My Heart Like a KickDrum

“Oh my love but we are bound to die

My heart is broke but you won’t hear me cry

Oh my love but we are bound to die

Song Review: James Taylor - “Fire and Rain” (Live, July 16, 1999)

Though he always makes a point to fuss with his arrangements, James Taylor knows better than to mess too much with “Fire and Rain,” leading him to always sing the fade-out lyrics on stage as they were preserved on the recorded version.

So it was in July 16, 1999, at the Nice Jazz Festival, where fans greeted the opening notes with shrieks of delight and rewarded the performance with similar jubilation.

But Taylor did make some subtle changes, slowing the tempo a touch and giving Clifford Carter a lot of room on the piano. While Carter is a bit too busy, electric guitarist Bob Mann is the guy to listen to, as his tasteful, crying fills add more sadness to the already-terribly sad song.

Just sprung from Taylor’s vault, this performance video strikes a smart balance between keeping things interesting for the performer who pretty much has to play “Fire and Rain” every night and keeping it familiar for the fans who pretty much demand he play “Fire and Rain” every night.

Grade card: James Taylor - “Fire and Rain” (Live - 7/16/99) - B+

Spend a morning with Cary Grant in Walk, Don't Run ( 1966)