Track Listing

1. Sweet Baby James
2. Lo And Behold
3. Sunny Skies
4. Steam Roller
5. Country Roads
6. Oh Susannah
7. Fire and rain
8. Blossom
9. Anywhere Like Heaven
10. Oh baby don't you lose your lip on me
11. Suite for 20 G

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4663 in Music
• Released on: 1984-04-27
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
The album that launched a thousand heavy-hearted singer/songwriters on their not-so-merry way, Sweet Baby James was arguably the first shot in what became the soft revolution of the early 1970s. A refugee of the Beatles' Apple label, Taylor struck commercial gold with Sweet Baby James by augmenting his acoustic guitar and soothing vocals with laid-back accompaniment (with included equally influential singer/songwriter insurrectionist Carole King on piano) and penning a slew of songs that drew upon folk, soul, and rock influences. "Fire and Rain" stands as the quintessential early Taylor tune: musically mellow and lyrically restive, it put Taylor in the charts and set the tone for a popular school of 1970s sound. --Steven Stolder

CD Description
Though James Taylor's self-titled debut introduced his mellow melodicism and affecting songcraft, SWEET BABY JAMES was the album that rocketed him to national recognition. With SWEET BABY JAMES, Taylor abandoned the slightly psychedelic structural ambition of his first record (the first side was composed as a suite), and settled fully into the folk and country styles to which he is best suited. The top ten hit "Fireand Rain", for instance, a deeply personal story-song basedon the artist's experiences in mental hospitals and the suicide of a friend, is built around Taylor's gentle, understated voice, acoustic guitar, cello, piano, and drums.
The plaintive, melancholic air of "Fire and Rain" resonated with millions of listeners, as did the rest of the album. Taylor's lyrics, which address personal identity, religion, and relationships lost and struggling, are highly confessional, yetassociative and lyrical enough to reflect the lives of listeners. At times, he marries the plight of the sensitive soulto the myth of the cowboy in songs like the title track, a kind of campfire lullaby, or to country traditions, as in "Country Road". In all, these elements combine to make SWEET BABY JAMES, arguably, Taylor's definitive statement, and one of the most influential albums in the singer-songwriter genre.

Customer Reviews

Sweet !
What can you say about the original honey toned bedsit troubadour whose romantic vinyl albums of the early 70's garnered a legion of admirers and imitators ?
Despite the current vogue to dismiss those of a romantic bent as musically irrelevent in today's hard-nosed times,'Sweet Baby James' still stands head and shoulders above most of todays' bland releases by its sheer quality of composure and delivery.
The title track and the magnificent 'Fire and Rain' still stand out as 'great' songs which have more than stood the test of time.
A great reminder of those patchouli days and Hirondelle nights !

The original, and still one of his best
Okay, so it's not actually the original; that goes to the weird "Original Flying Machine" album on Apple Records, but this is definitely wonderful, vintage JT. From start to finish, there are sublime moments, as well as things that still surprise you after repeated listening. Any album with Sweet Baby James and Fire and Rain on it has to be a classic, but the other tracks stand proudly alongside them. 5 stars; no question.

Great easy listening
James Taylor's Sweet Baby James is one of those albums you can stick on and leave in the background barely noticing it, but enjoying it all the same. There are some wonderful tracks on here like Steamroller Blues and Fire and Rain. It's all easy to listen to and inoffensive. Music done simply and extremely well.