3-Way Mirror

Jeans off, a little dressed up: like its cover photograph, Livingston Taylor's fourth album has that air about it. Moving from Capricorn to Epic, he changed his recording base to Los Angeles and his sound changed dramatically too. Nick DeCaro produced, with leading musicians including Lee Ritenour and David Hungate creating a brilliant, polished setting.

The match between this gorgeous sound and Liv is a good one, yet his essence remains unchanged. Accessible melodies and heartwarming lyrics still reveal his simple personality. As a songwriter he was at his richest: besides the hit ‘I Will Be in Love with You,’ ‘Going Round One More Time,’ ‘Living Without You’ and the Motown-like ‘I'll Come Running’ are all delightful gems one wants to hum. His singing on Scott Boyer's ‘Southern Kids,’ also recorded by his brother Alex Taylor in Cowboy, is superb. The ‘No Thank You Skycap’ duet with Maria Muldaur is a real treat too. One of Liv's representative albums.