Maps of Music

One Man Dog (1972)

Where the lyrics of One Man Dog take you, and where it was really made.

Most of the basic tracks were recorded in James Taylor's home studio, yet the album still reached number 4 on the US chart.

Key places

Clover Recorders, Los Angeles (1972)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — Discogs lists Clover Recorders as both a recording and a mixing location for the album. The point is placed at the city centre of Los Angeles. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

A&R Studios, New York City (1972)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — Discogs lists A&R Studios as a recording location for the album. The point is placed at the city centre of New York City. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• One Man Dog is the fourth studio album by singer-songwriter James Taylor
• Released November 1, 1972
• Reached number 4 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart
• 18 tracks, many of them relatively short

Background

• Lead single "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 13, 1973
• Follow-up single "One Man Parade" charted lower, peaking at number 67 in the US
• "One Man Parade" reached number 55 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart

Recording

• Basic tracks were recorded primarily in Taylor's home studio
• Engineers: Peter Asher, Robert Appère, Phil Ramone
• Producer: Peter Asher
• Mastered by Bernie Grundman at A&M Studios, Hollywood

Cover

• Art direction by Ed Thrasher
• Photography by Peter Simon

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early years

• Born March 12, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts; raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
• Learned guitar in 1960, influenced by hymns, carols and Woody Guthrie.
• Spent time in a psychiatric hospital and struggled with heroin addiction in his youth.

Career

• Formed the Flying Machine in New York in 1966; the group broke up after a single.
• Signed to Apple Records in 1968 as the first non-British act on the label.
• Breakthrough with Sweet Baby James (1970) and the hit "Fire and Rain", both reaching No. 3.
• First No. 1 hit with "You've Got a Friend" (1971), written by Carole King.
• Greatest Hits (1976) is one of the best-selling albums in US history, certified Diamond.
• Won six Grammy Awards; inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
• Reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with Before This World (2015) after a 45-year wait.
• Continues to tour actively as of 2026.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Berwyn Life critic Steve Sparacio called it James Taylor's best album
• Sparacio said no song stands out on first listening, but the album holds together as a whole
• Sparacio read the album's themes as an affirmation of Taylor's life at the time, newly married to Carly Simon and off drugs
• Forest Park Review critic John Griffin praised the short songs for avoiding the monotony of slow melodies he felt marred the previous album, Mud Slide Slim (1971)
• Record World said the album contains some interesting departures from Taylor's earlier work
• Calgary Herald critic Jim Rennie picked the traditional folk song "One Morning in May" as the best track, with Linda Ronstadt's vocals

Reappraisal

• AllMusic critic William Ruhlmann wrote years later that the album was a letdown
• Ruhlmann said much of it sounded sketchy and seemingly unfinished

Records

• US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart: number 4
• "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight": Billboard Hot 100 number 14 on January 13, 1973
• "One Man Parade": US number 67, Canadian Adult Contemporary number 55

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• A quadraphonic mix was produced with alternate vocal takes and longer versions of some songs, unlike the standard stereo release.
• Discogs lists James' House as a recording location, matching the home-studio basis of most tracks.
• Linda Ronstadt sings with Taylor on "One Morning in May", which one critic said was worth an album of its own.
• Peter Asher is credited as producer and as engineer on several tracks.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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