The London Sessions Bootleg
Few artists have a résumé as eclectic as Chip Taylor's CV. Best known as composer of AM-radio staples "Wild Thing" and "Angel of the Morning," Taylor was a prolific songwriter who penned hits for a variety of rock, country, and R&B; musicians. He also recorded a few cult-classic country-folk albums in the early 1970s (such asChip Taylor's Last Chance) before embarking on a 20-year stint as a professional gambler. Taylor returned to music in the 1990s, started his own label, and slowly rebuilt a core fan following. This double-disc set proves him to be a quirky and perceptive songwriter in the vein of weathered troubadours likeGuy ClarkorJohn Prine. Disc 1, subtitled "London-Electric," has a jangle-rock edge and, though inconsistent in terms of material, offers a couple of gems. Disc 2, however, is the true prize, a wonderful pared-down acoustic set that seems to be the best setting for Taylor's lived-in voice and his very personal, fearless, wistful songs.Lucinda Williamsadds her vocal charms on a number of cuts while instrumentalists as diverse as fiddlerTammy Rogersand swing trumpeterWarren Vache(on the simmering blues "Three Alarm Fire") make worthy contributions. The haphazard, off-the-cuff vibe of both discs seems somehow befitting.--Marc Greilsamer