
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 21, 1994                   TAG: 9411030031
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

JAMES TAYLOR NOT QUITE PERFECT BUT, SHUCKS, GOOD

James Taylor came out low-key, almost bemused or befuddled, like gosh, gee, what are y'all hollering about? What am I doing here? What is this? He even looked the part of the absent-minded professor.

Taylor maintained that same aw-shucks, easygoing persona throughout his concert Tuesday night at the Roanoke Civic Center.

But in the end, it was apparent that Taylor, his nine-member backing band and the audience of 7,577 knew exactly why so many people where there hollering. Taylor and his big, fine group knew they were good. And so did the crowd.

Even those who aren't avid fans had to appreciate the ensemble's polished professionalism. They were a tight bunch.

Particularly strong were the vocal harmonies between Taylor and his four backup singers. At times, the five of them sounded like a much larger gospel chorus. A first set highlight of the show was "Shower The People," which showcased the singing of Dorian Holley.

Throughout the show, Taylor mixed the music with a lively dose of between-song banter and goofball humor. He spoke almost as if he was embarrassed, like he didn't mean to interrupt or bother anybody, but about this next song ...

In response, the audience played right along.

"Alright! This is kind of a nice place," he greeted the crowd to enthusiastic cheers and laughs during a typical exchange. "Reminds me very much of home. The furniture."

He introduced the group and deadpanned: "So you know them if you run into them later."

Taylor wasn't all silliness, though. He did manage a plug for his favorite environmental group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and preached a little about clean water.

Musically, he was all business and in fine voice, bringing the arena to its feet during a showstopping "Steam Roller Blues" in the second set. No surprise, his hits, "Country Road," "Carolina On My Mind," "You've Got A Friend" and others, were met with much more enthusiasm than some of his lesser-known material.

He encored with his signature song, "Fire and Rain" and a cover of the Eddie Cochran classic, "Summertime Blues," and was coaxed into a second encore after those.

No opening act was on the bill, and one wasn't needed. Taylor took a 15-minute intermission, but was on stage about 21/2 hours.

It wasn't an entirely perfect show, however.

He covered two Buddy Holly songs and two Chuck Berry songs with mixed results. The worst misstep was on Chuck Berry's "Memphis," a watered-down version of the original that lacked Berry's spunk.

But gee, those were only a few songs, and gosh, nobody's perfect after all.

by CNB