I bought this album in early September of 2002, shortly
after its release and just one year after large-scale terrorism single-handedly
imploded the United States with not only the magnitude of its evil destruction,
but also by the debacle and needless disfigurement that would become a series of decade-long wars
in the Middle East. And like everybody else in the country seemed to be in
those days, I was in heavy introspection and reinvention mode. Thank God for
James Taylor. I was ready for a diversion and for something hopeful, and after spending
my 20’s in the wonderful town where I went to college I decided to take a job
in a different location. And while a new work opportunity made me hopeful for
what might lie ahead, the unfamiliar territory made me reflective and sentimental.
This tender album served as my travel companion as I said “goodbye” to DeKalb,
Illinois and made my new home in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Lyrically wistful and nostalgic, on October Road, Taylor sings about high school crushes, first kisses,
football games, and the sights, sounds and smells of the months between the autumnal
equinox to the winter solstice. In fact, songs on the album reference the
entire second half of the calendar year: July through December. “On The 4th Of July,” “September Grass,” “October Road,” “Caroline I See You,” and even the
seemingly out-of-place, but somehow-still-works cover of the holiday classic,
“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” The album suggests the second half of
the year as a time to wonder and rejoice, versus the hectic, hustle-and-bustle
of the first two seasons. October Road
reminds me of one of the best periods of my own life: the first year of being
married to my partner. The album was the soundtrack to so many Chicago-land
road trips together as Kristina and I navigated a new geographic region,
weekend errands and groceries, carefree apartment living, and generally getting
better acquainted. I treasure those days.
While there are numerous stand-out tracks on this album
(i.e., the aforementioned, “September Grass” and the uber-mellow, grilled
cheese and hot chocolate, one-two punch of “Caroline I See You” and “Baby Buffalo”), the songs on October Road
are also of a piece, conjuring autumn and winter imagery: colored leaves on the
ground, family and good friends, crisp, November air, and the smell of bonfires,
hayrides, and pumpkin pie. Taylor’s lyrics on this album are road-worn and
familiar, cozy and comforting. In fact, October
Road reads like the third and fourth season travelogue of a man who has
finally achieved a certain level of satisfaction and contentment with his life.
And if my James Taylor history is correct, this serenity has been hard-won.
Most folks over a certain age know about James Taylor’s “soft
rocking, hard living” early days, as one of the principle auteurs of the
singer/songwriter genre (along with Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Carly Simon, Bob Dylan, etc.), he created classic 1970’s hits, like “Fire and Rain,” “Handy Man,” “Your Smiling Face,” “Shower The People,” and his only number one, the
1971 Carole King-penned, “You’ve Got A Friend.” James Taylor has endured mental
illness, rock stardom, drug abuse, and the fleeting trends of pop music, which
tend to favor the tastes of 13-18 year-olds. Following suit, Taylor started to
lose traction on the pop singles charts in the early 1980’s, as MTV, with it’s neon
lights, hairspray, and synthesizers, effectively killed the radio star. The
80’s and 90’s passed quietly for Taylor, who released a sublime album every
five years or so to his faithful followers, toured to support his new songs,
and otherwise grew comfortable in his role as elder statesman of rock music.
And we fans keep coming back for more, most recently on the sold out “Troubadours”
tour with the equally legendary, Carole King. David Crosby has said that the
debut album of a singer-songwriter represents 10 years of the musician’s work,
but the second album, often written between gigs while promoting the first release,
that’s where you can tell if an
artist is any good. October Road is Taylor’s 15th album. Still good.
Very good, indeed.
