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Binding: Audio CD EAN: 0888072308299 Label: Hear Music Manufacturer: Hear Music Number Of Discs: 1 Publisher: Hear Music Release Date: September 30, 2008 Sales Rank: 85 Studio: Hear Music
Album Description: Covers is the cd that James Taylor fans have been anticipating for years. Recorded live with his full band in a barn in Massachusetts that was transformed into a studio, the album is a treasury of songs he has performed live over the years, but never recorded. It is an American songbook of tunes made famous by artists as varied Buddy Holly, The Dixie Chicks, The Temptations, Leonard Cohen, George Jones and Eddie Cochran, but embraced and interpreted by James Taylor in a way that makes each one his own. It is a significant work by one of the greatest artists of his generation, which pays tribute to classic American songs from Broadway to Nashville, Detroit to Memphis and across all boundaries. Covers is in itself a classic James Taylor recording.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Taylor "Rocks", America Shops!
Step 1: Put a guy with a great voice in a room full of top-notch musicians ranging from Larry Goldings to Yo-Yo Ma.
Step 2: Stuff them so full of Prozac that everyone is happy and mellow.
Step 3: Hand them a book full of standards and hit record.
Step 4: Profit!
I'm not sure this is exactly how it happened, but it's close enough for our purposes. Taylor has good, if uninspired, taste in songs. And it's downright supernatural that his voice sounds this great at age 60. But a style that suits "It's Growing" and "On Broadway" is dubious for "Not Fade Away" or "Summertime Blues" and just plain disturbing for "Hound Dog".
Taylor does get props in my book for covering Big Mama Thornton's original of "Hound Dog" rather than Elvis' version. But where Elvis had the good sense to change the words in a way that made the meaning suit him, Taylor does not. So what was sensual and saucy coming out of Thornton's mouth is, at best, nonsensical here.
In the end, Taylor only proves here that he's a one-trick pony. He can do mellow better than anyone. He can even handle wistful or sad. But most of these songs don't match the only style he seems capable of producing. In the end this album is a wasted opportunity.
But listen for this album in a shopping mall or Starbucks near you anyway.
Rating: - Delicious!
Covers is such a "tasty" piece of music that is makes my ears water! James Taylor continues to get better and better the longer he goes. One doesn't have to be a JT fan to enjoy this CD, it's a pretty good time for all.
Rating: - Covers by James Taylor
Oh, hell, the Covers CD is longer on the QVC version. QVC paid JT to add 4 more songs, which makes it a full CD if you can find the QVC version. I tried going through QVC, but it's sold out (no wait list). As much as I love JT, the capitalist side of him bummed me out because I would expect the 16-songs version to be available as the original CD. But, as a song says, "Money makes the world go round". Sing that one, JT.
Rating: - Very Good....but not a Classic
What can I say...JT can sing anything and make it sound good. I knocked a star off the rating as a couple of the "Covers" doesn't quite work. This is a very good cd that will please all the JT fans out there. I saw him live a couple of years ago and he performed a couple of the tracks (Why Baby Why and Hound Dog). His band sounds great on this cd as well. Check it out!
Rating: - Great CD!
Typical James Taylor; if you are a fan of his, you will love this one. It's very easy to listen too and he does a great job remaking others' songs. Usually, I don't like remakes, but this one is very good! I was very pleased with it and it's relaxing to listen to especially in the car or when others are around as you can still have a conversation with this playing.
- Taylor "Rocks", America Shops!
- Delicious!
- Covers by James Taylor
