Publication Date: January 31, 2020
Narrator: James Taylor
“I’m James Taylor and I’m a professional autobiographer,” says the celebrated folk singer at the start of this tender audio memoir. Through decades of music by one of the best-selling musicians of all time, who created classics like “Fire and Rain” and “Carolina in My Mind,” James Taylor has doled out his history in the poetry of his work. Taylor says his early life is, “the source of many of my songs,” and Break Shot is a tour of his first 21 years in rich, new detail. Praised by Forbes magazine as going “beyond the spoken word,” Break Shot combines storytelling, music and performance to create a one-of-a-kind listening experience. Longtime fans will savor a crop of musical gems, including an unreleased recording of the beloved hymn “Jerusalem,” selections from his newest release American Standard, as well as new original scoring by Taylor specially recorded for Break Shot and more from the Grammy Award-winning artist.
Recorded in his home studio, The Barn in western Massachusetts, Taylor tells the deeply personal story of his youth, which is entwined with the story of his family. What started as an idyllic tight unit soon became a family sent to different emotional corners—like a break shot in the game of pool, he says, when you slam the cue ball into the fifteen other balls and they all go flying off. By the time Taylor released his breakout second album in 1970, Sweet Baby James, he had seen the disintegration of his parents’ marriage and his family crumble in the aftermath. He had committed himself twice to a psychiatric hospital, battled depression, a heroin addiction, suffered a relapse, and traveled far away from the wood smoke and moonshine of the North Carolina landscapes in which he came of age. Despite it all, he was also on the cusp of superstardom and on his way to bringing light and joy to millions. He was 21.
Journey with James Taylor to a time before he became a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Arts—and a beloved voice to millions.
Break Shot: My First 21 Years is an interesting story told by James Taylor. I went into this autobiography with very little knowledge of James Taylor’s history. I knew of many of his songs, but not about him. This book goes over the first 21 years of his life. It covers parts of his family life, some education, and a bit about the start of his career. Throughout the tale, he is constantly dropping all the musical influences in his life. And there are a lot of moments where he’s either strumming on his guitar or singing snippets from songs.
Taylor narrates his story. His tone is a little monotone at times, but there is some inflection and emotion, especially in moments when it really is warranted. It is nice to hear a person’s story in their own voice. I can just picture James Taylor sitting on a stool with a guitar in hand while he retells his tale.
I found Break Shot to be interesting and heartbreaking at the same time. Taylor went through so many trials during his formative years but was still able to overcome to be one of the best songwriters of his generation. I’d highly recommend this audiobook to his fans or music fans in general.
James Taylor’s music embodies the art of songwriting in its most personal and universal forms. He is a master at describing specific, even autobiographical situations, in a way that resonates with people everywhere. In 1971, Taylor was on the cover of Time magazine, heralded as the harbinger of the singer-songwriter era. Five decades later, his warm baritone, introspective lyrics and unique style of guitar playing still blaze a path to which young musicians aspire. His songs have had a profound influence on songwriters and music lovers from all walks of life; “Fire and Rain,” “Country Road,” “Something in the Way She Moves,” “Mexico,” “Shower the People,” “Your Smiling Face,” “Carolina In My Mind,” “Sweet Baby James,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” “You Can Close Your Eyes,” “Walking Man,” “Never Die Young,” “Shed a Little Light,” “Copperline,” “Enough to be On Your Way, “You and I Again”, “Today Today Today” and many more.
Taylor has sold more than 100 million albums, earning gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards since the release of his self-titled debut album in 1968. He has won multiple GRAMMY Awards, has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll and the prestigious Songwriters Halls of Fame and was honored by The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences as a MUSICARES Person of the Year.
In a career marked by artistic triumphs, the past several years for Taylor have been notable for both creative virtuosity and recognition of exceptional achievement. In 2011, Taylor was honored with a Carnegie Hall Perspectives series, which consisted of four concert evenings presented by Carnegie Hall and featuring Taylor and personally selected musical guests. In 2011 he was also awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama and, in 2012, he was awarded the distinguished Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government. Both medals are their Nation’s highest honors for artistic excellence recognizing “outstanding achievements and support of the arts.” In 2015 Taylor was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation’s highest civilian honor and in 2016 he received the Kennedy Center Honors, which are presented annually to individuals who have enriched American culture by distinguished achievement in the performing arts.
In 2015, Taylor released Before This World, his first new studio album in thirteen years, which earned him his first-ever #1 album on the Billboard Charts and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album. In early 2020 Taylor released his audio-only Audible Original titled Break Shot, a deeply personal and authentic memoir detailing his first 21 years. He also released his newest album, American Standard, his 19th studio album, which earned Taylor the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and gave him the honor of being the first artist to have a Billboard Top 10 album in each of the past six decades.
Taylor, his wife Kim and their sons Rufus and Henry reside in Western Massachusetts.
