So I’m a huge Taylor fan, so hence the high rating (and I’d read some other reviews and completely understand not liking this if you’re not a huge fan).

Though I knew a lot of what he shared here (The Flying Machine - referenced in a song; recording on the Apple label {not mentioned by him here is the line “holy host of others standing me” referring to McCartney and Harrison}, being institutionalized, drug use, trading songs with Carole King, it was informative for me to hear more about his upbringing and what transpired before going to London.

Most poignant take away for me was his sharing of the story behind the opening lines of Fire and Rain; that just gives the song a greater depth than I’d felt for it before (and I love playing songs, but writing them is an altogether different experience; I often wonder how singer-songwriters can plumb the depths of their own experiences, write about them - which must be cathartic - then perform them night after night.)

And this is his story to tell - but I’ve read elsewhere that, well, let’s just say he could be difficult (abusive?) to work with
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emotional, poignant, sometimes hard to listen to because there were a lot of sad moments James Taylor talks about. But it was a quick listen that taught me a lot about the singer I didn't know. I know a lot more about him now, albeit his first 21 years only, but I feel for that teenager who went through some shit, who was loved at times and needed to be loved too, just like his friend.

I appreciate how upfront James Taylor is about addiction, family addiction and mental illness. His songs always have an emotional depth to them, but this Audible Original added even more depth.

I selected this free audible with no idea this was the singer of so many songs I sang to growing up. I wouldn’t think about hearing about this man’s first 21 years would be remotely interesting. But it was so good, giving some of those songs background, and getting to hear those songs again. It was insightful how a family that had everything still fell apart. And it’s fortunate he’s found peace. Beautifully done. 5 stars! ( )

Like many of us here, I grew up listening to James Taylor. Our 8th Grade graduation song was the Carole King penned "You've Got a Friend", which Taylor made famous. We sang it heartily. This Audible original popped up a couple of months ago and I grabbed it then. It strictly focuses on his early years and it is very well done, with Taylor narrating expertly. There are a few songs sprinkled in, as well. Only, 90 minutes, so well worth your time. I just hope he does a follow-up. ( )

Memoir of a Song Man with Musical Excerpts
Review of the Audible Original audiobook edition (USA January 30, 2020, Canada March 19, 2020)

Break Shot: My First 21 Years was released January 30, 2020 on Audible USA, but was geo-blocked to Canada until March 19, 2020, when I was also able to download a copy.

Initially, Break Shot does get a little tiresome as it begins to seem like an extended marketing tool for Taylor's covers album American Standard released Feb. 28, 2020. Taylor provides anecdotes about his family and their substance abuse issues, but each of these stories seems pre-programmed to get in a musical excerpt from Standard by explaining what the song meant to Taylor in his youth.

I found an uplifting breakthrough though after about 2/3rds of the memoir, when Taylor relates how his father Ike drove from North Carolina to come get him in NYC when he was suffering about opiate abuse and to bring him to rehab. Up until that point it had seemed Taylor was dissing the old man who had deserted his family and sunk into alcohol abuse, but regardless of that the father still came to the aid of his son when it counted. After that point, Taylor's career takes an upswing when he moves to London, England and gets signed to Apple Records by the Beatles. There is a chilling flash-forward story when Taylor retroactively realizes that he met Mark Chapman just before the latter killed John Lennon in NYC in 1980.

The memoir closes with a live recording of Taylor's classic own song "Fire and Rain."

So overall I really did enjoy this memoir and I hope that Taylor continues with an extended memoir / autobiography in the future. He has certainly lived enough of a life for it.

Break Shot: My First 21 Years was one of the free Audible Originals for both Audible USA members and the general USA public in February 2020. As of the end of March 2020 it remains freely available to the USA public. As of March 19, 2020 it was made available at Audible Canada and to the general Canadian public. It does require an Canadian Amazon user account to log in though.

Trivia and Links
Watch a video clip of James Taylor discussing his recording of American Standard (2020) on YouTube here.
Watch a video clip of James Taylor discussing his recording of Break Shot: My First 21 Years on YouTube here. ( )