No slowing down for middle-of-the-road king

DESPITE being a mega star in the Seventies, James Taylor's music embodied very little of the psychedelic decade.

Still, his quiet brand of sensitive acoustic folk-pop stood out, turning the singer-songwriter-guitarist into the voice of a generation as he ruled the airwaves alongside peers such as Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Carol King and ex-wife Carly Simon.

Playing in Singapore for the first time in 23 years at The Star on Tuesday evening, the 68-year-old Taylor was sprightly for his age and charming in a cool granddad way as he regaled the middle-aged crowd with self-deprecating jokes and stories behind some of his biggest hits.