James Taylor Long Ago and Far Away:

 James Taylor Long Ago and Far Away: His Life and His Music by Timothy White




I really wanted to love this book. I have never read anything about James Taylor and was actually looking forward to it. I did enjoy it, for the most part. Upon seeing the length I got nervous and looking back - I was right to be nervous. And then some.


We learn very early that his earliest ancestors in Scotland spelled their name Tailyeour, it was great-great-great -whatever grandpappy Hercules Tailyeour. Yup, we went all the way back to 1601 for that little nugget. 


Genealogy is a wonderful thing. Many of us are curious about our ancestral history and invest in finding out this info. But is it necessary, in a biography about a rock star, to take us back nearly 500 hundred years??? For a rock star? Rhetorical question.


 We learned how the publisher Simon and Schuster was set up. Sure, we need to know about Ms. Simon but, at one point, it began to look like a history of Simon and Schuster than one of Taylor. 


This could have been a coup for SIMON and Schuster by releasing a James Taylor definitive biography. They could then have a matching box set with a deep dive into Carly - wait for it - SIMON. Sure, they could have had special leather, boxed and autographed sets. Simon and Schuster hit me up and we can chat . . .


Carly Simon was not simply his wife but she was almost as responsible for his success She is sprinkled throughout the book. Including a period where she was Mrs. James Tailyeour. I should find a Carly biography. . .


When you get away from the history lessons there is some good reading here. There are insights from members of his band and James Tailyeour himself. That is all well and good but the problem remains.


Heroin. James Taylor was an addict. So many classic rockers had addictions. Some were public in their addiction but not James. I always think drugs like heroin can really mess up your mind. So if these folks were able to produce the kinds of music that they did is amazing. I wonder what might have been had Sweet Baby James been sober.


But man I love the stuff in between all that unnecessary fluff. I really do but all that extra depth will turn many folks off and has marred my memory of the book.


You should only read this if you are either a massive Taileour fan or maybe you just love devouring everything about classic rock. Then sure. Otherwise, you might just find yourself wondering why you are wasting your time.


It seems to me the author, Mr. White, and the publishers made a conscious decision to go as deep as they did. They made a decision that would scare off more casual readers. This could be the absolute definitive work on James Taylor but that means nothing if it’s not read.


Simply being a casual fan of Monsieur Tailyeour will not be enough to slog your way through this tome.

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