THE SEATTLE TIMES - Carole King and James Taylor stir memories and emotions at KeyArena
May 10, 2010
By Charles R. Cross
Even before a note was played Sunday night in KeyArena, the Carole King/James Taylor concert was an evening of memories. That was due to the personal history the sold-out crowd had with each hit, but also to a montage of 40-year-old photographs that began the concert. And if the crowd applauded photos, imagine the roar when the two musicians appeared.
Yet for a three-hour show, the most memorable moments were nonmusical ones. They came when Taylor and King looked at each other with admiration, exchanged smiles, or when King laid her head on Taylor's shoulder at the end of "You Can Close Your Eyes."
Between songs they told the back story of their hits. Before "Something in the Way She Moves," Taylor said it got him signed to the Beatles' Apple Records. King, in turn, revealed how Taylor had encouraged her to write on her own, breaking her away from her Brill Building roots.
The stellar band included guitarist Danny Kortchmar, drummer Russ Kunkel and bassist Leland Sklar. They are essentially the band on the albums "Tapestry" and "Sweet Baby James." Each star was quick to give them credit, and to applaud the other.
Taylor's voice is still strong, and he's a seasoned performer from many tours. But while he never seemed inauthentic, pop hits like "Shower the People" were at times jarringly upbeat in contrast to King's moody piano numbers.
King tours infrequently, but she was in fine form during "I Feel the Earth Move" and "You Make Me Feel." She danced in high heels at times, and looked nothing like the 68-year-old grandmother she is. (Or maybe this is what 68-year-old grandmas look like now?)
But as befits a show that began with a standing ovation, many times the applause for a song wasn't only about its performance. Even for this writer, just a kid when King and Taylor began, Sunday's show touched on early emotional milestones. Taylor's "Fire and Rain," was the first tune I learned to play on guitar, while King's "So Far Away," changed nothing less than the way I perceived music.
Prior to hearing "So Far Away" in 1971, I thought all music was bouncy pop. But when I heard King on the radio of my parent's car, even my pre-pubescent self knew her sad voice was singing about loss. From this one song, I discovered music could be about a wide range of emotions. "So Far Away" moved me in deep and lasting ways.
Four decades later, and sung as forlornly as ever, it still does.
Seattle-area writer Charles R. Cross is an author and journalist. Reach him at charlesrcross@aol.com or www.charlesrcross.com.
< Back to Press Archive