Music Banter - View Single Post - Bitesize: Trollheart's Daily Album Mini-Reviews

Trollheart · 06-19-2022, 03:01 PM

And here's one I just wrote in the last half-hour.

Artist: James Taylor
Nationality: American
Album: Before this World
Year: 2015
Label: Concord
Genre: Soft rock/ Folk
Tracks:
Today Today Today
You and I Again
Angels of Fenway
Stretch of the Highway
Montana
Watchin’ Over Me
Snowtime
Before this World/Jolly Summertime
Far Afghanistan
Wild Mountain Thyme

Chronological position: Nineteenth album
Familiarity: We all know the hits, don’t we?
Initial impression: Nice laid-back country feel to this. The fiddle is cool.
Comments: Okay, I’m not exactly expecting to be blown away by this, but then who would? James Taylor is famous for making laid-back, relaxing, gentle songs like “Fire and Rain”, “How Sweet it is to Be Loved By You” and of course “You’ve Got a Friend”, so slow and easy, laconic and peaceful is the order of the day. Nice little country/folk ditty in “Today Today”, while “You and I Again” slows things down from the not-exactly-frenetic pace into a ballad which puts me in mind of Barry Manilow, pretty much piano-driven and very nice.

Right. For some reason everyone who’s put this on the ‘Tube has fucked up the track order, so I’m fed up trying to find one with the right listing order, and am just going to talk about the tracks as they play. They probably won’t correspond to the above track list, so my advice is to suck it. File under, I don’t have time for this shit. “Montana” is another journeyman song, very much the West Coast feel to it, reminds me a little of Harry Chapin, sweet sort of waltzy feel that also has touches of Nanci Griffith in it, while “Angels of Fenway” takes my favourite subject as its theme, baseball. Fuck baseball. Yeah I don’t care if you’re offended; I hate the bloody sport. Sort of a pseudo-gospel chorus with a Paul Simon-like verse, like something off Gracelands.

Soft little acoustic thing for the title track, but I would have to admit it’s a little boring and dreary for my tastes. The violin adds some energy to it, but not much. Segues then into the second part of the song called “Jolly Springtime”, which is like some sort of traditional folk thing. Yeah don’t much like that either. You know, Sting is supposed to be on that but I’ll be damned if I can hear him. Look, sure, you have to give Taylor credit for coming out with an album of original material after twenty years, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to go easy on him if it’s shit. This started well but it’s boring me now. Needs to get better. “Watchin’ Over Me” has a bit more oomph about it, but I’m not convinced. Meh.

“Stretch of the Highway” really pisses me off, with its bloody brass and its semi-soul-jazz-big band-whatever-the-fuck-it-is tune, and Christ in a pimped-out rig transporting illegal drugs across the border, it’s the longest fucking song, at over five and a half minutes! Feels like fifteen! God damn it. It better improve from here, cos now I’m starting to hate when up to now I was just shrugging. Right well “Far Afghanistan” just hammers home the point of a man who is long past his prime trying to remain relevant. I mean, Neil Young did this, but so much better and with more conviction. It’s not a terrible song, but the self-effacement in it is pretty annoying. Oh well, only two tracks left to go. This has not been a pleasant ride and I’m ready to get out. Hell, I’ll walk the rest of the way thanks. No I’m quite aware it’s dark and raining, and that this is the bad side of town. It’s still preferable to remaining with you and listening to this old guy croon and try to convince himself, and us, that he’s still a force to be reckoned with.

I’m afraid - and I’m sure I’m in the minority here, as this went to number one in the States - I hear this as an old guy trying to recapture the glory days of his stardom, and failing pretty poorly. I mean, I don’t want to put the guy down, but this just ain’t speaking to me. I guess if he’s happy with it, and the fans are, then cool. Nobody’s going to care what I think. Anyway, here’s what I think - hey! Where are you all going? Come back!
Hum Factor: 1
Intention: This has really turned me off the guy. Doubt I'll bother ever listening to more albums by him.

06-19-2022, 03:01 PM	#337 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	And here's one I just wrote in the last half-hour. Artist: James Taylor Nationality: American Album: Before this World Year: 2015 Label: Concord Genre: Soft rock/ Folk Tracks: Today Today Today You and I Again Angels of Fenway Stretch of the Highway Montana Watchin’ Over Me Snowtime Before this World/Jolly Summertime Far Afghanistan Wild Mountain Thyme Chronological position: Nineteenth album Familiarity: We all know the hits, don’t we? Initial impression: Nice laid-back country feel to this. The fiddle is cool. Comments: Okay, I’m not exactly expecting to be blown away by this, but then who would? James Taylor is famous for making laid-back, relaxing, gentle songs like “Fire and Rain”, “How Sweet it is to Be Loved By You” and of course “You’ve Got a Friend”, so slow and easy, laconic and peaceful is the order of the day. Nice little country/folk ditty in “Today Today”, while “You and I Again” slows things down from the not-exactly-frenetic pace into a ballad which puts me in mind of Barry Manilow, pretty much piano-driven and very nice. Right. For some reason everyone who’s put this on the ‘Tube has fucked up the track order, so I’m fed up trying to find one with the right listing order, and am just going to talk about the tracks as they play. They probably won’t correspond to the above track list, so my advice is to suck it. File under, I don’t have time for this shit. “Montana” is another journeyman song, very much the West Coast feel to it, reminds me a little of Harry Chapin, sweet sort of waltzy feel that also has touches of Nanci Griffith in it, while “Angels of Fenway” takes my favourite subject as its theme, baseball. Fuck baseball. Yeah I don’t care if you’re offended; I hate the bloody sport. Sort of a pseudo-gospel chorus with a Paul Simon-like verse, like something off Gracelands. Soft little acoustic thing for the title track, but I would have to admit it’s a little boring and dreary for my tastes. The violin adds some energy to it, but not much. Segues then into the second part of the song called “Jolly Springtime”, which is like some sort of traditional folk thing. Yeah don’t much like that either. You know, Sting is supposed to be on that but I’ll be damned if I can hear him. Look, sure, you have to give Taylor credit for coming out with an album of original material after twenty years, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to go easy on him if it’s shit. This started well but it’s boring me now. Needs to get better. “Watchin’ Over Me” has a bit more oomph about it, but I’m not convinced. Meh. “Stretch of the Highway” really pisses me off, with its bloody brass and its semi-soul-jazz-big band-whatever-the-fuck-it-is tune, and Christ in a pimped-out rig transporting illegal drugs across the border, it’s the longest fucking song, at over five and a half minutes! Feels like fifteen! God damn it. It better improve from here, cos now I’m starting to hate when up to now I was just shrugging. Right well “Far Afghanistan” just hammers home the point of a man who is long past his prime trying to remain relevant. I mean, Neil Young did this, but so much better and with more conviction. It’s not a terrible song, but the self-effacement in it is pretty annoying. Oh well, only two tracks left to go. This has not been a pleasant ride and I’m ready to get out. Hell, I’ll walk the rest of the way thanks. No I’m quite aware it’s dark and raining, and that this is the bad side of town. It’s still preferable to remaining with you and listening to this old guy croon and try to convince himself, and us, that he’s still a force to be reckoned with. I’m afraid - and I’m sure I’m in the minority here, as this went to number one in the States - I hear this as an old guy trying to recapture the glory days of his stardom, and failing pretty poorly. I mean, I don’t want to put the guy down, but this just ain’t speaking to me. I guess if he’s happy with it, and the fans are, then cool. Nobody’s going to care what I think. Anyway, here’s what I think - hey! Where are you all going? Come back! Hum Factor: 1 Intention: This has really turned me off the guy. Doubt I'll bother ever listening to more albums by him. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018