James Taylor - Sweet Baby James (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This is a very solid album. There isn't a weak song, even his rendition of "Oh, Susannah" is nice and different. He blends folk/blues, folk/rock, folk/country together seamlessly from one track to the next. The trick here is whether or not you like the sound of James Taylor. It always comes down to what you like in the end and for me Taylor is always lacking a little something. Compare this album to Tracy Chapman's first album or Nebraska by Springsteen and I don't think there is any question that their albums are stronger because they tap into a level of emotion that just seems to be missing with Taylor. He always sounds a bit too clean and too easy for me.