| JT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 22, 1977 (1977-06-22) | |||
| Recorded | March 15 – April 24, 1977 (1977-03-15 –1977-04-24) | |||
| Studio | Sound Factory (Hollywood) | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 37:57 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Peter Asher | |||
| James Taylor chronology | ||||
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| Singles from JT | ||||
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JT is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriterJames Taylor. It was released on June 22, 1977, viaColumbia Records, making it his first album released for the label. Recording session took place from March 15 to April 24, 1977, atThe Sound Factory inLos Angeles withVal Garay. Production was handled byPeter Asher.
The album peaked at number 4 on theBillboard 200 albums chart in the United States and was Taylor's highest-charting album sinceMud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. By January 31, 1997, it was certified 3 times Platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America. At the20th Annual Grammy Awards, it was also nominated forGrammy Award for Album of the Year, but lost toRumours byFleetwood Mac. InThe Village Voice's annualPazz & Jop critics poll for the year's best albums,JT finished at No. 23.[1] It would be the first and only time James Taylor would place an album in the poll's top 30 during its entire existence.
The album spawned three singles: "Handy Man" (Taylor's final top 10 hit), "Your Smiling Face" and "Honey Don't Leave L.A." "Handy Man", aJimmy Jones cover, peaked at #4 on theBillboard Hot 100 and topped theAdult Contemporary and won theGrammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. "Your Smiling Face", the other bighit, peaked at #20 on theBillboard Hot 100 and #6 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The record also contains other Taylor classics such as "Secret O' Life" and "Terra Nova", with the participation of Taylor's then-wifeCarly Simon.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[4] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
| MusicHound Rock |  [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
Robert Christgau, who had been skeptical of Taylor's previous work, expressed surprise when the album exceeded his expectations, writing that "James sounds both awake and in touch...'Handy Man' is a transcendent sex ballad, while 'I Was Only Telling a Lie' and 'Secret 'o Life' evoke comparisons with betters on the order ofthe Stones andRandy Newman, so that the wimpy stuff — which still predominates — sounds merely laid-back in contrast. Best sinceSweet Baby James...some of this is so wry and lively and committed his real fans may find it obtrusive."[4]
Peter Herbst inRolling Stone wrote that "JT is the least stiff and by far the most various album Taylor has done. That's not meant to criticize Taylor's earlier efforts...but it's nice to hear him sounding so healthy."[7]
John Rockwell inThe New York Times complimentedJT as "one of [Taylor's] stronger efforts in recent years" writing that Taylor "is at his most overtly effective on the single, 'Handy Man.' This oldOtis Blackwell song was probably not designed for Mr. Taylor's sexily intimate way of singing it, but the decision to do it that way was an inspired one, and the arrangement is really quite wonderful. Nothing else on the record seems quite so good, but the level is pleasingly high." Rockwell also argues that Taylor "has never quite recaptured the inspiration of his earlySweet Baby James album, andJT doesn't do it, either. Perhaps the most obvious way that the new songs don't equal the old is their relative lack of memorable melody. Mr. Taylor's songs sound more like conversational recitations than tunes. They're still interesting, though, and some of the accompaniments are really delightful."[8]
All songs written byJames Taylor, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Your Smiling Face" | 2:50 | |
| 2. | "There We Are" | 3:02 | |
| 3. | "Honey Don't Leave L.A." | Danny Kortchmar | 3:05 |
| 4. | "Another Grey Morning" | 2:44 | |
| 5. | "Bartender's Blues" | 4:12 | |
| 6. | "Secret O' Life" | 3:34 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Handy Man" | 3:17 | |
| 2. | "I Was Only Telling a Lie" | 3:24 | |
| 3. | "Looking for Love on Broadway" | 2:23 | |
| 4. | "Terra Nova" |
| 4:32 |
| 5. | "Traffic Jam" | 1:58 | |
| 6. | "If I Keep My Heart Out of Sight" | 3:01 | |
| Total length: | 37:57 | ||
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[15] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
