James Taylor - "Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon"

55 years ago, 23-year-old folk-rock songwriter James Taylor released “Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon.” Arriving 15 months after his breakthrough LP “Sweet Baby James,” this third album reached #2 Billboard while earning good reviews. This was blocked from #1 by his friend Carole King’s recent smash album “Tapestry,” both albums featured #1 hit versions of her song “You’ve Got a Friend,” Taylor’s rendition features backing vocals by Joni Mitchell. Carole plays piano on seven songs and sings backup on the title track. The other single here was “Long Ago and Far Away” (#31 Billboard). More in Comments.

April 28 Birthdays: Russ Morgan b.1904; Mario Bauzá b.1911; Calvin ‘Eagle Eye’ Shields and Blossom Dearie b.1924; Oliver Jackson b.1933; John Tchicai b.1936; Jean Redpath b.1937; Phil Guy b.1940; John Wolters (Dr. Hook) b.1945; Francine Hurd Barker (Peaches & Herb) b.1947; Willie Colón b.1950; Berkowitz (Marilyn Manson) b.1968; Ann-Margret is 85; The Fantastic Johnny C and Jacques Dutronc are 83; Glenn Ross Campbell (The Misunderstood / Juicy Lucy) and Beverly Bivens (We Five) are 80; Steve Khan is 79; Manfred Wieczorke (Eloy) is 78; Chuck Leavell (Sea Level) and Leni Stern are 74; Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth) is 73; Steve Tibbetts is 72; Eddie Jobson (Curved Air / U.K.) and Dieter Rubach (Accept) and Tobin Sprout (Guided By Voices) are 71; Phil King (Lush) is 66; Too Short is 60; Eric Bachmann (Archers of Loaf / Crooked Fingers is 56; Violent J (ICP) is 52; Laura Burhenn (The Mynabirds) is 46; Melanie Martinez is 30.

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Review by William Ruhlmann

James Taylor's commercial breakthrough in 1970 was predicated on the relationship between the private concerns expressed in his songs and the larger philosophical mood of his audience. He was going through depression, heartbreak, and addiction; they were recovering from the political and cultural storms of the '60s. On his follow-up to the landmark Sweet Baby James, Taylor brought his listeners up to date, wisely trying to step beyond the cultural, if not the personal, markers he had established. Despite affirming romance in songs like "Love Has Brought Me Around" and the moving "You Can Close Your Eyes" as well as companionship in "You've Got a Friend," the record still came as a defense against the world, not an embrace of it; Taylor was unable to forget the past or trust the present. The songs were full of references to the road and the highway, and he was uncomfortable with his new role as spokesman. The confessional songwriter was now, necessarily, writing about what it was like to be a confessional songwriter: Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon served the valuable function of beginning to move James Taylor away from the genre he had defined, which ultimately would give him a more long-lasting appeal.

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