Carole King & James Taylor's DVD Is an Instant Face-Plant Into Nostalgia

A year later, when they returned to the Troubadour, he had "Fire and Rain" and she had "Tapestry" and they had mutual, powerful magic.

And then, in 2007, they returned to the Troubadour one more time to made a CD and DVD from six shows recorded over three nights. These 15 songs, spread over 75 minutes, are impeccable -- the technology of recording, video and editing has advanced so dramatically that the early videos seem raw and awkward. Not that these performances are slick and cynical. What you get to see and hear is the intimacy of this relationship. Carole King hearts James Taylor. It's all over her face as she harmonizes or just mouths the words to his songs. But then, she's hugely emotional as a signature. Her songs are hits in large part because she's brilliant at distilling deep feelings into simple statements -- "You've Got a Friend" is the gold standard -- and excitable as a musician. When she gets going, she's off the piano bench and playing standing up. The news flash on James Taylor, who has always seemed too accomplished to break a sweat, is how intense he is as a guitarist. King looks at Taylor, Taylor looks down at his guitar -- that unbalances the film until you get used to it, and then you have a fresh appreciation for him as a musician. It's the voices and harmonies that mattered when we first heard King and Taylor. The years have been kind to them. King's voice was always a little weathered, and that, for her, was a strength -- now, after failed marriages and whatever else life has slung at her, that roughness seems like the proof of experience. Taylor, a great singer in his 20s, is now a master; if you can hear a flaw, you've got better ears than I do. The pacing of the show and the positioning of the songs are where this package achieves liftoff. Listening and watching, I felt a kind of peace that had eluded me all day. If you're young, this may sound stupid beyond belief, but if you've got miles and bruises, this is music that connects you to old dreams and affirms every hope you ever had for your generation, your country and yourself. These are, in short, lullabies for adults. Just as I was thinking that, King and Taylor returned on stage for an encore. And, without the band, this is what they sang:

If only.