Gorilla - Taylor, James (Popular) (CD 1990)

I'm on a James Taylor roll today. I mentioned Taylor's 1975 album Gorilla in my review of his 1976 album, In The Pocket because the two discs seem to be related in an offbeat kind of way. Like In The Pocket, Gorilla was produced by Russ Titelman and Lenny Waronker. On the cover of In The Pocket, James Taylor makes a not so subtle reference to Gorilla by wearing a corduroy suit and a t-shirt with a picture of himself on the cover of Gorilla. On the cover of Gorilla, Taylor wears a white suit and sandals against a stark white backdrop. If you look closely on the front cover and the back, you can see what looks like water, as if Taylor were dancing on the beach on an overcast day.

Gorilla is the album that brought us Mexico and How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You, Taylor's hit cover of the Holland, Dozier, & Holland original. It also brought some lesser known gems, like Gorilla amd You Make It Easy. I'm not as fond of Gorilla as I am of In The Pocket, but I am glad I own this CD. Anyone who is a big James Taylor fan really should at least hear this CD, if they don't own it outright!

The well-known hit Mexico gets Gorilla off to a festive start. Taylor plays a simple guitar solo and is then joined by Danny Kortchmar (Kootch) on guitar and Lee Sklar on bass. Although she's not credited, I would swear I could hear Carly Simon singing backup, along with David Crosby and Graham Nash, who are credited. This song is not one of my favorite Taylor hits, but I can appreciate the distinctly Latin flavor to this song. The first line alone, "Way down here, you need a reason to move" (1975 Country Road Music, Inc.), does a lot to set the mood.

The second track, Music is quiet and somewhat country tinged with a pedal steel played by Al Perkins. Taylor's lyrics seem to suggest that music can free the mind from its troubles and lift the mood. Of course, if that was his meaning, I would agree with James Taylor. Music has a very 1970s sound that isn't unappealing at all.

How Sweet It Is is next. I'm familiar with Marvin Gaye's earlier Motown version of this hit. It's hard to compare it to James Taylor's 1970s version, which was made for the radio. James Taylor made his version of How Sweet It Is distinctly his own version, much like Alison Krauss has done with the songs that she's covered. Carly Simon's voice is unmistakable as she harmonizes with James Taylor's amazingly clear voice. David Sanborn, who seemed to be doing sax solos for everyone back in the 1970s, contributes a memorable solo for this song.

The fourth track is Wandering, a traditional folk song that Taylor recently included on one of his concert DVDs. He said he recorded this song during the "great folk scare" of the 1970s. Taylor performs Wandering with a simple guitar arrangement, although Nick DeCaro adds an accordion, which makes the song sound French influenced. I also hear strings, that the front of the liner notes tell me were also arranged by Nick DeCaro. I like to sing along to this song and harmonize with James Taylor, who did a fantastic job arranging his own vocal harmonies.

I love Gorilla, which appears next. This song shows off Taylor's witty, comical side. He starts the song off almost like a riddle, singing:

He's got arms like legs
He's got hands on his feet
He's got a nose like a doughnut
He's got a tendency to over eat
He don't use tools or weapons
He don't eat meat
He likes to stick to the bushes
Tends to avoid the street
He rides my El Dorado
When he comes to town
You know he's out there somewhere
Tryin' to track you down 1975 Country Road Music, Inc.

With silly, light-hearted lyrics like these, I find it hard not to smile. I find it even harder not to smile as Taylor sings and actually offers a subtle imitation of a gorilla as Jules Jacob plays a clarinet solo. This is definitely a charming song-- one of my favorites on this CD.

I also love the drama of You Make It Easy, which appears next. Taylor sings of sitting at a bar alone after fighting with his wife when he happens to meet a comely woman who tempts him to stray from his marriage. I don't know if this woman in the song is a prostitute or just a young temptress, but whenever I listen to this song, I have visions of a dark, smoky bar and a desperate man who is trying to be a good husband. David Sanborn plays another sax solo, which gives this song a very 1970s sound. James Taylor's 1993 Live album includes a great updated version of this song.

I Was A Fool To Care is next. This track is a song about a man who was duped by his woman, a woman whom he still loves. Like a fool, Taylor allowed himself to care about this woman, ignoring all of the gossip and the signs that he shouldn't have given her his heart. James Taylor delivers this song with a slightly bitter undertone, and yet he still admits that he's in love and perhaps willing to overlook his lover's transgressions.

The notable Randy Newman appears on the next track, Lighthouse. Newman plays something called a hornorgan. Taylor is joined, once again, by David Crosby and Graham Nash on this song, which evokes images of a lonely, desperate man who seems to attract disasters in love affairs.

Angry Blues sounds very dated as it starts off with electric guitars. Taylor sings:

I can't help it if I don't feel so good
I can't help it if I don't feel so good
If I had my way
I'd be sitting on top of the world
I can't help it if I don't feel so good 1975 Country Road Music, Inc.

He sounds depressed and angry as he sings this song, but not enraged. I'd say the song's mood is more disappointment and depression than fury. Lowell George, who plays the notable electric guitar solo, joins Valerie Carter on backup vocals.

Love Songs is the tenth track on Gorilla. It starts off with a very sweet clarinet solo by Jules Jacob as Taylor accompanies on guitar. I suspect that this song is for Taylor's daughter, Sally, who was born the year before this album came out. The lyrics are ambiguous, but they seem to suggest parental love rather than romantic love. This is a really nice song that seems to be a commentary of a new chapter in Taylor's life at the time.

Sarah Maria, the final song on Gorilla, is clearly about Taylor's daughter, Sally. This song features childlike lyrics and a melody that suggests a lullaby. Taylor sings:

Well the moon is in the ocean
And the stars are in the sky
And all that I can see
Is my sweet Maria's eyes
Sarah, Sarah Maria
Sarah Maria ya ya ya 1975 Country Road Music, Inc.

Victor Feldman plays the marimba, David Grisman plays the mandolin, and Nick DeCarlo plays accordion, giving this song a worldly feel. Sarah Maria is a sweet song and finishes Gorilla on a positive note.

I'm not as fond of Gorilla as I am of some of James Taylor's other albums, but there are enough gems on this CD to make it worth owning. Lyrics are included in the liner notes and that's a big help to those who want to sing along. I think this album's main drawback is that some of the songs sound very dated and lack the appeal to make them interesting enough to listen to in 2005. When I compare this disc to In The Pocket, I find that even the really dated sounding stuff on In The Pocket is fun to listen to. Gorilla sounds pretty flat and a little boring in comparison. However, there are a few songs on Gorilla that more than make up for what sounds like filler.

James Taylor's website: http://www.jamestaylor.com/