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James Taylor - Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon Audio CD

A fair review of the James Taylor "Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all James Taylor reviews here, or go back to the James Taylor tabs.

James Taylor Band: James Taylor
Title: Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon
Rating:
Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Love Has Brought Me Around 2: You've Got a Friend 3: Places in My Past 4: Riding on a Railroad 5: Soldiers 6: Mud Slide Slim 7: Hey Mister, That's Me up on the Jukebox 8: You Can Close Your Eyes 9: Machine Gun Kelly 10: Long Ago and Far Away 11: Let Me Ride 12: Highway Song 13: Isn't It Nice to Be Home Again

GREAT CD

Good to see it available after all these years. This is one of the best James Taylor CD's.
My favorite song, "Mud, Slide, Slim".
Beautiful melodies, great mellow CD.


"Jeez, that sounds like a James Taylor number"
A cover of "Fire and Rain" showed up on a new Blood Sweat & Tears album I'd just bought, then the next thing you know I heard his own version of it on FM. I'm ashamed to admit that the very first James Taylor song I heard was back when I'd never heard of him. But it took this landmark third album for his sound to carry its own ID card no matter who did one of his songs. A guy I was jamming with at the time did the title track from this album and I immediately spotted it as a Taylor song by its sound alone--I'd never heard Taylor's own version of it. It proved that his music carries his own stamp no matter who does it. He even brings his own style to covers like Carole King's "You've Got a Friend", which I hadn't known was hers when Taylor released it as his second single. But you listen to King's own version of it and you spot the fact that Taylor even copied her piano intro on guitar. I think that was what made Taylor a success, critical mention of a "thin, reedy voice" notwithstanding. For a singer of the "folkie" genre to be that skillful on guitar is not in the least a given--the other one who comes to mind is the early Paul Simon. Chordal accompaniment is usually the rule, even for the iconic Dylan. When you get someone who can be a really outstanding player as well as songwriter, well, that doesn't happen every day. That's when you start to influence others. Friends of mine spotted an unintentional Taylor influence in one of my own songs back then. When musician fans tend to sound like you in some of their own work, that means that you're a star, no matter where you stand on the charts or how long you're there. Which makes "Hey Mister That's Me Up There On the Jukebox" from this album a bit ironic. It has to have been well before this release that it was necessary to point out who that is on the 'Box. Play him on XM and you don't need to look at the screen tag.


One of James Taylor's Classics Collections of Music
So Sweet Baby James, Mud Slide Slim and a few others are stand outs for me. I love JT and his early work particularly. Not that his newer material is lacking, but for me there's a certain bond to his earlier work and where I was in those days. If I had to own just two JT albums this would certainly be one of them.


JT- unbelievable
This was a very early JT album. This was an album, that really showed the start of one unbelievable artist. It only showed us some of the greatness to come from JT. What a fantastic album.


(4.5 stars) ISN'T IT NICE TO BE HOME AGAIN ! ( JT's third album takes you to where you belong)
Yes, these mellow acoustic guitar based songs are relaxing, but they're also also uplifting in a peaceful way and will have a calming effect on anyone who listens with an open mind. James Taylor's Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon (1971) will melt your troubles away, relax the muscles around your eyes, and take you to a place where you belong. JT soothes the soul with a warm, smooth and friendly voice.

Love Has Brought Me Around:
It's time for me to be stealing away
Let those rain clouds roll out on the sea
Let the sun shine down on me

You've Got A Friend:
Ain't it good to know
That you've got a friend
When people can be so cold
They'll hurt you and desert you
They'll take your soul if you let them
But don't you let them

Mud Slide Slim:
Cause there's nothing like the sound
of sweet soul music
To change a young lady's mind
And there's nothing like a walk
down by the bayou
To leave the world behind

The music is mostly based around JT's acoustic guitar, but he gets help here and there from Carole King on piano, John Hartford on banjo, Richard Greene on fiddle, The Memphis Horns and Joni Mitchell on background vocals.

Mud Slide Slim is also reflective at times. JT gets behind the piano and sings in Places In My Past.

And I can't remember why
But I still love those good times gone by

James grabs his guitar and sings the sad and atmospheric Hey Mister, That's Me Up On The Jukebox, and you feel like you're sitting there with him. There are plenty of other great songs on the album, too, including Long Ago And Far Away, Highway Song and the bluesy Machine Gun Kelly. The album closes with the short but sweet Isn't It Nice To Be Home Again which features JT alone with his acoustic guitar.

The album won two Grammy Awards including Best Pop Vocal Performance and Song Of The Year (You've Got A Friend). This is such a relaxing production that, even if for no other reason, you might want to keep Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon in your collection for attitude adjustment purposes. One of James Taylor's very best albums.

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You can see a complete list of all James Taylor discography, or go back to the James Taylor tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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