Ok, I am wiping away tears. What a pleasure to see your reactions to one of the most wonderful songs of my teen years and adult life. One of the Best! PS, your mom knows what she is talking about.
He lived up the street in a little rented house in LA when I was 10 and drove a little green 911 Porsche and would say hi to us when we were playing ball in the street, a truly sweet man
Taylor was in the midst of recording his debut album on The Beatles’ Apple label when he took a break for a quick jaunt to the Spanish island of Formentera, where he met the Karen mentioned in the song. From there, they went to Ibiza but were stranded when they missed the last ferry back and had no money for lodging. They sat at an outdoor café all night as Taylor’s thoughts sailed across the Atlantic. “I started getting homesick and I thought of this song and my home so far away and wrote ‘Carolina In My Mind’ as the sun was coming up,” he recalled.
Yeah, but the version A & A listened to was NOT that version. They did the re-recording from 1976, which I feel is inferior to the original you mentioned.
That is correct -- and the song references all of that in a way that Alex couldn't see because he didn't know the real events that inspired the song. There was no shift from happy to sad; James was writing about longing for home even when feeling the sparks of love from Karen, a blond from Sweden ("Karen, she's a silver sun. You'd best walk her way and watch it shine"). James could not help feeling a sense of longing and sadness for home. His reference to the "dark side of the moon" is not about how he felt about Carolina; it was how even with Karen, or earlier, when they were with a crowd of people at a wedding or funeral (he can't recall which), he was not really present in the moment. That longing for home is a mix of sweet and bitter, sweet because he love home and bitter because it is so far away. That why he repeats the chorus three times and the line, "And ain't it just like a friend of mine to hit me from behind."
Charon she's a silver sun, which is to say, a moon, specifically one of the moons of Pluto. Except JT is on the dark side of the moon. That entire section has 2 separate but not distinct meanings, and I seriously doubt that was an accident. Charon is pronounced exactly like Karen, unless you're one of those rare individuals who can pronounce the subtle difference between "en" and "on". Few people can.
Feel exactly the same! I listened to his songs all my youth. And I still do. He's my second favorite singer/songwriter of all times. And I am not even from US!😅
JT's an underrated guitarist for sure. As I read once "easy listening does not equal easy playing". He's got a style his own and there's a lot going on under the surface of his tunes. Great song, great review
Not my take. He wrote the lyrics on a break from recording on the Spanish island if Ibiza where he and a Swedish girl he had met (Karen in the song) attended either a wedding or funeral, something that would have had the aura of prayer and priest -- he spoke about those events in later years because they were still so vivid.
I'm in my mid 70s. Raised during music's greatest era. Lucky me! In that timeframe, a few artists have risen to my personal highest assigned plateau. James Taylor is on that level. His catalogue is one overflowing with gem after gem after gem after gem. If you have seen him perform live you will immediately grasp why his fans love him dearly. The day he is no longer able to perform will be a very dark day in my life along with that of many others. In closing , I'd like to mention his performances with Carole King on her classic 'Tapestry' album another major music beacon I will treasure forever. As rich today as the day it was released. Both he and she are music royalty in my ears and my eyes.
@@connieb4372Thanks, Connie. We know how blessed we were to vacuum in genuine talent versus the absolute intelligence insulting trash that somehow passes for music now. Trash that will be remembered in history as exactly that. And only that.
So we’ll said. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen James perform his magic. After nearly 55 years of trying to master his catalog of music, I am still trying to match his unique playing abilities. Close but no cigar yet!
JT's ''Something in the Way She Moves'' is one of the most incredible recordings I've ever heard. Many would attest to its greatness and sheer beauty. A must-listen, A & A.
As I understand it, SITWSM was also inspiring to George Harrison who listened in at Apple and came up with at least the title & first line to his Beatle song, "Something".
I've loved James Taylor for over 50 years. I get tickled when I sit and listen to these songs and I hear the steel guitar, the violin and acoustic guitar and chuckle that today this song would be placed in the country music genre. Throughout the years it has been labeled "easy-listening", "Adult contemporary", "singer-songwriter", "classic rock".... Labels be damned. Good music is good music no matter the label. You guys would love "Sweet Baby James" and "Steamroller"
James Taylor's music was part of the soundtrack of my high school years. His song Fire & Rain always brings back memories of classmates that have passed. I remember their laughter, their singing and their smiles. It's a bittersweet memory, yet, I still smile.
My dads favorite singer, matter of fact he was on in our house all of the time growing up. I cannot be objective about it, I love James Taylor and I love the memories that come with hearing his music. Glad you guys liked it too.
James Taylor was struggling with a terrible heroin addiction back then that he needed to be hospitalized (Fire and Rain). Maybe this was written at a moment of clarity as he struggled to get clean and sober. Such an amazing song.
Oct. 2nd 2023 I turned 70 today. High school years 1968/72. College years 72/76. Mitchell, Lightfoot, Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, Dylan, Jim Croce, John Denver and many more singer songwriters. Rock and roll bands of the era were the best. Tell me my 8 years of high school and college were not the best sound track of formative young adult years ever.
Great interpretation, fellas. JT wrote this during a weekend trip to the tiny island of Formentera off the coast of Spain. He was in the middle of recording his original album on the Beatles' Apple Records in 1969-ish, was struggling with a now-famous heroin addiction, and was terribly homesick. (He was born in Boston but raised in Chapel Hill, NC.) The first version appears on that album with McCartney playing bass and singing BGVs. The best version - the one you listened to - was re-recorded for his 1976 Greatest Hits album. The great Russ Kunkel is playing a highly overlooked drum part, and I'm so glad, Alex, that you noticed the kick pattern. If you focus on the rhythm section, you realize how masterful it is. JT's guitar playing is legend - any acoustic guitar player with a grasp of music history knows this. Just for fun (and I promise it will be fun), you guys should react to his 1979 live version of "Steamroller" at the Blossom Music Center. It will blow your mind and give you even more appreciation of JT. ~ Mark
Lee has commented that JT's acoustic guitar arrangements are so full and complete, that it makes it hard to come up with an appropriate bass line. This is why so many of Lee's parts on those songs were more melodic than simple I-IV-V lines. @@helenespaulding7562
The song is relatable. We've all felt homesick. Maybe a little sacred of being away from all the comfort and security home brings. Or overwhelmed with responsibilities and obligations and you retreat to a less hectic, slower-paced, more comfortable place. Your "safe place"
I like James Taylor: He was a true poet, lyrically--meaning that, like Croce, Denver, Gates(Bread) etc. he avoided overuse of cliche strings and outworn phrases and achieved an authenticity and originality in his lyrics. And yet his messages are so accesible generally. Hard to achieve this. Another good one: "On a Country Road."
@@koshersalaami I was referring to the songs he has written, in the past. when he wrote them--in the past--, he expertly avoided cliches, outworn phrases, etc. That said, he is--present tense--still active, singing his songs, that he wrote, in the past, singing them in the present, etc. which is what I meant, the confusion of which I am sorry for . . . . Um, how far would you like me to take this explanation? Anyway, be well. I assume we both agree that he is a superb artist?
James music has colored my life since the late 60’s. Can’t imagine music without James. Fun fact - when I moved to North Carolina in retirement, I bought a boat and named it Gone to Carolina. Seemed perfect for me. Thank you for the S Alex. James himself is an S! Perfect!
This version of the song is actually a re-recording, done in 1976, for JT's Greatest Hits album. He first recorded it in 1968 for his debut album for Apple Records, with Paul McCartney on bass and George Harrison on background vocals. (In fact, the line about "a holy host of others standing 'round me" refers to the Beatles, who were recording the White Album at the same studio.) But I'm glad you reacted to this version, since it's the one most people are familiar with and (in my opinion) better than the original.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I think I knew this but had totally forgotten it. I just listened to the original version and this re-recording is so much better. I would almost say that you can here the Beatle influence and for this song, it isn't a good thing.
Had me confused at first, because the album cover that was displayed was the original Apple album, but when I heard it I knew it wasn't the original, which was more uptempo.
I have to disagree, I think the original version is much better. I miss the orchestration and backing vocals. Paul McCartney on bass, George Harrison singing backing, to me it's magical.
I’m born & raised in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina where I have lived all of my 63 years 💙💙 Every time I hear this & believe me I’ve heard it probably 1,000 times in my life I get chills & choke up! Been to sliding rock many times in my life & yes it’s freezing 🥶 Love this reaction 💙🎼
l love this song. The second verse, "there aint no doubt in no one's mind that love's the finest thing around/whisper something soft and kind/and hey baby the sky's on fire, I'm dying, ain't I/I''m gone to Carolina in my mind", is probably one of my favourite verses in a song, ever. For no reason I can put into words but just the feeling it evokes every time I hear it.
James Taylor is one of the best there ever was. This is likely my favorite of his songs. Sometimes you NEED to go home, and he conveys every bit of that in this deceptively simple song.
Like so many of people, I grew up with James Taylor, thank God. Can still listen to him all day long. On a Country Road, you might like. This is just a great homesick song. Thanks guys, so glad you got it.
Alex, I'm from the Sliding Rock, NC area but went to USF. Everytime i went home, I had the same feeling going home when I would see the landscape change from Florida to the hills of the Carolinas. Great call
Loving this reaction! JT has an abundance of great lyrically written songs. Ive always been partial to "Shower The People" bc I have a hardship/ feel good connection to it, just as you do to this one Alex!
Fire and Rain, Sweet Baby James, Copperline, Shower the People, Mexico, and You Got a Friend are all great songs. It’s hard to go wrong with James Taylor. I saw a video of him playing with Carol King. He mentioned how grateful he was she allowed him to record her song You’ve Got a Friend. Then he said that was before I knew I’d have to play it almost every day for the rest of my life. Great sense of humor.
My youth was another era. We connected to our fathers through music. We didn't talk about emotions. That is why songs like this are felt so intensely by my generation.
I LOVE James Taylor. My English teacher played his debut album in class. I was in 8th grade, 1971. I became a fan. I've seen him live 5 times. His band "The Section" are all amazing musicians. Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkle, Leland Sklar and Waddy Wachtel. They've backed up many musicians. JT Is an incredible storyteller. The lyrics portray characters who feel so real. For example "Millworker" or "Brother Trucker". His musical catalog is filled with fantastic songs. A rabbit hole worth going down. Note: I sang "Sweet Baby James" as a lullabye to my three kids, even when I was pregnant.
It was great to see at least one of you connect to this song on such a deep level. This is a master class in songwriting. James Taylor's voice is just really sweet icing on a delicious cake
When this song first came out - within five minutes after hearing this tune for the first time, I literally had a backpack packed & I had my thumb over the road heading west. In those days it didn`t take much to motivate me into travelling. Freedom to travel by hitch hiking was really easy to do. It was super cheap - we could travel right across the country on $ 20.00. It was adventurous, spontaneous & life changing. This song had that effect on me at that time & sitting here listening to it now just makes me want to get back on the road again. S tier all the way.
My wife and I saw James Taylor a few years ago, with Bonnie Raitt opening - MAN what a show. I mainly bought the tickets as a present for my wife because she is a huge Bonnie Raitt fan - who isn't? And she absolutely killed, too; her solo performance of "I Can't Make You Love Me" at the keyboard was worth the price of admission alone. I have to admit, when I bought the tickets, even though I thought James Taylor was great, I wasn't looking forward to his performance nearly as much as I was Bonnie's - it was more of an after-party for the main show to me. Then I read that Steve Gadd was in the drum chair for this tour. Sheeit, sign me up. So Bonnie Raitt finishes her set, and the stagehands are changing over to the setup for James Taylor's band, and I get my first unobstructed look at the drum kit on stage - hey, wait a minute, those drums are yellow. Steve Gadd doesn't play yellow drums. Dammit. So I get out my phone and look up the tour information, and I find that Gadd was playing on the first leg of the tour, and on the second leg, including the show I was attending, the drum chair would be filled by one Chad Wackerman. Wow. Bruh. Okay, if the main thing I am looking forward to about this show is the drummer, that's still fine. Just fine. Carry on. Then James Taylor opened the show with this song, and I just melted. For the rest of the entire show, every note of every song was like an old friend. Nearly every number in the setlist was an impromptu sing-along, whether you were actually mouthing the words, or just repeating them in your head as they went by like you have so many times before. It made me think of how there are just a few artists whose very names have become self-explanatory. Why did that show make me feel that way? Because it was James Fucking Taylor, that's why. QED. Fun fact: my wife and I were both in our forties that night, and we were distinctly at the bottom of the age bell curve. We were two rare still-brunettes in a sea of white hair and bald heads. 😆
@@jeffreybooth5129 Ha. No, a little further southwest: the sugar-white shores of the Redneck Riviera, the Florida Panhandle. Cheers across the pond from Florida Man.✌️😎 🍻
I love 99% of JT's music. Thanks for playing this fabulous classic. There are countless other great songs that you and your subscribers would seriously love.
So, y'all are real reactors. Excellent, in fact the best, response to this song I've seen. At first blush James Taylor makes easy listening tunes. However, if you're paying attention his songs are so much more than that. Thanks for being fair and discerning.
When I was in school, everyone had his greatest hits album. His voice is so unique and matches the music perfectly. His studio (and live) band is amazing. Shower The People is my personal fave.
This beautiful, wistful song so perfectly captures the homesickness James felt when he was living the chaotic life of a musician in the big city. As a North Carolinian it is compulsory to love this song. I especially like his use of the southern phrase “up and gone.” Far and away my favorite J.T. but his more upbeat getaway daydream, “Mexico,” is a close second.
Great review. I first heard this in 1978 . I was 16 and my little brother and I had moved out on our own. Our neighbor had it's Greatest Hits and played it all the time. It was such a comforting and understanding voice in a fun but tumultuous time. And being boys from the TN mountains, NC was just next door and the sounds and soul are as familiar as a warm blanket. I cannot say how happy bit makes me to see these song still hold the same power for today's listeners as they did 45 years ago. Thanks guys
JT's guitar playing is phenomenal. With the voice leading in the fingerpicking he always sounds like two guitars and yet watching him play he makes is look so effortless.
Last time I heard this song I was in the outer banks with my family. They'd all gone to bed I was alone in the hot tub soaking up the Stars listening to this beautiful music. Now they're gone but I've got this beautiful memory of this incredible song
I came from Carolina. Growing up I used to think this was the greatest song ever. Still do, kinda. I used to go to Sliding Rock too! James was hanging out on Mijorca or one of those other Spanish islands and feeling homesick when he wrote this song.
Great S rating. Just so warm and clever, and the lyrics are awesome. Geese in flight, and dogs that bite. Signs that might be omens...... Holy host of others... Just other worldly.
This takes me back to being a college freshmen in the late 90's. Me and my roommate used to get high and fall asleep to James Taylor's Greatest Hits. Nothing's as soothing and full of love as his music.
Dude, Born and raised in Florida. We used to drive up to NC when I was a kid for a few summers, listened to James Taylor’s greatest hits which included this song. And we went to sliding rock numerous times. Water was f-n freezing
My family moved back to the East Coast after 40 years in Ca. I thought I’d never get back to my home. We’re in Ga now, but my family is from Va and NC. I always cry when I hear it. It reminds me of so much. It’s my all time favourite James Taylor song and he has a lot of good ones.
You should always listen to your mom!! I grew up with James Taylor music! He is a legend and my favorite singer of all time! He IS the 1970s to me. My kids know James Taylor’s music! All of his music is great so take a deep dive!!!! 😊
Saw him in Seattle on September 12th 2001. These songs were already big in my life, but to hear them with 15,000 people, grieving and living on together was almost a mystical moment. "Something In The Way She Moves" is a must, "Junkie's Lament" is a great deep cut with Art Garfunkel on vocals. And since you did Joni's Blue on which he plays guitar, you could do "You Can Close Your Eyes" written for her, or "Long Ago and Far Away" recorded with her.
James Taylor is where I learned to play guitar, long before I "went electric." He's so underrated as a player and a composer of chordal melodies. I'm so gratified to hear you talk about the suspended chords in James Taylor, because he's the only reason, to this day, I know what those even are. I hear them in everything from Bach to the Who now, and it's all because of JT. This is also one of the most technically aware reactions I've seen, and I've seen a lot of yours. What a treat.
I'm Floridian that has spent so much time in The Smokies, that this song sends me there immediately. I want to breathe that air, it's cooling down there now. Cool would be nice.
Interesting coincidence, This,was the first album,i ever bought,in 1974,with my first paycheck from my first after school job. And ,i have been playing it alot lately. Theres a number of songs this strong, on the album. Lo and behold.
JT is a voice from my youth. I've been listening to this song (and many others) since the early 70s. Next year I'm due to go to Charleston South Carolina, which will be the first time I've ever made it to mainland USA. This song will be in my head when we dock. I can hardly wait.
Guys, I always enjoy your reactions. And the fact that you admitted as a man that you almost cried I think was one of the best things I've ever heard anybody say on these channels That's what the song does for me as well. Can't really explain it. It's an amazing reaction. Continue to spread the music around. Great job, guys..❤
Saw him perform at an outside amphitheater in the late 90's and there was a full moon directly above the stage. One of the best concert memories in my lifetime.
James Taylor always comforts me, even when he makes me cry... which he can do easily. My dad loves Carolina in My Mind because he spent a good part of his childhood in the western part of NC. Another song that has a somewhat similar theme is Copperline (written with poet Reynolds Price). I LOVE that song too. It will sound upbeat but if you really listen... And then there is Our Town which I heard for the first time in the movie Cars (yes, the Disney movie). Gotta say I was glad I was indulging in a kid's movie at home because I had no idea that JT had a song in it and it brought me to tears. A movie about dang talking cars!
Up on the Roof by James Taylor is probably my favorite song of all time. The Studio version. It has a full orchestra behind him in this song. It is the perfect chill song after you been through bad times. Written By Carol King & Gerry Goffin and sampled by the Drifters.
You know what’s absolutely mind blowing? The fact that Taylor Swift was named after James Taylor.
Ok, I am wiping away tears. What a pleasure to see your reactions to one of the most wonderful songs of my teen years and adult life. One of the Best! PS, your mom knows what she is talking about.
I second that!!
He lived up the street in a little rented house in LA when I was 10 and drove a little green 911 Porsche and would say hi to us when we were playing ball in the street, a truly sweet man
Taylor was in the midst of recording his debut album on The Beatles’ Apple label when he took a break for a quick jaunt to the Spanish island of Formentera, where he met the Karen mentioned in the song. From there, they went to Ibiza but were stranded when they missed the last ferry back and had no money for lodging. They sat at an outdoor café all night as Taylor’s thoughts sailed across the Atlantic. “I started getting homesick and I thought of this song and my home so far away and wrote ‘Carolina In My Mind’ as the sun was coming up,” he recalled.
Yeah, but the version A & A listened to was NOT that version. They did the re-recording from 1976, which I feel is inferior to the original you mentioned.
@@davidschecter5247this version was the big radio single.
That is correct -- and the song references all of that in a way that Alex couldn't see because he didn't know the real events that inspired the song. There was no shift from happy to sad; James was writing about longing for home even when feeling the sparks of love from Karen, a blond from Sweden ("Karen, she's a silver sun. You'd best walk her way and watch it shine"). James could not help feeling a sense of longing and sadness for home. His reference to the "dark side of the moon" is not about how he felt about Carolina; it was how even with Karen, or earlier, when they were with a crowd of people at a wedding or funeral (he can't recall which), he was not really present in the moment.
That longing for home is a mix of sweet and bitter, sweet because he love home and bitter because it is so far away. That why he repeats the chorus three times and the line, "And ain't it just like a friend of mine to hit me from behind."
No wonder, Taylor hails from Chapel Hill NC. Been to sliding rock, felt that cold water. Just beautiful.
Charon she's a silver sun, which is to say, a moon, specifically one of the moons of Pluto. Except JT is on the dark side of the moon. That entire section has 2 separate but not distinct meanings, and I seriously doubt that was an accident. Charon is pronounced exactly like Karen, unless you're one of those rare individuals who can pronounce the subtle difference between "en" and "on". Few people can.
James Taylor…huge inspiration in my life. Could not begin to imagine my teenage years without him. Brilliant
Feel exactly the same! I listened to his songs all my youth. And I still do. He's my second favorite singer/songwriter of all times. And I am not even from US!😅
Yes!
Agree! I can’t imagine life without James Taylor music.
Me neither 😁
Total S-Tier song. Right on Alex! Do Sweet Baby James next!
JT's an underrated guitarist for sure. As I read once "easy listening does not equal easy playing". He's got a style his own and there's a lot going on under the surface of his tunes. Great song, great review
The " Holy host of others standing around me" were actually the Beatles. James was their first signie to their Apple label
His audition story is pretty wild! He played "Something in the Way She Moves" for Paul and George. George liked the title so much, he borrowed it.
Not my take. He wrote the lyrics on a break from recording on the Spanish island if Ibiza where he and a Swedish girl he had met (Karen in the song) attended either a wedding or funeral, something that would have had the aura of prayer and priest -- he spoke about those events in later years because they were still so vivid.
Yeah, I was going to leave a comment about James Taylor being the first artist the Beatles signed to Apple.🍏
As a longtime North Carolinian, this beautiful song by one of our native sons should be named the official state song of North Carolina ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I hear ya, brother. Graduated HS in Charlotte, many moons ago, now retired in Myrtle Beach. Guess that makes me a Carolinian as well.
One of my favorite JT songs. I was thinking the whole time, "If this isn't worth an S, what is?"
I'm in my mid 70s. Raised during music's greatest era. Lucky me! In that timeframe, a few artists have risen to my personal highest assigned plateau. James Taylor is on that level. His catalogue is one overflowing with gem after gem after gem after gem. If you have seen him perform live you will immediately grasp why his fans love him dearly. The day he is no longer able to perform will be a very dark day in my life along with that of many others. In closing , I'd like to mention his performances with Carole King on her classic 'Tapestry' album another major music beacon I will treasure forever. As rich today as the day it was released. Both he and she are music royalty in my ears and my eyes.
Could not have said it better fellow traveler. Take care!
@@connieb4372Thanks, Connie. We know how blessed we were to vacuum in genuine talent versus the absolute intelligence insulting trash that somehow passes for music now. Trash that will be remembered in history as exactly that. And only that.
So we’ll said. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen James perform his magic. After nearly 55 years of trying to master his catalog of music, I am still trying to match his unique playing abilities. Close but no cigar yet!
AMEN!
Right there with ya
Beautiful, takes me back to my younger years in NC. “Mexico” should definitely be next for JT
JT's ''Something in the Way She Moves'' is one of the most incredible recordings I've ever heard. Many would attest to its greatness and sheer beauty. A must-listen, A & A.
Yeah and Shower the people
As I understand it, SITWSM was also inspiring to George Harrison who listened in at Apple and came up with at least the title & first line to his Beatle song, "Something".
James Taylor "Shower The People"...Nuff Said.
Yes, Amen! 🙌
I've loved James Taylor for over 50 years. I get tickled when I sit and listen to these songs and I hear the steel guitar, the violin and acoustic guitar and chuckle that today this song would be placed in the country music genre. Throughout the years it has been labeled "easy-listening", "Adult contemporary", "singer-songwriter", "classic rock".... Labels be damned. Good music is good music no matter the label. You guys would love "Sweet Baby James" and "Steamroller"
James had/has one of the most beautiful male singing voices of the last 50 years.
James Taylor's music was part of the soundtrack of my high school years. His song Fire & Rain always brings back memories of classmates that have passed. I remember their laughter, their singing and their smiles. It's a bittersweet memory, yet, I still smile.
I love why Alex gave this an S. It is so cool to see how music can affect us and hit us deep emotionally.
“Copper Line” James Taylor! Even better as good as this is!
My absolute favorite James Taylor song. I'm so glad you liked it!
James Taylor is a national treasure, saw him live once, front row seats, very beautiful
My folks live in Chapel Hill, NC. Taylor was from that area and there’s a waterway called the ‘James Taylor Creek’ near their home. Love him! ❤😊 11:34
My dads favorite singer, matter of fact he was on in our house all of the time growing up. I cannot be objective about it, I love James Taylor and I love the memories that come with hearing his music. Glad you guys liked it too.
James Taylor was struggling with a terrible heroin addiction back then that he needed to be hospitalized (Fire and Rain). Maybe this was written at a moment of clarity as he struggled to get clean and sober. Such an amazing song.
I really like his song "Copper line". Like so many of his songs I find it powerfully evocative.
+1 for Copper Line. great, great song. maybe a spiritual successor to Carolina.
+2 for Copperline
+3 And yes spiritually very similar
+4
Very good suggestion.
Oct. 2nd 2023 I turned 70 today. High school years 1968/72. College years 72/76. Mitchell, Lightfoot, Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, Dylan, Jim Croce, John Denver and many more singer songwriters. Rock and roll bands of the era were the best. Tell me my 8 years of high school and college were not the best sound track of formative young adult years ever.
Happy Birthday! Mine is Saturday.
Happy Birthday!! 🎂🍰🧁!!
Happy Birthday, and may you have many, many more!
Happy Birthday! 🎉 Our generation had the best tunes and artists and so glad that Andy and Alex enjoy them, too.
Happy Birthday!!
James Taylor's 'Copperline' will affect you even more. Childhood memories for James.
this guy's voice is butter-smooth. I've driven thru the Carolinas. sounds just like it.
beautiful to see the next generation realizing how powerful an amazing James Taylor is
Great interpretation, fellas. JT wrote this during a weekend trip to the tiny island of Formentera off the coast of Spain. He was in the middle of recording his original album on the Beatles' Apple Records in 1969-ish, was struggling with a now-famous heroin addiction, and was terribly homesick. (He was born in Boston but raised in Chapel Hill, NC.) The first version appears on that album with McCartney playing bass and singing BGVs. The best version - the one you listened to - was re-recorded for his 1976 Greatest Hits album. The great Russ Kunkel is playing a highly overlooked drum part, and I'm so glad, Alex, that you noticed the kick pattern. If you focus on the rhythm section, you realize how masterful it is. JT's guitar playing is legend - any acoustic guitar player with a grasp of music history knows this. Just for fun (and I promise it will be fun), you guys should react to his 1979 live version of "Steamroller" at the Blossom Music Center. It will blow your mind and give you even more appreciation of JT. ~ Mark
Russ Kunkel is one of my most favorite drummers. He is always in the pocket with great fills.
I’m assuming that was Leland Sklar on that yummy bass line?
@@helenespaulding7562 most definitely!
@@HobnailTrekkingCo he and Russ are just such a great rhythm unit!
Lee has commented that JT's acoustic guitar arrangements are so full and complete, that it makes it hard to come up with an appropriate bass line. This is why so many of Lee's parts on those songs were more melodic than simple I-IV-V lines. @@helenespaulding7562
The song is relatable. We've all felt homesick. Maybe a little sacred of being away from all the comfort and security home brings. Or overwhelmed with responsibilities and obligations and you retreat to a less hectic, slower-paced, more comfortable place. Your "safe place"
I like James Taylor: He was a true poet, lyrically--meaning that, like Croce, Denver, Gates(Bread) etc. he avoided overuse of cliche strings and outworn phrases and achieved an authenticity and originality in his lyrics. And yet his messages are so accesible generally. Hard to achieve this.
Another good one: "On a Country Road."
He’s still active. Past tense isn’t appropriate.
@@koshersalaami I was referring to the songs he has written, in the past. when he wrote them--in the past--, he expertly avoided cliches, outworn phrases, etc.
That said, he is--present tense--still active, singing his songs, that he wrote, in the past, singing them in the present, etc. which is what I meant, the confusion of which I am sorry for . . . .
Um, how far would you like me to take this explanation?
Anyway, be well. I assume we both agree that he is a superb artist?
I get goosebumps every time I hear James Taylor sing. I have them right now.
James Taylor "Sweet Baby James" is amazing
James music has colored my life since the late 60’s. Can’t imagine music without James. Fun fact - when I moved to North Carolina in retirement, I bought a boat and named it Gone to Carolina. Seemed perfect for me. Thank you for the S Alex. James himself is an S! Perfect!
I saw James Taylor live last year and he sounds exactly like this still. You can't tell that this was 50 years ago. His voice is amazing.
This version of the song is actually a re-recording, done in 1976, for JT's Greatest Hits album. He first recorded it in 1968 for his debut album for Apple Records, with Paul McCartney on bass and George Harrison on background vocals. (In fact, the line about "a holy host of others standing 'round me" refers to the Beatles, who were recording the White Album at the same studio.) But I'm glad you reacted to this version, since it's the one most people are familiar with and (in my opinion) better than the original.
We definitely agree it is a strong and enduring composition/song regardless of the treatment.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I think I knew this but had totally forgotten it.
I just listened to the original version and this re-recording is so much better. I would almost say that you can here the Beatle influence and for this song, it isn't a good thing.
Had me confused at first, because the album cover that was displayed was the original Apple album, but when I heard it I knew it wasn't the original, which was more uptempo.
I have to disagree, I think the original version is much better. I miss the orchestration and backing vocals. Paul McCartney on bass, George Harrison singing backing, to me it's magical.
Strongly recommend Used to Be Her Town Too
Another beautiful song
James Taylor is an American classic. His voice is unique and unmistakable.
I’m born & raised in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina where I have lived all of my 63 years 💙💙 Every time I hear this & believe me I’ve heard it probably 1,000 times in my life I get chills & choke up! Been to sliding rock many times in my life & yes it’s freezing 🥶 Love this reaction 💙🎼
ALL the feels, and then some. Masterful songwriting from the master songwriter.
l love this song. The second verse, "there aint no doubt in no one's mind that love's the finest thing around/whisper something soft and kind/and hey baby the sky's on fire, I'm dying, ain't I/I''m gone to Carolina in my mind", is probably one of my favourite verses in a song, ever. For no reason I can put into words but just the feeling it evokes every time I hear it.
A & A, you'll love his "You’ve Got A Friend", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" and "Your Smiling Face!!!!
James Taylor is one of the best there ever was. This is likely my favorite of his songs. Sometimes you NEED to go home, and he conveys every bit of that in this deceptively simple song.
No one paints a picture with lyrics, vocals, harmonies, guitar, etc.. like JT
James Taylor's voice is even more special to me, as it reminds me of my childhood and teenage years😉
Like so many of people, I grew up with James Taylor, thank God. Can still listen to him all day long. On a Country Road, you might like. This is just a great homesick song. Thanks guys, so glad you got it.
Alex, I'm from the Sliding Rock, NC area but went to USF. Everytime i went home, I had the same feeling going home when I would see the landscape change from Florida to the hills of the Carolinas. Great call
Loving this reaction! JT has an abundance of great lyrically written songs. Ive always been partial to "Shower The People" bc I have a hardship/ feel good connection to it, just as you do to this one Alex!
Love this song, just love it. S tier. Every day.
Fire and Rain, Sweet Baby James, Copperline, Shower the People, Mexico, and You Got a Friend are all great songs. It’s hard to go wrong with James Taylor.
I saw a video of him playing with Carol King. He mentioned how grateful he was she allowed him to record her song You’ve Got a Friend. Then he said that was before I knew I’d have to play it almost every day for the rest of my life. Great sense of humor.
His velvety smooth voice is like warm fleece on a cold day.....
My youth was another era. We connected to our fathers through music. We didn't talk about emotions. That is why songs like this are felt so intensely by my generation.
I LOVE James Taylor. My English teacher played his debut album in class. I was in 8th grade, 1971. I became a fan. I've seen him live 5 times. His band "The Section" are all amazing musicians. Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkle, Leland Sklar and Waddy Wachtel. They've backed up many musicians. JT Is an incredible storyteller. The lyrics portray characters who feel so real. For example "Millworker" or "Brother Trucker". His musical catalog is filled with fantastic songs. A rabbit hole worth going down. Note: I sang "Sweet Baby James" as a lullabye to my three kids, even when I was pregnant.
I always sang, "You Can Close Your Eyes" and "Blossom" to mine!!
That’s awesome about you eighth grade teacher. My teacher in same grade played the Beatles Nowhere Man.
Apparently Paul McCartney played bass on this (JT was recording in London while the Beatles were recording the White Album at the same studio)
Country Road by James Taylor is an excellent tune, really special.
It was great to see at least one of you connect to this song on such a deep level. This is a master class in songwriting. James Taylor's voice is just really sweet icing on a delicious cake
When this song first came out - within five minutes after hearing this tune for the first time, I literally had a backpack packed & I had my thumb over the road heading west. In those days it didn`t take much to motivate me into travelling. Freedom to travel by hitch hiking was really easy to do. It was super cheap - we could travel right across the country on $ 20.00. It was adventurous, spontaneous & life changing. This song had that effect on me at that time & sitting here listening to it now just makes me want to get back on the road again. S tier all the way.
My wife and I saw James Taylor a few years ago, with Bonnie Raitt opening - MAN what a show. I mainly bought the tickets as a present for my wife because she is a huge Bonnie Raitt fan - who isn't? And she absolutely killed, too; her solo performance of "I Can't Make You Love Me" at the keyboard was worth the price of admission alone. I have to admit, when I bought the tickets, even though I thought James Taylor was great, I wasn't looking forward to his performance nearly as much as I was Bonnie's - it was more of an after-party for the main show to me. Then I read that Steve Gadd was in the drum chair for this tour. Sheeit, sign me up.
So Bonnie Raitt finishes her set, and the stagehands are changing over to the setup for James Taylor's band, and I get my first unobstructed look at the drum kit on stage - hey, wait a minute, those drums are yellow. Steve Gadd doesn't play yellow drums. Dammit. So I get out my phone and look up the tour information, and I find that Gadd was playing on the first leg of the tour, and on the second leg, including the show I was attending, the drum chair would be filled by one Chad Wackerman. Wow. Bruh. Okay, if the main thing I am looking forward to about this show is the drummer, that's still fine. Just fine. Carry on.
Then James Taylor opened the show with this song, and I just melted. For the rest of the entire show, every note of every song was like an old friend. Nearly every number in the setlist was an impromptu sing-along, whether you were actually mouthing the words, or just repeating them in your head as they went by like you have so many times before. It made me think of how there are just a few artists whose very names have become self-explanatory. Why did that show make me feel that way? Because it was James Fucking Taylor, that's why. QED.
Fun fact: my wife and I were both in our forties that night, and we were distinctly at the bottom of the age bell curve. We were two rare still-brunettes in a sea of white hair and bald heads. 😆
If it was in Manchester one of those bald heads was mine.Great show though.
@@jeffreybooth5129 Ha. No, a little further southwest: the sugar-white shores of the Redneck Riviera, the Florida Panhandle. Cheers across the pond from Florida Man.✌️😎 🍻
I love 99% of JT's music. Thanks for playing this fabulous classic. There are countless other great songs that you and your subscribers would seriously love.
“Sweet Baby James” is the jam.
So, y'all are real reactors. Excellent, in fact the best, response to this song I've seen. At first blush James Taylor makes easy listening tunes. However, if you're paying attention his songs are so much more than that. Thanks for being fair and discerning.
When I was in school, everyone had his greatest hits album. His voice is so unique and matches the music perfectly. His studio (and live) band is amazing. Shower The People is my personal fave.
This beautiful, wistful song so perfectly captures the homesickness James felt when he was living the chaotic life of a musician in the big city. As a North Carolinian it is compulsory to love this song. I especially like his use of the southern phrase “up and gone.” Far and away my favorite J.T. but his more upbeat getaway daydream, “Mexico,” is a close second.
Agreed, they are along with Fire and Rain, outstanding songs. S tier every one.
Moved to NC last year. Magic place!
Anyone in the Carolinas tears up when he sings this. At least it looked that way at the concert I attended in Charleston! It's a beautiful song ❤
❤with the genius of lee sklar on bass....
Great review. I first heard this in 1978 . I was 16 and my little brother and I had moved out on our own. Our neighbor had it's Greatest Hits and played it all the time. It was such a comforting and understanding voice in a fun but tumultuous time. And being boys from the TN mountains, NC was just next door and the sounds and soul are as familiar as a warm blanket. I cannot say how happy bit makes me to see these song still hold the same power for today's listeners as they did 45 years ago. Thanks guys
Love James Taylor's effortless vocal, he is timeless!
James Taylor has been with me most of my life. My children grew up with his musuc. I am now seventy-five. It has been good.
JT's guitar playing is phenomenal. With the voice leading in the fingerpicking he always sounds like two guitars and yet watching him play he makes is look so effortless.
My favorite JT song. Hope you like.
Last time I heard this song I was in the outer banks with my family. They'd all gone to bed I was alone in the hot tub soaking up the Stars listening to this beautiful music. Now they're gone but I've got this beautiful memory of this incredible song
I came from Carolina. Growing up I used to think this was the greatest song ever. Still do, kinda. I used to go to Sliding Rock too!
James was hanging out on Mijorca or one of those other Spanish islands and feeling homesick when he wrote this song.
Great S rating. Just so warm and clever, and the lyrics are awesome. Geese in flight, and dogs that bite. Signs that might be omens...... Holy host of others... Just other worldly.
This takes me back to being a college freshmen in the late 90's. Me and my roommate used to get high and fall asleep to James Taylor's Greatest Hits. Nothing's as soothing and full of love as his music.
"In my mind" is so much deeper than just thinking about it.
Dude, Born and raised in Florida. We used to drive up to NC when I was a kid for a few summers, listened to James Taylor’s greatest hits which included this song. And we went to sliding rock numerous times. Water was f-n freezing
My family moved back to the East Coast after 40 years in Ca. I thought I’d never get back to my home. We’re in Ga now, but my family is from Va and NC. I always cry when I hear it. It reminds me of so much. It’s my all time favourite James Taylor song and he has a lot of good ones.
You should always listen to your mom!! I grew up with James Taylor music! He is a legend and my favorite singer of all time! He IS the 1970s to me. My kids know James Taylor’s music! All of his music is great so take a deep dive!!!! 😊
Saw him in Seattle on September 12th 2001. These songs were already big in my life, but to hear them with 15,000 people, grieving and living on together was almost a mystical moment. "Something In The Way She Moves" is a must, "Junkie's Lament" is a great deep cut with Art Garfunkel on vocals. And since you did Joni's Blue on which he plays guitar, you could do "You Can Close Your Eyes" written for her, or "Long Ago and Far Away" recorded with her.
As a Carolina born and bred boy, this song is home when I can't be. Been to Sliding Rock many times too!
To hear his later versions is to fill the listener with heartbreaking nostalgia especially when one has loved the song since I first heard it in 1966.
James Taylor is where I learned to play guitar, long before I "went electric." He's so underrated as a player and a composer of chordal melodies. I'm so gratified to hear you talk about the suspended chords in James Taylor, because he's the only reason, to this day, I know what those even are. I hear them in everything from Bach to the Who now, and it's all because of JT.
This is also one of the most technically aware reactions I've seen, and I've seen a lot of yours. What a treat.
one of the best artists i've had the pleasure of seeing live multiple times. such a special guy with his quirky personality, one of a kind
I'm Floridian that has spent so much time in The Smokies, that this song sends me there immediately. I want to breathe that air, it's cooling down there now. Cool would be nice.
I’ve seen James Taylor at Red Rocks, and it was one of the most magical nights of my life.
Interesting coincidence,
This,was the first album,i ever bought,in 1974,with my first paycheck from my first after school job.
And ,i have been playing it alot lately.
Theres a number of songs this strong, on the album.
Lo and behold.
Such a core felt song! It transcends time, space, and politics. Thank the Holy Spirit!
JT is a voice from my youth. I've been listening to this song (and many others) since the early 70s. Next year I'm due to go to Charleston South Carolina, which will be the first time I've ever made it to mainland USA. This song will be in my head when we dock. I can hardly wait.
Lucky to have been born there. Always loved Sweet Baby James.
I am from NC and I live in Indiana now. James Taylor is an amazing talent. i hear this song and it reminds me of where I am from
Guys, I always enjoy your reactions. And the fact that you admitted as a man that you almost cried I think was one of the best things I've ever heard anybody say on these channels That's what the song does for me as well. Can't really explain it. It's an amazing reaction. Continue to spread the music around. Great job, guys..❤
For some reason I always cry when I hear JT sing too Alex, like Andy said it’s so human
The GREAT James Taylor!!!
My favorite live performer. He's as good today as he was 30 years ago! He is such a story-teller with his beautiful voice.
Soundtrack of my life..thank you. Couldn't pick a favorite James Taylor..they are all stellar.
Saw him perform at an outside amphitheater in the late 90's and there was a full moon directly above the stage. One of the best concert memories in my lifetime.
James Taylor always comforts me, even when he makes me cry... which he can do easily. My dad loves Carolina in My Mind because he spent a good part of his childhood in the western part of NC. Another song that has a somewhat similar theme is Copperline (written with poet Reynolds Price). I LOVE that song too. It will sound upbeat but if you really listen... And then there is Our Town which I heard for the first time in the movie Cars (yes, the Disney movie). Gotta say I was glad I was indulging in a kid's movie at home because I had no idea that JT had a song in it and it brought me to tears. A movie about dang talking cars!
Up on the Roof by James Taylor is probably my favorite song of all time. The Studio version. It has a full orchestra behind him in this song. It is the perfect chill song after you been through bad times. Written By Carol King & Gerry Goffin and sampled by the Drifters.
and Alex's jacket is S tier
My all time favorite singer songwriter. Seen him so many times I can't count. He doesn't have a bad tune. Not one!