October Road Tracks
1. September Grass
2. October Road
3. On the 4th of July
4. Whenever You're Ready
5. Belfast to Boston
6. Mean Old Man
7. My Traveling Star
8. Raised Up Family
9. Carry Me on My Way
10. Caroline I See You
11. Baby Buffalo
12. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
October Road Review
There's a comfortable sense of the familiar to James Taylor's first collection of new songs since 1997's Grammy winner Hourglass; such is the curse of being a decades-spanning cultural icon. But, as on his best work, there's also an almost stealthy sense of musical restlessness that seeps into Taylor's songs here, as he colors some with deft jazz and international influences. The reunion with producer Russ Titelman (they last collaborated on 1976's In the Pocket) seems to have gratifyingly inspired as much gentle reassessment as retrenchment. Longtime Titelman compatriot Ry Cooder guests on the title track, a song whose autumnal comforts fit the Taylor canon and other album tracks like "September Grass," "Baby Buffalo," "My Traveling Star," and "On the Fourth of July" (the story of Taylor's romantic meeting with current wife Kim) like an old slipper. However, "Belfast to Boston" cries for peace in Ireland and elsewhere with some surprising Gaelic flourishes, while "Whenever You're Ready" throws some Brazilian rhythms and jazzy horns into the mix, and Dave Grusin's slick orchestral arrangement turns "Mean Old Man" into an elegant cabaret surprise. A little more of this musical adventure amidst the familiar romantic ballads and paeans to the comfort of home and family--including a gorgeously spare cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"--certainly wouldn't hurt. --Jerry McCulley
It was with much trepidation that I approached October Road. In fact I did not buy it when it first appeared. I waited to hear a friend's copy.
In terms of songwriting, October Road is a great return to form. Sonically it seems a bit closed-in (not a lot of acoustic space apparent), and the production is a bit sparse compared to what we've heard from James in the past.
Still, James sounds a little tired to me. The tempos are mostly slow to middlin', and I don't get a lot of joy from this music compared to say, his "JT" album. Mean Old Man is quietly humorous, and Whenever You're Ready is bouncy enough. Whatever. I still get an underlying sense of sadness or weariness listening to this album, and frankly I'd rather go for something more energizing.
The songcraft and playing are top notch. Your reaction may be different. You couldn't go wrong picking it up used at half price. You can always sell it again if it doesn't please. I don't know if James will ever make another album I can get enthused about, unless it is a live album. James seems to keep improving as a live performer at the same time his studio albums lose their appeal for me.