The other day I was digging Bill Withers' gentle folk-soul masterwork from 1971, Just As I Am. A week later I still find myself occasionally warbling "Ain't No Sunshine" when there's no one else around save for my daughter and nearly sat down to write about it in this space. But then started thinking about the song that follows it on that blessed album, "Grandma's Hands." And then I got to think of how well Liv Taylor covers this Withers original. Ah, screw it, everybody knows about "Sunshine," anyway. I gotta testify for Liv.
For those who think I'm misspelling Steve Tyler's daughter's name, Livingston Taylor is the Jimmie Vaughan of folk rock; he's plenty talented enough, but his career's been overshadowed by a superstar brother. While Jimmie has had to deal with constant comparisons to Stevie Ray, Liv has quietly toiled away in nearly complete obscurity while his older brother James became an adult contemporary icon.
From all accounts, however, LT doesn't seem to mind at all, as his effervescent charming persona endears him to audiences and he seems to regard his close relation to superstardom as fodder for light humor (even in song, such as the "Carolina On My Mind"-inspired "Carolina Day").
In spite of not quite being James, Liv should have been a bigger star than what he's become; the self-titled Liv from the same year as Withers' aforementioned debut is a lost classic slice of early seventies singer-songwriter heaven. His voice is somewhat reedier than JT, but in certain parts of nearly every song he sings, Liv sounds like a dead-on impersonation of him. And like Big Bro', Livingston is equally comfortable writing solid tunes, like "Get Out Of Bed", as he is covering other people's songs.
Livingston decided to cover "Grandma's Hands" for his low key gem of 1993, Good Friends, and he made a nice choice. When Withers wrote about what he cherished about his grandmother, he could have been speaking for nearly every one of us; even if the specific memories he sings about aren't exactly as yours, you could still relate when he sings:
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
ya, this is a great song. i've often wondered why Livingston never became as famous as his brother. maybe he seemed less "serious" or somthing (with songs like "Pajamas" for instance).
still & all, he puts on a great show too. seen him several times.
2 - Pico
Not being serious enough is probably the best explanation for why Liv never became a big star. Although, that never stopped Jimmy Buffett from becoming one. But I'm kind of glad it worked out this way; with the pressure of producing a hit record long behind him, Livingston pretty much just plays what he wants. Which is just what I want to hear from him.
3 - Holly Hughes
Pico, thanks for dusting off this track, one that had definitely slipped through the cracks for me. As a younger sib myself, I always felt special affection for Liv. Even on that first album, he had a wry humor that JT wouldn't acquire for decades. Plus he had a tentative, delicate quality that wasn't nearly appreciated enough back in the 1970s -- Liv was "emo" long before the term was invented.
4 - Bruce McLaren
I once wrote a paper, for a creative writing course in college, comparing Livingston's and James' performance styles. Even back then, in the late 70s and 80s, I found myself more drawn to his personal, intimate style than to James's (although I've long considered JT a favorite, too). I've seen Liv perform "Grandma's Hands" several times in concert -- it is a great fit with his personality and stage show.