James Taylor – One Man Band (2 Lp)

180-gram double LP set

Mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound

Pressed at RTI; deluxe gatefold jacket

For the first time, James Taylor’s 2007 live album One Man Band, is coming to vinyl from Craft Recordings. The double LP set is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and is housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket.

This uniquely intimate performance captures Taylor at his best — paired only with his guitar, drum machine and esteemed keyboardist Larry Goldings (John Mayer, Sia, John Scofield) plus pre-recorded accompaniment of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus on “My Traveling Star” and “Shower The People.” Full of his signature wit and warmth, Taylor’s anecdotes — interspersed throughout the evening-offer background on some of his most popular songs.

After a three-year tour of the same name, One Man Band marked a triumphant homecoming for Taylor. Recorded over three nights, the performances took place at the historic Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Mass., — a venue that was handpicked by the Berkshires-based singer-songwriter. The album, produced by James and Dave O’Donnell, contains 19 songs and spans material from Taylor’s five-decade-long career, touching not just on his beloved hits (“Fire And Rain,” “You’ve Got A Friend,” “Carolina In My Mind”) but also deeper cuts (“Chili Dog” off 1972’s One Man Dog; “Slap Leather” from his 1991 LP, New Moon Shine) and more recent material (“Mean Old Man” from his 2002 record, October Road).

The pared-down nature of the sets were very much a return to the singer-songwriter’s roots. In the album’s original liner notes, Taylor writes, “The last time I toured solo was in the late ’70s. That’s how I started out, just the guitar and a handful of songs. As time went by, I added other musicians because it’s great playing in a big band. But from time to time…it’s good to get back to basics and to present the songs in their original form.”

Rolling Stone heralded the album as “…a particularly warm portrait…Taylor’s supple baritone remains a wonder of intimacy, and it finds its match in the effortless intricacy of his finger-picking.” The BBC called it “A treat… It’s a thing of delicate emotive power,” while AllMusic added, “given such lovely readings (the songs) certainly sound as comforting as a reunion with an old friend.”

Format : Vinyl Record

2 Lp