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Break Shot: My First 21 Years
James Taylor presenting and narrating the first twenty-one years of his life.
2 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 31, 2020
30 people are currently reading
1233 people want to read
About the author
James Taylor
53 books62 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Taylor's career began in the mid-1960s, but he found his audience in the early 1970s, singing sensitive and gentle acoustic songs. He was part of a wave of singer-songwriters of the time that also included Joni Mitchell, Tom Rush, Cat Stevens, Carole King, John Denver, Jim Croce, Don McLean, and Jackson Browne, as well as Carly Simon, whom Taylor later married.
His 1976 album Greatest Hits was certified diamond and has sold more than 11 million copies. He has retained a large audience well into the 1990s and early 2000s, when some of his best-selling and most-awarded albums were released.
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Taylor's career began in the mid-1960s, but he found his audience in the early 1970s, singing sensitive and gentle acoustic songs. He was part of a wave of singer-songwriters of the time that also included Joni Mitchell, Tom Rush, Cat Stevens, Carole King, John Denver, Jim Croce, Don McLean, and Jackson Browne, as well as Carly Simon, whom Taylor later married.
His 1976 album Greatest Hits was certified diamond and has sold more than 11 million copies. He has retained a large audience well into the 1990s and early 2000s, when some of his best-selling and most-awarded albums were released.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 855 reviews
December 27, 2020
I’ve been a fan of James Taylor since the early 70’s and I own many albums of his!
I enjoyed him telling the story of his early life, and this was a mix of narration and some music!
March 8, 2020
What a gift to his fans.
March 12, 2020
I'm not that big a fan of James Taylor, but he's from the area where I live, (western MA) and I thought this audio might be interesting.
I was wrong. For a memoir that covers a musician with drug addictions and mental illness, this was boring. There's actually very little here because, (it felt like), there was a musical interlude every two minutes.
Perhaps, if you're a die hard James Taylor fan you would enjoy this. I was just wanting it to be over.
A free Audible Original for members.
*Not entering dates read, so this doesn't count towards my reading goal. (Read 3.12.20.)*
I was wrong. For a memoir that covers a musician with drug addictions and mental illness, this was boring. There's actually very little here because, (it felt like), there was a musical interlude every two minutes.
Perhaps, if you're a die hard James Taylor fan you would enjoy this. I was just wanting it to be over.
A free Audible Original for members.
*Not entering dates read, so this doesn't count towards my reading goal. (Read 3.12.20.)*
October 12, 2020
In the game of pool, a break shot is the initial action that influences all the moves made after, and thus affects the entire trajectory of the game. In James Taylor’s audible book, Break Shot it is his story, especially as it relates to his musical journey, but to some degree he covers family, individual family stories, while trying to maintain as much privacy as possible for his family and still sharing his story with unflinching honesty.
This is mostly James Taylor telling his story from his perspective, but there are moments of his music interspersed throughout, as well, sometimes led by the background story that was the inspiration for both his music, as well as the creation of this memoir.
At only 90 minutes long, to share much more of this would take away the enjoyment of listening to him relay his personal stories, so I’ll just say that I found this worth listening to, and enjoyed listening to him tell his story.
April 18, 2022
I had resisted getting a subscription to Audible, something about the privatization of knowledge; I can get most things I want on audio through free streaming services through my library. But someone gave it to me this year for my birthday and I saw there are some advantages: This short audio memoir with musical interludes is only available there. And it is sweet and melancholy in the way of all James Taylor’s live and works. This part of his memoir focuses on his life until 21--his messed up rich(er) kid east coast home life--wealthy physician Dad, whose kids all ended up in psych hospitals and with addictions, James with heroin--his early success and his walking in to be granted a contract at Apple Records after playing for The Beatles’ Paul and George.
Taylor says he is a “professional autobiographer,” telling his life through his music, so it’s both nice to hear some music throughout and to hear the backstory of some of the songs. It’s also good to hear his brutal honesty at times about the addictions that messed up his life at various times. He’s not all that forthcoming in general--he’s sweet and respectful, for the most part, as you might expect fr0m his music--but it is great to hear him tell his own story. I loved it, overall.
When I was a teenager I and several thousand people in 1970 heard “Fire and Rain” on the radio and were changed in many ways for ever. I went out the next week and bought his records and a cheap guitar, and learned by ear many of the songs on those records. I and a group of friends got together to play Dylan, Joni, CCSY and James Taylor. He sort of characterized, with those other people, my generation, or my part of my generation, at least.
Fire and Rain (live, 1970):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1nKG...
Something in the Way She Moves (live):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B4bB...
Taylor says he is a “professional autobiographer,” telling his life through his music, so it’s both nice to hear some music throughout and to hear the backstory of some of the songs. It’s also good to hear his brutal honesty at times about the addictions that messed up his life at various times. He’s not all that forthcoming in general--he’s sweet and respectful, for the most part, as you might expect fr0m his music--but it is great to hear him tell his own story. I loved it, overall.
When I was a teenager I and several thousand people in 1970 heard “Fire and Rain” on the radio and were changed in many ways for ever. I went out the next week and bought his records and a cheap guitar, and learned by ear many of the songs on those records. I and a group of friends got together to play Dylan, Joni, CCSY and James Taylor. He sort of characterized, with those other people, my generation, or my part of my generation, at least.
Fire and Rain (live, 1970):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1nKG...
Something in the Way She Moves (live):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B4bB...
April 14, 2020
Like many of us here, I grew up listening to James Taylor. Our 8th Grade graduation song was the Carole King penned "You've Got a Friend", which Taylor made famous. We sang it heartily. This Audible original popped up a couple of months ago and I grabbed it then. It strictly focuses on his early years and it is very well done, with Taylor narrating expertly. There are a few songs sprinkled in, as well. Only, 90 minutes, so well worth your time. I just hope he does a follow-up.
February 20, 2021
Heartbreak, courage, surviving and thriving. Kudos to Mr. Taylor for so many things - of course his music (outstanding and a staple for me while I was in college and still 50 years later) - but having listened to "Break Shot" I bow to his ability and tenacity to survive generational addiction continuing to make a loving life while positively impacting millions of listeners. Well done, sir.
Note: This was an Audible Original and was narrated by the author.
Note: This was an Audible Original and was narrated by the author.
May 3, 2020
Audible Review
Overall 3 out of 5 stars
Performance 3 out of 5 stars
Story 3 out of 5 stars
Interesting, but depressing.
I'm not a diehard James Taylor fan, but I do enjoy his music so when Audible offered this as one of their free Originals I thought why not! I freely admit to not paying attention to the title so I didn't realize until it was over that it just covered his very early years- some of his musical beginnings, but a lot about his home life which I found pretty depressing.
It was a very condensed version of those 21 years, but I did learn things about him I never knew before, and it made me want to have a mini James Taylor at home concert one of these evenings- he does have some great songs,
He narrated this himself, and while the narration wasn't great, it was engaging- at least for me.
Overall 3 out of 5 stars
Performance 3 out of 5 stars
Story 3 out of 5 stars
Interesting, but depressing.
I'm not a diehard James Taylor fan, but I do enjoy his music so when Audible offered this as one of their free Originals I thought why not! I freely admit to not paying attention to the title so I didn't realize until it was over that it just covered his very early years- some of his musical beginnings, but a lot about his home life which I found pretty depressing.
It was a very condensed version of those 21 years, but I did learn things about him I never knew before, and it made me want to have a mini James Taylor at home concert one of these evenings- he does have some great songs,
He narrated this himself, and while the narration wasn't great, it was engaging- at least for me.
May 8, 2020
"Just yesterday mornin', they let me know you were gone
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to..."
I grew up listening to James Taylor because of my parents. So when I first saw Break Shot: My First 21 Years, I was intrigued. Honestly, I knew nothing about him other than his music being in some movies that I've watched. Getting to know him through his younger years was okay for me. Nothing really spectacular or new when it comes to musicians in my opinion. Now if I got an autobiography about a musician who didn't do drugs or become addicted to anything - then I will be surprised.
In the end, it was interesting so hear about his struggles and to see him make some amazing songs.
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to..."
I grew up listening to James Taylor because of my parents. So when I first saw Break Shot: My First 21 Years, I was intrigued. Honestly, I knew nothing about him other than his music being in some movies that I've watched. Getting to know him through his younger years was okay for me. Nothing really spectacular or new when it comes to musicians in my opinion. Now if I got an autobiography about a musician who didn't do drugs or become addicted to anything - then I will be surprised.
In the end, it was interesting so hear about his struggles and to see him make some amazing songs.
May 25, 2020
This is a 90-minute memoir offered free by audible.com to members. So, given the length, not too much of a commitment. I enjoyed it, though. Liked the way he started out saying he was going to leave his living brothers and sister(s?) out, as much as he could, since they'd have their own versions. He recounted what influenced him: his parents' histories (mainly his father's), their marriage, the impact of father deserting family for a preferred military assignment at a crucial time, addiction, the times. He was quite candid. And you get snippets of music along the way.
Break shot: from the game of pool; what got everything started.
I don't typically read celebrity memoirs, but enjoyed this one.
Break shot: from the game of pool; what got everything started.
I don't typically read celebrity memoirs, but enjoyed this one.
March 13, 2020
Short (1 1/2 hour) bio of James Taylor talking about his life up to the release of Sweet Baby James. Very interesting and honest look at his struggles with Substance Abuse and the events that led to him becoming the famous artist we all know him as today
January 2, 2021
James Taylor - what a smooth voice, speaking and singing. I didn't know anything about him before this book. I look forward to learning about his next 21 years in a possible future Audible Original?
February 24, 2021
I really enjoyed this free audible book. I hope he will now tell the story of his next 21 years.
April 8, 2020
Review which I have saved offline (see Public Service Announcement (PSA) below):
Memoir of a Song Man with Musical Excerpts
Review of the Audible Original audiobook edition (USA January 30, 2020, Canada March 19, 2020)
Break Shot: My First 21 Years was released January 30, 2020 on Audible USA, but was geo-blocked to Canada until March 19, 2020, when I was also able to download a copy.
Initially, Break Shot does get a little tiresome as it begins to seem like an extended marketing tool for Taylor's covers album American Standard released Feb. 28, 2020. Taylor provides anecdotes about his family and their substance abuse issues, but each of these stories seems pre-programmed to get in a musical excerpt from Standard by explaining what the song meant to Taylor in his youth.
I found an uplifting breakthrough though after about 2/3rds of the memoir, when Taylor relates how his father Ike drove from North Carolina to come get James in NYC where he was suffering from opiate abuse and to bring him to rehab. Up until that point it had seemed Taylor was dissing the old man who had deserted his family and sunk into alcohol abuse, but regardless of that, the father still came to the aid of his son when it counted. After that point, Taylor's career takes an upswing when he moves to London, England and gets signed to Apple Records by the Beatles. There is a chilling flash-forward story when Taylor retroactively realizes that he met Mark Chapman just before the latter killed John Lennon in NYC in 1980.
The memoir closes with a live recording of Taylor's classic own song "Fire and Rain."
So overall I really did enjoy this memoir and I hope that Taylor continues with an extended memoir / autobiography in the future. He has certainly lived enough of a life for it.
Break Shot: My First 21 Years was one of the free Audible Originals for both Audible USA members and the general USA public in February 2020. As of the end of March 2020 it remains freely available to the USA public. As of March 19, 2020 it was made available at Audible Canada and to the general Canadian public. It does require an Canadian Amazon user account to log in though.
Trivia and Links
Watch a video clip of James Taylor discussing his recording of American Standard (2020) on YouTube here.
Watch a video clip of James Taylor discussing his recording of Break Shot: My First 21 Years on YouTube here.
I've attempted to further publicize the #BanningBooks issue on Twitter, but without much success to date. Given the current world situation due to COVID-19, I've stopped posting about it there, but am still adding information about it to book reviews.
PSA March 2020 This is a re-listing as the original audiobook posting of Break Shot: My First 21 Years on Goodreads and its hundreds of ratings and reviews were deleted on March 6-7, 2020 in the 2020 Audible Original new purge by misinformed Goodreads librarians who are not following the Librarian Manual but instead basing their deletions on false information & opinions such as Audible Originals being "behind a paywall", "available only by subscription", "are podcasts" or "are not books". There is nothing in the Librarian Manual that excludes these audiobooks, but for some reason, there is misinformation that leads some to believe that there is. Goodreads Authors are also supposed to be contacted prior to their books being NABed (ie. turned into NOT A BOOK) but it is unlikely that this policy in the Librarian Manual is even being followed or we would have heard about this issue via authors much earlier. Also, due to Audible's exclusivity contracts on Originals, authors cannot go to print or ebook formats until after 6 months, at which point further editions may appear. This nuance about the possible appearance of print versions is not covered in the faulty Librarian Manual which adds to the confusion. Based on 2019's experience new postings and/or outlier editions of these audiobooks will appear that will allow you to restore your rating and review if you have written and saved it offline. Follow the ongoing debate about this issue at Why Audible Originals are being considered NOT A BOOK Thank you for reading and thank you for your consideration.
Memoir of a Song Man with Musical Excerpts
Review of the Audible Original audiobook edition (USA January 30, 2020, Canada March 19, 2020)
Break Shot: My First 21 Years was released January 30, 2020 on Audible USA, but was geo-blocked to Canada until March 19, 2020, when I was also able to download a copy.
Initially, Break Shot does get a little tiresome as it begins to seem like an extended marketing tool for Taylor's covers album American Standard released Feb. 28, 2020. Taylor provides anecdotes about his family and their substance abuse issues, but each of these stories seems pre-programmed to get in a musical excerpt from Standard by explaining what the song meant to Taylor in his youth.
I found an uplifting breakthrough though after about 2/3rds of the memoir, when Taylor relates how his father Ike drove from North Carolina to come get James in NYC where he was suffering from opiate abuse and to bring him to rehab. Up until that point it had seemed Taylor was dissing the old man who had deserted his family and sunk into alcohol abuse, but regardless of that, the father still came to the aid of his son when it counted. After that point, Taylor's career takes an upswing when he moves to London, England and gets signed to Apple Records by the Beatles. There is a chilling flash-forward story when Taylor retroactively realizes that he met Mark Chapman just before the latter killed John Lennon in NYC in 1980.
The memoir closes with a live recording of Taylor's classic own song "Fire and Rain."
So overall I really did enjoy this memoir and I hope that Taylor continues with an extended memoir / autobiography in the future. He has certainly lived enough of a life for it.
Break Shot: My First 21 Years was one of the free Audible Originals for both Audible USA members and the general USA public in February 2020. As of the end of March 2020 it remains freely available to the USA public. As of March 19, 2020 it was made available at Audible Canada and to the general Canadian public. It does require an Canadian Amazon user account to log in though.
Trivia and Links
Watch a video clip of James Taylor discussing his recording of American Standard (2020) on YouTube here.
Watch a video clip of James Taylor discussing his recording of Break Shot: My First 21 Years on YouTube here.
I've attempted to further publicize the #BanningBooks issue on Twitter, but without much success to date. Given the current world situation due to COVID-19, I've stopped posting about it there, but am still adding information about it to book reviews.
PSA March 2020 This is a re-listing as the original audiobook posting of Break Shot: My First 21 Years on Goodreads and its hundreds of ratings and reviews were deleted on March 6-7, 2020 in the 2020 Audible Original new purge by misinformed Goodreads librarians who are not following the Librarian Manual but instead basing their deletions on false information & opinions such as Audible Originals being "behind a paywall", "available only by subscription", "are podcasts" or "are not books". There is nothing in the Librarian Manual that excludes these audiobooks, but for some reason, there is misinformation that leads some to believe that there is. Goodreads Authors are also supposed to be contacted prior to their books being NABed (ie. turned into NOT A BOOK) but it is unlikely that this policy in the Librarian Manual is even being followed or we would have heard about this issue via authors much earlier. Also, due to Audible's exclusivity contracts on Originals, authors cannot go to print or ebook formats until after 6 months, at which point further editions may appear. This nuance about the possible appearance of print versions is not covered in the faulty Librarian Manual which adds to the confusion. Based on 2019's experience new postings and/or outlier editions of these audiobooks will appear that will allow you to restore your rating and review if you have written and saved it offline. Follow the ongoing debate about this issue at Why Audible Originals are being considered NOT A BOOK Thank you for reading and thank you for your consideration.
March 9, 2020
A memoir written in a minor key. Haunting. Pensive.
Taylor's narration is entwined with accompanying music. He tells the mostly sad backstories to several well-known lyrics.
Yay! He plays the cello! My flutter-finger section was James' ode to hymnody:
Religious services at Milton introduced me to the Protestant hymnal, and that's bedrock stuff. In terms of harmonies and western music, it's our common musical culture. It leads to a lot of southern gospel, both white and black. I would sing a bass harmony, a middle harmony; I would experiment with where in the song to put my voice. It taught me a lot. Once to Every Man and Nation; Jerusalem; O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Those hymns were a musical education to me. I learned them on the guitar and they taught me all I know.
(He clarifies that he is a "jealous agnostic".) Language warning: a few f-bombs.
This was an Audible original. I'm not an Audible member, but I was able to get it free.
Taylor's narration is entwined with accompanying music. He tells the mostly sad backstories to several well-known lyrics.
Yay! He plays the cello! My flutter-finger section was James' ode to hymnody:
Religious services at Milton introduced me to the Protestant hymnal, and that's bedrock stuff. In terms of harmonies and western music, it's our common musical culture. It leads to a lot of southern gospel, both white and black. I would sing a bass harmony, a middle harmony; I would experiment with where in the song to put my voice. It taught me a lot. Once to Every Man and Nation; Jerusalem; O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Those hymns were a musical education to me. I learned them on the guitar and they taught me all I know.
(He clarifies that he is a "jealous agnostic".) Language warning: a few f-bombs.
This was an Audible original. I'm not an Audible member, but I was able to get it free.
April 25, 2020
There are times that when I finish a 1,000 page epic that I wish it had been 150 pages. That is not the case here. This audiobook which was offered free of charge by Audible makes me wish that the hour or so that I listened could be extended to a week. A lovely, sensitive story of a troubled youth which happened to match the timeline of my own. One word summarizes this production: Reflective. The journey includes a troubled family, heroin, the Beatles, death, Greenwich Village, loved ones, London, Rio, and LA and two lifetimes of memories crushed in to a small timeframe. I have always believed that having problems is not the measure of life, everyone has deal with them. It is how you deal with them that makes the difference. Often the most severe hardships that you face become your greatest opportunities. James Taylor reflects here and his reflection is expressed word for word in his music. An excellent experience.
December 31, 2021
A new addition to my favorites ♡
Awesome Audible Original! I'm only familiar with a handful of James Taylor's more popular songs so, I was delighted to see this free audiobook feature for the month.
I didn’t know much about James Taylor’s life and this audio memoir presented it with riveting honesty, emotion, and reflection. It's short, sad, and sweet; I loved learning about the legendary musician's early life interwoven with his music. (Wished it was longer! ♡)
Overall I really enjoyed James Taylor’s narration; I would highly recommend to all fans of his music, and also to anyone that enjoys listening to musical formats such as these, especially the Audible version. (I did, twice! ♡)
Awesome Audible Original! I'm only familiar with a handful of James Taylor's more popular songs so, I was delighted to see this free audiobook feature for the month.
I didn’t know much about James Taylor’s life and this audio memoir presented it with riveting honesty, emotion, and reflection. It's short, sad, and sweet; I loved learning about the legendary musician's early life interwoven with his music. (Wished it was longer! ♡)
Overall I really enjoyed James Taylor’s narration; I would highly recommend to all fans of his music, and also to anyone that enjoys listening to musical formats such as these, especially the Audible version. (I did, twice! ♡)
March 31, 2020
I just finished listening to this Audible Original narrated by James Taylor. This is a free audiobook available to all Audible members. I’ve heard of James Taylor but I never listened to his music or knew anything about him. I liked this audiobook. I like that he included some of his songs in this audiobook because I’ve never heard his music before so that was interesting.
June 20, 2020
This was a very good short self-narrated biography that all audblebook subscribers get for free. I am a fan of James Taylor and I learned some things about him that I never knew. He had a very unstable life to say the least but did his best to get through it. This audible book was very interesting and I liked the music that was included. It has always intrigued to me to learn what inspires a person to write a specific song and he talks about the inspiration behind several of his songs in this one. The only reason this is not 5 stars is that he jumped around somewhat as far as time periods are concerned, so it was a little confusing as this only covers his first 21 years. Otherwise I loved it!
June 1, 2021
I've listened to James Taylor songs most of my life, been fortunate to see him play from Boston to L.A and in Las Vegas. I've always loved his voice and songs so this musical autobiography was an easy pick. I stay away from Audible as I dislike the fact that their Audible Audio label is only available thru Audible (no library or other audio venders have these recordings). As Amazon has gotten larger and their power has gotten greater and their Audible exclusives are getting so much better I've found them harder and harder to avoid. But this was a recording I have been wanting to listen to ever since I listened to Carly Simon's book, Boys in the Trees. That audio was so enhanced by the inclusion of her songs.
This audio autobiography is enhanced by James Taylor's voice and songs. It was wonderful to learn of his origins, his family, the people and places that made him the musician and song writer he is. For a fan like me it was a delight and I swallowed it whole. I only wish there had been more. This is the story of his first 21 years and while it explains much I wanted to hear more about his life as a musician I only hope there will be a sequel. It was a great listen. If you are interested in the 60's music scene or just love the music this is a wonderful listen.
Merged review:
I've listened to James Taylor songs most of my life, been fortunate to see him play from Boston to L.A and in Las Vegas. I've always loved his voice and songs so this musical autobiography was an easy pick. I stay away from Audible as I dislike the fact that their Audible Audio label is only available thru Audible (no library or other audio venders have these recordings). As Amazon has gotten larger and their power has gotten greater and their Audible exclusives are getting so much better I've found them harder and harder to avoid. But this was a recording I have been wanting to listen to ever since I listened to Carly Simon's book, Boys in the Trees. That audio was so enhanced by the inclusion of her songs.
This audio autobiography is enhanced by James Taylor's voice and songs. It was wonderful to learn of his origins, his family, the people and places that made him the musician and song writer he is. For a fan like me it was a delight and I swallowed it whole. I only wish there had been more. This is the story of his first 21 years and while it explains much I wanted to hear more about his life as a musician I only hope there will be a sequel. It was a great listen. If you are interested in the 60's music scene or just love the music this is a wonderful listen.
This audio autobiography is enhanced by James Taylor's voice and songs. It was wonderful to learn of his origins, his family, the people and places that made him the musician and song writer he is. For a fan like me it was a delight and I swallowed it whole. I only wish there had been more. This is the story of his first 21 years and while it explains much I wanted to hear more about his life as a musician I only hope there will be a sequel. It was a great listen. If you are interested in the 60's music scene or just love the music this is a wonderful listen.
Merged review:
I've listened to James Taylor songs most of my life, been fortunate to see him play from Boston to L.A and in Las Vegas. I've always loved his voice and songs so this musical autobiography was an easy pick. I stay away from Audible as I dislike the fact that their Audible Audio label is only available thru Audible (no library or other audio venders have these recordings). As Amazon has gotten larger and their power has gotten greater and their Audible exclusives are getting so much better I've found them harder and harder to avoid. But this was a recording I have been wanting to listen to ever since I listened to Carly Simon's book, Boys in the Trees. That audio was so enhanced by the inclusion of her songs.
This audio autobiography is enhanced by James Taylor's voice and songs. It was wonderful to learn of his origins, his family, the people and places that made him the musician and song writer he is. For a fan like me it was a delight and I swallowed it whole. I only wish there had been more. This is the story of his first 21 years and while it explains much I wanted to hear more about his life as a musician I only hope there will be a sequel. It was a great listen. If you are interested in the 60's music scene or just love the music this is a wonderful listen.
March 19, 2020
I have been a James Taylor fan for a long time, and this short memoir of his early years, growing up in North Carolina and Massachusetts, made me like him even more.
Narrated by Taylor himself, and interspersed with short clips of both old and new songs he performs alone in his studio, this candid autobiography sketches Taylor's experiences growing up in a home with an alcoholic, absent father and the fallout of his parents' broken marriage. Sharing raw and sad details about his time in a Boston boarding school, psychiatric hospitalizations, early loves, and addiction, Taylor provides fascinating insights about the sources of many of his songs, and perspective on how music has saved his life.
He also gives hope to anyone who is struggling, or who has struggled with these same issues. Taylor is a man who has found peace with himself, and with his life, and the rich tones of his guitar and voice offer a profound soundtrack to anyone looking for solace in the pain of life's challenges.
Narrated by Taylor himself, and interspersed with short clips of both old and new songs he performs alone in his studio, this candid autobiography sketches Taylor's experiences growing up in a home with an alcoholic, absent father and the fallout of his parents' broken marriage. Sharing raw and sad details about his time in a Boston boarding school, psychiatric hospitalizations, early loves, and addiction, Taylor provides fascinating insights about the sources of many of his songs, and perspective on how music has saved his life.
He also gives hope to anyone who is struggling, or who has struggled with these same issues. Taylor is a man who has found peace with himself, and with his life, and the rich tones of his guitar and voice offer a profound soundtrack to anyone looking for solace in the pain of life's challenges.
March 15, 2020
Break Shot, My First 21 years... On Audible I listened to James Taylor's one and a half hour autobiography. Taylor shares his boyhood...one where he "was given a lot" to his adolescent hard times induced by his depression coupled with the influence of drugs and alcohol while totally immersed in the creation of music. Taylor punctuates his narrative with lavish segments of his music and anecdotes of his time in the company of musicians. I felt his pain and his triumph.
June 8, 2021
It was interesting to hear the stories behind some of my favorite songs, and the musical snippets are heavenly, but it was a mistake to have him do the narration. It's surprising that an artist who conveys so much emotion in his music sounds like he's reading someone else's life story, from a book he's never opened before.
Audiobook via Audible Plus catalog.
Audiobook via Audible Plus catalog.
April 20, 2020
I was very pleasantly surprised by this free audible book! It was a nice mixture of narration, as well as music. Unique!
May 20, 2022
Bullet Review:
James Taylor will always have a spot in my heart; as a wee child of the 80's, my parents listened to that evocative white cassette of his greatest hits, so "Fire & Rain", "Carolina in My Mind" and "You've Got a Friend" are some of the most precious songs in my memory.
James mentions numerous times his level of privilege, being able to see Broadway plays, learn various musical instruments and whatnot. Nonetheless, I really felt for him, as he struggled with his complicated family dynamics.
Of course, James singing the songs in what seems to be a live performance is also incredibly lovely and beautiful. I may have teared up.
James Taylor will always have a spot in my heart; as a wee child of the 80's, my parents listened to that evocative white cassette of his greatest hits, so "Fire & Rain", "Carolina in My Mind" and "You've Got a Friend" are some of the most precious songs in my memory.
James mentions numerous times his level of privilege, being able to see Broadway plays, learn various musical instruments and whatnot. Nonetheless, I really felt for him, as he struggled with his complicated family dynamics.
Of course, James singing the songs in what seems to be a live performance is also incredibly lovely and beautiful. I may have teared up.
September 8, 2020
For fans of James Taylor this is a must listen from audible originals. Make sure you won’t be interrupted, put your earbuds in, your feet up and enjoy his stories and a bit of his music from the first 21 years of his life. He is a deeply interesting man and an amazing storyteller through his lyrics and music. My only wish is that it was longer.
April 7, 2020
James Taylor played a lot of the music that made my childhood. I realized as I started listening that I had no true understanding of where he came from or how his songs came to be on my dad’s stereo system. This was a great peek into the turmoil that taught him the life lessons he sings about. I did have a little trouble staying engaged though, as James Taylor is a great storyteller with a melody and guitar, but his reading aloud was someone lacking. Very interesting at those wanting to build a connection with the artists that shape us.
March 15, 2020
I'm not a James Taylor fan but enjoy some of his songs, and this was a freebie on Audible this month so I went for it.
James tells the story of the first 21 years of his life, and it wasn't pretty for the most part. His parents got divorced and his family life deteriorated, he got mixed up in drugs, and was hospitalized with mental issues. It's a testament to his resolve that he overcame all these issues to become the successful musician he is.
His voice is pleasing to listen to and he adds some musical interludes in between the short "chapters", which is nice.
James tells the story of the first 21 years of his life, and it wasn't pretty for the most part. His parents got divorced and his family life deteriorated, he got mixed up in drugs, and was hospitalized with mental issues. It's a testament to his resolve that he overcame all these issues to become the successful musician he is.
His voice is pleasing to listen to and he adds some musical interludes in between the short "chapters", which is nice.
March 26, 2020
I am not an audible book fan because my mind starts wandering and I spend more time rewinding than listening. A HUGE thank you to my friend Jody who allowed me to use her audible account so I could hear James tell in his own words and music about his first 21 years!!
Like all families his had issues - the 4 D’s - Death, Divorce, Depression & Drugs.
I believe depression is genetic and he definitely has it interlaced in several generations. Self-medicating with alcohol and drugs is common in people with depression who just want the pain to go away. I felt he told his story truthfully and pointed out all the areas where he he was blessed. The back stories for his songs were like icing on the cake. I will listen to those songs with a new understanding
I hope he continues to tell his story in additional segments. I came away with additional respect for this beloved musician and kind man.
Like all families his had issues - the 4 D’s - Death, Divorce, Depression & Drugs.
I believe depression is genetic and he definitely has it interlaced in several generations. Self-medicating with alcohol and drugs is common in people with depression who just want the pain to go away. I felt he told his story truthfully and pointed out all the areas where he he was blessed. The back stories for his songs were like icing on the cake. I will listen to those songs with a new understanding
I hope he continues to tell his story in additional segments. I came away with additional respect for this beloved musician and kind man.
June 14, 2021
This is a one and a half hour audible recording done by James Taylor. It is probably R-rated because of the talk of his drug addiction but it falls quite short of being X-rated and bearing the soul. You will learn Quite a bit about his four siblings and his parents. You will hear about Joni Mitchell and Carole King and his relationship with the Beatles early in his career. If you only know him through his recordings, you will find us interesting as I certainly did.
Having just finished recently a biography of Joni Mitchell I knew that she had been less laudatory of James Taylor then he was about himself. No surprise there. This is certainly not a 90 minute self analysis including all of the Hwy was sleeping with who.
I give it four stars rather than three because I did basically enjoy listening to it and learning a little bit more about Mr. Taylor. But a critical review might drop it to three stars simply because it is not very heavy into self examination. It is interesting that he says that his songs are not necessarily strictly autobiographical because he says you sometimes have to change some of the story to fit into a sound structure and song structure rather than being technically 100% accurate to the life experience.
Having just finished recently a biography of Joni Mitchell I knew that she had been less laudatory of James Taylor then he was about himself. No surprise there. This is certainly not a 90 minute self analysis including all of the Hwy was sleeping with who.
I give it four stars rather than three because I did basically enjoy listening to it and learning a little bit more about Mr. Taylor. But a critical review might drop it to three stars simply because it is not very heavy into self examination. It is interesting that he says that his songs are not necessarily strictly autobiographical because he says you sometimes have to change some of the story to fit into a sound structure and song structure rather than being technically 100% accurate to the life experience.
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