Carole King | ||
| Allmusic Biography : While the landmark Tapestry album earned her superstar status, singer/songwriter Carole King had already firmly established herself as one of pop musics most gifted and successful composers, with work recorded by everyone from the Beatles to Aretha Franklin. Born Carole Klein on February 9, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York, she began playing piano at the age of four, and formed her first band, the vocal quartet the Co-Sines, while in high school. A devotee of the composing team of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller (the duo behind numerous hits for Elvis Presley, the Coasters, and Ben E. King), she became a fixture at influential DJ Alan Freeds local rock & roll shows; while attending Queens College, she fell in with budding songwriters Paul Simon and Neil Sedaka as well as Gerry Goffin, with whom she forged a writing partnership. In 1959, Sedaka scored a hit with "Oh! Carol," written in her honor; King cut an answer record, "Oh! Neil," but it stiffed. She and Goffin, who eventually married, began writing under publishers Don Kirshner and Al Nevins in the famed pop songwriting house the Brill Building, where they worked alongside the likes of Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and countless others. In 1961, Goffin and King scored their first hit with the Shirelles chart-topping "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"; their next effort, Bobby Vees "Take Good Care of My Baby," also hit number one, as did "The Loco-Motion," recorded by their babysitter, Little Eva. Together, the couple wrote over 100 chart hits in a vast range of styles, including the Chiffons "One Fine Day," the Monkees "Pleasant Valley Sunday," the Drifters "Up on the Roof," the Cookies "Chains" (later covered by the Beatles), Aretha Franklins "(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman," and the Crystals controversial "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)." King also continued her attempts to mount a solo career, but scored only one hit, 1962s "It Might as Well Rain Until September." In the mid-60s she, Goffin, and columnist Al Aronowitz founded their own short-lived label, Tomorrow Records; Charles Larkey, the bassist for the Tomorrow group the Myddle Class, eventually became Kings second husband after her marriage to Goffin dissolved. She and Larkey later moved to the West Coast, where in 1968 they founded the City, a trio rounded out by New York musician Danny Kortchmar. The City recorded one LP, Now That Everythings Been Said, but did not tour due to Kings stage fright; as a result, the album was a commercial failure, although it did feature songs later popularized by the Byrds ("Wasnt Born to Follow"), Blood, Sweat & Tears ("Hi-De-Ho"), and James Taylor ("Youve Got a Friend"). Taylor and King ultimately became close friends, and he encouraged her to pursue a solo career. Released in 1970, Writer proved a false start, but in 1971 she released Tapestry, which stayed on the charts for over six years and was the best-selling album of the era. A quiet, reflective work that proved seminal in the development of the singer/songwriter genre, Tapestry also scored a pair of hit singles, "So Far Away" and the chart-topping "Its Too Late," whose flip side, "I Feel the Earth Move," garnered major airplay as well. Issued in 1971, Music also hit number one, and generated the hit "Sweet Seasons"; 1972s Rhymes & Reasons reached number two on the charts, and 1974s Wrap Around Joy, which featured the hit "Jazzman," hit the number one spot. In 1975, King and Goffin reunited to write Thoroughbred, which also featured contributions from James Taylor, David Crosby, and Graham Nash. After 1977s Simple Things, she mounted a tour with the backing group Navarro and married her frequent songwriting partner Rick Evers, who died a year later of a heroin overdose. Pearls, a collection of performances of songs written during her partnership with Goffin, was released in 1980 and was her last significant hit, and King soon moved to a tiny mountain village in Idaho, where she became active in the environmental movement. After 1983s Speeding Time, she took a six-year hiatus from recording before releasing City Streets, which featured guest Eric Clapton. In 2001, she returned with Love Makes the World, a self-released disc on her own Rockingale label. Four years passed before her next record, The Living Room Tour, a double-disc set documenting her intimate 2004-2005 tour that found her revisiting songs from throughout her career with only her piano and acoustic guitars as accompaniment. King joined longtime friend James Taylor for a co-starring show at L.A.s famed Troubadour venue in 2007, and the pair followed it with several more shows, resulting in the Live at the Troubadour release in 2010. King released her first-ever Christmas album, A Holiday Carole, through the Hear Music/Concord Music Group on November 1, 2011. In 2013, King received a remarkable show business accolade -- her life became the basis for a Broadway musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which followed her professional and personal life in the 60s and 70s. The show opened on Broadway in January 2014, with a score dominated by Kings hit songs, and an original cast album appeared the following May. The next year, King was a Kennedy Center Honoree, and in 2016 she played the entirety of Tapestry at the British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park. The concert was documented on the 2017 album/DVD set Tapestry: Live in Hyde Park. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 47 Title: The Dimension Dolls Released: 1963 Tracks: 20 Duration: 49:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dont Say Nothin Bad About My Baby (02:45) 2 Crying in the Rain (01:53) 3 The Loco‐Motion (02:24) 4 On Broadway (01:56) 5 Keep Your Hands Off My Baby (02:33) 6 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do (02:14) 7 Foolish Little Girl (02:22) 8 It Might as Well Rain Until September (02:26) 9 Up on the Roof (02:54) 10 Chains (02:32) 11 It Started All Over Again (02:26) 12 Uptown (02:26) 13 Girls Grow Up Faster Than Boys (02:47) 14 I Didnt Have Any Summer Romance (02:48) 15 Let’s Turkey Trot (02:30) 16 I Want a Boy for My Birthday (02:43) 17 Hes a Bad Boy (02:24) 18 What I Gotta Do (To Make You Jealous) (02:00) 19 I Never Dreamed (02:37) 20 Makin With the Magilla (02:24) |
| The Dimension Dolls : Allmusic album Review : Sundazeds Dimension Dolls is an updated and expanded version of the 1963 release of the same name on Don Kirshners Dimension label. Dimension was the home of some of the finest girl group sounds of the early 60s. The main reason it was such a strong label is that the songwriting team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin were the primary sources of the songs. Check out some of the classics they wrote that are compiled here: "The Loco-Motion" by Little Eva, "Chains" by the Cookies, and "Dont Say Nothin Bad (About My Baby"), also by the Cookies. There are also quite a few original versions of songs that became hits when covered by other artists, like "Up on the Roof" (done here by Little Eva), "On Broadway" (done by the Cookies), and "Crying in the Rain" (done by King herself). This is prime girl group material and it sounds crystal clear and exciting in its remastered form. The bonus tracks Sundazed adds on arent lost classics but are still a bunch of fun, especially Little Evas contributions "Lets Turkey Trot" and "Makin With the Magilla." Recommended to girl group fans and fans of fun pop music or the 1960s. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 47 Title: Writer Released: 1970 Tracks: 13 Duration: 47:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Spaceship Races (03:09) 2 No Easy Way Down (04:36) 3 Child of Mine (04:03) 4 Goin Back (03:19) 5 To Love (03:39) 6 What Have You Got to Lose (03:33) 7 Eventually (05:00) 8 Raspberry Jam (04:35) 9 Cant You Be Real (03:00) 10 I Cant Hear You No More (02:45) 11 Sweet Sweetheart (02:46) 12 Up on the Roof (03:37) 13 To Love (alternate take) (03:38) |
| Writer : Allmusic album Review : Writer is the most underrated of all of Carole Kings original albums, in that it was completely ignored when it came out in 1971 and didnt really start to sell until Tapestry whetted everyones appetite for her work. Its an album of its time, in both Kings life and career, and the music of its era -- singer/songwriters were still something new, and in 1970, it was assumed that anyone in rock had to tend toward the extrovert and flashy to attract attention. Thus, Writer has a somewhat louder sound than the relatively lean, introspective strains of Tapestry which followed. "Spaceship Races," which opens the record, features Danny Kootch Kortchmar playing full-out electric guitar, chopping and crunching away with his amp turned way up, and King belting out a number behind his bluesy licks that makes her sound like Grace Slick and the song come off like a pounding (and good) Jefferson Airplane number of the same era, with a great vocal hook at the end of the verses. "No Easy Way Down," with its soulful instrumental and backing arrangement, calls to mind not only her own "Natural Woman" as done by Aretha Franklin, but also (in terms of New York white women belting out soul) Laura Nyro at her best, and its also a great tune with a killer performance by King, whose wailing voice is extraordinarily powerful here. "Child of Mine" is the closest that the album gets to the voice that she found on Tapestry, while "Goin Back" gives a more personal and elegant take to a song that is otherwise thoroughly identified with the Byrds; and "To Love" has King diving into country music, which she pulls off with exceptional grace, the songs title referring to a beguilingly innocent and free-spirited chorus that, once heard, stays with you. Even the least interesting of the songs here, "What Have You Got to Lose," is unusual in the context of Kings overall work, with its heavy acoustic rhythm guitar, soaring backing vocals, and Kings bold near-falsetto on the choruses. And thats just Side One of the original LP -- Side Two opens a little more slackly with the beautiful, reflective, but slightly too languid "Eventually," and the delightful "Raspberry Jam," which offers a soaring guitar showcase for Kortchmar (whose playing intersects the sounds of Roger McGuinn and David Crosby off of the Byrds "Eight Miles High"), and a head-spinning, swirling organ from Ralph Schuckett weaving below and around Kings piano, plus one of Kings most playful vocals on record. The album ends on a special high note, Kings singer/songwriter-styled reinterpretation of "Up on the Roof," which anticipates the sound she would perfect for Tapestry, emphasizing words and their feeling and meaning as much as music, and expressing herself principally through her voice and piano, moving the band out of the way. Ironically enough, if Writer had been released by almost any other artist, it would command a near-top rating and probably be a fondly remembered period cult item today; instead, for all of its merits, it must stand in the shadow of Kings more accomplished and distinctive work that followed -- but even slightly "off-brand," under-developed Carole King music from 1970 is still worth hearing today. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 47 Title: Tapestry Released: 1971-01-30 Tracks: 14 Duration: 50:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Feel the Earth Move (02:59) 2 So Far Away (03:55) 3 It’s Too Late (03:54) 4 Home Again (02:29) 5 Beautiful (03:07) 6 Way Over Yonder (04:45) 7 You’ve Got a Friend (05:09) 8 Where You Lead (03:20) 9 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (04:12) 10 Smackwater Jack (03:42) 11 Tapestry (03:15) 12 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (03:58) 13 Out in the Cold (02:45) 14 Smackwater Jack (live) (03:19) |
| Tapestry : Allmusic album Review : Carole King brought the fledgling singer/songwriter phenomenon to the masses with Tapestry, one of the most successful albums in pop music history. A remarkably expressive and intimate record, its a work of consummate craftsmanship. Always a superior pop composer, King reaches even greater heights as a performer; new songs like the hits "Its Too Late" and "I Feel the Earth Move" rank solidly with past glories, while songs like "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" take on added resonance when delivered in her own warm, compelling voice. With its reliance on pianos and gentle drumming, Tapestry is a light and airy work on its surface, occasionally skirting the boundaries of jazz, but its also an intensely emotional record, the songs confessional and direct; in its time it connected with listeners like few records before it, and it remains an illuminating experience decades later. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 47 Title: Music Released: 1971-12 Tracks: 12 Duration: 40:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Brother, Brother (03:00) 2 It’s Going to Take Some Time (03:35) 3 Sweet Seasons (03:15) 4 Some Kind of Wonderful (03:07) 5 Surely (04:58) 6 Carry Your Load (02:52) 7 Music (03:50) 8 Song of Long Ago (02:44) 9 Brighter (02:46) 10 Growing Away From Me (03:03) 11 Too Much Rain (03:35) 12 Back to California (03:23) |
| Music : Allmusic album Review : After years as one of the most prolific and successful songwriters in pop music, Carole King emerged in the 70s with Tapestry, an album that catapulted her to the forefront of the singer/songwriter movement. While she had mined her back catalog for that album, she relied more heavily on songs written with new collaborator Toni Stern for Music. Coming out on the heels of the classic Tapestry, its hard not to feel like this album was a bit of a letdown. However, time has shown this album to be one of her finest. While these songs lyrically lack the simplistic beauty of Gerry Goffin-penned tunes, the melodies are very strong and Carole King adds some nice texture to her piano-based tunes with the tasteful percussion of Bobbye Hall. When King goes for grand statements, however, it doesnt always work. Her call for peace and brotherhood works on songs like the opening track, "Brother, Brother," but her voice is not strong enough and does not convey enough emotion to prevent uplifting tunes like "Carry Your Load" from sounding a bit hollow and preachy. But her songwriting is still in peak form, and there are many highlights including "Its Gonna Take Some Time" (also made into a hit by the Carpenters) and "Song of Long Ago" (with backing vocals by James Taylor). | ||
 | Album: 5 of 47 Title: Rhymes & Reasons Released: 1972 Tracks: 12 Duration: 35:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Come Down Easy (03:06) 2 My My She Cries (02:19) 3 Peace in the Valley (03:23) 4 Feeling Sad Tonight (03:13) 5 The First Day in August (02:50) 6 Bitter With the Sweet (02:29) 7 Goodbye Dont Mean Im Gone (03:35) 8 Stand Behind Me (02:29) 9 Gotta Get Through Another Day (02:35) 10 I Think I Can Hear You (03:26) 11 Ferguson Road (02:40) 12 Been to Canaan (03:39) |
| Rhymes & Reasons : Allmusic album Review : On her second follow-up to Tapestry and third new album in less than two years, Carole King turned entirely to new compositions, most of them co-written with Toni Stern, rather than relying partly on songs from her back catalog. The result was a thinner collection than Tapestry or Music, although the album still went to number two and featured the Top 25 hit "Been to Canaan," as well as the warm love song "The First Day in August." | ||
 | Album: 6 of 47 Title: Fantasy Released: 1973 Tracks: 13 Duration: 40:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Fantasy Beginning (01:03) 2 Youve Been Around Too Long (03:42) 3 Being at War With Each Other (03:26) 4 Directions (03:58) 5 That’s How Things Go Down (03:01) 6 Weekdays (02:45) 7 Haywood (04:46) 8 A Quiet Place to Live (01:56) 9 Welfare Symphony (03:46) 10 You Light Up My Life (03:13) 11 Corazón (03:58) 12 Believe in Humanity (03:20) 13 Fantasy End (01:25) |
| Fantasy : Allmusic album Review : Even in 1973, Carole Kings landmark Tapestry album was still high on the charts. Fantasy was the first album to break the immediately recognizable, cozy sound set by Writer and made definitive by Tapestry. In the place of the warm, spare tones was a polished, soulful production. In many respects this album coasts on groove more than anything else. Sometimes it does work. "Youve Been Around Too Long" comes off as subtle and accomplished, especially with David T. Walkers great guitar work. "Being at War with Each Other" pretty much covers well-worn ground. Those looking for Tapestry, Pt. 2 or 3 would come up empty, but the core of Fantasy does deliver on its idiosyncratic promise. "Corazón" has Latin intonations and King certainly doesnt embarrass herself. The albums best song by a long shot is "Believe in Humanity." On that track in particular all of the elements coalesce and might make listeners wish they took the harder sound and well-meaning messages even further, even for the hell of it. Some of the other tracks, most notably "Haywood," proves that although King knows the ins and outs of human nature, a story song isnt her forte. While the virtues of Music and Rhymes & Reasons tend to blur for some, Fantasy stands out as a risky and sometimes fulfilling effort. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 47 Title: Wrap Around Joy Released: 1974-09 Tracks: 12 Duration: 42:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Nightingale (03:38) 2 Change in Mind, Change of Heart (04:39) 3 Jazzman (03:46) 4 You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine (03:34) 5 You’re Something New (02:56) 6 We Are All in This Together (04:03) 7 Wrap Around Joy (02:59) 8 You Gentle Me (03:46) 9 My Lovin’ Eyes (03:08) 10 Sweet Adonis (03:22) 11 A Night This Side of Dying (02:59) 12 The Best Is Yet to Come (03:30) |
| Wrap Around Joy : Allmusic album Review : More upbeat and rockin than her last couple of efforts, Wrap Around Joy contains much of the jazz-tinged rock King was becoming known for. Here, she found chart action with "Jazzman" as well as the title track. A good, solid effort, as usual, from one of Americas finest songwriters. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 47 Title: Thoroughbred Released: 1975 Tracks: 11 Duration: 36:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 So Many Ways (03:11) 2 Daughter of Light (03:11) 3 High Out of Time (03:15) 4 Only Love Is Real (03:29) 5 Theres a Space Between Us (03:20) 6 Id Like to Know You Better (02:48) 7 We All Have to Be Alone (03:44) 8 Ambrosia (03:15) 9 Still Here Thinking of You (03:11) 10 Its Gonna Work Out Fine (03:48) 11 So Many Ways (Alternate Take) (03:10) |
| Thoroughbred : Allmusic album Review : 1976s THOROUGHBRED was Carole Kings last album for Lou Adlers Ode Records imprint, and its clearly a transitional release. Change was afoot in the musical air in 1976, and while theres no hints of punk or disco on THOROUGHBRED--which is a good thing--King is definitely moving away from the solo piano sound of her earlier solo albums. Kings thumping, percussive piano playing is still all over the album, but guitars play a more prominent role than ever before. At times, the instrumental interplay resembles that of Fleetwood Mac, particularly Waddy Wachtels Lindsey Buckingham-like solo on "Only Love Is Real." The songs themselves are in the eclectic style of 1973s all-over-the-map FANTASY, with the country-tinged "We All Have To Be Alone" and "Ambrosia" sitting comfortably between the slinky pop of "Id Like To Know You Better" and the soulful "Still Here Thinking of You." | ||
 | Album: 9 of 47 Title: Simple Things Released: 1977-08 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Simple Things (02:40) 2 Hold On (04:35) 3 In the Name of Love (03:01) 4 Labyrinth (04:00) 5 Youre the One Who Knows (05:00) 6 Hard Rock Cafe (03:38) 7 Time Alone (02:35) 8 God Only Knows (06:14) 9 To Know That I Love You (03:31) 10 One (05:00) |
| Simple Things : Allmusic album Review : Carole King moved to Capitol Records with this release and introduced as her lyric collaborator Rick Evers, who became her third husband. The new associations, however, did not signal an impressive new phase in her work. The rollicking "Hard Rock Cafe" was the only moderate hit here, with most of the music well-meaning but lacking the distinctiveness of Kings previous pop classics. Similarly, Navarro, her backup band, were adequate but no more. Despite the stimulus of a new label, Simple Things became Kings first album since her breakthrough with Tapestry to peak below the Top Ten. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 47 Title: Her Greatest Hits: Songs of Long Ago Released: 1978 Tracks: 14 Duration: 51:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Jazzman (03:46) 2 So Far Away (03:55) 3 Sweet Seasons (03:15) 4 Brother, Brother (03:00) 5 Only Love Is Real (03:32) 6 I Feel the Earth Move (02:59) 7 It’s Too Late (03:54) 8 Nightingale (03:38) 9 Been to Canaan (03:39) 10 Smackwater Jack (03:42) 11 Corazón (03:58) 12 Believe in Humanity (03:20) 13 Eventually (04:38) 14 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (03:58) |
| Her Greatest Hits: Songs of Long Ago : Allmusic album Review : This album was always sort of a joke among Carole Kings serious fans, containing 12 songs drawn from six albums, and liner notes that fail even to acknowledge the existence of Writer, her one pre-Tapestry solo LP. A Natural Woman supplanted it later, and the addition of two live cuts, "Eventually" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" from the Carnegie Hall concert on the 1999 reissue (Ode/Epic/Legacy 65846), doesnt extended the range or depth of the selection sufficiently. On the other hand, the 1999 remastering does improve the listening pleasure inherent in what is here -- the material off of Tapestry, Music, Rhymes & Reasons, and others is now very robust, with vivid instrumentation and a close, rich profile of Kings voice. The selection of Kings work is still only an inch deep, but its a more rewarding inch. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 47 Title: Welcome Home Released: 1978-08 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Main Street Saturday Night (05:46) 2 Sun Bird (04:06) 3 Venusian Diamond (04:32) 4 Changes (02:29) 5 Morning Sun (04:33) 6 Disco Tech (05:11) 7 Wings of Love (03:27) 8 Ride the Music (03:13) 9 Everybodys Got the Spirit (03:47) 10 Welcome Home (03:17) |
| Welcome Home : Allmusic album Review : After seven straight gold-selling, Top 20 albums, Welcome Home demonstrated thoroughly that Carole King was on the wrong track. Her third husband, Rick Evers, who wrote lyrics for some of her songs and is pictured with her on the record cover, died of a drug overdose after this album was recorded in January 1978, but before it was released in May, which seems emblematic of the problems here. They include "Venusian Diamond," a song that deliberately borrows gimmicks from Beatles records, and "Disco Tech." Thats right, Carole King goes disco. There were no hits, although "Morning Sun" made a brief appearance in the adult contemporary chart, and there was certainly nothing that was up to Kings usual standards. The album failed to make the Top 100 and effectively removed King from the top echelon of pop artists. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 47 Title: Touch the Sky Released: 1979-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Time Gone By (04:12) 2 Move Lightly (04:59) 3 Dreamlike I Wander (03:55) 4 Walk With Me (Ill Be Your Companion) (03:00) 5 Good Mountain People (03:40) 6 You Still Want Her (04:41) 7 Passing of the Days (02:51) 8 Crazy (03:39) 9 Eagle (04:43) 10 Seeing Red (03:53) |
| Touch the Sky : Allmusic album Review : Continuing on a downhill curve, this record did little for Carole Kings career. Recorded in Austin, Texas with a group of musicians who had been backing Jerry Jeff Walker at the time, the main failing is that King doesnt play piano on any but three tracks, and then not as well as shes been come to be known. The songs dont hold up either, and thats a shame, for while nothing here is great, given some of her old backing musicians, she could have had a much better chance as making this release better. Not one of her best. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 47 Title: Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King Released: 1980-01 Tracks: 10 Duration: 33:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Dancin With Tears in My Eyes (03:27) 2 Locomotion (02:31) 3 One Fine Day (02:29) 4 Hey Girl (03:38) 5 Snow Queen (04:24) 6 Chains (02:57) 7 Oh No Not My Baby (03:00) 8 Hi De Ho (03:37) 9 Wasnt Born to Follow (03:15) 10 Goin Back (03:48) |
| Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King : Allmusic album Review : Make no doubt about it, this is possibly Carole Kings most important work since Tapestry, and why a similar album didnt follow Tapestry or its follow-up, Music, was a marketing blunder and a mystery. Missing here is Lou Adlers production, though King and her co-producer Mark Hallman are hardly inefficient. Its just that some songs get more attention than others. "Dancin With Tears in My Eyes" opens the collection, a pleasant new addition to their repertoire, but next to "Locomotion," "One Fine Day," "Chains," and "Snow Queen," its purpose is more to bring the album full circle than to try to compete with these classics. "One Fine Day," the song the Chiffons brought Top Five, was the hit, going Top 15 from this set 17 years later. The reworking of the Freddie Scott/Bobby Vee/Donny Osmond hit "Hey Girl" is breathtaking. Here King is backed by lush production and a bluesy vocal that surpasses anything else on this record, as well as much of what was on the charts at this time. Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King is the set the artists longtime fans craved when Tapestry made her more than a household name. This album deserves its place right next to Tapestry. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 47 Title: One to One Released: 1982 Tracks: 10 Duration: 33:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 One to One (03:17) 2 It’s a War (03:08) 3 Lookin’ Out for Number One (03:15) 4 Life Without Love (03:49) 5 Golden Man (05:25) 6 Read Between the Lines (02:55) 7 (Love Is Like a) Boomerang (02:35) 8 Goat Annie (04:01) 9 Someone You Never Met Before (03:16) 10 Little Prince (02:06) |
| One to One : Allmusic album Review : No Carole King album could ever be called bad -- shes simply not capable of turning in songs that are anything less than melodic and expertly crafted & structured. One to One, however, found her in non-experimental mode. Past albums had explored country (Touch the Sky), R&B; (Fantasy), and nostalgia (Pearls). But One to One was straight-up, no-frills singer/songwriter fare, close in spirit to Tapestry but without that albums iconic status. The production has the easy, unchallenging mid-70s feel of Simple Things, and the personnel supporting King here is largely the same. The title track is collaboration with Cynthia Weill -- its a catchy, candyfloss concoction, and something you imagine two songwriters of such stature could well have written in their sleep. Kings lyrics have never been the most celebrated part of her writing, and shes not trying to reinvent herself here, either. But anyone won over by Kings Capitol recordings (most of which failed commercially) will certainly enjoy the typically warm-hearted, altruistic fare presented here, particularly "Little Prince," "Golden Man," and the toe-tapping, Brill Building throwback "Read Between the Lines." | ||
 | Album: 15 of 47 Title: Speeding Time Released: 1983 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Computer Eyes (03:11) 2 One Small Voice (02:55) 3 Crying in the Rain (02:33) 4 Sacred Heart of Stone (03:47) 5 Speeding Time (04:54) 6 Standin’ on the Borderline (02:56) 7 So Ready for Love (05:40) 8 Chalice Borealis (02:41) 9 Dancing (04:09) 10 Alabaster Lady (05:38) |
| Speeding Time : Allmusic album Review : Carole King was reunited with Lou Adler -- the man responsible for her legendary Ode albums, including Tapestry and Music -- for this disappointing experiment in digital sound and synthesizers. If theres one artist utterly at odds with state-of-the-art technology, its Carole King. The charm of her best albums was that they sounded like demos, and her performances never needed clever sonic trickery or up-to-the-minute studio wizardry in order to be good. Dragging her forcibly into the 80s was not the brightest of Adlers ideas. The result is ten songs, all adequate, some fine, struggling to overcome totally unsympathetic arrangements. "Computer Eyes" is a case in point; an engaging midtempo break-up song, choked half to death by pointless, frantically sped-up synthesizer arpeggios. "Crying in the Rain," originally recorded by the Everly Brothers, is given a similarly stultifying synth makeover. "Alabaster Lady" allows King to get back behind an acoustic piano (at least for a minute or two), and in doing so, provides this albums moment of magic. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 47 Title: City Streets Released: 1989 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 City Streets (05:01) 2 Sweet Life (04:34) 3 Down to the Darkness (04:19) 4 Lovelight (04:29) 5 I Cant Stop Thinking About You (05:02) 6 Legacy (05:05) 7 Aint That the Way (03:10) 8 Midnight Flyer (04:27) 9 Homeless Heart (04:06) 10 Someone Who Believes in You (02:59) |
| City Streets : Allmusic album Review : Carole Kings first album in six years also marks her return to Capitol Records, for whom she recorded from 1977 to 1980. She tries updating her sound, with aggressive guitars played on a couple of cuts by Eric Clapton, synthesizers, and drum machines, while singing lyrics that declare her renewed passion and hope. King was never one of pops deep thinkers, which got her into trouble when she started going cosmic in the late 70s, but here she restricts herself to a kind of willed optimism and determination, and she sings as though she means it. City Streets is thus Kings most engaging record since her early 70s hits, and even if its too late for her to reclaim her place in pop music, thats encouraging. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 47 Title: Colour of Your Dreams Released: 1993-03-16 Tracks: 13 Duration: 55:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lay Down My Life (05:14) 2 Hold Out for Love (04:51) 3 Standing in the Rain (04:04) 4 Now and Forever (03:13) 5 Wishful Thinking (03:17) 6 Colour of Your Dreams (03:02) 7 Tears Falling Down on Me (04:57) 8 Fridays Tie-dye Nightmare (04:34) 9 Just One Thing (05:04) 10 Do You Feel Love (05:24) 11 Its Never Too Late (03:41) 12 Lay Down My Life (Spanish version) (03:49) 13 Lay Down My Life (radio edit) (03:48) |
| Colour of Your Dreams : Allmusic album Review : The success of "Now And Forever," which was used as the opening credits music for the summer 1992 film hit A League Of Their Own, seems to have earned Carole King another shot at record-making, albeit with an indie label. That song turns out to be one of the few highlights of a varied collection in which King sings some love songs and then turns to more serious fare, with dubious results. In "Tears Falling Down On Me," she flails helplessly against generalized injustice. "If I could," she notes, "Id change the course of history." Wouldnt we all? "Fridays Tie-Dye Nightmare," meanwhile, is an attempt at the kind of funny, frightening song Bob Dylan made a specialty of in the mid-1960s, but it only succeeds in proving that Carole King is no Bob Dylan. The best new songs here are two that reunite King with old partner Gerry Goffin, who still has a way with a romantic lyric. Which leaves us with only one question: Why does a girl from Brooklyn use the British spelling of "colour"? | ||
 | Album: 18 of 47 Title: Pearls / Time Gone By Released: 1994 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:10:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dancin With Tears in My Eyes (03:27) 2 Locomotion (02:31) 3 One Fine Day (02:29) 4 Hey Girl (03:38) 5 Snow Queen (04:24) 6 Chains (02:57) 7 Oh No Not My Baby (03:00) 8 Hi De Ho (03:37) 9 Wasnt Born to Follow (03:15) 10 Goin Back (03:48) 11 Hard Rock Cafe (03:38) 12 In the Name of Love (03:01) 13 Morning Sun (04:28) 14 Simple Things (02:40) 15 Time Gone By (04:12) 16 You Still Want Her (04:41) 17 Passing of the Days (02:51) 18 Time Alone (02:35) 19 Main Street Saturday Night (05:43) 20 Welcome Home (03:17) |
| Pearls / Time Gone By : Allmusic album Review : Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King and Time Gone By are an ideal pair of Carole King albums to put on the same CD -- the former looks like a compilation but was actually comprised of new recordings, covering her history across the 1960s; the latter, by contrast, was a compilation of the best of her late-1970s work on her own Avatar label (distributed by Capitol Records), from the albums Simple Things, Welcome Home, and Touch the Sky, none of which were ever released on CD. Both sets of recordings date from what one might call her post-stardom/living legend period -- when she was still a household name among twenty-, thirty-, and forty-somethings, but not selling many records. Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King actually sold moderately well at the time of its release; it serves as a prime example of an artist exploring their past joyfully and freely in contemporary terms which, luckily, didnt compromise the best elements of her songs; indeed, that album was a tonic to many, in the same manner that, in a slightly different way, the Searchers Sire Records albums were. The CD remastering on both albums is a wonder, loud and detailed and revealing the nuances of singing and playing -- its a crying shame that none of the musicians are credited on the CD -- as well as the full majesty and richness of tone that King could muster -- nine years after Tapestry, and nearly 20 years after some of these songs were written. Obviously, the material on Time Gone By will be less familiar than the songs off of Pearls -- the collection draws material mixing an upbeat mood with introspective lyrics, wrapped around a solid rock beat. The overall CD package is a little threadbare in design, but where it counts, in the sound quality, no apologies are needed. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 47 Title: Time Gone By Released: 1994 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hard Rock Cafe (03:38) 2 In the Name of Love (03:01) 3 Morning Sun (04:28) 4 Simple Things (02:40) 5 Time Gone By (04:12) 6 You Still Want Her (04:41) 7 Passing of the Days (02:51) 8 Time Alone (02:35) 9 Main Street Saturday Night (05:43) 10 Welcome Home (03:17) |
| Time Gone By : Allmusic album Review : In the early 90s, the rights to the recordings made during Carole Kings under-appreciated tenure at Capitol Records reverted to the artist. In 1994, she signed on with Priority Records--normally a rap label, oddly enough--and released TIME GONE BY as the first record on her own Kings X imprint. TIME GONE BY collects ten of the best tracks from three albums King recorded for Capitol, SIMPLE THINGS, TOUCH THE SKY and WELCOME HOME. Oddly enough, the reissue uses the cover illustration from SIMPLE THINGS, making this a potentially confusing release. Not many people rate Kings Capitol albums as highly as they do her earlier Ode Records work, and clearly King shares this view or she would have reissued the original albums in their entirety. However, stripped of dated material like WELCOME HOMEs "Disco Tech," the creme de la creme of the three albums makes for a solid 40-minute overview. None of the songs from Kings fourth and best Capitol album, PEARLS: SONGS OF GOFFIN AND KING, are here, but this compilation has been reissued on a single disc with the entirety of PEARLS. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 47 Title: In Concert Released: 1994-03-01 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:13:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Hard Rock Cafe (05:07) 2 Up on the Roof (03:50) 3 Smackwater Jack (04:52) 4 So Far Away (04:26) 5 Beautiful (04:37) 6 Natural Woman (04:09) 7 Hold Out for Love (07:46) 8 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (04:20) 9 Jazzman (05:55) 10 Its Too Late (05:29) 11 Chains (03:49) 12 I Feel the Earth Move (03:26) 13 Youve Got a Friend (05:34) 14 Locomotion (04:42) 15 Youve Got a Friend (reprise) (05:50) |
| In Concert : Allmusic album Review : In Concert was the first of Carole Kings live albums to appear, actually preceding the release of the 1971 Carnegie Hall concert. The two couldnt be more different. Carnegie Hall presents a nervous, unassuming artist on the cusp of stardom. The Carole King of In Concert is a different woman -- an abundantly confident, slick professional, with all the timing, glitz, and glamour of a Las Vegas pro. Sometimes this works -- her mind-boggling collaboration with Slash on "Hold Out for Love" comes up trumps, and the rearranged "Jazzman" betters its studio counterpart. But there are disasters, too -- "Hard Rock Cafe" is a distinctly unwelcome inclusion, and the blandly flawless band plays as if in a recording studio, rather than on-stage. Its no surprise that Kings most unforgettable standard -- "Youve Got a Friend" -- elicits the warmest crowd response, which might explain why it appears twice, the second time with supporting vocals courtesy of Crosby, Stills & Nash. But find, if you can, the accompanying video that features an amusing Brill Building medley of "One Fine Day," "Take Good Care of My Baby," and "Hey Girl," which are not included on the CD. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 47 Title: A Natural Woman: The Ode Collection, 1968-1976 Released: 1994-09-13 Tracks: 36 Duration: 2:06:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hi-De-Ho (03:25) 2 Wasnt Born to Follow (03:46) 3 Up on the Roof (03:37) 4 Child of Mine (04:03) 5 I Feel the Earth Move (02:59) 6 So Far Away (03:55) 7 It’s Too Late (03:54) 8 Home Again (02:29) 9 Beautiful (03:07) 10 Way Over Yonder (04:45) 11 You’ve Got a Friend (05:09) 12 Where You Lead (03:20) 13 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (04:12) 14 Smackwater Jack (03:42) 15 Tapestry (03:15) 16 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (03:49) 17 Music (03:50) 18 Brother, Brother (03:00) 1 Sweet Seasons (03:15) 2 Pocket Money (02:46) 3 It’s Going to Take Some Time (03:35) 4 Bitter With the Sweet (02:29) 5 Goodbye Dont Mean Im Gone (03:35) 6 At This Time in My Life (02:51) 7 Been to Canaan (03:39) 8 Ties That Bind (02:11) 9 Corazón (03:58) 10 Believe in Humanity (live, Central Park, New York, NY) (04:36) 11 Jazzman (03:46) 12 Wrap Around Joy (02:59) 13 Nightingale (03:38) 14 Really Rosie (01:52) 15 Alligators All Around (01:54) 16 Theres a Space Between Us (03:20) 17 Only Love Is Real (03:32) 18 Youve Got a Friend (live, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY) (06:23) |
| A Natural Woman: The Ode Collection, 1968-1976 : Allmusic album Review : Carole King had already written an enormous amount of pop classics by the time she began her solo career in earnest in the late 60s. With her second album, Tapestry, King became one of the most popular and artistically successful singer/songwriters of the early 70s. King never matched the consistent brilliance of Tapestry, yet managed to record many fine songs during the rest of the decade. A Natural Woman collects all of her finest moments over the course of two discs. Tapestry is included in its entirety, along with the highlights from her other albums, making A Natural Woman the one essential King album -- apart from Tapestry itself, of course. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 47 Title: Carole King Released: 1994-09-27 Tracks: 10 Duration: 28:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Brighter (02:44) 2 Music (03:49) 3 Crying in the Rain (01:54) 4 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do (02:13) 5 Back to California (03:23) 6 Up on the Roof (03:00) 7 Growing Away From Me (02:58) 8 Song of Long Ago (02:44) 9 Too Much Rain (03:30) 10 It Started All Over Again (02:29) |
 | Album: 23 of 47 Title: The Right Girl Released: 1995 Tracks: 57 Duration: 2:13:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Oh Neil (02:09) 2 (Living My Life) For the Love of a Girl (02:33) 3 It Might as Well Rain Until September (02:26) 4 Look Whos Talkin (01:49) 5 Under the Stars (02:21) 6 Disappointed (02:27) 7 Crying in the Rain (01:53) 8 He Takes Good Care of Your Baby (02:33) 9 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do (02:14) 10 Sampson and Deliah (02:11) 11 Short Mort (02:05) 12 In My Babys Eyes (02:16) 13 Baby Sittin (02:20) 14 Same Old Reliable Me (02:00) 15 Hes a Bad Boy (02:24) 16 A Wonderful Dream (01:46) 17 Oh! Oh! It Started All Over Again (02:27) 18 Take Good Care of My Baby (02:19) 19 School Bells Are Ringing (02:15) 20 Dreamin About You (02:07) 21 Nobody’s Perfect (02:16) 22 Carole (01:55) 23 A Very Special Boy (02:12) 24 How Many Tears (02:13) 25 I Cant Behave Myself (01:56) 26 Walkin With My Angel (02:23) 27 Another Night With the Boys (02:34) 28 We Grew Up Together (02:33) 29 Nothing Is Impossible (02:20) 1 Right Girl (02:29) 2 Even If I Wanted To (01:47) 3 Queen of the Beach (02:09) 4 Boomerang (02:03) 5 Ive Got Nothing Left Written (02:21) 6 Nothings Impossible (02:32) 7 Dear Mr. DJ Play It Again (02:36) 8 I Didnt Have Any Summer Romance (02:50) 9 There Goes My Lover (02:10) 10 Some of Your Lovin (03:04) 11 Loved, Loved, Loved (02:21) 12 Once a Fool, Always a Fool (02:10) 13 Goin’ Wild (02:30) 14 Sixteen Cubes of Sugar (02:13) 15 Your Letter Will Kiss Me Goodnight (02:26) 16 Thats What I Call True Love (02:38) 17 Deep in My Heart (02:01) 18 A Road to Nowhere (03:24) 19 The Sheik (02:30) 20 A Million Tears Too Late (02:48) 21 One Wonderful Night (02:19) 22 She Dont Deserve You (02:31) 23 You Turn Me on, Boy (02:29) 24 Some of Your Lovin (03:04) 25 Make the Night a Little Longer (02:29) 26 Youre the Only One (Who Understands Me) (01:59) 27 Hey Little Play Girl (02:16) 28 (Lets Have A) Private Party (01:48) |
 | Album: 24 of 47 Title: The Carnegie Hall Concert: June 18, 1971 Released: 1996 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:11:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Feel the Earth Move (03:36) 2 Home Again (02:45) 3 After All This Time (03:19) 4 Child of Mine (04:03) 5 Carry Your Load (02:59) 6 No Easy Way Down (05:32) 7 Song of Long Ago (03:24) 8 Snow Queen (03:51) 9 Smackwater Jack (03:49) 10 So Far Away (04:12) 11 Its Too Late (04:22) 12 Eventually (04:38) 13 Way Over Yonder (04:13) 14 Beautiful (02:39) 15 Youve Got a Friend (06:25) 16 Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? / Some Kind of Wonderful / Up on the Roof (07:46) 17 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (04:08) |
| The Carnegie Hall Concert: June 18, 1971 : Allmusic album Review : Carnegie Hall Concert: June 18, 1971 is 17-song set recorded just as Tapestry was topping the charts and making Carole King a superstar. Featuring most of Tapestry and a few songs from Writer and Music this is, in a sense, Carole King unplugged (although that terminology was not yet in use). King performs the first half-dozen songs alone at the piano; bassist Charles Larkey, guitarist Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar, and a string quartet back her (in varying combinations) throughout the rest of the program. Tapestry wasnt exactly a high-wattage affair to begin with, so these rearrangements arent radical, but theyre different enough from the studio versions to merit attention by serious King fans. James Taylor, then at the peak of his own popularity, joins King on vocals for a medley of some of her old Brill Building hits, "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"/"Some Kind of Wonderful"/"Up on the Roof." | ||
 | Album: 25 of 47 Title: Goin Back Released: 1998 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Jazzman (03:46) 2 Up on the Roof (03:37) 3 Goin Back (03:19) 4 Child of Mine (04:03) 5 Back to California (03:23) 6 So Far Away (03:55) 7 Corazón (03:58) 8 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (04:12) 9 Brother, Brother (03:00) 10 Home Again (02:29) |
 | Album: 26 of 47 Title: Hardrock Cafe Released: 1999 Tracks: 14 Duration: 48:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 It’s Too Late (03:54) 2 So Far Away (03:55) 3 I Feel the Earth Move (03:00) 4 Been to Canaan (03:40) 5 Brother Brother (03:01) 6 It Might as Well Rain Until September (02:26) 7 Jazzman (03:46) 8 Smackwater Jack (03:42) 9 Believe in Humanity (03:20) 10 Only Love Is Real (03:33) 11 Sweet Seasons (03:15) 12 Corazón (03:59) 13 Nightingale (03:38) 14 Hard Rock Cafe (03:38) |
 | Album: 27 of 47 Title: Jazzman Released: 2000 Tracks: 12 Duration: 40:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Nightingale (03:27) 2 Change in Mind, Change of Heart (04:16) 3 Jazzman (03:33) 4 You Go Your Way, Ill Go Mine (03:42) 5 Youre Something New (02:52) 6 We Are All in This Together (04:14) 7 Wrap Around Joy (02:42) 8 You Gentle Me (03:42) 9 My Lovin Eyes (03:07) 10 Sweet Adonis (02:59) 11 A Night This Side of Dying (03:05) 12 The Best Yet Is to Come (03:16) |
 | Album: 28 of 47 Title: Carole King Super Hits Released: 2000 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Smackwater Jack (03:42) 2 I Feel the Earth Move (live) (03:19) 3 Sweet Seasons (03:15) 4 Carry Your Load (02:52) 5 Been to Canaan (03:39) 6 Nightingale (03:38) 7 Jazzman (03:46) 8 Corazón (03:57) 9 That’s How Things Go Down (03:01) 10 Only Love Is Real (03:29) |
 | Album: 29 of 47 Title: Natural Woman: The Very Best of Carole King Released: 2000-09-18 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:17:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 It’s Too Late (03:54) 2 Sweet Seasons (03:15) 3 Jazzman (03:46) 4 I Feel the Earth Move (02:59) 5 Oh No Not My Baby (03:00) 6 Up on the Roof (live) (feat. James Taylor) (03:59) 7 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (04:12) 8 Some Kind of Wonderful (03:07) 9 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (03:49) 10 Brother, Brother (03:00) 11 Corazón (03:58) 12 Hard Rock Cafe (03:38) 13 So Far Away (03:55) 14 It’s Going to Take Some Time (03:35) 15 Nightingale (03:38) 16 You’ve Got a Friend (05:09) 17 Music (03:50) 18 Been to Canaan (03:39) 19 Only Love Is Real (03:32) 20 Carry Your Load (02:52) 21 Crying in the Rain (02:33) 22 It Might as Well Rain Until September (02:26) |
| Natural Woman: The Very Best of Carole King : Allmusic album Review : Thanks to James Taylor for encouraging Carole King to pursue a solo singing career after successful songwriting careers in New York with husband Gerry Goffin and Los Angeles with Toni Stern, which preceded a failed attempt singing in the City, who recorded a no-go album for Ode Records prior to Kings first solo LP. Natural Woman: The Very Best of Carole King features the songstress/composers popular singles -- "Its Too Late," "So Far Away," "I Feel the Earth Move" -- and interpretations of songs she wrote for others -- "Natural Woman," "Oh No, Not My Baby," a live version of "Up on the Roof" with James Taylor, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," and "Some Kind of Wonderful." Kings soprano, while not the strongest vocal instrument, was effective and heartfelt. | ||
 | Album: 30 of 47 Title: Brill Building Sessions & More Released: 2001-02-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 28:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Oh! Oh! It Started All Over Again (02:30) 2 Brighter (02:44) 3 Up on the Roof (03:01) 4 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do (02:14) 5 Too Much Rain (03:30) 6 Song of Long Ago (02:44) 7 Back to California (03:24) 8 Growing Away From Me (02:57) 9 Music (03:49) 10 Crying in the Rain (01:55) |
| Brill Building Sessions & More : Allmusic album Review : In April 2000, Britains Hallmark label released a Carole King album called The Early Years. It was a ten-track disc containing four early-60s demos by Carole King ("Crying in the Rain," which King co-wrote and which became a hit for the Everly Brothers; "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," a hit for Neil Sedaka; "Up on the Roof," which King co-wrote and turned into a hit for the Drifters; and "It Started All Over Again" [incorrectly listed on the album as "Oh! Oh! It Started Over Again"], a hit for Brenda Lee) and six tracks from her 1971 album, Music, that sounded like poor copies badly mastered from an old cassette. Brill Building Sessions & More has exactly the same contents, albeit resequenced. The back cover calls the material "original archive recordings," and Glenn N. Gretlunds liner notes claim that the Music tracks are "quality demo recordings." They are not demos. They are the recordings that actually appear on Music, just in poor sound quality. Looks like a prima facie case of copyright infringement for Sony Music to bring against the makers of this album. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 47 Title: Love Makes the World Released: 2001-09-25 Tracks: 12 Duration: 45:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Love Makes the World (04:23) 2 You Can Do Anything (03:58) 3 The Reason (04:39) 4 I Wasnt Gonna Fall (04:04) 5 I Dont Know (03:04) 6 Oh No, Not My Baby (03:28) 7 It Could Have Been Anyone (03:53) 8 Monday Without You (04:02) 9 An Uncommon Love (03:34) 10 You Will Find Me There (04:25) 11 Safe Again (02:41) 12 This Time (03:42) |
| Love Makes the World : Allmusic album Review : Bouncing around smaller indie labels in the 90s after a few failed albums on majors, Carole King rebounded with this self-released 2001 disc on her own Rockingale (an anagram of Carole King and a takeoff on her song "Nightingale") imprint. Although its not a totally successful return to her past triumphs, the disc is one of her best post-70s albums and occasionally even rivals her most enduring work. Wisely, King returns here to her strengths of melodic love ballads. While only a few selections match the natural woman charms of Tapestry and Music, King remains in terrific voice. When she keeps the arrangements stripped down, as on the closing "Safe Again" and "This Time," she taps into that N.Y.C. singer/songwriter vein that made her finest albums so memorable. Guest appearances from Babyface, k.d. lang, and Wynton Marsalis are hardly necessary, since King carries the weight of their songs herself. On the downside, Celine Dions exaggerated influence is far too intrusive on "The Reason," overloading a perfectly good track with the bombastic ballad treatment Dion is recognized for. King sounds stiff and by the time the screaming guitar solo comes in, its obvious this is not the approach that best suits the singer or her songs. Nor does the rock beat and big hooks of "Monday Without You," a misdirected slice of generic radio rock. The majority of the album fares much better, with Kings distinctive piano and heartfelt, often gritty vocals belting out tunes with spare accompaniment. The string quartet on "Uncommon Love" seems organically relaxed and k.d. lang remains appropriately low-key throughout the duet. The yearning of "You Will Find Me There" recalls the simple poetic honesty of "Youve Got a Friend" both lyrically and musically. Reprising her 60s hit "Oh No, Not My Baby" -- co-written with Gerry Goffin -- for the second time (she had already interpreted it on 1980s Pearls album) is unnecessary, but the solo piano backing illustrates the songs timeless qualities and fits nicely into this discs overall flow. Certainly her classiest and most consistent collection since the late 70s, Love Makes the World proves that with a songwriter as accomplished as Carole King, less remains more. | ||
 | Album: 32 of 47 Title: The Early Years Released: 2002 Tracks: 10 Duration: 28:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Crying in the Rain (01:53) 2 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do (02:14) 3 Up on the Roof (03:00) 4 Music (03:50) 5 Too Much Rain (03:29) 6 Song of Long Ago (02:44) 7 Brighter (02:46) 8 Back to California (03:24) 9 Started All Over Again (02:29) 10 Growing Away From Me (02:57) |
| The Early Years : Allmusic album Review : This ones a puzzler. Youd figure that an album called The Early Years by Carole King would present recordings that King made in the early 60s when she was better known as a songwriter than as a recording artist. And thus unannotated, this ten-song European compilation, running less than 29 minutes, does contain four tracks that derive from that era and sound like demos: "Crying in the Rain," which King co-wrote and which became a hit for the Everly Brothers; "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," a hit for Neil Sedaka; "Up on the Roof," which King co-wrote and turned into a hit for the Drifters; and "It Started All Over Again" (incorrectly listed on the album as "It Started Over Again"), a hit for Brenda Lee. But the other six tracks all come from Kings third solo album, 1971s Music, and they sound like theyve been mastered from someones third-generation cassette copy of an old LP, with poor sound and distortion. Looks like a prima facie case of copyright infringement for Sony Music to bring against the makers of this album. | ||
 | Album: 33 of 47 Title: Collections Released: 2005 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Smackwater Jack (03:42) 2 I Feel the Earth Move (live) (03:19) 3 Sweet Seasons (03:15) 4 Carry Your Load (02:52) 5 Been to Canaan (03:39) 6 Nightingale (03:38) 7 Jazzman (03:46) 8 Corazón (03:57) 9 That’s How Things Go Down (03:01) 10 Only Love Is Real (03:29) |
| Collections : Allmusic album Review : This is an Australian compilation of some of the best work by Carole King. While it is represented and contains all classic tracks, it is rather generic in its presentation and leaves so much stuff out ("So Far Away," "Its Too Late," and "Youve Got a Friend" are all missing!) its ridiculous. This could easily have been a 12- to 15-cut collection with time to spare, so one has to wonder what the producers of this comp were smoking when they assembled it. For the money there are many compilations out there that leave this one in the dust. The star rating is for the music, not the presentation. | ||
 | Album: 34 of 47 Title: Crying in the Rain Released: 2005-01-16 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Jazzman (03:29) 2 Crying in the Rain (01:53) 3 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do (02:14) 4 Some Kind of Wonderful (04:21) 5 A Night This Side of Dying (02:59) 6 Back to California (04:53) 7 Brighter (03:24) 8 Carry Your Load (04:05) 9 Change in Mind, Change in Heart (04:13) 10 Growing Away from Me (04:44) 11 Its Going to Take Some Time (04:37) 12 Music (03:46) |
 | Album: 35 of 47 Title: The Living Room Tour Released: 2005-07-12 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:28:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Welcome to My Living Room (01:58) 2 Peace in the Valley (03:42) 3 Love Makes the World (04:22) 4 Now and Forever (03:17) 5 Where You Lead I Will Follow (03:24) 6 Lay Down My life (04:20) 7 Jazzman (04:00) 8 Smackwater Jack (04:11) 9 Wishful Thinking (04:12) 10 Medley: Take Good Care of My Baby / It Might as Well Rain Until September / Go Away Little Girl / Im Into Something Good / Hey Girl / One Fine Day / Will You Love Me Tomorrow (08:40) 1 Loving You Forever (03:32) 2 Its Too Late (05:22) 3 So Far Away (04:52) 4 Sweet Seasons (03:20) 5 Chains (04:08) 6 Pleasant Valley Sunday (03:44) 7 Being at War With Each Other (04:05) 8 I Feel the Earth Move (04:03) 9 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (03:58) 10 Youve Got a Friend (05:31) 11 Locomotion (03:37) |
| The Living Room Tour : Allmusic album Review : Carole King has co-written more great songs than almost anyone. On her Living Room Tour of 2004 she ran through some of her favorites, old and new, in a very intimate manner with just her piano or acoustic guitar for accompaniment. (She was also joined by guitarists Rudy Guess and Gary Burr on acoustic guitar and occasional bass and vocals.) The double-disc set The Living Room Tour documents some highlights from various shows and works well as a career retrospective as it touches on both the songs she wrote for others and those she performed herself. There are plenty of songs from Tapestry and her early-70s albums (including the reworked "Where You Lead I Will Follow," which features her daughter Louise Goffin on vocals), songs from soundtracks ("Lay Down My Life" from the little-seen After Dark, My Sweet, "Now and Forever" from A League of Their Own), and a couple of new compositions (the cute "Welcome to My Living Room" and "Loving You Forever"), too. King was always an idiosyncratic vocalist and she sounds a little ragged around the edges here, more gritty and lived-in than you might remember but certainly not worn out. In fact, the grit adds some emotion and strength to her voice. It definitely adds a new dimension to the versions of songs she and Gerry Goffin wrote way back in the early and mid-60s like "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "Chains." Her relaxed takes on these classics are highly entertaining; King sounds like she is having a blast and the audience responds in kind. The medley she does of "Take Good Care of My Baby"/"It Might As Well Rain Until September"/"Go Away Little Girl"/"Im into Something Good"/"Hey Girl"/"One Fine Day"/"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" is great fun and highly educational -- no, amazing might be a better word. Knowing that those songs only touch the tip of the iceberg as far as classic Goffin/King tunes goes is mind-blowing. Fans of Carole King will be as happy as the audiences at the shows (who quite often join in with King on the choruses of the more familiar tunes) to own this charming collection. | ||
 | Album: 36 of 47 Title: Up on the Roof Released: 2006 Tracks: 12 Duration: 46:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Started All Over Again (02:29) 2 Up on the Roof (03:00) 3 You Gentle Me (03:39) 4 Sweet Seasons (04:46) 5 The Best Is Yet to Come (03:15) 6 Too Much Rain (05:09) 7 We Are All in This Together (04:13) 8 Wrap Around Joy (02:39) 9 You Go Your Way, Ill Go Mine (03:40) 10 Youre Something New (02:49) 11 Song of Long Ago (03:54) 12 Surely (06:39) |
 | Album: 37 of 47 Title: The Best of Carole King Released: 2007-09-19 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:15:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 So Far Away (03:55) 2 I Feel the Earth Move (02:59) 3 You’ve Got a Friend (05:09) 4 It’s Too Late (03:54) 5 Sweet Seasons (03:15) 6 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (04:12) 7 Brother, Brother (03:00) 8 Only Love Is Real (03:32) 9 It’s Going to Take Some Time (03:35) 10 Beautiful (03:07) 11 Jazzman (03:46) 12 Nightingale (03:38) 13 Been to Canaan (03:39) 14 Some Kind of Wonderful (03:07) 15 Carry Your Load (02:52) 16 Smackwater Jack (03:42) 17 Corazón (03:58) 18 Up on the Roof (live) (feat. James Taylor) (03:59) 19 Music (03:50) 20 Home Again (02:29) 21 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (03:49) |
| The Best of Carole King : Allmusic album Review : Best of Carole King collects 21 tracks recorded during the singers tenure with Ode Records in the 70s. Included are the original versions of "So Far Away," "Youve Got a Friend," and "Jazzman." Since numerous Carole King collections easily available, pass on this single disc compilation from Epic Japan. | ||
 | Album: 38 of 47 Title: Live at the Troubadour Released: 2010-01-01 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:03:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Blossom (03:09) 2 So Far Away (04:42) 3 Machine Gun Kelly (02:59) 4 Carolina in My Mind (04:16) 5 Its Too Late (04:59) 6 Smackwater Jack (05:25) 7 Something in the Way She Moves (04:04) 8 Will You Love Me Tomorrow (04:12) 9 Country Road (03:49) 10 Fire and Rain (05:44) 11 Sweet Baby James (03:34) 12 I Feel the Earth Move (04:05) 13 Youve Got a Friend (05:51) 14 Up on the Roof (04:09) 15 You Can Close Your Eyes (02:49) |
| Live at the Troubadour : Allmusic album Review : Carole King and James Taylor reuniting isn’t quite a monumental reunion -- they never were an official performing entity, so they never had a falling out, appearing on-stage and on record from time to time since their ‘70s heyday -- but it is a notable one, particularly when they choose to perform at the Troubadour, the L.A. venue so crucial at the start of their stardom, backed by such fellow veterans of the SoCal singer/songwriter scene as guitarist Danny Kortchmar, bassist Leland Sklar, and drummer Russell Kunkel, musicians who supported them the last time they co-headlined the club back in 1971. All this made their series of shared shows in November 2007 an event, albeit a low-key one. King and Taylor embrace their classics -- it seems that there’s not a hit missed between the two of them -- and there’s genuine warmth to the whole show that’s quite appealing. Perhaps there are no surprises here, but any shock would have run counter to the whole spirit of the evening: this is about basking in both nostalgia and friendship, and if you’re on the same wave as the musicians, Live at the Troubadour is enjoyable. | ||
 | Album: 39 of 47 Title: The Essential Carole King Released: 2010-04-27 Tracks: 39 Duration: 2:13:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 It Might as Well Rain Until September (02:26) 2 Child of Mine (04:03) 3 I Feel the Earth Move (02:59) 4 So Far Away (03:55) 5 It’s Too Late (03:54) 6 You’ve Got a Friend (05:09) 7 Sweet Seasons (03:15) 8 Been to Canaan (03:39) 9 Corazón (03:58) 10 Jazzman (03:46) 11 Nightingale (03:38) 12 Only Love Is Real (03:35) 13 Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? / Some Kind of Wonderful / Up on the Roof (07:46) 14 Really Rosie (01:52) 15 Pierre (05:40) 16 You Can Do Anything (03:59) 17 The Reason (04:40) 18 Now and Forever (03:13) 1 Will You Love Me Tomorrow (02:41) 2 Take Good Care of My Baby (02:40) 3 Every Breath I Take (02:46) 4 Crying in the Rain (02:01) 5 The Loco-Motion (02:27) 6 Up on the Roof (02:38) 7 Chains (02:32) 8 One Fine Day (02:09) 9 Oh No Not My Baby (02:38) 10 Just Once in My Life (03:58) 11 Pleasant Valley Sunday (03:08) 12 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (02:44) 13 No Easy Way Down (03:12) 14 Wasnt Born To Follow (02:05) 15 Hey Girl (03:55) 1 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (03:49) 2 Song of Long Ago (02:44) 3 Believe in Humanity (03:20) 4 Carry Your Load (02:52) 5 Its Going To Take Some Time (03:36) 6 Goodbye Dont Mean Im Gone (03:35) |
| The Essential Carole King : Allmusic album Review : Unlike many previous Carole King collections, Sony/Legacy’s 2010 set The Essential Carole King doesn’t concentrate solely on her hits as a performer: it also has a second disc of songs she wrote for other artists, the songs that established her reputation as one of the great songwriters of her time. Despite the broad scope of Essential, it’s inevitable that some classics are missing -- naturally more on the second Songwriter disc, which offers merely a sampling of the many great songs she penned, whereas all her big hits (“I Feel the Earth Move,” “So Far Away,” “It’s Too Late,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Jazzman”) save the inexplicably missing “Smackwater Jack” are on the first -- but this does contain the lions share of her major songs as both a singer and songwriter, making it the best overview of her work released to date. | ||
 | Album: 40 of 47 Title: A Holiday Carole Released: 2011-11-08 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 My Favorite Things (03:21) 2 Carol of the Bells (01:55) 3 Sleigh Ride (02:30) 4 Christmas Paradise (03:25) 5 Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday (03:07) 6 Chanukah Prayer (03:09) 7 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (02:33) 8 Ive Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (02:52) 9 Christmas in the Air (03:18) 10 Do You Hear What I Hear (03:33) 11 This Christmas (03:17) 12 New Years Day (03:55) |
| A Holiday Carole : Allmusic album Review : Carole Kings first studio album in over ten years, A Holiday Carole, opens on a familiar note with a light, jazzy take on Rodgers & Hammersteins “My Favorite Things.” Kings daughter Louise Goffin produced the album and co-wrote the three original pieces, which include the Latin-tinged “Christmas Paradise,” the free and easy “Christmas in the Air,” and the lovely closing ballad “New Years Day,” and while they may not be as instantly familiar as “Carol of the Bells,” “Sleigh Ride,” or “Do You Hear What I Hear,” they blend in well amidst the yuletide standards. Fueled by Kings laid-back delivery and precise diction, A Holiday Carole, which represents the first seasonal release from the pop legend, breezes by without a whole lot of pomp and circumstance, touching on multiple genres while remaining true to both the holiday spirit and the singers distinctive cadence. | ||
 | Album: 41 of 47 Title: The Legendary Demos Released: 2012-04-24 Tracks: 13 Duration: 39:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pleasant Valley Sunday (02:26) 2 So Goes Love (02:52) 3 Take Good Care of My Baby (02:17) 4 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (02:51) 5 Like Little Children (03:12) 6 Beautiful (02:23) 7 Crying in the Rain (01:48) 8 Way Over Yonder (03:24) 9 Yours Until Tomorrow (03:16) 10 Its Too Late (03:29) 11 Tapestry (03:00) 12 Just Once in My Life (04:02) 13 Youve Got a Friend (04:09) |
| The Legendary Demos : Allmusic album Review : Carole Kings influence as a songwriter and as a monolithic force in the history of American pop music is far-reaching and inarguable. In the minds of many, Kings story begins with Tapestry, her 1971 solo breakthrough album that went on to sell over 25 million copies worldwide and spawned a stream of FM radio classics for generations to come. What some people dont know about is her tireless work as a songwriter leading up to her own incredible solo work, penning songs that would become huge hits for everyone from the Monkees to James Taylor to the Turtles. The Legendary Demos gathers together for the first time ever the working demonstrational tapes King made of her compositions, the same tapes that these bands would reference when learning and recording their versions of the songs, as well as personal rough drafts of songs that would later appear on Tapestry. Recorded hastily and stored for decades on tiny plastic reels, theres a rawness and urgency to these recordings. Often put to tape in the course of an afternoon, directly after conception with the help of various session musicians, these demos are crackling with a triumphant sense of carefree spontaneity. The intimacy of these tracks is what makes them truly special. Tracks from the Tapestry era like "Its Too Late," "Beautiful," and "Youve Got a Friend" capture all the breezy lushness of their studio versions with more Spartan arrangements of piano and vocals way up front. Their softly powerful delivery gives the feeling of an incredibly gifted friend casually practicing in the next room. Earlier demos cut when King was in her teens working as a staff songwriter at Brill Building contemporary Aldon Music give up a haunting rendition of "Crying in the Rain," a spare and focused "Take Good Care of My Baby," and a downright majestic piano and vocal version of "Just Once in My Life," all huge hits for the Everly Brothers, Bobby Vee, and the Righteous Brothers, respectively. The songs are already familiar staples, but Kings lilting, almost instinctively brilliant performances shed light on the true spirit of her songs. Her soulful vocals on "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" resound with more verve and yearning than her later Tapestry version and arguably more immediacy and reaching than even Aretha Franklins legendary version. The Legendary Demos is a fantastic example of a collection of unreleased material that really works rather than some lackluster hodgepodge of archived filler. Even the occasionally marred or crunchy fidelity of some of these songs doesnt detract from their potency. If anything, it adds to the fly-on-the-wall feeling of listening in on a true genius at different phases of her genre-shaping development. | ||
 | Album: 42 of 47 Title: A Beautiful Collection Released: 2015-02-27 Tracks: 15 Duration: 59:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Beautiful (03:07) 2 I Feel the Earth Move (02:59) 3 Child of Mine (04:03) 4 Sweet Seasons (03:15) 5 It’s Too Late (03:54) 6 Will You Love Me Tomorrow / Some Kind of Wonderful / Up on the Roof (Live) (07:34) 7 Carry Your Load (02:52) 8 Only Love Is Real (03:32) 9 So Far Away (03:55) 10 Jazzman (03:46) 11 Believe in Humanity (03:20) 12 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (03:49) 13 Been to Canaan (03:39) 14 You’ve Got a Friend (05:09) 15 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (04:12) |
 | Album: 43 of 47 Title: Playlist: The Very Best of Carole King Released: 2015-10-09 Tracks: 14 Duration: 50:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Up on the Roof (03:37) 2 Child of Mine (04:03) 3 It’s Too Late (03:54) 4 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (03:49) 5 Song of Long Ago (02:44) 6 Sweet Seasons (03:15) 7 Been to Canaan (03:39) 8 Bitter With the Sweet (02:29) 9 Corazón (03:58) 10 Believe in Humanity (03:20) 11 Jazzman (03:46) 12 Nightingale (03:38) 13 High Out of Time (03:15) 14 Only Love Is Real / [Music Is Playing Inside of My Head intro] (04:28) |
 | Album: 44 of 47 Title: The Real... Carole King Released: 2017 Tracks: 49 Duration: 2:43:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Feel The Earth Move (03:00) 2 Nightingale (03:37) 3 Brother, Brother (03:00) 4 Theres A Space Between Us (03:18) 5 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (04:12) 6 Been to Canaan (03:39) 7 Jazzman (03:44) 8 High Out Of Time (03:16) 9 Really Rosie (01:52) 10 I Cant Hear You No More (02:43) 11 Thats How Things Go Down (02:56) 12 Still Here Thinking Of You (03:13) 13 Goin Back (03:29) 14 The First Day In August (02:48) 15 No Easy Way Down (04:35) 16 Where You Lead (03:22) 1 Its Going To Take Some Time (03:36) 2 The Best Is Yet To Come (03:31) 3 Corazon (04:02) 4 Believe In Humanity (03:21) 5 Way Over Yonder (04:44) 6 Fantasy End (01:26) 7 Youve Been Around Too Long (03:44) 8 Too Much Rain (03:34) 9 Child Of Mine (04:03) 10 You Light Up My Life (03:16) 11 I Think I Can Hear You (03:26) 12 Its Gonna Work Out Fine (03:50) 13 Music (03:51) 14 Stand Behind Me (02:30) 15 Sweet Seasons (03:16) 16 Cant You Be Real (02:59) 1 Its Too Late (03:54) 2 Come Down Easy (03:06) 3 Only Love Is Real (03:33) 4 Up On The Roof (03:38) 5 Some Kind Of Wonderful (03:07) 6 One Was Johnny (02:09) 7 Id Like To Know You Better (02:47) 8 Gotta Get Through Another Day (02:34) 9 A Quiet Place To Live (02:02) 10 Back To California (03:24) 11 So Far Away (03:56) 12 Sweet Sweetheart (02:44) 13 You Gentle Me (03:47) 14 Peace In The Valley (03:22) 15 Youre Something New (02:53) 16 My Lovin Eyes (03:07) 17 Youve Got a Friend (05:10) |
 | Album: 45 of 47 Title: Original Album Classics Released: 2017 Tracks: 57 Duration: 3:35:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Simple Things (02:40) 2 Hold On (04:35) 3 In the Name of Love (03:01) 4 Labyrinth (04:00) 5 Youre the One Who Knows (05:00) 6 Hard Rock Cafe (03:38) 7 Time Alone (02:35) 8 God Only Knows (06:14) 9 To Know That I Love You (03:31) 10 One (05:00) 1 Main Street Saturday Night (05:46) 2 Sun Bird (04:06) 3 Venusian Diamond (04:32) 4 Changes (02:29) 5 Morning Sun (04:33) 6 Disco Tech (05:11) 7 Wings of Love (03:27) 8 Ride the Music (03:13) 9 Everybodys Got the Spirit (03:47) 10 Welcome Home (03:17) 1 Time Gone By (04:12) 2 Move Lightly (04:59) 3 Dreamlike I Wander (03:55) 4 Walk With Me (Ill Be Your Companion) (03:00) 5 Good Mountain People (03:40) 6 You Still Want Her (04:41) 7 Passing of the Days (02:51) 8 Crazy (03:39) 9 Eagle (04:43) 10 Seeing Red (03:53) 1 Dancin With Tears in My Eyes (03:27) 2 Locomotion (02:31) 3 One Fine Day (02:29) 4 Hey Girl (03:38) 5 Snow Queen (04:24) 6 Chains (02:57) 7 Oh No Not My Baby (03:00) 8 Hi De Ho (03:37) 9 Wasnt Born to Follow (03:15) 10 Goin Back (03:48) 1 Love Makes the World (04:23) 2 You Can Do Anything (03:58) 3 The Reason (04:39) 4 I Wasnt Gonna Fall in Love (04:04) 5 I Dont Know (03:04) 6 Oh No Not My Baby (03:28) 7 It Could Have Been Anyone (03:53) 8 Monday Without You (04:02) 9 An Uncommon Love (03:34) 10 You Will Find Me There (04:25) 11 Safe Again (02:42) 12 This Time (03:42) 13 Birthday Song (02:49) 14 Love for Christmas (03:00) 15 Where You Lead I Will Follow (03:29) 16 Lo Que Tu Eres Para Mi (03:07) 17 Two Hearts (04:02) |
| Original Album Classics : Allmusic album Review : Sony BMG repackaged and re-released five of Carole Kings earliest LPs on Ode -- Writer, Music, Rhymes & Reasons, Fantasy, and Wrap Around Joy -- as a slipcased box set. Its not a bad way to acquire the albums if you dont already own them, but without the inclusion of her top-selling album of 1971, Tapestry, this isnt recommended for the casual fan. | ||
 | Album: 46 of 47 Title: Tapestry: Live in Hyde Park Released: 2017-09-15 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:19:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Feel the Earth Move (03:34) 2 So Far Away (04:43) 3 It’s Too Late (04:23) 4 Home Again (02:37) 5 Beautiful (02:48) 6 Way Over Yonder (04:30) 7 You’ve Got a Friend (05:01) 8 Where You Lead (03:41) 9 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (04:24) 10 Smackwater Jack (05:07) 11 Tapestry (03:21) 12 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (04:01) 13 Medley (intro) (00:45) 14 Goffin/King Medley: Take Good Care of My Baby/It Might as Well Rain Until September/Go Away Little Girl/I’m Into Something Good/One Fine Day (03:39) 15 Hey Girl (03:17) 16 Chains (04:47) 17 Jazzman (05:02) 18 Up on the Roof (03:57) 19 Locomotion (04:14) 20 I Feel the Earth Move (03:04) 21 You’ve Got a Friend (reprise) (02:47) |
| Tapestry: Live in Hyde Park : Allmusic album Review : There have been many reissues of Carole Kings iconic 1971 album Tapestry, and rightfully so. Perfectly conceived, produced, and executed, it continues to resonate with virtually anyone who hears it. It became one of the defining (and best-selling) records in the history of pop. This recording documents, if the press materials are to be believed, the first-ever concert performance of Tapestry in its entirety in Londons Hyde Park in front of some 60,000 people. King is decades older for one, which might have proved daunting -- especially when considering the caliber of musicians who played on the LP sessions: saxophonist Curtis Amy, guitarists Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar and James Taylor, bassist Charles Larkey, and vocalist Merry Clayton, among others. This audio/video document more than satisfies. Kortchmar is still an integral part of the band and, save for veteran Zev Katz on bass and King, are the only baby boomers on-stage. King has continued to perform with few breaks and remains vital, every bit the athletic pianist and resonant, expressive vocalist -- theres a tiny bit of grain during the first few numbers, but they add, not detract; when she warms up, youd never know she was her mid-seventies. Its worth taking in the video portion at least the first time through. (The CD and DVD are identical in song presentation and both are offered in pristine sound.) First there are a series of tributes on the big screen before she takes the stage: Narration by Tom Hanks, and comments by Tapestry producer Lou Adler (who says it took three weeks and cost $22,000!), David Crosby, Graham Nash, Kortchmar, Taylor, songwriters Barry Mann & Cynthia Weill, and Elton John, who credits King with his entire songwriting career. When the band takes the stage, they dig right in and go for broke on "I Feel the Earth Move." "So Far Away" is offered with a lifetime of regret, sorrow, and acceptance with stills of the session team on the big screen behind the band. King offers short reminiscences between songs, but the performances are far from nostalgic; they are technically solid, and energetically loose enough for a live stage. The video projections, interspersed with shots of a multi-generational audiences, underscore the emotional impact of these songs. Kings daughter Louise Goffin joins the band for "Where You Lead" and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," which are given a new poignancy in this presentation. King even straps on a Stratocaster for "Smackwater Jack." When she and the band finish the album, she takes the stage solo for a Goffin/King medley to offer a wider view of her career; they are snippets, but she pulls them off with finesse. The band rejoins for "Jazzman," "Up on the Roof," and "Locomotion" before the cast of Beautiful: A Carole King Musical joins the band for a send-off with a reprise of "Youve Got a Friend." Audio, video, or both, this is a fantastic version of a bona fide classic. | ||
 | Album: 47 of 47 Title: Live at Montreux 1973 Released: 2019-06-14 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:00:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Feel The Earth Move (03:09) 2 Smackwater Jack (03:25) 3 Home Again (02:38) 4 Beautiful (02:38) 5 Up on the Roof (03:32) 6 It’s Too Late (05:09) 7 Fantasy Beginning (01:03) 8 You’ve Been Around Too Long (03:11) 9 Being At War With Each Other (03:51) 10 That’s How Things Go Down (04:41) 11 Haywood (04:43) 12 A Quiet Place To Live (01:17) 13 You Light Up My Life (03:23) 14 Corazon (03:55) 15 Believe in Humanity (03:08) 16 Fantasy End (01:25) 17 You’ve Got a Friend (05:12) 18 (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman (04:00) |