European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 05, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse From Sweet baby7 to j t by John Rockwell new York times Here was a time Only five or six years ago when James Taylor was regarded rather Gran Diomely As both the Savior and the destroyer of popular music. With his picture on the cover of time Magazine was hailed As a return to sensitivity and musicianship by those who disliked hard Rock even As was attacked by Rock s defenders. Since those hectic Days Taylor has fallen into some thing of an eclipse at least in relation to the unnaturally Bright Light in which publicity cast him at the beginning of the decade. He has had his hits most notably the go Rilla album of 1975 and his relative failures. He has earned a solid reputation As a touring and a recording artist. His marriage to Carly Simon has engendered additional publicity. But has t really enjoyed a critical and commercial Success to equal his Early records until his most recent disk j this 10th album and his first for Columbia records. J t and the single Handy Man both hit the top 10 in the National charts and both have occasioned respectful even enthusiastic reviews in periodicals that have Long regarded with brooding suspicion both Taylor and the soft Folk Rock stands for. The new record projects Taylor s strengths in an elegantly Clear manner the introspective sensitivity of his songs the quiet elegance of his phrasing the subtly diverse Range and simple Beauty of his singing and the cohesion of his band. In recent years has polished his stage show too was in the new York suburbs recently As part of a summer tour and is due Back at the radio City music Hall oct. 29-30. As far As Taylor is concerned the big difference be tween j t and the two albums that proceeded it there was also a greatest hits collection was his reversion to Peter Asher As his producer Asher has managed Taylor from the beginning and produced his first four Solo albums not counting an Early album As Lead vocalist of a band Only released after his initial Success. After that although Asher continued As his manager Taylor made three albums with other producers. Asher returned to re record two tunes on the greatest hits album and then did the whole of j just thought it would be interesting to do it Taylor recalled the other Day. Then i experimented Warner Bros. A bit baffled by the record Industry and found i needed someone else. I did one record walking Man with David Spinozza. I made Gorilla with Lenny Waronker and Russ Titleman because i admired what they did and i did in the pocket with them because i liked Gorilla so much. I did t Stop working with Peter because the Well dried up or because there was any just wanted a change i think said Asher from Dallas where was participating in rehearsals for the latest tour of his other client Linda Ronstadt. The thing about producers is that nobody knows what they do. James had Only been produced by me and d heard about these other producers who were having hits and began to wonder what was although they never formally discussed it it was a somewhat sensitive area says Asher the two songs done for the greatest hits album were clearly a testing of the water in Taylor s words. But the final decision to work together Only came after Taylor left Warner Broth ers for Columbia following a strenuous bidding War. I m a bit baffled by the record Industry game says Taylor with some embarrassment. The bidding was Good business but i had no intention of starting it. I think the real reasons i switched labels were geographic Loca Tion and just the excitement of Taylor had attracted an enormous perhaps even exaggerated amount of attention with his Sweet baby James and mud slide slim disks and the publicity produced a marked backlash. It made review ers hypercritical of the subsequent albums and it made Taylor painfully self conscious about them too. On the whole Taylor says now his own evaluation of his albums corresponds to that of the Public As reflected in sales even if does have a special affection for Goril la. With that album Taylor seemed on the Road to a come Back not Only in terms of his own work but commercially. Yet the followup in the pocket was a Dis appointment and the circumstances of its making had a lot to do with the decision to return to Asher who in the meantime had proven himself As producer with his series of Multi million Selling Ronstadt albums. I thought1 the material of in the pocket was Good i thought i was unfairly criticized for that says Taylor today. The problem was that it took Over five months to do the album. Lenny and Russ had executive responsibilities and other projects going at the same time. We Over Cut too about 15 or 18 songs. We spent so much time on it that we lost perspective it had a sort of homogenizing effect. There was a great difference in How j t was made. It took Only six weeks and we could have been finished in two weeks. As a producer Peter is an ear an organizer and an attitude. He believes in extensive rehearsals before the sessions s not the Type who fills up 24 tracks with everything and then picks out what wants. The vocals were done at the same time As the instrumentals and they had a spontaneous feeling. We did t worry about every Square Inch and every sine As both a songwriter and a performer Taylor has made much of his Impact with the tension Between his outer Calm and inner pain. On stage and in personae is a courtly serious affectionate Man. But underneath has had a series of run ins with heroin and in his youth twice committed himself to mental institutions. Even now with his series of paeans to domesticity there is an undercurrent of loneliness and despair that lends Reso Nance to his material. Taylor admits there May be some link Between Youthful creativity and pain but says s happier now and glad of it. There is some connection be tween pain and Art but musical Talent has some thing to do with it too. If you re in pain you might become psychopathic or drug addicted or a simple son of a Bach just As easily As you could become . Eliot. There s a lot of Guys Down on the bowery who have All the pain and negative stuff you d Ever want to be an even with the dark hints that still emerge from his songs Taylor says things Are better with him now. Unlike his wife who seems just now to be emerging from years of fear about performing Taylor has managed to keep touring and to perfect his stage skills. I Don t think it s unreasonable to be afraid of performing says. But i Don t feel especially self conscious about perform ing or about putting autobiographical things in my songs. I just Don t worry about it. I like to perform. It really helps keep me together keeps me away from Nasty habits. I feel a great sense of responsibility to an Audi ence. I feel terrible if i do a bad show. You May criticize my show but there in t a whole lot of variation these Days in the Quality of the apart from his records and his concerts Taylor is involved with some other projects chief among them writ ing a few songs for a projected musical based on studs Terkel s Book working. Stephen Schwartz is also involved and possibly other musicians i like the Book says Taylor. It s a real Book. It s interesting for me to write songs like this instead of plumbing my own Emo Taylor also says s still interested in following up on his none too successful film acting career which has t progressed beyond two Lane Blacktop of 1971. I d be game to try if it was the right thing. I d like to do it casually but the tendency is for people to hand me the Lead for All his outside projects a Large amount of his Energy is still spent within his family and anyone who s seen him coddling and cooing at his baby son can t doubt the intensity brings to that part of his life. These Days the once frequent references to god in his songs seem to have been replaced by references to love and to his wife. He once said that his love for Simon was a very religious thing and now describes his explicit religious references As similar to talking about other elemental things like Trees Clouds fire or rain. It s just what is. I d say i m much happier now. My initial songs came out of a very uncomfortable period. I was 17-18-19 years old pm i m 30 now. Being successful being accepted and Appl wed and rewarded financially and finding Carly and ing a Parent these things Are maybe not answers to Tiv questions but they re filling up my Story of by Guy Flatley new York times s poised pretty and universally praised. Yet she is an emotional mess a woman in the grip of a poisonous obsession. At least that s what Isabelle Dajani was inthe Story of Adele h., Francois Truffaut s film in which she excelled As an unwavering roman tic in feverish Pursuit of the Lover who jilted her. And that s what Shell be in the Driver a Tough i Breed thriller in which the writer director Walter Hill has transformed the 22-year-old frenchwoman into a fanatical californian a hardened drifter whose insatiable vice is gambling. The film now shooting in the a Laziest Twilight zones of los an Geles also stars Ryan o Neal As an engagingly Brazen getaway Driver Bruce Dern As a relentless detective and Ronee Blakley As a Shady lady. Dajani an esteemed member of the come die Francc Ytse before going on to be named the Best actress of 1975 by both the new York film critics and the National society of film critics seems jarringly alien in the skid Row setting of a Hollywood exercise in gunplay blood gush and tire screech. Perhaps even More of a woeful misfit than she was As the would be seducer of roman Polanski in the polish director s teasingly sadistic thudding by unpopular the tenant. I refused to work Here in the past said the Violet eyed Brunette in delicately accented English. I turned Down the other Side of Midnight though perhaps i should not say so since Marie France Pisser who took the part is a Friend of mine we re i am really quite a mysterious girl in this film the Driver / says French actress Isabelle Dajani. Both in Barocco with Gerard Depardieu and we plan to do a movie in which she will be Charlotte Bronte and i will be Emily. The reason i am doing the Driver is Walter Hill bid you see his hard times i think is wonderful very much in the tradition of Howard Hawks lean and spare. The Story is contemporary but also very stylized and the roles that Ryan and i play Are like Bogart and Bacall. We Are both gamblers in our souls and we do not show our emotions or say a lot. For us talk is cheap. I am really quite a mysterious girl in this film with no name and no background. And i must say that it is restful not to have a life behind me this Way i Don t have to dig deep to play the part. All i know is that life for me is gambling and i am a loser. I have what people Call a poker her Hollywood sojourn Dajani has been focusing intensely upon movie Queens of the past some of them poker faced and some not. I am seeing a lot of Bacall and Dietrich an Davis movies. It is not that i wish to imitate them it is More a matter of trying to absorb the atmosphere of their films. They did something people in movies Don t seem to do anymore they took time to make gestures. I am absolutely fascinated by the Way they used the pauses Between the when Dajani is not speaking her own lines or mar Veling at the delivery of Veteran vamps she is Apt to be found bidding and occasionally bluffing in one tawdry poker Palace or another. I had never been interested in gambling before but i had to learn How to play and Deal poker for the movie. Unfortunately there was not enough time to learn to mayor Bilandic with wife a gentle but effective hold on Chicago City government. Chicago s Bilandic by Mike Robinson associated pressm Ichael a. Bilandic and pretty Blond socialite Heather Morgan were married not Long ago. There were a few knowing smiles and gently arched eyebrows after the cer Mony at holy name Cathedral in Chicago Bilandic had left out the Best part. He d neglected to kiss the the omission was purposeful or merely forget Ful is unclear. But it adds to the Enigma of Michael a. Bilandic just a Placid face in the crowd at City Hall seven months ago and now mayor of the nation s second biggest City. Bilandic s image has never been that of a Dynamo. He s known As a diligent master of detail who lived with his immigrant Mother for 54 years piled up Money through his Law practice and Busi Ness interests and eventually was installed in a City Council seat by the late Richard j. Daley. He was hoisted by the democratic machine to the top Job after Daley s death dec. 20.true, Bilandic won 77 per cent of the vote against Token opposition in a special election june 7 for the rest of Daley s sixth term expiring in 1979. But Early polls showed voters drawn to the Little known Bilandic largely As the regular democratic nominee. Most observers say Bilandic has a gentle but effective hold on City government. But they say his grasp on Politi Cal Power is far weaker than Daley ran the democratic party in Cook county As Well As the City. George w. Dunne took Over the political function at Daley s death. Bilandic stands for the status quo among demo cratic committeemen states rep. Daniel Pierce a democratic Leader. He has no background in party work other than being Alderman of the Lith Ward. So i Don t think will be the Wheeler dealer at the state level that Daley was. He will not have the supreme Power that Daley Alderman Edward m. Burke says Bilandic has adopted some of the strongest characteristics of mayor Daley s approach. Sound fiscal control. A commitment to no increase in taxes. Strong ties to both labor and big business. But is much More amenable to constructive criticism. He is much More Low City Hall on the other hand Bilandic has sort of the Quality of a Chameleon says a regular demo crat. Wherever goes just sort of blends in. He s Calm s studious s highly intelligent and thoughtful and has the Confidence of the business Community. What lacks in roughness and toughness is made up Forby Tom Donovan Daley s patronage chief has become Bilan Dic s right hand Man. Bilandic plays Hamlet says a City Hall insider. Donovan hires the stage Donovan has ties to state sen. Richard m. Daley the late mayor s son and the new mayor s committeeman in the Lith Ward. Thus some suggest an Lith Ward crowd not necessarily headed by Bilandic has consid Erable Power. Bilandic is not yet trying to control All the political functions of the City Alderman Dick Simpson a univer sity of Illinois political science professor and longtime machine foe says. That is still the Lith Ward crowd and other people who Are powerful in the Edmund Kelly the City s Parks superintendent and a powerful Ward committeeman asked the City Council for Money for the Parks Bilandic did t put up a fight Simpson recalls. He in t going to ordered Kelly around. He can t crack the whip the Way Daley who then do you see at City Hall when you want something i go straight to the mayor when i want something and goes straight to me . Sen. Adlai e. Stevenson says adding it s usually the mayor who goes to the sen ator." s in the Saddle Stevenson says. He s handled himself very Well. Within hours of the cat elevated train Accident in february was sitting in the Oval office asking Money for transportation in Chicago. He seems to have very Sharp political instincts As Well As intestinal Secretary of state Alan Dixon says i go to George Dunne and state chairman Jack Touhy Only be cause i be known then both for a Quarter of a Century. I visit with Jack All the and i never have had dinner together other than to be together at party dinners Dixon says. We re Friendly but we Don t Call one another for Dunne asked if considers Bilandic a Friend replied in politics you Don t have friends you have associates. Daley was More gregarious adds. Bilandic s biggest move so far has been a Compro Mise with Republican gov. James r. Thompson on construction of the Crosstown expressway across Chicago s Southwest Side. Daley and former democratic gov. Daniel Walker fought constantly Over the controversial project dear to trucking interests but opposed by several Community organizations. When the Compromise was unveiled Thompson and Bilandic were asked if the Brighton Krug construction co., whose chief executives both heavy political contributors Are under indictment in . District court on bid rigging charges would be Able to bid on the project. You la have to ask a practising attorney Thompson a former . District attorney said. You la have to ask a practising attorney Bilandic who formerly had the Brighton Krug co. For a Law client echoed. Page 14 the stars and stripes monday september 5, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 15
