James Taylor - October Road (2002) 2CD Limited Edition

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James Taylor - October Road (2002) 2CD Limited Edition

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There's a comfortable sense of the familiar to James Taylor's first collection of new songs since 1997's Grammy winner Hourglass; such is the curse of being a decades-spanning cultural icon. But, as on his best work, there's also an almost stealthy sense of musical restlessness that seeps into Taylor's songs here, as he colors some with deft jazz and international influences. The reunion with producer Russ Titelman (they last collaborated on 1976's In the Pocket) seems to have gratifyingly inspired as much gentle reassessment as retrenchment. Longtime Titelman compatriot Ry Cooder guests on the title track, a song whose autumnal comforts fit the Taylor canon and other album tracks like "September Grass," "Baby Buffalo," "My Traveling Star," and "On the Fourth of July" (the story of Taylor's romantic meeting with current wife Kim) like an old slipper. However, "Belfast to Boston" cries for peace in Ireland and elsewhere with some surprising Gaelic flourishes, while "Whenever You're Ready" throws some Brazilian rhythms and jazzy horns into the mix, and Dave Grusin's slick orchestral arrangement turns "Mean Old Man" into an elegant cabaret surprise. A little more of this musical adventure amidst the familiar romantic ballads and paeans to the comfort of home and family–including a gorgeously spare cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"–certainly wouldn't hurt. This deluxe edition features "Benjamin" from Mark O'Connor, Edgar Meyer, and Yo-Yo Ma's Appalachian Journey, Michael Brecker's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," and Mark Knopfler's "Sailing to Philadelphia," as well as interviews with Taylor and Titelman and behind-the-scenes clips of the album's recording.

Review by Jerry McCulley

James Taylor's 15th studio album – his first new recordings in 32 years – is, if possible, even more familiar and self-referential than ever. By now, it is an article of faith that you could take practically any track from any Taylor album and put it on another one without disturbing the mood, and that is as true of the ones here as it is of those on the other 14. That warm (if slightly deepened) tenor, singing with its odd accent which combines New England and the North Carolina Piedmont, and that acoustic guitar, with its sparkling, unhurried fingerpicking, remain the most prominent elements in the sound. But even more, October Road finds Taylor seemingly intent on evoking his own past. The title track, of course, recalls his song "Country Road," and "Caroline I See You," (even if it refers specifically to his wife), inescapably echoes "Carolina in My Mind." Also, Taylor deliberately recycles themes from his earlier work. "October Road" begins, "Well I'm going back down maybe one more time," while "My Traveling Star" ends, "And shame on me for sure/For one more highway song." Throughout, on what seem like the most personal songs he has written in decades, Taylor appears to be commenting on a second chance he feels he has received, and though he couches the negative aspects in humor ("Mean Old Man," whose subject is the singer, ends with a dog joke, and "Raised Up Family," which contains recriminations, tosses in a musical reference to Gilligan's Island), there are strong hints of a man who feels he's been rescued. As such, it is perhaps fitting (if seasonally curious for an album released in the summer) to conclude with "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," a holiday song from wartime that reaffirms the importance of family in a world gone awry. [This limited edition release features a bonus CD with the tracks "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," "Benjamin," and "Sailing to Philadelphia."]

Review by William Ruhlmann, Allmusic.com

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James Taylor - October Road (2002) 2CD Limited Edition

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James Taylor - October Road (2002) 2CD Limited Edition

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James Taylor - October Road (2002) 2CD Limited Edition

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