Search - The James Taylor Quartet :: In The Hand Of The Inevitable

Cast your mind back to late 1993: Acid Jazz (the label) are on top of the world, the Brand New Heavies are in the top ten and Jamiroquai is the biggest selling new artists of the year with a number one album. Despite scoring his first chart successes the label's founding artist James Taylor has parted company with his label Big Life and is looking for a route to go forward. Acid Jazz make a big bid and set out to make the ultimate acid jazz album, In The Hand Of The Inevitable and its companion EP Extended Play were the results. The album itself was a panoramic view of a band at the height of its powers. The music, recorded on analogue equipment, captured a depth to both the playing and the songwriting which made both the album and EP so popular. Both made the UK chart as did the incredible soul single lifted from it, Love Will Keep Us Together. The album went on to be James' most succesful. The album's sounds stretched from the deep and heavy funk of Haitian Breakdown and Whole Lotta Love through incredible fusion workouts that sound like the Mizel's working with Johnny Hammond. There is a trio of fantastic soul songs - and the singles, Good Times and Stepping Into My Life are still played in modern soul rooms everywhere. The booklet is packed with rare images, and a sleeve note that tells of the albums long drawn out recording process, its triumphant reception and the inherent tensions between James and the label. A fitting tribute to a fabulous album.