European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 the stars and stripes tuesday March 18, 1986 is still Sweet . Kominicki staff writer t Here was a certain hesitancy i James Taylor s stride As he stepped onto the stage of Frankfurt s alte Ope sunday night. Understandably. It s been a decade since he teamed with wife Carly Simon for the so so hit mockingbird. And in a business where acts rotate from the top of the charts to the Back of trivial Pursuit cards with the Speed of a chord change 10 years is an eternity. It s been almost As Long since Taylor toured Europe. He was something of a Folk phenomenon Back then mop haired and still in his 20s, sharing his dark songs of suicide and drug addiction and boasting As backup the likes of Carole King and Danny Kobotch Kortchmar s to mama group. Yes 10 years is a Long time. Yet Taylor had Little cause for worry sunday night. The near full House Frankfurt crowd roughly split Between american and German fans greeted him with a bleacher stomping ovation that left the Singer standing startled a Little embarrassed it seemed just within View near the right wings. Balding a Little shopworn in the face and looking nearly emaciated in White shirt and baggy Green pants Taylor finally loped to Center stage Slung his acoustic guitar safely in front of him and mumbled a few greetings in English and fractured German. Then he added Ich bin Nicht Ein  the crowd roared its approval and the joke seemed to put Taylor at ease enough to Start the show. He kicked off a set of acoustic material with the Singer songwriter James Taylor Tours Europe through the end of april. 1976 hit something in the Way she moves and moved through such classics As Don t let me be lonely tonight and walking Man. Steel guitarist Dan Dugmore a Loyal Taylor backing musician since the late 60s, joined in after a few numbers and finally the full band moved on stage adding their Metal sound to a rousing version of Taylor s 1968 hit Carolina on my mind. The show unfolded from there in classic Taylor tradition soft Rock styling alternated with High Decibel production numbers that featured his heavy handed backup band Dugmore former Little feat keyboardist Billy Payne a grading but still very proficient Leland Sklar on Bass and Carlos Vega on Drums. Rosemary Butler and Arnold Mcculler Lent their considerable vocal talents on harmonies but it was Taylor s voice that proved to be the sweetest. Somehow his dry Tenor managed to escape the ravage of the years of heroin addiction and bouts of mental illness and if anything is stronger and clearer than Ever. Musically Taylor s acoustic material was arguably the High Point of the show. It was delivered clean and straightforward and with Only a few deviations from the arrangements As originally recorded. The presentation suffered most during numbers featuring the band the Organ was often overbearing and Sklar got carried away with his Bass riffs a number of times. The most painful noise resulted from those times far too numerous when Mcculler and Butler Over zealously harmonized Taylor s voice into oblivion. James deserves better sound mixing. Those criticisms aside Taylor included enough of his acoustic classics everything from How Sweet it is to As first encore you be got a Friend to please older fans. He kept the gotta Rock crowd Happy with up beat renditions of Mexico Sweet baby James and Handyman to name Only a few. There was also a roaring blues filled version of steamroller and a jumping Knock on Wood set. Those just discovering Taylor were treated to two songs from his new album the title Cut that s Why i m Here and the Salsa sounding Only a dream in Rio. If the Rio number is More than faintly reminiscent of the 1975 hit Mexico that s Why i m Here is a fresh sounding Rocker that May serve to explain Taylor s return. As a couple lines of the lyrics go and try to remember that working s no crime just Don t let pm take and waste your  after a lot of wasted time baby James is Back to work. Outside of the music the Frankfurt concert was marred Only by the handful of americans who Felt they had to Hoot during some of Taylor s most Heartfelt material including believe it or not fire and rain which has reached something approaching sacred hymn status Over the years and the sole woman who leaped the barriers and rushed James at the end of his second triumphant encore. At least the Security guards took care of her the dolts in the Balcony sadly went free. James Taylor Tours Germany Holland Austria Scandinavia Belgium and the United kingdom through the end of april. Check this week s stripes Magazine for the Complete schedule