There are two aspects of this singer shown here. Certainly, the trade mark pop hits are here, the songs that again have the folksy and self-revealing lyrics and music such as "Your Smiling Face", "There We Are", "Secret of Life", "Handy Man" and "Terra Nova". "Secret of Life" especially is of his highest quality. All five make this an album which will please his fans.

However, he also expresses a darker side of life, a more cynical point of being. "Honey Don't Leave L.A." expresses one who's smitten by a typical "Hollywood" girl, one who is trying for the big time, for the glamour, for the luxury. "Another Grey Morning" portrays depression, a deep down despair. "Bartender's Blues" gives a sardonic look at life, cynicism mixed again with a type of despair. The stories implied in "I Was Only Telling A Lie" and "Looking For Love On Broadway" speak of deception, emptiness, even futility. And "Traffic Jam" might at first bring a smile to those who cope with the crowded freeways regularly. But then, by the last line, you realize (if you didn't already) that the song is about more than the physical situation described. And then there's "If I Keep My Heart Out Of Sight", again where the singer is looking for love from a woman who is just looking for good times. We men can very much cheer James for this song, because while many women claim that it's the man who is just looking for momentary pleasure, we men know it works both ways. And as always, James expresses it so that those of us who've been there can appreciate the song.

This is an outstanding album, and while it does have a dark side, this is James Taylor at his usual high level.

James Taylor introduced us to his distinctive form of intelligent and simplistic pop stylings since the early 1970's. This album was released within 7 years into his recording career and is one of his finest, most consistent collections to date. There is a logical flow that glides from one melodic track to the next.

At the time of release, the album was considered a middle of the road rock and roll album. Like his earlier works, the music of Sweet Baby James has aged like a fine wine. With the inclusion of soft, sweet, emotionally tender and melodic selections, the album quickly achieved platinum status selling over a million copies and spawned many adult contemporary classics. It is still as engaging, if not more today, since it has received the remastering treatment.

The album opens with his optimistic ode to love, "Your Smiling Face," which did quite respectively on the pop charts (#20) at the time. This became a staple of late 1970's mor radio as was "Handy Man." This track peaked at #4 and won a grammy for best pop performance male at the 1978 grammy awards (his 2nd/several years back he won the same category for "Fire And Rain.") "Honey Don't Leave LA" was a moderate success, a mid-tempo bluesy track that featured several notable artists: Danny Kortchmar(who penned the track), Peter Asher(mainly known for producing the majority of Linda Ronstadt's work/Asher also produced this album), and Saxaphone extrodinaire, David Sanborn. Russell Kunkel who has worked with many A list performers (Linda Ronstadt/Stevie Nicks/etc.) performs on many tracks including playing castanets on the beautiful,"Looking For Love On Broadway." The set of songs was produced by Val Garay (who produced many acts including Kim Carnes and The Motels) in the early 1980's.

The album is a superstar fest. Several key vocalists of the decade also make an appearance. Linda Ronstadt backs up JT on the gorgeous country-tinged, honky tonk "Bartender's Blues." JT receives assistance from his ex-wife, Carly Simon who performs an exquisite harmony vocal on the stunning, "Terra Nova" (also penned by the couple).

The album has it's share of melodic and enchanting ballads. "Secret O'Life" is the most engaging highlight. It is a simple, beautiful musical wisdom piece about the pleasures of learning to grow older more gracefully. "There We Are" is a love song penned for his then wife, Carly Simon." "Another Gray Morning" brings the listener into the dark side of the singer-songwriter. "If I Keep My Heart Out Of Sight" serves as a perfect closer to the collection.

JT picks up the pace with more upbeat and funky rhythms with "I Was Only Telling A Lie" and "Honey, Don't Leave LA." One of the oddest selections is the neurotic "Traffic Jam" in which Taylor performs a pseudo-rap of sorts that touches upon his experiences with drug abuse through the years.

If you are a fan of lite california rock that typifies the singer-songwriter movement that categorized midstream 1970's pop music, then you'll enjoy this beautiful collection of songs. One of JT's finest moments.

The perfect mix of sunshine and shadow, this album includes what is, for my money, the most beautiful and romantic ballad ever written: "There We Are." Taylor's a poet.

I don't have this new remastered version, but I couldn't find another place to express my feelings about this album.

This album is everything James Taylor is about. It has pleasant, slightly vacuous lyrics (with the exception of Traffic Jam), but that's okay.

Taylor's clear vocals are the featured attraction and they're in fine form. I could listen to Taylor sing for hours.

This is an album without a 'bad' track. Standout tunes include Handyman (which I was disappointed to see wasn't written by Taylor), Terra Nova, Bartender's Blues, and Another Grey Morning.

I'm a newcomer to James Taylor so every time I pick up one of his albums it's a new experience. This particular CD has been in my player for two weeks now..and I'm not feeling any inclination to remove it.

There's 6 songs on this album that have enchanted me since I first heard them over 20 years ago. They ring as true today, making my heart soar every time I hear them. One reason is, I can't listen to his biggest radio hits. True for me for most classic rock radio friendly songs.

'Another Grey Morning' is not necessarily one of my all time favorite JT song but it reaches a place that is gentle and thoughtful.

'Secret O' Life' is another song with lyrics that one rarely runs across in song. This and 'Shower the People' could be back to back philosophy songs on how to live life well. And it ain't bad wisdom either, much less a very nice song.

'I Was Only Telling A Lie' is one of his cousin of country songs that makes me smile. It's about as close to country as I ever musically get.

'Looking For Love On Broadway' is such a sad song, portraying much of what is off track about modern life, disconnected from others yet yearning for connection, physical or otherwise, and probably telling a tale of man's yearnings that is as old as mankind.

'Traffic Jam' is one of his few dittys and so well done because, of course, most of us modern Western world dwellers have lived on the road thousands of times by now, enough for this song to make lots of emotional sense.

'If I Keep My Heart Out Of Sight' is JT at his love song best, yearning, aching, sharing his intimate heart moments with us in song, giving us expression of our own hearts, making us the 'I' in his song, like the best love songs can do.

My other favorite JT songs are from Flag: 'Day Tripper', 'I Will Not Lie For You', 'Is That The Way You Look?', 'B.S.U.R.',
'Chanson Francaise' and 'Sleep Come Free Me' and from Gorilla: 'Gorilla', 'I Was a Fool to Care' and 'You Make It Easy'. Course, from In The Pocket I gotta add, 'Shower the People' and from One Man Dog: 'Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight' to my own greatest hits of JT. chrisbct@hotmail.com