James Taylor Unveils Video Teaser and Track Listing for New Album
James Taylor has announced the upcoming release of his 17th full-length studio album, Before This World, on June 16.
The new 10-track album ends a 13-year gap between collections of original material for Taylor, whose most recent collection of songs, October Road, arrived in 2002. He followed it with an album of covers, the descriptively titled Covers, in 2008; a supplemental EP, Other Covers, arrived in 2009.
ABC News Radio reports that Taylor worked with producer Dave O'Donnell (Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Ray Charles) during the sessions, which took place at Taylor's home studio in Massachusetts and involved members of his touring band as well as special guests Sting and Yo-Yo Ma.
"My sort of self-expression and the autobiographical aspect of my work is a thru-line that links all my albums together," says Taylor in a press release announcing the album. "I think I have grown musically, and I think people can hear it in what I played in '68, and you can hear it in what I'm singing about now. It is ongoing, it's still me, but it's still evolving."
Taylor has posted some behind-the-scenes footage in a teaser for Before This World, along with brief segments of new songs such as "Watchin' Over Me," which finds him looking back over his years of sobriety, and a love song for his wife titled "You and I Again."
"I still love to make music. I love to record, I love to write songs, I love to play them for audiences," says Taylor in the footage, which you can watch above. "I want to continue doing it as long as I can."
Before This World, which is available for pre-order now, will be available in a variety of formats, including CD, digital and vinyl, as well as a deluxe edition that includes a DVD with a making-of documentary. Take a look at the complete track listing below.
Before This World Track Listing
"Today Today Today"
"You and I Again"
"Angels of Fenway"
"Stretch of the Highway"
"Montana"
"Watchin' Over Me"
"SnowTime"
"Before This World/Jolly Springtime"
"Far Afghanistan"
"Wild Mountain Thyme"
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