James Taylor - vocals, guitar; Leland Sklar - bass; Dan Dugmore - guitar, pedal steel guitar; Bob Mann - guitar; Carlos Vega - drums, percussion; John Guilliton - keyboards; Arnold McCuller - vocals; Rosemary Butler - vocals
Following a three-year hiatus from releasing an album, 1988 saw the arrival of James Taylor's 12th album, Never Die Young. Captured on the tour following that album's release, presented here is a good portion of Taylor's performance from the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. Performing both solo acoustic and accompanied by his band, this features a wide range of material primarily spanning the first decade of his career, from early album classics like "Something In The Way She Moves" and "Rainy Day Man" to choice selections from his middle period albums, like "One Man Parade" and "Walking Man." A beautiful reading of the traditional folk song "Wild Mountain Thyme" is also a highlight as is Taylor and his extraordinary band covering Buddy Holly's "Everyday."
The stark honesty of Taylor's music and the relaxed laid back vibe of these performances show exactly why he remains a pillar of the singer/songwriter genre. These performances still sound as fresh and engaging as they did way back when. This timeless quality has served Taylor well as he remains one of the most popular and best selling recording artists of all time.