JT Birmingham AL

JT

James Taylor

CBS Records, 1977

REVIEW BY: Jason Warburg

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 02/10/2004

For all his acoustic-guitar-by-the-campfire romanticism, most ofJames Taylor's music over the years has had a tinge of sadness toit. Consider that his single most famous song -- "Fire And Rain" --is about mourning for a friend who's died too young. Even hissweeter love songs have always been burdened with undercurrents ofself-doubt.

You wonder why that might be… and then you consider thetiming of this album -- the one disc on which Taylor really letshis romantic optimism fly, on which he essays not one or two butthree of his most heartfelt "I'm in love and life is great" songs-- just before his first marriage to fellow singer-songwriter CarlySimon fell apart. Sometimes -- as Taylor has many times eloquentlyreminded us -- life is like that.

Context aside, this is a decidely upbeat album. JT opens up with two of the most optimistic, buoyant lovesongs of the '70s. "Your Smiling Face" is about as sunny as theycome, with its playful guitar and piano lines, hummable chorus,terrific Motown breakdown-and-reprise middle section andovercome-with-joy scat-singing on the fadeout. Its sequel "There WeAre" goes even farther, taking the piano-based love ballad to newheights of idealistic lyricism: "There we are / Walking hand inhand / Somewhere on the sand / At the end of the land / And theedge of the shining sea…. You are my universe / You are mylove."

Yep, that fall looks like it's gonna hurt.