Come Upstairs

Carly Simon | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 1980)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros
• ASIN: B000002KLF
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #378,311 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Take Her As She Is, June 24, 2000

By 

J. Collins "Paradise Bar & Grill" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Come Upstairs (Audio CD)

Carly's "punk rock album"? PLEASE. Maybe too much time has gone by for casual music fans to make the distinction between new wave and punk influences, but one listen to "Come Upstairs" ought to set the record straight. Though I will admit that this album has some of her rawest lyrics/performances as well as a self-conciously trendy production, this is not the kind of stylistic contradiction that Linda Ronstadt's "Mad Love" album was.

Producer/keyboardist Mike Mainieri may have been borrowing too many Top 40 ideas to suit Carly's established cult, but his direction gave "Come Upstairs" a solid, tight musical foundation. And though I wouldn't label "Come Upstairs" as a new wave record, there's at least one fundamental thematic similarity: it doesn't pander to those who have pre-existing expectations. I'd be the last person to blame Carly for wanting to ditch the kind of El Lay/Noo Yawk formula soft rock that dominated radio in the 70s...her own hits included.

In any case, the strength of her writing and performances are similar to past efforts. The enhanced percussion and synthesized trappings can't hide the fact that this is the same sensitive, observant and thoughtful Carly Simon who recorded "Anticipation." Several tracks ("Jesse," "James," "The Desert") are reminiscent of earlier songs, and could well have appeared on previous albums with slightly different arrangements. The hard-rocking edge of "Stardust" and "In Pain" is a bit of an eye-opener, though. Unfortunately, the latter track is too big a vocal stretch, and Carly hasn't sounded this 'squawky' since "Playing Possum."

Some highlights: the unrelenting melodic hooks of "Come Upstairs," the romantic dilemma of "The Three Of Us In The Dark," and the pedal-to-the-metal emotional joyride of "Take Me As I Am." Even the tongue in cheek paranoia of "Them" is an enjoyable listen.

Though "Come Upstairs" may look like a one-off novelty on the surface, you don't have to dig far to find Carly...hard at work and enjoying a new fashion in the process.

-Mic

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Carly takes the 80s by storm!!!!, August 16, 2008

By 

Jeremy Gloff (Tampa, Fl United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Come Upstairs (Audio CD)

Length:: 1:56 Mins

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loving THEM all, June 26, 2008

By 

Bradley Jacobson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Come Upstairs (Audio CD)

I've had this CD for awhile but have been waiting to comment on it for a few reasons, mainly I was hoping I would end up liking it the more I hear it. Luckily, for me, it has grown on me quite a bit, so here we are to talk about Carly's toe dip into the new wave circa 1980.

Everyone who was everyone was making a pseudo new wave album in the early 80s; Billy Joel had Glass Houses, Linda Ronstadt had Mad Love and Carly had Come Upstairs. They all scored top ten hits with both the singles and the albums released; Carly found her way back to the charts after a lenghty absence with "Jesse" pulled from this album which was always one of my favorite songs from when I was a wee tyke.

The album opens with the title cut, a guitar riffing keyboard laden song which has Carly at her usual sexual shenanigans not really wanting to be with the guy but figuring what the hell, she'll give him some fire and she'll give him some wood; that is probably my favorite part of the song.

There's a strange little foray into the new wave with "Them" - I get the impression she is singing about men but you can't be sure, we just know she doesn't know what to about them and hopes to get help from the people she's singing to. I thought it was totally ridiculous but as is usually the case, it's now one of my favorite tracks on the album. I

n fact, that seems to be my whole Carly thing, I'll get an album full of high expectations only to be intially let down and then have it turn around and bite me on the tuchus a few weeks later.

Perhaps she's not everyone's cup of tea, but the more I hear Carly's idosyncracies the more I fall in love with her. Perhaps she'll read this and invite me to Martha's Vineyard for the summer. Or get me a job working with her family at Simon & Shuster... or maybe she'll just sick "Them" on me.