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'New Moon Shine'

The beginning of James Taylor's 90s comeback

By Sean CallaghanPublished 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago 5 min read
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New Moon Shine, James Taylor's first album of the 90s, was recorded in June 1991 at the Power Station and Skyline Station in New York, A&M Studios in Hollywood and Studio F in Los Angeles. There were a few new faces in the band for this album, with Jimmy Johnson on bass taking over for Leland Sklar, who had left to tour with Phil Collins. Kate Markowitz joined the veteran backing vocal team of Valerie Carter, David Lasley and Arnold McCuller. Michael Landau played electric guitar on the album.

There were holdovers from the Never Die Young sessions as well. Don Grolnick once again produced the album and played piano, organ and synthesizers. Carlos Vega again played drums on the majority of the tracks. Clifford Carter returned on synthesizers and synthesizer programming. And as he had done on that album, Taylor welcomed contributions from some of the finest musicians in the land, including dobroist Jerry Douglas throughout the album, and cameo appearances by bassist Tony Levin, drummers Steve Jordan and Steve Gadd, saxophonists Michael Brecker and Branford Marsalis, and even a return visit from old friend Danny Kortchmar, making his first album appearance with Taylor since 1979's Flag.

When the album was released on September 24, 1991, anticipation for the album wasn't high in the industry. But Taylor still had more than his share of loyal supporters, enough that his releases were still notable. And among that core group, few were disappointed. These songs, while sounding little like the acoustic guitar-centered Sweet Baby James, were more direct than any Taylor had done in quite a while, and all musical elements added to the songs without at all distracting from them.

The album opens with the majestic "Copperline," a bootlegging tale written with the late American poet and novelist Reynolds Price, then a professor of American literature at Duke University. The song is a tribute to James's (and likely Price's) upbringing in North Carolina, namechecking Morgan Creek, James's dog Hercules, and other staples of rural life in North Carolina. Mark O'Connor, who had contributed mightily to Never Die Young, plays a memorable violin solo in the middle of the song. Since the release of New Moon Shine, this song has rarely been out of Taylor's set list.

Next is "Down In The Hole" an upbeat pop song about a day in the life of a mole. Not the best song on the album, but it does feature great backing vocals.

"I've Got To Stop Thinking Bout That" was co-produced and co-written by James' longtime friend and guitarist Danny Kortchmar. The song is a lament for a hard break with a girl from New Orleans. Predictably, its backing is very much Cajun-style. The song features Steve Jordan on drums

"Shed A Little Light" was written by James on Martin Luther King Day as a tribute to the religious and Civil Rights leader who by this point had been killed over 23 years before. It is a very spiritual song almost hymn-like, made a complete success by the prominent and compelling work of the backing vocalists.

"The Frozen Man" is the second track co-produced (though not cowritten by Danny Kortchmar) and second to feature Steve Jordan on drums. James says the song was inspired by an article in National Geographic, an article he admitted to not fully reading. James claims he was able to compose the song strictly through the pictures and captions. What he comes up with is a fairly compelling story of a man unfrozen by modern science and finding that he little recognizes the world, with all his family and friends gone. Taylor later theorized that he was writing about his father's two years stationed at the South Pole in the U.S. Navy, but that knowledge isn't essential to appreciating the message of the song.

"Slap Leather" is a short upbeat rock number with prominent electric guitar and pounding drums. Its message is a scathing assessment of government and its tendency to favor weapons over humanitarian causes, with a few slaps at the world of advertising and TV posturing.

"Like Everyone She Knows" is a prototypical Taylor love song, or more accurately a message of love to someone who has despaired of finding love for herself. Compare this song to the cynical "Valentines Day" from the previous album to see the best illustration of Taylor writing in a markedly more direct manner. The tune starts with the Taylor guitar sound, Carlos Vega uses brushes on the drums giving a soft effect with prominent piano from Don Grolnick and soprano saxophone by Branford Marsalis.

"One More Go Round" is a rather funky-sounding song featuring Michael Brecker on tenor saxophone. It has a very light-hearted lyrical style but does appear to address some of Taylor's misgivings about how he had approached his career up to this point.

"Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha" is a cover of a song by Sam Cooke, whom Taylor had previously covered in "What a Wonderful World" with Simon and Garfunkel. Taylor goes all-star band on this nice if inconsequential cover, using not just Michael Brecker, but bassist Tony Levin (King Crimson and Peter Gabriel) and legendary drummer Steve Gadd (who would later become a member of James's touring band).

"Native Son" features Phillip Balou joining the backing vocalists, and is a ballad about how underappreciated and under supported former soldiers feel in coming home "now that the war is over." Michael Landau add some nice touches on guitar.

In the same vein, "Oh Brother" is an up-tempo soulful tune about making the best of life's opportunities after returning home, again presumably from war. The backing vocalists get a serious workout on this inspirational piece of rock gospel.

"The Water is Wide" is a traditional tune that only three years before James had performed in a duet arrangement with West Coast singer/composer Karla Bonoff on her Restless Nights album. It was a strong track but the album was not a major hit, so Taylor revisits it here in a version he arranged with Don Grolnick. Jerry Douglas provides prominent dobro accompaniment to close the album on a high note.

New Moon Shine was a great first step into a new decade and set James on a comeback path that would more fully blossom on his next album.

90s music
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About the Creator

Sean Callaghan

Neurodivergent, Writer, Drummer, Singer, Percussionist, Star Wars and Disney Devotee.

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