James Taylor: The Essential Album-by-Album Guide

JAMES TAYLOR (1968)
Key Tracks: "Carolina in My Mind," "Something in the Way She Moves"
Quick Take: James Taylor's 1969 debut was one of the first releases on the Beatles' Apple label. Though nearly capsized by heavy-handed orchestration, it was an eye-opening collection of songs whose highlights — "Knocking 'Round the Zoo," "Something in the Way She Moves" and "Carolina in My Mind" — point toward the path he'd pursue in the next decade.