Original Flying Machine 1967
is comprised of recordings
James Taylor
with his band
the Flying Machine
made a year before he signed to Apple Records. At this stage,
Taylor
was still trying to find his voice, yet that is the very reason why these recordings are of interest to fans. Most of the material on
re-appeared on
Taylor's
eponymous debut album for Apple, while these originals stayed in the can. These arrangements are a bit more full-bodied, featuring the support of a full band, led by guitarist
Danny Kortchmar
. Though these are a bit more fleshed out, they aren't quite as strong as the later versions. Nevertheless, the album makes for a fascinating one-time listen for most fans. (The 1996 CD reissue features six of the original album's seven songs, adding the unreleased
"Kootch's Song"
as the seventh song.) ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine