Flag Flies with At-Home Folk Arrangements, Soft-Rock Coziness, and Captivating Emotions: 1979 James Taylor Album Peers into the Hearts of Everyman and Everywoman

Mastered from the Original Master Tapes: Mobile Fidelity's Numbered-Edition Hybrid SACD Sounds as Mellifluous as Taylor's Voice on a Cool Summer Night

James Taylor was an interesting place when he recorded the colossally underrated Flag. Fresh off his double-platinum J.T., the artist who defines the singer-songwriter genre had just collaborated with Art Garfunkel and Carly Simon, undertaken a Broadway musical, and become more active in political affairs. All these factors contribute to this 1979 treasure, which finds Taylor plying his trademark mellow vibes and insightful, soul-gazing lyrics.

Mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition hybrid SACD sounds as spectacular as chilling out to Taylor’s mellifluous voice under the stars on a summer night. Flush with exquisite acoustic textures, beautiful tonalities, and studio-perfect dynamics, this audiophile version brings Taylor’s music to life in memorable fashion.

Having landed in the Top Ten and sold more than two million copies, Flag remains one of Taylor’s most under-appreciated efforts. And it’s not because the content is lacking. The beloved singer enters his hallmark storytelling mode on “Sleep Come Free Me” and dizzies the senses with the beloved “Rainy Day Man.” Drawing from his musical Working (based on legendary author Studs Terkel’s book of the same name), “Millworker” and “Brother Trucker” are lessons in character studies, Taylor’s narratives peering into the heart of blue-collar America and reflecting his knack for the everyman—and everywoman.

Similarly, a pair of covers—“Up on the Roof” and “Day Tripper”—show his knack for reverent interpretation as well as originality. Flag reveals why we love JT. The literary descriptiveness, at-home folk arrangements, soft-rock fireplace coziness, captivating emotion, faithful tones, and stellar sense of instrumental placement (be it backing vocals, nuanced percussion, pedal-steel guitar, or subtle horns) keep pulling us in again and again. Here's to it continuing without end.