Search - Livingston Taylor :: Livingston Taylor

Liv and let Liv

John S. Ryan | Silver Lake, OH | 04/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Right around 1970, four of the five Taylor siblings were cutting their first albums. Alex tragically passed on just a few years ago, and Kate isn't recording all that much anymore (though check out her recent single release of "Auld Lang Syne"). But James and Livingston are still churning them out.This album was Liv's debut and it's still one of his best. At this point in their careers, Liv and James still sounded quite a bit alike in vocal, guitar, and writing styles; if you liked James's first two albums (his Apple debut LP and _Sweet Baby James_), you'll probably like this one too.The big hit was, of course, "Carolina Day." But there's a lot more here -- a bunch of solid Liv originals and even a crunchy take on "Six Days on the Road."Give it a listen. Liv has been tagged by some as the "thinking man's Taylor" -- an appellation that isn't quite fair to James but that does convey something of Liv's warmhearted-yet-cerebral lyrics.If you like this, investigate some of Liv's other stuff. I highly recommend _Ink_, _Bicycle_, and _Our Turn to Dance_ among his more recent releases. In general, he's one of the most consistently craftsmanlike -- and underrated -- performers of the last two or three decades."

This is classic, fantastic, Liv Taylor.

John S. Ryan | 11/14/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Listen up, this is classic Liv Taylor, at his best, and during his early years. If you are a fan at all you will appreciate this CD. I have this record and have been waiting for this to be reproduced, as with his other older albums. Buy it now, you won't regret it!"

LIV'S FIRST OUTING -- AND ONE OF HIS BEST

Larry L. Looney | Austin, Texas USA | 08/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's funny when I look at my music collection and think about how many artists' first recordings rank as my favorite ones in their catalogue - this first recording by Livingston Taylor (from 1970, I believe) is certainly in that category. He's done a lot of fine work since then - thankfully he's still very active - but this one warms my heart and ears like few others. The songwriting style, the guitar work - he's one of the best fingerstyle players you'll ever hear - and his wonderful, warm voice all combine to make this album (and many of his others) a great listening experience. All of the songs are originals, with the exception of his great take on the George Jones classic 'Six days on the road' - and every one resounds with the creativity and spirit that make Liv Taylor's work so exceptional. He writes and sings from his heart - and there's a lot of love and wisdom contained there that he's, thankfully, willing and able to share with us. It's hard to go wrong in picking anything from his catalogue - but this is a great place to start. It's a true classic that has very ably stood the test of time."