***On Sugar Mountain"- The Musak Of James Taylor
DVD MUSICAL REVIEW
James Taylor Live At The Beacon Theater, James Taylor and various artists, Columbia Music Video, 1998
Strangely, as a youth caught up in the fervor of the early 1960's folk revival and its aftermath James Taylor the subject of this review was never on my personal radar. I knew the name, knew people who knew him, and had many chances to hear him perform in the old days. I passed. And with the exception of a couple of songs here that remains true. Somehow he is, however, the perfect performer for aging `baby boomers' who have lost the taste for hard-driving, edgy music but still love the old tunes-and memories. Moreover, Taylor is the perfect performer for Public Broadcasting System fundraisers. The PBS fundraising moguls know their demographics.
Oh yes, I listened to Fire and Rain and You Can't Close Your Eyes back in the days like everyone else. That is not the question. I listened to tons of stuff in those days (and now, as well). However, those songs lacked pathos for me then and off of Taylor's performance here at New York's Beacon Theater in 1998 that condition still prevails. Moreover, the covers here like Jimmy Jones' Handy man and Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away point to my problem with Taylor's work. Generally, good workmanlike performances but no "soul". And to these eyes and ears no real stage presence despite the blurb accolades that accompanied the DVD to the contrary. Unless you are a die- hard Taylor fan pass this by.
DVD MUSICAL REVIEW
James Taylor Live At The Beacon Theater, James Taylor and various artists, Columbia Music Video, 1998
Strangely, as a youth caught up in the fervor of the early 1960's folk revival and its aftermath James Taylor the subject of this review was never on my personal radar. I knew the name, knew people who knew him, and had many chances to hear him perform in the old days. I passed. And with the exception of a couple of songs here that remains true. Somehow he is, however, the perfect performer for aging `baby boomers' who have lost the taste for hard-driving, edgy music but still love the old tunes-and memories. Moreover, Taylor is the perfect performer for Public Broadcasting System fundraisers. The PBS fundraising moguls know their demographics.
Oh yes, I listened to Fire and Rain and You Can't Close Your Eyes back in the days like everyone else. That is not the question. I listened to tons of stuff in those days (and now, as well). However, those songs lacked pathos for me then and off of Taylor's performance here at New York's Beacon Theater in 1998 that condition still prevails. Moreover, the covers here like Jimmy Jones' Handy man and Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away point to my problem with Taylor's work. Generally, good workmanlike performances but no "soul". And to these eyes and ears no real stage presence despite the blurb accolades that accompanied the DVD to the contrary. Unless you are a die- hard Taylor fan pass this by.
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