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Rating: It's 1970 when the 22-year-old singer-songwriter James Taylor, who returned from England where he worked on his first album with the Beatles' label (Apple), releases his second album: "Sweet Baby James."
It is a singer-songwriter album, with splendid harmonies, endowed with an astonishing simplicity. Introspective lyrics that show us the extraordinary sensitivity of the very young singer-songwriter. Magical notes plucked from the strings of James' guitar caressed by a velvety voice open the album with the wonderful "Sweet Baby James": the life of a solitary cowboy in the hills of the East Coast. Alone with his cattle and the deep green of the landscape where he grazes the cattle, he dreams of women and mugs of beer and sings to brighten his days. Infinite tranquility and sweetness are emanated from the notes of this first track, one of the hits of the album. Taylor’s version of "Oh Susannah" (written by Stephen Foster) presented here in the middle of the album always leaves me speechless, with each listen the sweet notes of the short song touch deep strings of the soul, inevitably leading me to listen again. Simple and moving. "Fire and Rain" is perhaps the most famous song on this album, another unforgettable ballad, about the void left by the suicidal death of 'Susan', known to the author, in a mental health clinic where the very young Taylor was treating his drug addiction...
"Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone...
I've seen fire and I've seen rain,
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end,
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
But I always thought that I'd see you again...”Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Lo and Behold (02:36)
Lonely by day Empty and cold Only to say Lo and behold Deep in the night Down in my dreams Glorious sight This soul has seen There's a well on the hill You just can't kill for Jesus There's a well on the hill Let it be I don't build no heathen temples Where the Lord has done laid his hand There's a well on the hill Let it be Everyone's talking 'bout the gospel story Some shall sink and some shall rise Everyone's talking 'bout the train to glory Long, long time 'til it gets here to you, baby There's a well on the hill You just can't kill for Jesus There's a well on the hill Let it be I don't build no heathen temples Where the Lord has done laid a hand There's a well on the hill Let it be
04 Steamroller (02:57)
Well, I'm a steamroller, baby
I'm bound to roll all over you
Yes, I'm a steamroller now, baby
I'm bound to roll all over you
I'm gonna inject your soul with some sweet rock 'n roll
And shoot you full of rhythm and blues
Well, I'm a cement mixer
A churning urn of burning funk
Yes, I'm a cement mixer for you, baby
A churning urn of burning funk
Well, I'm a demolition derby (yeah)
A hefty hunk of steaming junk
Now, I'm a napalm bomb, baby
Just guaranteed to blow your mind
Yeah, I'm a napalm bomb for you, baby
Oh, guaranteed, just guaranteed to blow your mind
And if I can't have your love for my own (now)
Sweet child, won't be nothing left behind
It seems how lately, baby
Got a bad case steamroller blues05 Country Road (03:22)
Take to the highway won't you lend me your name
Your way and my way seem to be one and the same
Mamma don't understand it
She wants to know where I've been
I'd have to be some kind of natural born fool
To want to pass that way again
But you know I could feel it
On a country road
Sail on home to Jesus won't you good girls and boys
I'm all in pieces, you can have your own choice
But I can hear a heavenly band full of angels
And they're coming to set me free
I don't know nothing 'bout the why or when
But I can tell that it's bound to be
Because I could feel it, child, yeah
On a country road
I guess my feet know where they want me to go
Walking on a country road
Take to the highway won't you lend me your name
Your way and my way seem to be one and the same, child
Mamma don't understand it
She wants to know where I've been
I'd have to be some kind of natural born fool
To want to pass that way again
But I could feel it
On a country road
Walk on down, walk on down, walk on down
Walk on down, walk on down a country road
country road
Walking on a country road07 Fire and Rain (03:24)
Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Suzanne, the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again
Won't you look down upon me Jesus
You got to help me make a stand
You just got to see me through another day
My body's achin' and my time is at hand
And I won't make it any other way
Oh I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again
Been walkin' my mind to an easy time
My back turned towards the sun
Lord knows when the cold wind blows
It'll turn your head around
Well, there's hours of time on the telephone line
To talk about things to come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you, baby, one more time again now
Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things comin' my way this time around now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you
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