Throughout the stormy tossing and turning of American pop since the late
60s, James Taylor has remained the ballast keeping the ship upright and on course.
With NEW MOON SHINE, his first new album of the 90s, James once again shows his
peerless mastery of unforgettable melodies and wise and witty lyrics.
NEW NOON SHINE reteams James with producer Don Grolnick and a host of worldclass
musicians such as saxophonists Branford Marsalis, Michael Brecker and Randy
Brecker, drummers Carlos Vega, Steve Gadd, and Steve Jorden, bassists Jimmy Johnson
and Tony Levin, and James' long-time friend and colleague Danny Kortchmar, who
co-wrote and co-produced two tracks. James wrote or co-wrote all but two songs.
"It took a long time to write these," says James. "The way I write is slowly
changing to a more studied craft, rather than a spontaneous springing forth. Songs
start quickly but finishing them up takes a long time."
That deliberation shows in the album's finely-wrought arrangements and reflective
sentiments. "Copperline," the premiere Single, was co-written by James and noted
southern author Reynolds Price. The you-can't-go-home-again theme, underscored
by fiddle and dobro, sets the tone of the album. "Down in the Hole," a disquieting
rocker comparing depression to life under the ground, features a wild doo-wop
break, while a hot horn section punctuates "(I've Got To) Stop Thinking 'Bout
That," a clever R&B elegy to love lost.
"Shed a Little Light" is a beautiful chorale inspired by the Emmy-winning
PBS series, "Eyes On the Prize,' which retold the story of the civil rights movement.
Here James celebrates the moments of triumph even though the ultimate goals of
that era are yet to be realized. "Frozen Man" is a charming and quirky fairytale
about a 19th century British mariner lost at sea near the Arctic Circle. Retrieved
from the permafrost, he's thawed and revived, only to find his world has died
out a hundred years before. "It turns out my own Scottish ancestor, also named
James Taylor, was lost at sea on his way to America," notes the singer, "though
I didn't learn of that until after I wrote the song."
Side One ends with the frenzied rockabilly gem. "Slap Leather," recorded
in a friend's home studio in L.A. "We ripped it out fast, nailed it down and
kept it," says James. The song reconfirms Taylor's standing as one of the sharpest
social critics in contemporary pop. Side Two begins with "Like Everyone She Knows,"
an elegant ballad "written in a hot tub in Tucson," highlighted by a lovely Branford
Marsalis sax solo. The turbulent "One More Go Round" features the album's funkiest
vocal by far. James has always been a hell of a blues shouter, and he let's it
rip on this track.
The Sam Cooke classic, "Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha," gets a facelift in
James' swaying rendition. "I've always loved Sam Cooke," says James, "and had
wanted to do this song for a long time." In "Native Son," Taylor explores society's
knack for preparing its soldiers to kill and die over there, but not to live once
they return home. Written before the Persian Gulf war, the song is a timeless
comment on both the inner and outer battles we all fight. "Oh Brother" zeroes
in on addiction, "This song is about a friend of mine having a hard time pulling
out of a habit," notes James. "It's about coming home, and how difficult it can
be to know what to turn away from and what to hold on to."
The album ends with a sublime version of the folk standard, "The Water Is
Wide," Says James, "I used to perform this song when I was a young folksinger
in New York." Giving NEW MOON SHINE a grace and symmetry, the song is performed
on acoustic instruments, including fiddle and dobro, ending the album much as
it began.
In a way, the same can be said of James Taylor himself. No less an observer
than Sting said not long ago of James, "He's a complete natural and a complete
original immune to fashion." James himself, simply says "the top of the charts
is fine, but it's an odd goal if you're a musician." Nevertheless, James Taylor
is no stranger to the top of the charts. Since the release of his self-titled
debut album in 1969, he has enjoyed extravagant success with seven Warner Bros.
albums and five subsequent Columbia albums.
He almost single-handedly redefined the singer-songwriter Movement of the
70s, and scored such classic hits as "Fire and Rain," "Don't Let Me Be Lonely,"
"Something in the Way She Moves." "Mexico," and covers like "Mockingbird," "Handyman,"
and "How Sweet It Is." Among his eleven Gold and four Platinum albums are the
seminal Sweet Baby James, Mudslide Slim And The Blue Horizon, One Man Dog, Walking
Man, Gorilla, In The Pocket (all on Warer Bros.), and with Columbia JT (1977),
Flag (1979), Dad Loves His Work (1981), That's Why I'm Here (1985), and Never
Die Young in 1988.
After the release of Never Die Young, Taylor embarked on a triumphant tour
of Africa and saw a taped full-length concert performance become one of the most
popular specials run on PBS that winter. It has just been released on Sony Home
Video by SMV titled "James Taylor In Concert." As much as he's known for his
recordings, James has been a perennially popular live entertainer, "You have
to perform in real time with real musicians," he notes. "Of course, some cantelever
twenty years beyond their time, standing there like waxed fruit. But with
others like Ray Charles, the thrill ain't gone,'
The same is true of James Taylor, who continually inspires new generations
of fans with his concerts and albums. He is currently producing a 30 minute special
for VH-1 and a home video based on the album and tour rehearsals. There aren't
that many standards of quality left these days, but Jawed Taylor surely exemplifies
the highest of them, NEW MOON SHINE only proves the point. Drink Up.
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