Gorilla - Warner Bros 1975
In The Pocket - Warner Bros 1976
" I wanted to call the second of these two records Inside Pocket , meaning something more personal and sexy, like a vest pocket. But these records were very much like the musical equivalent of Hollywood's back-lot pictures, where you go to the soundstage every day and do your best. It was during a really nice time at Warner Bros., when I was working with (staff producer/A&R executives) Lenny waronker and Russ Titelman and (engineer) Lee Herschberg. I'd go out to Los Angeles with a bunch of songs, they'd pick me up at the airport, and we'd ride to the studio and put in a day's work. They both have great stuff like Mexico, A Junkie's Lament, I Was A Fool To Care, Daddy's All Gone, Captain Jim's Drunken Man, Lowell George playing on Angry Blues and Valerie Carter singing on Money Machine. And also Shower The People, which was saying don't protect or defend yourself into a position of missing out on life and love. " James Taylor
Key Tracks: "Mexico," "You Make It Easy"
Note rapide Rolling Stone: Gorilla is where Taylor regains his balance. "Mexico" introduces a welcome strain of humor, the title track is a natural children's song, and "You Make It Easy" positions Sweet Baby James as a posthippie torch singer. And despite the generic clunk of its track, Taylor handles the hit remake of "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved By You)" with such breezy vocal ease that even Marvin Gaye expressed admiration.