Review #25: Tapestry, Carole King
#25: Tapestry, Carole King
Picture: It’s 8 pm, I’ve been on the road since 5:30 am, and five hours ago road insanity began to set in. I’m so close to my destination now — only an hour or so.
I’m so tired.
Then the earth begins to move under my feet.
I know lots of people who love Carole King, but I was fairly unfamiliar with her. Note that she is the first female artist I’ve heard in about ten hours, the last one being Aretha Franklin at #13 (not counting Nico, who only features on three of the eleven songs on that album anyway). And what a relief it was! Carole King has the opposite of peanut butter mouth, and her lyrics are poetic, clear, and straightforward. After all the insanity I’d suffered through the past few hours, she was so welcome.
FAVORITE SONGS:
“I Feel The Earth Move” — I quickly learned that this would be one of those albums where I heard a handful of songs I’d always known but was never able to attribute to a particular person. That’s how you know it’s great.
“It’s Too Late” — Apparently Toni Stern wrote this about James Taylor. Neat!
“Beautiful” — Not my favorite, but I can recognize a masterpiece when I hear it. YOU GOT TO GET UP EVERY MORNING WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE.
“Way Over Yonder” — The background singers on this song kill it.
“You’ve Got A Friend” — Her voice is so powerful, on this one and all of these. The lyrics on this (and most Carole King songs) are so earnest and heartfelt, which isn’t usually my bag. Gosh, maybe Carole King is the friend I never knew I needed.
“Where You Lead” — It’s the Gilmore Girls’ theme song!!!
“(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” — Another song that was stolen by Aretha (well, Aretha recorded it first, but Carole wrote it!), but this version is absolutely lovely. Her voice is so pretty.
LEAST FAVORITE SONGS:
“So Far Away” — Too slow.
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” — Too slow.
“Tapestry” — Very Joni Mitchell.
IS RS FULL OF IT?
Nope. Carole King brought me real cheer in the darkness.
Review #24: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles
