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Amazon.co.uk Review
Over his lengthy career, singer-songwriter James Taylor has proved himself more than adept at mastering other people’s songs. Previous hits such as "Handy Man", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and "You’ve Got A Friend" have all been successfully transformed by Taylor’s mellow, flawless vocals and savvy arrangements--but it’s also true that some renditions have failed to ignite in quite the same way. Covers, Taylor’s first dedicated collection of covers, is similarly mixed. It’s an ambitious collection, covering everything from soul and country to good old-fashioned rock & roll. But while he manages to pull off convincing versions of soulful classics like The Drifters' "On Broadway", The Temptation’s “It’s Growing” and George Jones’ evergreen country shuffle "Why Baby Why", his takes on Jr. Walker’s "(I'm a) Road Runner", Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues” and "Hound Dog" are sadly lacklustre (though none are as bad as the particularly insipid reworking of Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne”, which manages to lose all the emotional gravitas of the original). A hit and miss collection, but one that will doubtless still satisfy ardent JT fans. --Danny McKenna
Review
A revered singer/songwriter for over four decades, James Taylor has certainly earned the right to try his hand at a whole album of other peoples' songs. The most surprising thing about Covers is how familiar most of the material is. And while not all of it is obviously - ahem - tailored to this artist, or really needs (re)covering, Taylor's singing and the accompaniment are top notch.
His Band Of Legends are slick without being over-polished, providing him with cooing backing vocals, tasteful piano, fiddle and occasional dashes of brass. Aside from country, folk, rock 'n' roll and one show tune, there's a surprising number of soul classics. All the songs date from the 50s, 60s
and 70s, so it's not simply a showcase for his formative influences.
Accusing Taylor of being MOR is like complaining about rain being wet, so long-term fans will know not to expect rough edges. Things only threaten to catch fire on Summertime Blues and a surprisingly effective Not Fade Away.
The challenge of tackling well-known pieces is that they will inevitably suffer by comparison with classic versions, unless an artist manages to put their own stamp on them. Taylor pulls this off artfully on Rogers & Hammerstein's Oh What A Beautiful Mornin'. The wistful Seminole Wind could easily have come from his own songbook, and On Broadway has a note of gritty conviction that rings true (''I can play this here guitar!''). But even if Witchita Lineman suits Taylor's earnest voice pretty well, it will always be Glen Campbell's song.
Perhaps wisely, the version of Suzanne is closer to Leonard Cohen's than Nina Simone's awesome transformation. On Why Baby Why, Taylor seems to be channelling George Jones, which is odd, because Taylor has the finer voice. Similarly, his famously supple, honeyed voice seems to get a bit lost on
soul anthems such as It's Growing, I'm A Road Runner and Knock On Wood, as his phrasing strays a little to close to that of others. Covers is a mixed bag, but works best when it sticks closest to material that Taylor himself might have penned. --Jon Lusk
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In addition to being an A-List songwriter for several decades, James Taylor has always been sought out by other singer-songwriters to cover their material. The reason for this is simple; Taylor always produces a crystal clear version of a song. This collection is "up there" with the best of them with songs for every taste. The "Band of Legends" (and they really are) ensure that this live-recorded album is a musicians delight.
Rumours that "JT" has not been writing his own material are without foundation - almost constant touring together with self-financed projects (An Evening with etc) has meant that new material is still at the skeleton stage but with his past record for perfection the wait will surely be worth it. Enjoy this top class musician in the company of his peers.
Rumours that "JT" has not been writing his own material are without foundation - almost constant touring together with self-financed projects (An Evening with etc) has meant that new material is still at the skeleton stage but with his past record for perfection the wait will surely be worth it. Enjoy this top class musician in the company of his peers.
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Despite being in the vanguard of the Seventies singer/songwriter movement, and the huge success of his, mainly, self written albums, some of James Taylor's biggest hit singles were covers, think: You've Got A Friend,(Carole King), Handyman, (Otis Blackwell), Up On The Roof, (Goffin/King), and How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), (Holland, Dozier, Holland).
It is reasonable to say that much of his popular fan base derives from those hit singles so it is no surprise that he's recorded an album of covers. After all, he's rather good at it.
There are some great versions of some great songs here: Wichita Lineman, Suzanne, Seminole Wind, On Broadway, Knock On Wood - OK, all of them - beautifully arranged and performed by Taylor and sounding very much at the top of his game.
In fact, with his typical warm and mellow vocals coaxing these songs into a new life, they could just as well have been written by him!
That says it all, really.
It is reasonable to say that much of his popular fan base derives from those hit singles so it is no surprise that he's recorded an album of covers. After all, he's rather good at it.
There are some great versions of some great songs here: Wichita Lineman, Suzanne, Seminole Wind, On Broadway, Knock On Wood - OK, all of them - beautifully arranged and performed by Taylor and sounding very much at the top of his game.
In fact, with his typical warm and mellow vocals coaxing these songs into a new life, they could just as well have been written by him!
That says it all, really.
24 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
OK, so it's a covers album, not the first choice for James Taylor fans. However,the voice, musicianship, interpretive skills are all there in abundance.
JT has always done covers, most of them equal or better than the originals. This is obviously a labour of love, and the harmonies created both instrumentally and vocally are joyful. The album was created in real time so to speak with only one overdub (Yo-Yo Ma) so it has a "live" feel running through.
Some tracks work better than others its true; and we'd all prefer an album of new tracks, but that's coming in 2009 so in the mean time, relax, sit back with a loved one and let James and his band soothe your mind and cleanse your soul.
JT has always done covers, most of them equal or better than the originals. This is obviously a labour of love, and the harmonies created both instrumentally and vocally are joyful. The album was created in real time so to speak with only one overdub (Yo-Yo Ma) so it has a "live" feel running through.
Some tracks work better than others its true; and we'd all prefer an album of new tracks, but that's coming in 2009 so in the mean time, relax, sit back with a loved one and let James and his band soothe your mind and cleanse your soul.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Latvian
Well,I bought for this for my missus for Christmas. We'd been fortunate enough to win a Planet Rock draw for two tickets for a JT concert in Bournemouth recently. What a delight!! Read more
Published 4 months ago by Goff,Cambs
Harmless....but pointless!
James Taylor is a top-notch singer/songwriter/guitarist. I don't understand why he continues to generate this pleasant, softie, M.O.R. stuff. Read more
Published 9 months ago by R. Seymour
CD review
An easy to listen to album of James Taylor covering other people's tunes. It is well done - but I much prefer him doing his own stuff
Published on 30 April 2010 by Mr. S. C. Warburton
BUYER BEWARE!
If you buy this version of 'Covers' you will certainly be short changed because there's only 12 tracks on this - as opposed to 15 tracks on later versions! Read more
Published on 7 Sep 2009 by TOC
Mike (lover of good music)
I saw James perform many of these tracks in Bournemouth (June 2009) and I just had to get the album, many covers too many to mention but he does manage to get the hairs on the back... Read more
Published on 2 Aug 2009 by Mike S
James Bland
Cosy, safe, bland, MOR, Radio 2 - get your pen out James you can do bettter than this.
Published on 28 July 2009 by Mr. A. W. Riggs
James Taylor at his best!
'COVERS' is a brilliant album and worthy of a grammy. I understand that it was recorded with musician friends in his home recording studio in only 10 days. Read more
Published on 4 May 2009 by Rocky
What Can You Say
It's certainly not the best album he's ever made and the selection of songs seems eccentric to say the least, but the voice is there, and if you're a JT fan, you will enjoy this,... Read more
Published on 27 April 2009 by T. Morris
Terrible
Dont get me wrong i love James Taylor went to see him in Wolverhampton last year thank god he never played any of this rubbish this is one of the worst albums i have ever heard. Read more
Published on 23 April 2009 by hickman
good value
This CD was advertised on TV. James Taylor's voice has changed over the years but there still is a quality in the way he sings. Read more
Published on 21 April 2009 by Mr. K. A. Abbott
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