James Taylor ≈ Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon 1971 (2012)

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James Taylor - Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon 1971 (2012)

James Taylor ◊ Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon
Born: March 12, 1948 in Belmont, MA / Location: USA
Album release: 1971 / 2012
Record Label: Audio Fidelity (AFZ 128)
Duration:    37:27
Tracklist:
01. Love Has Brought Me Around     2:44
02. You've Got A Friend     4:29
03. Places In My Past     2:02
04. Riding On A Railroad     2:43
05. Soldiers     1:15
06. Mud Slide Slim     5:24
07. Hey Mister Thats Me Up On The Jukebox     3:48
08. You Can Close Your Eyes     2:21
09. Machine Gun Kelly     2:47
10. Long Ago And Far Away     2:29
11. Let Me Ride     2:44
12. Highway Song     3:53
13. Isn't It Nice To Be Home Again     0:57

Released: April 1971
Recorded: January 3 - February 28, 1971
Genre: Rock
Length: 37:07
Label: Warner Bros.
Producer: Peter Asher
≡ All songs by James Taylor unless otherwise noted.
≡ 2. "You've Got a Friend" (Carole King) – 4:29
≡ 9. "Machine Gun Kelly" (Danny Kortchmar) – 2:47
Personnel:
≡ James Taylor - guitar, piano, vocals
≡ Peter Asher - tambourine, backing vocals
≡ Richard Greene - fiddle
≡ Gail Haness - backing vocals
≡ John Hartford - banjo
≡ Wayne Jackson - trumpet
≡ Doug Bartenfeld - Guitar
≡ Kevin Kelly - piano, accordion
≡ Carole King - piano, backing vocals
≡ Danny Kortchmar - guitar, conga
≡ Russ Kunkel - drums, percussion
≡ Andrew Love - tenor saxophone
≡ Leland Sklar - bass
≡ Joni Mitchell - backing vocals
≡ Kate Taylor - backing vocals

© photo credit: James O'Mara
≡ James Taylor's third album. Released in April 1971 as the follow-up of his commercial breakthrough and critical triumph, Sweet Baby James, it almost equaled the acclaim and surpassed the success of its predecessor at the time of its release. It contained Taylor's biggest hit single in the US, a version of the Carole King standard "You've Got a Friend", which became his only #1 on the Billboard charts on July 31, 1971. The week before, the album itself reached its peak position of #2 in the Billboard album charts (the highest position achieved by Taylor in this list during his career). It was held off the top spot by King, then ruling the charts with the blockbuster Tapestry album, which contained her version of "You've Got a Friend".
≡ Months later, the album managed to generate another Top 40 hit, "Long Ago and Far Away", which reached #31 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other songs became standards in concert, particularly "You Can Close Your Eyes".
In 1972, "You've Got a Friend" received Grammy Awards both for Taylor (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male) and King (Song of the Year). © Photo credit: Dan Borris
Review by William Ruhlmann
≡ James Taylor's commercial breakthrough in 1970 was predicated on the relationship between the private concerns expressed in his songs and the larger philosophical mood of his audience. He was going through depression, heartbreak, and addiction; they were recovering from the political and cultural storms of the '60s. On his follow-up to the landmark Sweet Baby James, Taylor brought his listeners up to date, wisely trying to step beyond the cultural, if not the personal, markers he had established. Despite affirming romance in songs like "Love Has Brought Me Around" and the moving "You Can Close Your Eyes" as well as companionship in "You've Got a Friend," the record still came as a defense against the world, not an embrace of it; Taylor was unable to forget the past or trust the present. The songs were full of references to the road and the highway, and he was uncomfortable with his new role as spokesman. The confessional songwriter was now, necessarily, writing about what it was like to be a confessional songwriter: Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon served the valuable function of beginning to move James Taylor away from the genre he had defined, which ultimately would give him a more long-lasting appeal.
Credits:
≡ Peter Asher Audio Prod., Guest Artist, Main Personnel, Prod., Tambourine, Vocals (Back)
≡ Richard Greene Fiddle, Main Personnel
≡ Gail Haness Vocals (Background)
≡ Gale Harness Main Personnel, Vocals (Background)
≡ John Hartford Banjo, Guest Artist, Main Personnel
≡ Wayne Jackson Horn, Main Personnel, Trumpet
≡ Kevin Kelly Accordion, Main Personnel, Piano
≡ Carole King Composer, Guest Artist, Main Personnel, Piano, Vocals (Background)
≡ Danny Kortchmar Composer, Congas, Guitar, Guitar (Ac.), Guitar (El.), Main Pers.
≡ Russ Kunkel Bells, Congas, Cymbals, Drums, Main Pers., Tambourine, Unkn. Contrib. Role
≡ Andrew Love Horn, Main Personnel, Saxophone
≡ The Memphis Horns Guest Artist, Horn
≡ Joni Mitchell Guest Artist, Main Personnel, Vocals (Background)
≡ Richard Orshoff Audio Engineer
≡ Richard Sanford Orshoff Engineer
≡ Leland Sklar Bass, Bass Instrument, Main Personnel
≡ James Taylor Composer, Guitar (Ac.), Guitar (El.), Main Pers., Piano, Vocals, Voc. (Back)
≡ Kate Taylor Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) © Photo credit: Dan Borris © Sante D´Orazio © Andrew Brucker © Edie Baskin © Stephanie Hollyman