'call Me' Is Not An Exceptional Al

The Modern Recording Studio, With Its Well-trained Engineers, 24-track Machines And Shiny New Recording Consoles, Encourages The Artist To Get Involved With Sound. And There Have Always Been Artists Who Could Make The Equipment Serve Their Needs In A Highly Personal Way - I Would Single Out The Beatles, Phil Spector, The Beach Boys And Thom Bell.

James Taylor Is The Kind Of Person I Always Thought The Word 'folksinger' Referred To. He Writes And Sings Songs That Are Reflections Of His Own Life, And Performs In Them In His Own Style. All Of His Performances Are Marked By An Eloquent Simplicity.

I Saw Rock N' Roll Future And Its Name Is Bruce Springsteen.

Elton John Himself Never Seems Pretentious But Bernie Taupin's Lyrics Often Do - Sometimes Pretentious In A Clever Sort Of Way, But Pretentious Nonetheless. There Is A Conflict Between Elton's And Bernie's Personal Styles, No Doubt About It.

James Taylor May Be An All-american Boy But He Isn't Horatio Alger, And The Lionizing Of Many Rock Stars By The Rock Press Has As Much To Do With Old Fashioned Rags-to-riches Stories As Does The Straight Culture's Deification Of Its Idols.