Carole King and James Taylor

"It will pick you out of your funk, put your nose back into the wind and head you in the right direction."

James Taylor was introducing just one song -- Carole King's "Beautiful" -- but summed up the whole idea of the Troubadour Reunion Tour, a cool breeze of reassuring nostalgia on a blistering day of a troubled summer.

It was the whole point of these two '70s legends sweeping the arenas: delivering one generation's standards in two generous sets, with few detours or filler. No monkey business in a slumpy concert season where, across the street, Rihanna was among the stars slicing tour dates off their schedules.

Saturday's MGM Grand Garden stop, on the home stretch of the duo's itinerary, sustained the warmth even as it made no pretense at spontaneity. A screen capture of her head on his shoulder in the final encore, "You Can Close Your Eyes," would be nearly interchangeable with the album cover to the "Live at the Troubadour" disc coinciding with the tour.

A round, revolving stage increased the choice seats for the duo backed by an all-star band of contemporaries. Revolving views of King solved the problem of how to feature an artist rooted at the grand piano for much of the show. She was the one who made the night special, perhaps just for being a rarity in these parts (for years, the 68-year-old stuck to Eastern seaboard dates where she could sleep at home).

Her dusky vocals labored to match the 62-year-old Taylor's effortless crooning, a winning blend of grit and honey. It was nice how neither left the stage: She played piano under his hits, he strummed guitar to hers. Still, the songs where they harmonized or traded leads were few and select, a secret weapon when an extra boost was needed in a flow of back-and-forth hits.

Any other show where, the next day, you can pick up a scribbled set list and see this home stretch? "Jazzman," "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" "Your Smiling Face," "It's Too Late," "Fire and Rain," "I Feel the Earth Move" and "You've Got a Friend"? That's bound to make a childhood summer of a withering day.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.