American Standard (James Taylor album)

{{Infobox album

| name = American Standard

| type = studio

| cover = James Taylor American Standard.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{start date|2020|02|28}}

| recorded =

| studio = The Barn (Washington, MA)
United Recording Studios and Capitol Studios (Hollywood, CA)
Treasure Isle Studios and Blackbird Studios (Nashville, TN)
Studio D (New York City, New York)

| genre =

| length = 44:59

| label = Fantasy

| producer =

| prev_title = Before This World

| prev_year = 2015

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}

American Standard is the twentieth studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, released on February 28, 2020, by Fantasy Records.{{cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/james-taylor-american-standard-new-album-941697/ |title=James Taylor Details New Album, Hits Road With Jackson Browne |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=January 23, 2020 |accessdate=March 3, 2020}} It consists of his interpretations of standard songs from the American canon. It won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/63rd-annual-grammy-awards-2020|title=63rd Annual Grammy Awards|accessdate=November 27, 2020}}

This album was produced, recorded and mixed by Dave O'Donnell and co-produced by John Pizzarelli and James Taylor. Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound Nashville.

Critical reception

{{Music ratings

| noprose = yes

| MC = 60/100{{cite web |title=American Standard by James Taylor – Critic Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/american-standard/james-taylor |website=Metacritic |accessdate=March 3, 2020}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |last=Monger |first=Timothy |title=James Taylor – American Standard |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/american-standard-mw0003347224 |website=AllMusic}}

| rev2 = The Independent

| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |last=Beaumont |first=Mark |title=James Taylor review, American Standard: Expect reassurance rather than revelation |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/james-taylor-review-american-standard-tracklist-breakfast-at-tiffanys-billie-holiday-a9361206.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228180030/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/james-taylor-review-american-standard-tracklist-breakfast-at-tiffanys-billie-holiday-a9361206.html |archive-date=2020-02-28 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |newspaper=The Independent |date=February 27, 2020 |accessdate=March 3, 2020}}

| rev3 = Mojo

| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine |title=James Taylor – American Standard |magazine=Mojo |page=94 |date=March 2020}}

| rev4 = PopMatters

| rev4score = {{Rating|5|10}}{{cite web |last=Elliott |first=Michael |title=James Taylor's Standards Album Sounds Exactly Like You Imagine It Does |url=https://www.popmatters.com/james-taylor-american-standard-2645322533.html |website=PopMatters |date=February 28, 2020 |accessdate=March 3, 2020}}

| rev5 = Uncut

| rev5score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine |title=James Taylor – American Standard |magazine=Uncut |page=37 |date=April 2020}}

}}

American Standard received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 60, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 8 reviews.

Track listing

{{Track listing

| total_length = 44:59

|headline=American Standard track listing

| title1 = My Blue Heaven

| writer1 = Walter Donaldson, George A. Whiting

| length1 = 2:43

| title2 = Moon River

| writer2 = Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer

| length2 = 3:13

| title3 = Teach Me Tonight

| writer3 = Gene de Paul, Sammy Cahn

| length3 = 2:58

| title4 = As Easy as Rolling Off a Log

| writer4 = M.K. Jerome, Jack Scholl

| length4 = 2:50

| title5 = Almost Like Being in Love

| writer5 = Frederick Loewe, Alan Jay Lerner

| length5 = 3:42

| title6 = Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat

| writer6 = Frank Loesser

| length6 = 4:11

| title7 = The Nearness of You

| writer7 = Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington

| length7 = 3:52

| title8 = You've Got to Be Carefully Taught

| writer8 = Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II

| length8 = 2:26

| title9 = God Bless the Child

| writer9 = Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.

| length9 = 3:21

| title10 = Pennies from Heaven

| writer10 = Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke

| length10 = 2:52

| title11 = My Heart Stood Still

| writer11 = Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart

| length11 = 3:27

| title12 = Ol' Man River

| writer12 = Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II

| length12 = 2:53

| title13 = It's Only a Paper Moon

| writer13 = Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg, Billy Rose

| length13 = 3:11

| title14 = The Surrey with the Fringe on Top

| writer14 = Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II

| length14 = 3:20

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Target edition bonus tracks & Japan bonus tracks {{cite web|url=https://www.universal-music.co.jp/james-taylor/products/ucco-1219/|title=アメリカン・スタンダード[CD]|publisher=Universal Music Japan|accessdate=September 5, 2020|language=ja}}

| total_length = 50:42

| title15 = I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face

| writer15 = Loewe, Lerner

| length15 = 2:15

| title16 = Never Never Land

| writer16 = Jule Styne, Betty Comden, Adolph Green

| length16 = 3:22

}}

=''Over the Rainbow: The American Standard EP''=

{{Track listing

| headline = Track listing{{Cite web|url=https://fantasyrecordings.com/releases/over-the-rainbow-the-american-standard-ep/|title=Over the Rainbow - the American Standard EP}}

| total_length = 8:45

| title1 = I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face

| writer1 = Loewe, Lerner

| length1 = 2:15

| title2 = Never Never Land

| writer2 = Styne, Comden, Green

| length2 = 3:22

| title3 = Over the Rainbow

| writer3 = Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg

| length3 = 3:07

}}

Album credits

= Musicians =

James Taylor – vocals, guitar
Larry Goldings – keyboards, piano, Hammond B3 organ
John Pizzarelli – guitars, 7-string nylon guitar
Jerry Douglas – dobro
Jimmy Johnson – bass
Michael Landau – guitars
Viktor Krauss – upright bass
Steve Gadd – drums{{cite web|url=https://www.jamestaylor.com/american-standard/album-credits/|title=2021 James Taylor Official Site'|date=February 28, 2020|accessdate=November 27, 2020}}
Luis Conte – percussion
Lou Marini – saxophones, flute, clarinet
Walt Fowler – trumpets, flugelhorn
Stuart Duncan – violin
Andrea Zonn – violin, vocals
Dorian Holley – vocals
Kate Markowitz – vocals
Arnold McCuller – vocals
Caroline Taylor – vocals (14)

= Production =

James Taylor – producer
John Pizzarelli – producer
Dave O'Donnell – producer, engineer, mixing
Sean Badum – assistant engineer
Brandon Epps – assistant engineer
Chandler Harrod – assistant engineer
Tyler Hartman – assistant engineer
Jimmy Johnson – assistant engineer
Robbie Kapoor – assistant engineer
Rick Kwan – assistant engineer
Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound (Nashville, TN)
Justin Shturtz – mastering assistant
Ryan Smith – additional mastering for vinyl at Sterling Sound
JoAnn Tominaga – production coordinator
Norman Seeff – front cover photography
Ellyn Kusmin – back cover and booklet photography, personal assistant, director of studio operations
Carrie Smith – art direction, design

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="col"\| Chart (2020) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+Sales chart performance for American Standard
{{album chart\|Australia\|23\|artist=James Taylor\|album=American Standard\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 7, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Flanders\|161\|artist=James Taylor\|album=American Standard\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 7, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Wallonia\|96\|artist=James Taylor\|album=American Standard\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 7, 2020}}
{{album chart\|BillboardCanada\|1\|M\|url=https://www.fyimusicnews.ca/articles/2020/03/09/james-taylor-has-weeks-no-1-album\|title=James Taylor Has This Week's No. 1 Album\|work=FYIMusicNews\|artist=James Taylor\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 9, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Netherlands\|55\|artist=James Taylor\|album=American Standard\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 6, 2020}}
scope="row"\| French Albums (SNEP){{cite web\|url=http://snepmusique.com/les-tops/le-top-de-la-semaine/top-albums/?semaine=10?&annee=2020&categorie=Top%20Albums\|title=Top Albums (Week 10, 2020)\|publisher=Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique\|language=French\|accessdate=March 9, 2020}} \| 195
{{album chart\|Germany4\|24\|id=400640\|artist=James Taylor\|album=American Standard\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 6, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Ireland\|55\|M\|url=http://www.irma.ie/index.cfm?page=irish-charts&chart=Albums\|title=Irish Albums Chart: 6 March 2020\|publisher=Irish Recorded Music Association\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 7, 2020}}
scope="row"\| Italian Albums (FIMI){{cite web\|url=https://www.fimi.it/top-of-the-music/classifiche.kl#/charts/1/2020/10\|title=Album – Classifica settimanale WK 10 (dal 28.2.2020 al 5.3.2020)\|publisher=Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana\|language=Italian\|accessdate=March 7, 2020}} \| 50
{{album chart\|Portugal\|37\|artist=James Taylor\|album=American Standard\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 12, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Scotland\|2\|date=20200306\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 7, 2020}}
scope="row"\| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE){{cite web\|url=http://www.promusicae.es/listas/semana/4329-%C3%81lbumes-semana-10-2020\|title=Top 100 Albumes – Semana 10: del 28.2.2020 al 5.3.2020\|publisher=Productores de Música de España\|language=Spanish\|accessdate=March 11, 2020}} \| 14
{{album chart\|Switzerland\|66\|artist=James Taylor\|album=American Standard\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 11, 2020}}
{{album chart\|UK2\|11\|date=20200306\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 7, 2020}}
scope="row"\| US Billboard 200{{cite web\|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9330424/lil-baby-first-no-1-album\|title=Lil Baby Earns First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'My Turn'\|work=Billboard\|last=Caulfield\|first=Keith\|date=March 8, 2020\|accessdate=March 9, 2020}} \| 4
{{album chart\|BillboardRock\|1\|artist=James Taylor\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=December 26, 2020}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+Year-end chart performance for American Standard
scope="col"\| Chart (2020) ! scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard){{cite web\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2020/top-rock-albums\|title=Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2020\|work=Billboard\|accessdate=December 26, 2020}} \| 47

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Year-end chart performance for American Standard

scope="col"| Chart (2020)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard){{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2020/top-rock-albums|title=Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2020|work=Billboard|accessdate=December 26, 2020}}

| 47