First,I'd like to wish James Taylor happy 60th birthday. This is a very good collection consuming the contents of his GREATEST HITS package with a few others from his Columbia Records era(Taylor has recorded on the label since 1977). This disc could use HER TOWN TOO(duet with J.D. Souther on 1981's DAD LOVES HIS WORK).

I have just discovered the many things James Taylor writes and sings about. I got this album to get a copy of "How Sweet It Is" and found several other songs I like almost as much.

I GOT THIS DVD AT AMAZON NOT ONLY WAS IT A GREAT DVD,THE SERVICE FROM AMAZON WAS WONDERFUL,THEY WHERE FAST AND I WILL ALWAYS LOOK TO SEE WHAT AMAZON HAS BEFORE I GO TO ANOTHER SITE FOR ANYTHING IN THE FUTURE.

I was disappointed that the first track seems to have been recorded at increased speed spoiling the feel of the song

I haven't purchased a James Taylor album in years and when I purchased this one I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy it. I had forgotten how much I like his voice and his songs. The live version of "Steamroller Blues" is pure fun!

"The Best of James Taylor" boasts almost all of JT's most memorable and familiar songs of the past 30 years. The quality of the CD is great and the superior mastering of the disk and captures perfectly Taylor's wonderful range and melodic tonality.

Staples such as "Fire and Rain", "How Sweet It Is", "You've Got a Friend", "Sweet Baby James", "Country Road", and 15 more, including a previously unreleased song entitled "Bittersweet".

This disk is a great value for Taylor fans looking for something other than a box set or for music enthusiasts just looking for a great compilation of JT's best. Those unfamiliar with his work could do no better than to start with this CD to catch the essence of Taylor's artistic styling.

The budget-conscious should note that this set includes every song found on Rhino's earlier "James Taylor, Greatest Hits, Vol. 1", plus a bonus of 8 more. In many stores, these CD's are even sold at the same price.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This is a wonderful CD with many of Taylors best songs.
The clarity is great and the sound is perfect.

James says it all; one of my favorites is "Steamroller" but it's all
good listening.

James Taylor's music is almost painful for me to listen too. Why oh why did the 70's have to end?

I bought this thinking that it was good romantic music after listening to you've got a friend ... and How sweet it is .., but the rest can put you to sleep. I do listen to the likes of John Denver etc. in this genre, but this was just OK...

bear in mind that this will sound and seem completely different if you are already a james taylor fan

If you are a James Taylor fan, you have to own this one, if not, get it. You will love it. If you ever get a chance to see him in concert (no matter what the price)DO IT!! The best show you will ever see.

This CD has all of James Taylor's hits. I reccomend this for anyone who wants an all-in-one CD with the best of the best from Taylor. Great music!

All the best of James Taylor - just like it says. I'm in love!

James Taylor's voice is as amazing and as enjoyable as ever. Hard to believe that one can enjoy this album as much as one did 35 years ago in college. This guy is timeless and even my own college kids now enjoy his music.

"These songs come from a dozen different albums, recorded over a 35-year stretch. I never thought they'd be collected like this; I never thought much at all beyond one tune at a time `till you've got an album's worth. Then in you go, and out they come, so you can begin again." ~ James Taylor ~

Last night, November 29, 2006, I watched the PBS television special presentation of a concert tribute to an exceptional singer/songwriter/guitarist and one of my all-time favorite musicians, James Taylor, honoring him as the 2006 MusiCares "Person of the Year." My deepest congratulations to Mr. Taylor for a well-deserved recognition.

It was a very enjoyable show and he was honored by some of the renowned contemporary singers of today namely: Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Dixie Chicks, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow and Carole King, among others. Each of them marvelously rendered a James Taylor song to the enjoyment of the audience and home viewers as well. I especially like the performance of Carole King singing "You've Got A Friend" while playing the piano and JT joined her in the middle of the performance for a much-applauded duet. Another moving moment is the finale "How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You, which JT described as the song that "summed up his feelings for that night." He was backed by his brother, Livingston, while his cute twin young sons joined them on stage dancing and jumping. JT re-appeared for an encore and he sung one of his hit songs, "Fire And Rain." After watching the show, I was so touched and it prompted me to pull this CD out from my collection and listened to it before turning in to bed. It also moved me to write a review on this CD, which was being offered by PBS together with the DVD of the show as pledge gift with a donation of $150.00.

Flashback: I became a fan of Sweet Baby James when I first heard "You've Got A Friend" and was totally hooked with his music and ever since I've been a faithful fan. Some of my very favorites are compiled in this collectible album such as "Sweet Baby James," "Don't Let Me Be Lonely," "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You," "Fire And Rain," "Long Ago And Far Away," "Up On The Roof," "Shower The People," "Your Smiling Face" and "You've Got A Friend."

This CD is a collector's item and very essential to any Sweet Baby James fan. You'll take pleasure in listening to some of his biggest hits of all-time, which are all self-penned. He is joined by a great line-up of musicians and guest singers, who are all his long-time collaborators during the three decades of his musical career, the likes of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, David Sanborn, Michael Brecker and Ralph McDonald, to mention a few.

"Surprising how casual it all was. Mostly, we were just amusing ourselves, with little concern for how the thing would be received in the great world. It was lucky that some of you liked some of it enough to listen. Enough to allow it to continue. Don't think I'm not grateful." ~ James Taylor ~

Yes, I'm one of the myriad of fans who loved all of his recordings, enough to listen to it and enough to allow the recordings to continue. And I just wish he will continue recording for as long as he can - standards, maybe. Why not? I've truly enjoyed his renditions of "My Romance," "The Way You Look Tonight" and "The Nearness of You." And he delivers so well. An album of standards coming soon? ;)

This CD brings back some really great memories. It's too bad that he and Carly had to split up - they made quite a duo. If you're a sweet baby james fan - you'll enjoy this.

I had just seen James Taylor in concert so was interested in his music once again. This is an awesome CD!

This is by far the best compilation of JT's work that's out there. Not only are the 20 tracks here truly representative of the best that JT's ever done, the sound quality is brilliant as the tracks have also been very well remastered. For those of you who are sticklers for detail and order, the tracks are arranged in chronological order as well and yet the album does not sound as disjointed as you might expect. The liner notes albeit short have been written by JT himself too. JT is that special individual who has managed to carve out his own unique sound and his works are able to evoke great emotion out of his listeners with the ability to transport them to other worlds. Great remastered sound, great value for money and great songwriting make this a must have in any music-lover's collection. Very highly recommended.

Who could hate James Taylor? His tender voice is light and lyrical and it takes me back to sweet summer memories. It's nice to listen when you want to be in a peaceful state of mind.

This is a wonderful collection of James Taylor's hits. If you're a new fan of James Taylor, this would be the disc for you.

How can you go wrong with James Taylor? Great songs, great CD. Live version of the Steamroller blues which is a nice touch.

..."Something In The Way She Moves" and "Country Road" are not the same versions as on the original JT's Greatest Hits from '76, which I prefer. If I were to do a one-disc comp, I would have included "Never Die Young" and "Copperline" (they could have dispensed with the live "Steamroller Blues" for one of those tracks.) And, the closing, newly-recorded "Bittersweet" is okay, but sounds like a leftover track that he decided to stick on this collection because it didn't really fit anywhere else. But, those complaints aside, this is still a good overall compilation with really nice sound quality.

"Greatest Hits Vol 1 Extended" might be more appropriate.

I'd love to see JT have a comprehensive box set and vintage concert footage (some of which has been shown on Trio and VH1 Classic) for DVD.

It was good to hear the original Apple Records "Something in the Way That She Moves", although I've been used to hearing the remake (Carolina In My Mind did make it on here though), but also think "Brighten Your Night With My Day", "Night Owl" or "Knockin' Around the Zoo" from his Flying Machine days would've also been a nice addition.

The import "Classic Songs" is more of a true 1 CD "best of" that covers the bases, even though it costs more. "Live" even more so, containing 30 songs over 2 CDs, where songs written 30 plus years apart sound natural together, no small feat.

A song like "Fire And Rain" he must get tired of playing, but after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, it's a song that comes back.

Considering that he has around 16 CDs of (mostly) great material, I think it's best to pick all of them up and go from there. But this "Best of" is definitely a good place to start for starters, Best of 2 next, and "Live" being my preference.

I love it and so does my son and grandson! Absolutely great music!

I do find it very sad when a so called "artist" lives off the same 30 year old songs that are played Ad Infinitum on your local "Easy Listening" Radio Station.These songs were recorded in a time when Mr. Taylor was seeking solace in The Arms Of Morpheaus instead of his wife at the time Carly Simon. This album contains the semi autobiographical song "Fire And Rain" which appears to be about some girl named Suzanne who was in trouble but Mr. Taylor was too busy in Rehab to find the time to help her. This is truly one sorry excuse for an album.I do give it 5 stars however because thankfully Mr. Taylor fell into Music Obscurity after the success of these recordings.

James was born into a wealthy family but that didn't shield him from life's problems including drug addiction and depression. Perhaps these problems ultimately helped him to succeed in the often strange music business - the song that first established his reputation (Fire and rain) is autobiographical and could not have been written by a man without any worries or problems.

James, though born and raised in America, made his first recordings in London for the Apple label in 1968. The resultant album was a flop at the time although it contained some fine songs including Carolina on my mind (here in a 1976 re-recording) and Something in the way she moves (the Beatles classic). Peter Asher, formerly of Peter and Gordon, began his career as a record producer with Apple and James Taylor's album was among his earliest productions. James returned to America following the album's failure. Peter also moved to America after quitting Apple and secured an American recording contract for James, in whom he still had faith.

James had far greater success with his first American album, Sweet baby James. The outstanding song was the aforementioned Fire and rain. Only a minor UK hit, it was a much bigger hit in America, where it catapulted him to superstardom. His next album, Mud slide Slim and the blue horizon, yielded another huge American hit - You've got a friend, which also made the UK top five and remains his only major UK hit. Indeed, James only had one more UK hit after that (Mockingbird - see later).

One-man dog, his third American album and fourth altogether, yielded another American hit, Don't let me be lonely tonight, which failed to chart in the UK. After that, Peter Asher switched his production efforts to Linda Ronstadt, with whom he had even greater success, while Carly Simon rescued James from his loneliness (at least for a few years). They married and also recorded a duet - Mockingbird, a cover of the R+B classic by Charlie and Inez Foxx, made the American top five but is conspicuous by its absence from this set.

James never quite reached the same level of brilliance again (even when he teamed up with Peter Asher again in 1978) although his later music is still worth hearing. He continued to have American hits, but with covers rather than original material. His cover hits included How sweet it is (Marvin Gaye - or Junior Walker), Handy man (Jimmy Jones) and Up on the roof (originally an American hit for the Drifters, it became a UK top ten hit for Kenny Lynch).

This compilation, focusing on his seventies music but including one newly recorded track (Bittersweet) contains all the essential James Taylor tracks except Mockingbird so if you only want one collection of his music, this is a good choice. Buy a Carly Simon compilation for Mockingbird - and plenty of other great music.

James Taylor has been around for more than 30 years, yet his music still sounds as fresh and vibrant as they were when they were first released, truly the mark of the great artist. On the "The Best Of James Taylor", you will get 19 of those classics plus one new recoridng, all digitally remastered and in chronological.

One listen to this album and you're instantly transported back in time. Most fans still remember when they heard the somber opening chords of "Fire And The Rain" crackling through the airwaves, and they cna still recall the first time they popped in the "Sweet Baby James" album and heard the timeless title track (isn't that the most relaxing song ever)? Both these songs are here, along with classics such as "You've Got A Friend", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", "Shower The People", "Handy Man" and "Your Smiling Face". Also, the producers of the compilation have sweetened the deal by adding lesser known tracks such as "You Can Close Your Eyes", "Golden Moments" and "Only A Dream In Rio". And last but not least, there's the new song "Bittersweet", which holds up quite well against the classic hits.

Naturally, most fans will instantly rattle that quite a few Taylor classics are missing, such as "Walking Man", "One Man Parade", "Mockingbird" (a million selling hit sung with ex - wife Carly Simon), "Wonderful World" (with Simon and Garfunkel), "Honey Don't Leave L.A.", "Her Town Too", "Hard Times", "Everyday" and "Never Die Young". But including those songs would have required a two disc collection which would have raised the price (though to be fair, at about 68 minutes, there was enough room toat least include "Mockingbird" and "Her Town Too", the biggest hits missing).

Overall, a great collection of Taylor's music. Perfect for when you want some piece and quiet. I recommened to everyone who has an ant's taste in music.

I love JT. But I would like to know if the expletive has been deleted somewhat in Steamroller? I have checked at leat 3 CDs in my country (imported though) and there is this irritating deletion from one of my favourite tracks. Any one can confirm this?

I have been a James Taylor fan since hearing his albums on my parents' turntable back in the early seventies, and have been anxiously awaiting a remastered collection of his early Warner Bros. material. All of the songs from the 1976 Greatest Hits collection are here, except that the version of Something in the Way She Moves is the original cut from his Apple Records debut album, rather than the remake on Greatest Hits. James Taylor has of course enjoyed a very successful career since 1976 on Columbia Records, but not much is on the Best Of CD. Even so, the Warner selections are terrific, and the collection works surprisingly well with only a handful of his Columbia Records output and one new song to round it out. The remastering is top notch, really showcasing James Taylor's inimitable voice and acoustic guitar. All in all, this collection is a thorougly enjoyable listen without trying to be comprehensive.

Let's face it, "best of" compilations don't necessarily mean hit singles. This "best of" misses a few of Taylor's great hits to leave room for new or less familiar songs (the disappointing "Bittersweet" comes to mind). Missing gems include "Everyday" and "Her Town Too" - how could they leave these off?

The CD begins with Taylor's original 1968 recording of "Something in the way she moves". This is a rare version, as most people will be more familiar with his 1976 re-recording of it. One listen of the original will show you why he re-recorded it (the original is just plain awful). Why did they put it on here?

Most of the main hits are included from "Fire and Rain" to "Up on the Roof". Also included is the original 1976 'single version' of "Country Road" which I had not heard before. After a few listens I have to say this is a much better version that the album version so many of us know. In my opinion, this is reason enough to buy the compilation. It's that good.

The other good thing about this compilation is the digital remastering which makes all the songs sound even better. Even if you own his previous compilations "Greatest Hits 1 & 2", "Classic Songs" or "Taylor Made", this CD is worth getting for its superior sound and once again, the 'single version' of "Country Road".

Go for it.

James Taylor is a dynamo singer songwriter. "Shower the People" and "Up on the Roof" are fantastic songs. All of them are. This was my childhood and I am so glad he's got this non-live set out now. Why are "Never Die Young" and "Her Town Too", two huge hits not on this? All in all a great purchase though.

Often, people tell us what cd they'd take with them on a deserted island. Well, if I was on a deserted island, I'd want to use the quiet time to relax. And nothing's more relaxing than the soothing sounds of James Taylor.

James Taylor is pretty much an artist who's been with me most of my life. I think I was in the 6th grade, in 1970. The Beatles had just broken up, and I was looking for a singer to fill that huge void left by their departure. I remember hearing "Fire And Rain" on the radio and thinking, "here's an ordinary guy with ordinary problems that I can relate to". I thought his music spoke to my soul on so many levels.

It was talent he never lost - and one that came across in his best compositions, all of which are included here: "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", "Mexico", "Golden Moments", "Shower The People" and "Your Smiling Face", to name a few personal favorites. He also proved he had a magic touch when recording other people's material such as Carole King's "You've Got A Friend" (his only number one hit) and "Up On The Roof", my all -time favorite "Handy Man" and the Motown classic "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)". Later works like "Only A Dream In Rio" and the new recording "Bittersweet" show he still has it.

If there's one complaint I have, it's this. James had 4 top 40 hits he recorded with other artists. They are "Mockingbird" (with ex - wife Carly Simon and gold - selling number 5 hit in March, 1974), "Wonderful World" (with Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel and a number 17 hit in 1978), "Devoted To You" (with Carly Simon and a number 36 hit in 1978), and "Her Town Too" (with J.D. Souther" and a number 11 hit in 1981).

Other than that, everything you could possibly want on a Taylor best off is here. The only thing better is a Taylor boxed set, which we have yet to see.

This album contains so many delightful songs by James Taylor. His lyrics are so complimentary to the people and places about which he is singing, like "Something in the Way She Moves" and "Carolina In My Mind." It is refreshing indeed to hear great lyrics set to memorable melodies and sung with a delightful voice. You will listen to this one again and again.

This is the perfect CD for the car. "Sweet Baby James" keeps my road rage to a minimum. All these songs are classic. Buy this now!

Pete Rose once said, "How can they say I lost a step? I was never that fast to begin with!" In some ways, Pete could just as easily have been talking about James Taylor's long and brilliant career. JT hasn't lost a step, either. He's always been laid back and easygoing. I've seen at least one show (and sometimes more) of every tour he's done from 1971 (when he was tall, lanky, longhaired and mustachioed) to his last one (when he was tall, lanky, balding and bespectacled). There's a comforting consistency about the man and his music. He just ambles out onstage, picks up his acoustic guitar and sings with that warm, honeyed voice -- the same now as it was 36 years ago. While many of his hard rockin' peers can no longer perform at the same level as they did then, and have indeed become parodies of themselves, JT can still hit 'em right up the middle. His performance, his delivery, still achieves the same high level of excellence as it did when he began his career.

This "Best Of.." CD is a wonderful chronicle of nearly four decades of incredible music. If you only plan to own one James Taylor CD, this is the essential one. Better than anything else, it shows why he is still at the top of his game, still able to top the charts with his new albums as well as hits packages. All the biggies are here (well, almost all of them), as well as some lesser known gems like "You Can Close Your Eyes." Presented in chronological order (notice that the Greatest Hits version of "Carolina In My Mind" is positioned just before the first of his hits for Columbia Records), these great songs depict the evolution of an incomparable artist. Some have complained that the Apple version of "Something In The Way She Moves" is on this set, but I think it's appropriate. It presents Taylor as a youth, with all his scattershot (but focused) energy, and gives us a glimpse of his already-budding genius. And the lost "cover" version of "Country Road" is a delight.

Do yourself a favor: buy this one--today!