James Taylor- Flag
(Numbered Hybrid SACD)
Track List
1. "Company Man" – 3:47
2. "Johnnie Comes Back" – 3:55
3. "Day Tripper" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 4:25
4. "I Will Not Lie for You" – 3:16
5. "Brother Trucker" – 4:01
6. "Is That the Way You Look?" – 1:59
7. "B.S.U.R." – 3:23
8. "Rainy Day Man" (Taylor, Zach Wiesner) – 3:02
9. "Millworker" – 3:52
10. "Up on the Roof" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) – 4:21
11. "Chanson Française" – 2:05
12. "Sleep Come Free Me" – 4:43
James TaylorFlagon Numbered Edition Hybrid SACD from Mobile Fidelity
Flagis Classic JT: At-Home Folk Arrangements, Soft-Rock Coziness, Captivating Emotion- Contains Classics "Up On the Roof" and "Rainy Day Man"
Narratives on 1979 Gem Peer into the Heart of Everyman and Everywoman
Mastered from the Original Master Tapes: Sonics As Mellifluous As Taylor's Voice on a Cool Summer Night
James Taylorwas an interesting place when he recorded the colossally underratedFlag. Fresh off his double-platinumJ.T.(also available fromMobile Fidelity), the artist who defines the singer-songwriter genre had just collaborated withArt GarfunkelandCarly Simon, undertaken a Broadway musical, and become more active in political affairs. All these factors contribute to this1979 treasure, which finds Taylor plying more of his trademark mellow vibes and insightful, soul-gazing lyrics.
Mobile Fidelity’s brilliant-sounding hybrid SACD is, and the results are as spectacular as chilling out to Taylor’s mellifluous voice on a summer night.Flush with exquisite acoustic textures, beautiful tonalities, and studio-perfect dynamics, this audiophile version bringsTaylor’smusic to life like never before.
Having landed in the Top Ten and sold more than two million copies,Flagnonetheless remains one of Taylor’s most under-appreciated efforts. And it’s not because the content is lacking. The beloved singer enters his hallmark storytelling mode on “Sleep Come Free Me” and dizzies the senses with the beloved “Rainy Day Man.” Drawing from his musicalWorking(based on legendary authorStuds Terkel’sbook of the same name), “Millworker” and “Brother Trucker” are lessons in character studies,Taylor’snarratives peering into the heart of blue-collar America and reflecting his knack for the everyman&mdashand everywoman.
Similarly, a pair of covers&mdash“Up on the Roof” and “Day Tripper”&mdashshow his knack for reverent interpretation as well as originality.Flagreveals why we love JT. The literary descriptiveness, at-home folk arrangements, soft-rock fireplace coziness, captivating emotion, faithful tones, and stellar sense of instrumental placement, be it backing vocals, nuanced percussion, pedal-steel guitar, or subtle horns, the latter courtesy of do-it-all saxophonist David Sanborn. Alas, many of these facets have long gone unnoticed.
Ever since its original release,Flaghas been plagued with muddled sound. No longer.Mobile Fidelity’sdigital reissue unlocks the well-kept sonic secrets and floods the record with the intimacy and impact that have always lurked underneath the surface. Finally,Taylor’sfinite acoustic playing, well-mannered melodies, reflective words, and refined singing are experienced as a whole. The amount of new musical information that’s been uncovered will boggle the minds of even the most ardentTaylorfans.