitive statement, and one of the most influential albums in the singer-songwriter genre.

Producer: Peter Asher

Engineer: Bill Lazerus

Musical Guests
Carole King

 
Artist Overview
James Taylor was the archetype for the gentle, inward-looking singer/songwriter movement of the early '70s. The easy lilt and timbre of Taylor's voice belies the complex emotional content of his songs, which aren't merely carefree folk-based odes, but instead look unflinchingly at a flawed man's journey through life. It's a tribute to his knack for making great pop records that he managed a long, decade-plus string of big hits. Taylor remained relevant long after his impressive run of top 40 hits, recording numerous million-selling records in the '90s & '00s and winning multiple Grammys.

Artist Influences
Bob Dylan | Buddy Holly | Carole King | Crosby, Stills & Nash | Eric Andersen | Peter, Paul & Mary | Simon & Garfunkel | Smokey Robinson | The Beatles | The Byrds | The Hollies | The Kinks | Tim Buckley | Tim Hardin | Tom Paxton

Artist Contemporaries
Art Garfunkel | Bob Lind | Carly Simon | Cat Stevens | Gordon Lightfoot | Harry Chapin | Jackson Browne | Jesse Winchester | Jim Croce | John Prine | Joni Mitchell | Judy Collins | Livingston Taylor | Steely Dan | The Eagles (Rock)

Artist Followers
America (Rock) | Aztec Two-Step | Ben Folds | Ben Taylor | Bill Morrissey | Dar Williams | David Wilcox (American) | Edie Brickell | Ellis Paul | Hugh Blumenfeld | James Blunt | Jason Mraz | Jewel | John Mayer (Rock) | Mark Kozelek | Nick Drake | Once Blue | Ray LaMontagne | Sally Taylor | Vance Gilbert


 
Compilation Appearances
Child's Celebration Of Song
Fm
Up 'til Now
In Harmony
Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music From Vintage Disney Films
Natural Woman-Ode Collection
Essential George Jones Spirit
Clouds In My Coffee 1965-95
Across America
Aida
Concert For New York
Capitol Records: 1942-2002 (Deluxe Edition) (w/ Book) (Limited Edition)
Capitol Records: 1942-2002 (Special Edition) (w/ Book) (Limited Edition)
Carly Simon Anthology
Concert For New York City (SACD)
It's Still Okay To Dream: Save The Children
Collection
Genius Loves Company
Genius Loves Company (SACD Hybrid)
Monster 81 Hits
Ultimate Love
Genius Loves Company
Memories
Martha Stewart Living Music: The Holiday Collection
Martha Stewart Living Music: Traditional Songs for the Holidays
My Very Special(legacyed)
Cars
Duets: An American Classic
Duets: An American Classic (Bonus Track) (Hk)
Om:winter Sessions
Sixties Downunder V.3
40 Years Of Duets
Duets:american Classic(Bonus Tracks)
A Hundred Miles Or More: A Collection
A Tribute To Joni Mitchell
Americana Christmas:millennium Collec
Every Child Deserves A Lifetime:songs
Best Of The Johnny Cash TV Show
George Jones:hits Then Till Now
Back To Bacharach
Original Album Classics
Box Office Hits
Step Right Up:1970-1979 A Critical An
London Street Soul:1988-2009 21 Years
Funny People

 
Associated Artists and Works
Country Road: James Taylor Tribute... ~ Artists, Various
Artists, Various
Other Covers [Digipak] ~ James Taylor
James Taylor
James Taylor
Original Soundtrack
Original Soundtrack
Country Road: An Acoustic Tribute To James Taylor ~ Various Artists
Various Artists
The String Quartet Tribute To James Taylor ~ Various Artists
Smooth Sax Tribute to James Taylor ~ Various Artists
Various Artists
The String Quartet Tribute to James Taylor ~ Vitamin String Quartet

 
Technical Info
Release Date : 10/25/1990
Original Release Date : 1970
Catalog ID : 1843
Label : Warner Bros. Records (Record Label)
Number of Discs : 1
Runtime : 31m : 52s
Studio/Live : Studio
Mono/Stereo : Stereo
SPAR Code : AAD
UPC : 00075992718325

 
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.120)
- Ranked #103 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "[A] model of folk-pop healing music."

  
Product Image



Look For Similar Products By Category
Copyright 2009 Muze ®. For personal non-commercial use only. All rights reserved.
Suggestion Box
Every voice counts, so stand up and be heard! Your opinion is important to us. If you have spotted a typo, discovered an incorrect price, or encountered a technical issue on this page, we want to hear about it. Thanks again for your feedback, and happy shopping! Please note: we are unable to reply directly to suggestions.
For additional information, click here to visit our Help Center.
Quick Help My Account What are you looking for? Country