Search - James Taylor :: Other Covers

A Fan Rants

David Cady | Jersey City, NJ USA | 04/15/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"First if all, the music is fine, not great, but fine. To say it's awful or boring or whatever is silly. If you liked the first album, you're gonna like "Other Covers," period. But it's bull for JT and his record label to release a scant 42 minute album ("Covers"), and then spring these "bonus" tracks on us (as if they didn't originally exist) and expect us to shell out more money for them. If JT thought these tracks were worth releasing in the first place, they should have been. And if not (and presumably there was a reason they weren't -- unless it was a way of manipulating fans), they should never have seen the light of day. Releasing all this music at once would have created an album still shorter than most traditional pop albums put out these days, so one can only question why they didn't...Look, I'm a huge JT fan, and he's pretty much earned the right to do what he likes, but any way you slice it, a rip-off is a rip-off."

Just awful!

Gerald M. Daley | Somerville, MA USA | 04/08/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This is a total disappointment. I am a big James Taylor fan, and I have enjoyed many of the covers he has done on previous albums. I thought the original "Covers" album was just bland and a come down from his other work. The "Shiver Me Timbers," on this new albumm for instance, is just awful. What were they thinking? They took a beautiful and subtle song and reduced it to about 3 chords. Taylor usually *improves* songs with his covers, or at least brings a new dimension to them. The 7 songs in this album don't add to what has been a stellar career, I'm afraid."

It's OK but not great--and I think I also hear the sound of

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 04/08/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Other Covers, a James Taylor CD that was just released, has a few fairly good covers of songs although they lack the "oomph" of what I would expect from James Taylor. I notice that this was recorded at the same time that he recorded the songs for his other recent album entitled Covers; and this makes me think that James Taylor intentionally held these tracks back in order to produce two CDs and make more money off two album releases instead of just one larger CD release or a two CD set. Do I hear the sound of a cash register along with the music on this album? You bet I do! However, the quality of the sound is very good; you won't be straining to hear what James is singing. That artwork is nicely done as well.



The album starts with James Taylor performing "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" from the musical entitled Oklahoma. James delivers this with panache and his excellent diction makes his singing all the better. The mellow quality of the ballad is something I haven't heard before. James played with the tempo to put his own stamp on this ballad but it doesn't quite work for me--"Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" is an upbeat ballad that just plain sounds better when it's performed a bit faster. "Get A Job" is a better number that was once sung by The Silhouettes; those backup singers harmonize well without ever stealing the spotlight away from James--and I really like that percussion. "Get A Job" is clearly a highlight of this album.



"Memphis" has a fine musical arrangement; and James sings this very well, actually. I like the melody and James never lets go of a superfluous note. The musical arrangement complements James's vocals perfectly. I like that brass, too! In addition, we get "Wasn't That A Mighty Storm;" "Wasn't That A Mighty Storm" has a good flavor to it and this is one of the stronger numbers on the album; James and the others perform this well but again it just doesn't have the positive energy that I yearn for so much when I want to hear James Taylor sing his tunes!



"In The Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett and Steve Cropper works well; James sings this with more passion and it's a highlight of the CD. James and the others sing this with panache and I can hear more of that James Taylor magic I always like. "In The Midnight Hour" uses the guitar very well and the percussion enhances the song even more. The album then ends with James Taylor and his buddies performing "Knock On Wood." "Knock On Wood" has a feel to it that works well even if I am used to a faster tempo for this tune.



Overall, Other Covers has some music that works and some music that doesn't reach the heights I expect from an accomplished artist like James Taylor. While his diehard fans may want this CD anyway, it's not the best place to start for people just getting to know the artistry of James Taylor--it could well turn them off! I heard the music but along with that music came the sound of someone "cashing in;" and that's a shame.

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