.
http://www.rollingstone.com/assets/images/album_review/37ae3adfc12d67e22473572e4ac97a015ab719b8.jpg October Road

James Taylor

October Road

Sony Music Distribution
Rolling Stone: star rating
Community: star rating
5 4 0
September 10, 2002

On his first album in five years, James Taylor doesn't sound contemporary — and he seems very unworried by that fact. October Road reunites him with Russ Titelman, producer of 1975's Gorilla and '76's In the Pocket. Their approach here is much the same — delivering classic singer-songwriter fare laced with easy jazz and mellow R&B. Yet the result is much more subtle than those peak-era LPs; what's more, October Road is a hit album without any obvious hit songs.

At a time when veteran stars are routinely propped up with upstart guests and gimmicky grooves, Taylor and Titelman's tasteful restraint is refreshing and suits such contemplative tracks as "Belfast to Boston." The singer's unhurried acoustic guitar picking and calm, steady croon are — as they should be — the album's central joys.

prev
Album Review Main Next

ADD A COMMENT

Community Guidelines »
loading comments

loading comments...

COMMENTS

Sort by:
    Read More

    Music Reviews

    more Reviews »
    Daily Newsletter

    Get the latest RS news in your inbox.

    Sign up to receive the Rolling Stone newsletter and special offers from RS and its
    marketing partners.

    X

    We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners. For more information please read our Privacy Policy.

    Song Stories

    “Too Close”

    Next | 1998

    Next was formed in Minneapolis when the uncle of Terry "T-Low" and Raphael "Tweety" Brown, who was a gospel choir director, introduced the brothers to Robert Lavelle "R.L." Huggar. Sounds of Blackness singer Ann Nesby groomed the R&B group before handing them over to Naughty by Nature's KayGee, who wrote and produced "Too Close." The idea for the song was sparked "from a conversation we had with several girls at a nightclub," explained T-Low. "It's talking about the club scene, with guys getting out of hand and the female telling him to back up, asking, 'What are you doing?'" 

    More Song Stories entries »