| The Essential James Taylor | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | October 29, 2013 | |||
| Genre | Folk [1] | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Bill Inglot [lower-alpha 1] | |||
| James Taylor chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Essential James Taylor is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor. It was released on October 29, 2013, through Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings as part of their "Essential" series. The album compiles tracks spanning Taylor's second album Sweet Baby James (1970) to October Road (2002).
AllMusic gave the album four stars out of five. [1] In their review, Matt Collar referred to the album as a "superb overview" of Taylor's career. [1] Joe Marchese of The Second Disc also praised the compilation, calling it "a nicely-curated mix of big hits and less familiar gems". [3] While Marchese did lament the exclusion of material from Taylor's first album alongside other select tracks from his catalogue, he still found it to be the "most comprehensive" retrospective of his work. [3]
Writing for American Songwriter , Hal Horowitz gave the album a rating of 2.5 out of 5, expressing disappointment with the relatively short length of the compilation. [4] Additionally, he found its release to be unnecessary, feeling that Taylor's previous three compilations– Greatest Hits (1976), Greatest Hits Volume 2 (2000), and The Best of James Taylor (2003)–already did the same job as The Essential. [4]
All tracks are written by James Taylor, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweet Baby James" | Sweet Baby James (1970) | 2:51 |
| 2. | "Fire and Rain" | Sweet Baby James | 3:23 |
| 3. | "Long Ago and Far Away" | Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (1971) | 3:21 |
| 4. | "You've Got a Friend" (Carole King) | Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon | 4:29 |
| 5. | "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" | One Man Dog (1972) | 2:35 |
| 6. | "Walking Man" | Walking Man (1974) | 3:33 |
| 7. | "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" (Holland–Dozier–Holland) | Gorilla (1975) | 3:35 |
| 8. | "Mexico" | Gorilla | 2:59 |
| 9. | "Shower the People" | In the Pocket (1976) | 4:32 |
| 10. | "Steamroller" (live) | Greatest Hits (1976) | 5:19 |
| 11. | "Something in the Way She Moves" | Greatest Hits | 3:10 |
| 12. | "Carolina in My Mind" | Greatest Hits | 3:59 |
| 13. | "Handy Man" (Jimmy Jones, Otis Blackwell) | JT (1977) | 3:16 |
| 14. | "Your Smiling Face" | JT | 2:45 |
| 15. | "Honey Don't Leave L.A." (Danny Kortchmar) | JT | 3:04 |
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Millworker" | Flag (1979) | 3:49 |
| 2. | "Her Town Too" (Taylor, J. D. Souther, Waddy Wachtel) | Dad Loves His Work (1981) | 4:28 |
| 3. | "Everyday" (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty) | That's Why I'm Here (1985) | 3:14 |
| 4. | "Only One" | That's Why I'm Here | 4:19 |
| 5. | "Never Die Young" | Never Die Young (1988) | 4:24 |
| 6. | "Copperline" (Taylor, Reynolds Price) | New Moon Shine (1991) | 4:22 |
| 7. | "The Water is Wide" (traditional) | New Moon Shine | 3:01 |
| 8. | "Country Road" (live) | Live (1993) | 5:39 |
| 9. | "Secret O' Life" (live) | Live | 3:45 |
| 10. | "Little More Time with You" | Hourglass (1997) | 3:52 |
| 11. | "Another Day" | Hourglass | 2:21 |
| 12. | "Hard Times Come Again No More" (with Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Mark O'Connor) (Stephen Foster) | Appalachian Journey (2000) | 3:40 |
| 13. | "Caroline I See You" | October Road (2002) | 4:59 |
| 14. | "My Traveling Star" (live) | previously unreleased | 4:13 |
| 15. | "You Can Close Your Eyes" (live) | previously unreleased | 2:53 |
| Chart (2013-2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart (OCC) [5] | 50 |
| US Americana/Folk Albums ( Billboard ) [6] | 8 |
The Masterplan is a compilation album by English rock band Oasis. It was released on 2 November 1998 by Creation Records, the band's final release through the label. It comprises B-sides which never made it onto an album up to that point. Originally intended for release only in areas such as the United States and Japan, where the tracks were previously only available on expensive European-import singles, The Masterplan reached number 2 in the UK, where it initially went platinum, and number 51 in the United States. However, it did reach the Top 20 in various charts around the world, going on to sell 3 million copies. It has since been certified triple platinum in the UK. Four songs from the album appear on the 2006 compilation album Stop the Clocks.
Tapestry is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1971 on Ode Records and produced by Lou Adler. The lead singles from the album—"It's Too Late" and "I Feel the Earth Move"—spent five weeks at number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts.
O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits is a greatest hits album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released in 2002 by Columbia Records and Geffen Records. A double-disc album, it includes 27 of the band's biggest hits in chronological order and spans the band's entire career up to 2002. Also included are a guest appearance on Run-DMC's cover of "Walk This Way" and two new songs, "Girls of Summer" and "Lay It Down", which the band recorded in Hawaii.
Biograph is a 53-track box set compilation spanning the career of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on November 7, 1985, by Columbia Records. Consisting of 53 released and unreleased tracks from 1962 to 1981, the box set was released as a five-LP set, a three-cassette tape set, and a three-compact disc set. Biograph reached No. 33 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. and has been certified platinum by the RIAA.
The discography of the British punk rock band the Clash consists of six studio albums, two extended plays, two live albums and 31 singles.
The Essential Johnny Cash is a double-compact disc compilation by Johnny Cash released as part of Sony BMG's Essential series. It was compiled to commemorate Cash's 70th birthday. It is not to be confused with the three-CD box set of the same name released by Columbia Records in 1992.
The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire is a compilation album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire issued in July 2002 by Columbia/Legacy. The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire has been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
The Essential Barbra Streisand is the fifth greatest hits album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on January 29, 2002, by Columbia Records. The compilation features 38 songs from Streisand's catalog, in addition to two previously unreleased tracks. It includes material from 26 of the singer's albums and was described as a collection of, mainly, her pop songs. A reissued version of the compilation was distributed by Columbia and Legacy Recordings in 2008 and includes a bonus disc featuring nine additional songs from Streisand's discography.
"You Belong to Me" is a song written by American singer-songwriters Carly Simon and Michael McDonald. Originally recorded by McDonald's rock group The Doobie Brothers for their seventh studio album, Livin' on the Fault Line (1977), the song was made famous by Simon when she recorded it for her seventh studio album, Boys in the Trees (1978). A live version of the song from The Doobie Brothers' 1983 album Farewell Tour would later chart on the Pop Singles chart at No. 79 in August 1983.
Bridge over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on January 26, 1970 on Columbia Records. Following the duo's soundtrack for The Graduate, Art Garfunkel took an acting role in the film Catch-22, while Paul Simon worked on the songs, writing all tracks except Felice and Boudleaux Bryant's "Bye Bye Love".
Johnny's Greatest Hits is a compilation album by vocalist Johnny Mathis that was released by Columbia Records on March 17, 1958, and has been described as the "original greatest-hits package". The LP collected all but one of the songs from the first six singles he recorded, including eight A- and B-sides that made the singles charts in The Billboard as well as three B-sides that did not chart and one new track that was co-written by Mathis but not released as a single.
The discography of American country artists George Jones and Tammy Wynette contains the recordings they made as a vocal duo. Their discography includes nine studio albums, 14 compilation albums, 15 singles and one music video. In October 1971, the duo's first studio album was released by Epic Records and was titled We Go Together. It peaked at number three on the American Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 169 on the Billboard 200 list. Included on the disc was the duo's first single, "Take Me". It reached the top ten on the American Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and the top 20 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. It was followed by their second studio album called Me and the First Lady, which charted at number six on the Billboard country list. Featured on the disc was their second top ten single, "The Ceremony".
The Essential Britney Spears is the fifth greatest hits album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on August 20, 2013, by RCA Records and Legacy Recordings, initially as a Walmart exclusive. It was later released on digital platforms the following year. The compilation was produced by Jeffrey James and Darren Salmieri, and it was mastered by Seann Brennan at Battery Studios in New York.
The Apple Years 1968–75 is a box set by English musician George Harrison, released on 22 September 2014. The eight-disc set compiles all of Harrison's studio albums that were originally issued on the Beatles' Apple record label. The six albums are Wonderwall Music (1968), Electronic Sound (1969), All Things Must Pass, Living in the Material World (1973), Dark Horse (1974) and Extra Texture (1975). The final disc is a DVD containing a feature titled "The Apple Years", promotional films from some of his previous posthumous reissues, such as The Concert for Bangladesh, and other video clips. The box set marks the first time that the Dark Horse and Extra Texture albums have been remastered since their 1991 CD release.
Nothing Has Changed is a compilation album by English musician David Bowie. It was released on 18 November 2014 through Parlophone in the United Kingdom, and Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings in the United States. The album was released in four formats: a triple CD version, a double CD version, a double LP version, and a single CD version released exclusive to select countries.
A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for release together as a single work, but may be collected together as a greatest hits album or box set. If the recordings are from several artists, there may be a theme, topic, time period, or genre which links the tracks, or they may have been intended for release as a single work—such as a tribute album. When the tracks are by the same recording artist, the album may be referred to as a retrospective album or an anthology.
Beach Boys' Party! Uncovered and Unplugged is a compilation and remix album released by Capitol Records on November 20, 2015. It is an 81-track expansion of Beach Boys' Party!, presenting it without informal chatter overdubs followed by a selection of outtakes collected from the album's original five recording sessions.
The Lovin' Spoonful Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the folk rock group the Lovin' Spoonful. Released in 2000 on Buddha Records, the compilation marked the first digital remaster of the band's material taken from the original multi-track master tapes, which had been rediscovered after having been lost for decades. The album contains every Top 40 hit single enjoyed by the band in the United States including its only chart-topper, "Summer in the City." The original recordings were produced by Erik Jacobsen, and originally released on Kama Sutra Records.
The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection is a 68-disc box set by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on December 8, 2017, by Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. The packaging noted that it includes 67 albums that have been remastered, several of which were being made available on CD for the first time. Two of those, I Love My Lady and The Island, were debuting in their entirety for the first time anywhere, and 38 of the bonus tracks included had also previously gone unreleased.
The Queen in Waiting: The Columbia Years (1960–1965) is a 2002 compilation album of Aretha Franklin's early recordings from 1960 to 1965 when she was signed to Columbia Records. It was repackaged as part of The Essential series in 2010, with a three-disc set containing eight additional songs also being released as The Essential 3.0.