Greatest Hits (CD - 1976)

Personnel includes: James Taylor (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars); Danny Kootch (acoustic guitar, congas); David Spinozza, Danny Kortchmar (guitar); Dan Dugmore, Red Rhodes (steel guitar); Byron Berline (fiddle); David Sanborn, Michael Brecker (saxophone); Clarence McDonald (piano, Fender Rhodes, keyboards); Carole King (piano); Kenny Ascher (electric piano); Andrew Gold (harmonium, background vocals); Victor Feldman (vibraphone); Bobby West (acoustic bass); Lee Sklar, John London, Randy Meisner, Andy Muson (bass); Russ Kunkel (drums, congas, cabasa); Jim Keltner, Rick Marotta (drums); Ralph MacDonald, Milt Holland (percussion); Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Herb Pedersen (background vocals).

Producers: Peter Asher, David Spinozza, Lenny Waronker, Russ Titelman.

Principally recorded at Sound Factory, Sunset Sound, Crystal Recording Studios and Warner Bros. Recording Studios, Hollywood, California between 1969 & 1976.

Personnel: James Taylor (vocals, guitar); Carly Simon (vocals); David Spinozza (guitar); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Carole King (piano); Clarence McDonald (Fender Rhodes piano); Victor Feldman (vibraphone); Lee Sklar, John London (bass guitar); Jim Keltner, Rick Marotta, Russ Kunkel (drums); Danny Kootch (congas).

What self-respecting '70s pop music fan's collection would be complete without James Taylor's GREATEST HITS? Not many, apparently, since it is one of the biggest selling catalog titles of all time. All of Taylor's huge hits from the first, and possibly most acclaimed, leg of his long career are included. "Fire And Rain," "You've Got A Friend," "Sweet Baby James" and "How Sweet It Is" sound as golden as the day they were first heard on the radio.

Interestingly, two of the songs here, "Something In the Way She Moves" and "Carolina In My Mind" from Taylor's first album have been re-recorded especially for this collection. Special guests like Carole King, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, David Crosby and David Sanborn add an extra special something to the atmosphere. Listening to these songs together in one collection takes you back to a gentler time when a carefully crafted song was a thing of beauty and not just a product to be marketed like so many shiny trinkets. If you are among the few who don't already own this special collection, what are you waiting for? minimize