"wisdom is was a teapot" ~Patti Smith

~the king~
John Taylor isn’t your "run of the mill" artist. He has proven that time and time again in his creative efforts. Upon (late) arrival of Techno For Two, I slipped it into my stereo and spent some time getting to know the music. T4T’s first impression is a lasting one. I was impressed from the opening bass line of Love Is Bondage and remained smitten until the very last note of the beloved Just Good Friends.

~keep the symmetry alive~
This album, to me, seems retrospective, in some full circle kind of way. Referring to the liner notes, it’s as if some of these songs were born in the B5 era and have been stewing for this release. There are new songs and old songs, a new family of tunes to embrace. There are hints of every genre of music JT embodies, both in his tastes and performance style. In listening to these songs I can hear influences, Beatles, Bowie and I am positive I heard a Stingism in there somewhere. I can hear hints of classic Duran Duran in songs like Tight. The guitar riff traveled me back to the early days even though Tight touches on John’s appetite for electronica and techno/house music. There are hints of Feelings Are Good And Other Lies, Meltdown and The Japan Album. This whole effort is a melting pot of high energy rock and roll, smooth contemporary sounds and experimentation with voice and technology.

~vox pop~
John’s voice continues to better and strengthen. My stance is that John should have been singing (not background vocals) a long time ago. He has a voice of many men - the father, the husband, the brother, the friend, the lover, the rock star and the boy. In his description of T4T he branded it "21st century soul" with songs about subjects close to his heart and he offers the human face to his story. They say to write what we know, JT knows much about living and loving, being a Dad, being a "mansman" (he did say once that all men were created quasi evil). In these songs he has faced the admission that despite the pedestal he had been standing on in his heyday, he is less than perfect and reveals parts of himself he wished didn’t exist. He chooses to share these revelations with those of us who are always willing to listen through his music, in the artists way.

~words are bondage~
The songwriting is consistent. His lyrics read like poetry and flow flawlessly with the accompanying music. There are hints of his revered Nigel Pages, vivid imagery to which we can all relate and the unique outlook on the world that is individual to JT’s appeal. As a writer and music lover I am delighted with the wordsmithing of my favorite bass man. Who can deny his pen and his guitar? Not I.

~’rotic~
I am elated with the Herculean presence of the bass. Primarily I love John for his brilliant bass lines. He is one funky ass motherfucker. He knows his stuff, indeed. In the opening of Love Is Bondage we are introduced to only the beginning of what is close to an hour of multicolored bass driven songs in both subtle and in your face forces. There is just something intricate about his patterns, his rhythm and his funk-o-meter fingers.

~the songs~
Love Is Bondage - The opening track kicked my ass. I was sucked right into it. It’s funky and furious. sexy and a perfect way to start of the journey.

6000 Miles - I first heard this on Meltdown Radio and fell in love with it. Yet, another song of love and longing from a father to a daughter. Beautiful lyrics and a graceful melody, as any love song should truly possess.

Tight - Hot! Hot! Hot! It’s got sex appeal, it’s got a dance floor fever and it’s got that classic Duran Duran guitar thing happening. This is the song that the Momma like! WOO!

The Other Side Of The Sun - The real highlight of Techno For Two. Can we say BASS? Close close your eyes and take a ride on that magic bass cleft ride.

Immortal - This is the song that I am most fond of singing along with. It has a great sound and John’s voice is so beautiful and empowering for the listener. The story is humbling. I do love this song.

Gabe - Misheard/misread lyrics leave some scratching their heads wondering if this song is laced with a homo-erotic theme. I would never have gotten that from this song. I dug this song a lot listening on the Avex radio station and I really like that organ intro. I am also happy to hear Danielle Brissboire again.

Mister J - What can I say? It’s Mister J, we all love Mister J!

Out Of The Blues - This is where I reveal my favorite track on Techno For Two. This song has the same effect on me as when I first heard Trust The Process. It has that same motif and it boasted the same message - Trust in instinct and it’s up to you. When he sings the "it’s up to you" part, killer. Of any other song he has recorded, it is that one moment vocally that I am obsessed with. Awesome! This song would be a great track for his live shows.

Nagel Baby - I love the John Shanks guitar on this song. The lyrics are cool too and is home to my favorite line, "He died this side of midnight yuppie scum." A man of his times indeed. Killer tune.

Run Of The Mill - More of the John Shanks guitar here. More of JT’s velvet vocals and another of my favorite lines, "A gently surging note of Hope for us all".

Mansman - "You’re a good looking man" a perfect opening to a song called Mansman. Hey Lucky, Hey ‘rotic. Just like a poem man, just like a poem. Gotta love a mansman. And you just have to love the barking.

Just Good Friends - I have been listening to this song for months. I adopted the MP3 on my PC. It is the song that holds the most sentimental value for me. It’s a beautiful song and a nice subtle way of ending out the album. The use of the acoustic guitar (which tugs at my heartstrings anyway) is both touching and delicate coupled with the songs lyrics. A five star love song in my books.

~Nigel Baby~
Techno For Two is funky, it’s sexy, it’s rockin’, it’s lonely and like everything on the block from John, it’s honest. He has certainly succeeded in the mandate of this record, in showing us the following elements of his self:

- who he is

- how his mind works

- what he is into

John Taylor is the 21st Century Soulman.

~the queen(s)~
And a huge shout out to Patty (A&R) Palazzo for her excellent work (as always) on the graphics and liner notes. I am sure that I speak for everyone when I say her hard work and dedication hardly go unnoticed or unappreciated. She keeps JT looking good and Cynthia Brubaker is one hell of a shutter bug.

~mansman~
And to close, Theodore Roosevelt penned this amazing review of Techno For Two. Well not really, but these words sum up how I feel about this album and I wanted to include it with my own thoughts. It is fitting, I am sure you will all agree.

"It is not the critic who counts,
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly;
who errs and comes short again and again;
who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those timid souls
who know neither victory nor defeat."
~ T. Roosevelt

Cheers,
Nicole D. Myers
May 2001