James Taylor was the reason I got into playing fingerstyle acoustic, and why I purchased my first half-decent one, a Japanese Epiphone Texan, in 1970.
I heard Fire and Rain and instantly switched from loving electric blues and rock to this, with its major and minor 7th chords, delicate trills and introspective lyrics that no lovelorn 20-year-old could resist. I learned Sunny Skies, the B-side to the single Country Road, then spent literally months trying to master the intricate You Can Close Your Eyes, which remains one of my few party tricks.
