James Taylor - Flag

Flag is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, originally released in May 1979 via Columbia Records.

Described by Rolling Stone as "the archetypal sensitive singer/songwriter of the Seventies",  James Taylor's songs, especially his early material, are tales of inner torment delivered in low-key tunes, with his understated tenor backed by intricate acoustic guitar parts that draw on folk and jazz. Achieving his breakthrough in 1970 with the US Hot 100 #3 single Fire and Rain, his first #1 single came the following year with You've Got a Friend, a recording of Carole King's classic song. He has retained a large audience over the decades, with every album released between 1977 and 2007 selling over a million copies, including Flag.

Next to newly written originals, Flag includes the hit Up On The Roof (a Drifters cover written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin), the Beatles cover Day Tripper and a remake of Taylor's own Rainy Day Man.  The singer-songwriter worked with some fine musicians on this album, including Carly Simon, Graham Nash, Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, Leland Sklar and David Sanborn. The fine craftsman that James Taylor is, he made sure that the album runs the full range of emotions, while rocking a bit more on certain songs than before. Also included on the record are his two songs written for the 1978 Broadway musical Working: Brother Trucker and Millwork.

For those wondering about the rather simple artwork, the front cover is called 'Oscar' and indicates "man overboard" from the old maritime days in a situation when a person had fallen from a ship or boat.

Flag reached #10 on the US Billboard 200 Albums chart and the single Up on the Roof reached #28 on the US Singles charts.

Check out a couple tracks off the album.  Up on the Roof, Millworker, I Will Not Lie For You , Day Tripper and Company Man.

This LP record is a Music On Vinyl reissue (August 2015) on 180 gram audiophile vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve with a printed insert, pressed in Europe.