James Taylor, in summer twilight, plays the lovely fingerpicked intro to Fire and Rain, a song he has been performing for decades – and the crowd cheers in recognition of a classic. But does the 78-year-old still feel those old songs? He sings them beautifully in his lulling baritone, but perhaps they no longer lift and soothe his heart quite like they do ours. Is the man on stage in front of Edinburgh Castle now just a heritage act at a heritage site?
There is evidence for the prosecution. His live show has a slick professionalism that at times shades into tedium. The 11-piece backing band, including four backing vocalists, is packed with veteran sidemen whose smooth virtuosity can sound bloodless. As a result, the set’s better songs are generally those with spare instrumentation. Millworker has an austerity that suits its subject, the soul-crushing exploitation of labour. Taylor’s voice shines in its simple setting – a violin drone and martial beat.
If less is more when it comes to the arrangements, the same can be said of the presentation. The big screen at the back of the stage displays a number of AI-looking videos so ugly that they distract from and undermine the songs they ought to serve. Sweet Baby James deserves better.
Such visuals are at odds with a distinctive quality in Taylor’s music and personal presence: a charming civility and avuncular grace. Carolina in My Mind feels hymn-like, sung in a tight choral group. Carole King’s You’ve Got a Friend, such a standard that it risks staleness, is bright with undimmed sentiment. Such highs easily outweigh the evening’s lows.
As for Fire and Rain, well, that’s best of all. And yes, Taylor does still feel its desperate ache – or so it seems when, in the final line, he slightly changes the lyric from the recorded version to “Thought I’d see you just one more time, Suzanne”. This direct address to the friend whose suicide inspired the composition suggests that the song remains as alive for him as it does for us, gathered in the gloaming and privileged to hear it.
• James Taylor plays the Piece Hall, Halifax, 16 July; then touring until 25 July
