The Carnegie Hall Concert 1971 [Live]

Carole King | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 29, 1996)
• Original Release Date: October 29, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002ADY
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,392 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Anyone who took the gray-striped kitty on the cover of Tapestry as a totem, from your hip junior-high English teacher to Ben Folds, will recognize the import of Carnegie Hall, recorded the week "It's Too Late" went to No. 1. Mostly solo at the piano, King brought home 10 of that already emblematic album's tunes with a smattering of other numbers. Some of the latter are more callow than absolutely necessary, with "Carry Your Load" way too bouncy and "Snow Queen" too glib. But when she digs out "No Easy Way Down" (immortalized by Dusty Springfield on Dusty in Memphis) and "A Natural Woman," it's a little bit of heaven, even when her voice starts cracking. Actually, her nervousness is charming, though some of her between-song wisecracks fail to wow the very partisan crowd, much less the CD listener a quarter-century later. Guess that's only natural for someone just coming into her own in public after a decade or so behind the curtain, and no one seems to mind much anyway. As the history books tell us, this was a pretty polite rock moment; to further prove it, James Taylor shows up for the encores. Though Tapestry remains the essential item, this one gets by on the grace of King's heart. --Rickey Wright

Product Description

2008 archive live album from the songstress, an unmissable Tapestry-era performance recorded live at Carnagie Hall. With her album Tapestry on it's way to selling millions upon millions of copies, Carole sounds relaxed, joyful and in total control of her audience. During this set, King performs 17 of her most well-known songs including, "I Feel The Earth Move", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "It's Too Late" and "You've Got A Friend" (performed with James Taylor, who joins her for her encore). Sony/BMG. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost as essential as you-know-what album, December 20, 2002

By 

David A. Bede (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Carnegie Hall Concert 1971 (Audio CD)

Don't let the fact that you already have the "Tapestry" CD (presumably after wearing out two or three copies of the LP before it) make you think this album isn't worth picking up as well. While many of the songs on here were standards long before the CD was released (and the others should have been!), the performances found here have a magic all their own.

King was apparently famous for her stage fright back in those days, and her somewhat nervous between-songs chatter with the extremely appreciative audience seems to confirm that rumor. This, after all, was just a matter of weeks after "Tapestry" had suddenly transformed her into a superstar after over a decade of behind-the-scenes work in the music business - and already, each song she performs from that album here receives a hero's welcome from the audience. But if King sometimes sounds a bit bewildered by her newfound popularity (she introduces "It's Too Late," the #1 song in the country that night, with a shy "Thank you for this, by the way!"), her performances don't suffer at all from it.

Naturally, the set list is dominated by songs from "Tapestry" - all of them are here, except for the title track and "Where You Lead" - but the combination of a stripped-down performance, an enthusiastic hometown audience and the spacious acoustics of the concert hall gives them all a refreshing sound. (The sound quality of the recording does occasionally show its age and King even runs out of breath at one point, but so what?) The much-fabled duet with James Taylor on "You've Got a Friend" is another nice touch for those of us who grew up dreaming of just such a recording.

But the best surprise here is the trio of gorgeous performances from King's 1970 solo debut, "Writer." That album featured most of the lyrical grace of its much more famous successor, but it lacked the near-perfect subtle instrumental styling that made "Tapestry" great and sounds unavoidably dated now for that reason. The spare production at work here proves to be the perfect remedy for that shortcoming, and "No Easy Way Down," "Eventually," and especially "Child of Mine" sound just as timeless as the better-known selections alongside them. If you've only heard the original versions of those songs, this album will be a revelation! Even her short-lived late-`60s band, The City, receives a nod with "Snow Queen," a quirky but interesting number from a usually-forgotten period of her long career.

It's not exactly witnessing the emergence of a star (she had, after all, been making records for over a decade, including a few of her own), but as an intimate performance by a master musician at what proved to be the top of her game, this is definitely one of the all time great live albums of its era.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible, April 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Carnegie Hall Concert 1971 (Audio CD)

This album is from a time when musicians were very creative, and didn't tour with large entourages of dancers, hairdressers, and wardrobe staff. If you like Carole King's music, this album is a must. The quality of the sound and the songs on the album are fantastic. It also features guest James Taylor. This is real music, not manufactured stuff which is now often the norm.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have !, January 11, 2003

By 

PBG "1976B" (Cary, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Carnegie Hall Concert 1971 (Audio CD)

If you like Tapestry and "It's Too Late" you must add this to your collection. The songs are well written, well performed, and the piano talent and presence in these selections is amazing. If you enjoy a powerful and rich piano sound, you will love this CD. There is no mistaking the perfect vehicle of that concert grand(Steinway I suspect) behind, infront and alongside Carole as she moves through some of her best. You will love it. You will know why Dusty Springfield and so many others chose Carole King songs. She is the song writer of our time.