Most memorably, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” mellowed out the Marvin Gaye hit, reminding listers that even on upbeat numbers, Taylor maintains an essential calmness. Quoted in the New York Times, a fan said, “‘Isn’t it just amazing to find a real person behind those beautiful sad words?'”Īs proof of Taylor’s gift as a performer, many of his covers became hits. His persona, which diverges from the classic boyband heartthrob archetype, still inspired tremendous hype. Additionally, the technological advancements of the 20th century allowed Taylor’s intimate ballads to be consumed on a massive scale. Taylor’s alluring sadness earned him a massive pop culture presence by creating a canvas onto which listeners could project their own sadness. “It’s hard to imagine a more mild-mannered performer, yet it is impossible to take your eyes off him,” wrote Charles Young for Rolling Stone in 1978. There’s no bridge,” he said of “Fire and Rain.”) and because of Taylor’s captivating presence. “Fire and Rain”, his first hit, talks about the death of a friend by suicide: “Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone / Suzzanne the plans they made put an end to you.” However, Taylor’s heavy material succeeded because of his straightforward song construction (“There’s a song with three verses with the same form and three choruses following them. Although Taylor enjoyed commercial success prior to JT, he did so by creating songs that, at first glance, didn’t seem widely accessible. The tracks that stand out on JT succeeded commercially, signaling his goal to capture a larger audience with this record, his first for Columbia. Artists who emerge slightly to the right or left center of pop eventually repurpose their signature sound so that it can reach the biggest audience, controlling the sound of pop music that once marginalized them. In the 1970s, Taylor eclipsed the rock sound of the 1960s, but once he became successful enough, he could bring that sound back on his terms. However, on JT, Taylor mirrors the artists he emerged as a polar response to, showing his acuteness in predicting new trends, as well as repurposing old trends for his benefit when he controlled the cultural conversation. The dominant sound of pop shifted away from the rock bands of the 1960s. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Taylor emerged as a key figure in the singer-songwriter movement, which relied on the resurgence of folk music. While the length and upbeat tempo of “Your Smiling Face” make it a strong single, the heavy electric guitar and piano riffs signal a departure from the acoustic sound of his previous albums. JT’s musical qualities also become more compelling when taken within the context of his past work.
In its iteration on this album, the universe of James Taylor relies on the listener’s pre-existing knowledge of him, which allows the phrase “a man like me” to mean multiple things: former drug abuser or sad balladeer who has found happiness. Still, as it sails into the chorus, the line “Isn’t it amazing a man like me can feel this way?” re-centers the listener in the universe of James Taylor. “Your Smiling Face”, which peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, relies on a cliche in its second verse (“I thought I was in love a couple of times / Before with the girl next door”). The album’s upbeat pop numbers feature his signature storytelling techniques, including verse-chorus-bridge structure, slightly truncated to emphasize melody and instrumentation over narrative. On his 1977 album JT, the most commercially successful since his 1970 breakout Sweet Baby James, Taylor embraced the commercial potential of his folksy origins. For a singer-songwriter known for sad songs and ballads, it pays to be heartbroken.
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However, this mix of personal turmoil and professional success speaks to Taylor’s observations about the negative consequences of fame. The press also covered Taylor’s previous relationships, such as his romance with Joni Mitchell, which created an opportunity for both to memorialize their relationship by writing songs, ultimately profiting from the consumption of those tokens.
However, the two split in 1983, which caused as much tabloid obsession as their relationship itself did. “They appear like royalty,” said a reporter in 1972. In 1972, Taylor married singer-songwriter Carly Simon, and the two were an object of public affection as a couple. This equal and opposite reaction can be attributed to various successes and failures in his personal and professional life. “Success carries with it an almost impending sense of retribution,” he said to Rolling Stone in 1972. J ames Taylor was not always comfortable with his success.
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