It's hard to mistake James Taylor's voice.

It's sweet and sounds carefree.

And if you know the cliff notes version of James' life that kind of makes sense, summers

in Martha's Vineyard as a kid, signed by the Beatles to Apple Records at only 19 years

old, relationships with Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon, becoming one of the premier singer-songwriters

of the 70s when competition was stiff.

But these autobiographical details and a sweet voice belive the traumatic events of his

early days.

Two stints in a mental institution, heroin addiction, and alcoholic father, this is the

life James attempts to make sense of in his new audio memoir, Breakshot, all of which

he traces back to a traumatic family event he says left the Taylor's cursed.

When Malcolm Gladwell and James Taylor got together to talk about his new memoir, they dove

into these darker memories from James' past, and how his songwriting started as a form

of therapy.

They also discuss why James' feels his last five albums have been his absolute best

work, including his latest, American Standard.

These new albums out February 28th and its full of the songs James heard growing up.

Songs that offered him refuge, songs that ultimately offered him a new life through music.

This is Broken Record, liner notes for the digital age, I'm Justin Richmond.

Here's Malcolm Gladwell and James Taylor from GSI Studios in New York.

What I wanted to start with, the most unexpected fact that came up as I was preparing, which

was Taylor Swift is named for you.

...