Customer Reviews

Have You Seen Me Lately

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"I've been doing a lot of thinking/about growing older and moving on..." So sings Carly Simon on "Life is Eternal," a track from her 1990 release, "Have You Seen Me Lately?" Had this song been first on the record, it would have provided an accurate preview of what was to come: on this record Carly concentrates on life issues just as much as she ponderes matters of the heart. Age and growing older is a common theme, and proves to give Carly plenty of elbow room for her always mature and thoughtful writing.

The aformentioned "Life is Eternal" proclaims "Life is eternal, love is immortal, and death is only a horizon," giving a bright ray of hope to the fact that we have no idea what lies ahead on the other side, next life, or wherever your own personal beliefs leave you. The bittersweet "Happy Birthday" focuses on the importance of growing old in numbers only; as the song's subjects celebrate a birthday the preconceptions of how to live life as an adult are clearly taking more of a toll than the years themselves. That isn't to say age doesn't bring responsibility, however, as is explored on the dark and moving "Waiting at the Gate," as Carly picks up a friend/sibling out of rehab. "You used to set the world on fire/dancing in the dark/now you play solitaire in a fenced-in park," Carly sings, as she bravely and compassionately stands by a loved one even though his youthful indulgences were not her own.

Such material is darker than your usual Carly Simon fare (both musically and lyrically), which makes them all the more striking. There's still plenty of room for the facts of love, though..."Don't Wrap it Up" is a sunny tune about a mature woman taking love on her own terms; "Didn't I?" asks for validation amidst a romantic demise; and "Better Not Tell Her," one of the strongest cuts, asks for discretion in the best interest of her estranged lover. When Carly sings, "If my name comes up...leave out the white nights/the moon in your window/the promises after," it's easy to recall the heroine in Simon's "We Have No Secrets," from her 1975 album "No Secrets," who found out the hard way that honesty sometimes tells you more than you want to know. On "Better Not Tell Her" the shoe's on the other foot and Simon uses life experience to try to spare everyone involved; including herself apparently, as the songs last line is "I still love you." This is easily one of the most mature and complex takes on modern relationships ever put on a rock record.

The album's only misstep is the lukewarm "That's Not Like Him," a song telling of a lover's unfaithfulness. The in-denial lyrics are clever enough, but it's musically not as memorable as what Simon is capable of, and the obviously-programmed percussion is clunky. Miles ahead stylistically is "Fisherman's Song," a track that takes Carly's poetic, colorful lyrics to a new height and boasts a cameo by Judy Collins.

The album closes with "We Just Got Here," another exploration of age; herein Simon claims that life is indeed going by too fast. As the song's subjects "bleed the pipes and bring in the plants" at the end of another summer, they brave themselves for autumn in a lifetime's sense. Here Simon sums up the album saying that the weather may be cold ahead but with loved ones to support you and help recall fond memories, some of the best years of your life may be yet to come. A more powerful experience than a casual listen to this record may give hint to, "Have You Seen Me Lately?" shows Carly Simon in the prime of her life and her art. And we the listeners are lucky observers of the journey.

Have You seen Me Lately is the best Carly Simon offering so far. This standout CD showcases Simon's songwriting/storytelling abilities. It features the insightful lyrics based on life (perhaps Carly's) and beautiful melodies. Standout tracks are Have You Seen Me Lately?, We Just Got Here, and Life Is Eternal. This is just a joy to listen to, and is sure to be a favorite. Best line in any song? "Sorry that your mother dropped you on your head, Maybe her mother dropped her too. In this life we all get dropped, we all get black and blue." It is a shame that she doesn't tour anymore, but this is the next best thing.

Ten years after its release, I still rank this as one of the top 25 cds from my collection to listen/sing to when I'm driving. When you're feeling introspective, or a little down, pop this into the cd player, and ponder the lyrics--many are biographical but others mirror your own life. Her voice is clear and crisp, and the music, particularly the base and the drums, resonate. Most probably, this cd will appeal to women far more than to men, however. Go figure.

Length:: 1:48 Mins

Every single song is great, some of my favorites are Better Not Tell Her, Holding Me Tonight, Life Is Eternal, Fisherman's Song, Don't Wrap It Up... that is just the beginning. You can not dislike this album, her whole heart is in it. It has a great booklet, with lyrics and nice little liner notes. I just bought this as a filler and it backfired, that is on was the best. Buy it and enjoy it.

A sexy album cover may help a singer sell one album, but Carly has sold a LOT of albums...Carly has long been noted for two things; really, really sexy album jackets, and wearing her heart on her sleeve. "Confessional" singers aren't to everybody's liking, but I think that this is one of her best. The voice is perfect, and, as for the jacket, may every girl look that good at 50. We all practice a double standard; I'm perfectly happy to look at somebody else's wife on a seductive album, but would raise a fuss if my wife posed for SOME of Carly's covers; here is a sexy picture that I couldn't find a real objection to if my daughter posed for it.

The music here is great, though, as I said, the "heart on sleeve" approach may a bit much for some. Carly's fans have shared a lot of pain with her down the years, but she's given much joy in return. I loved the title cut and "Life Is Eternal". Thank goodness that "Better Not Tell Her" is not about me...my wife would never believe it was all innocent. Enjoy...this one is a winner.

I really enjoyed this album. I was in High School when my Mom got it and I pretty much stole it from her. I think the stories presented in the lyrics are something that women can relate to very much and though it is sort of the "adult contemporary/soft rock" that many folks may feel is a bit sappy, I think this is good music.

This CD contains very romantic ballads. As usual, Carly has again put together a fantastic ensemble of music. A must to have.

By 1990 Carly Simon was a person with lots of exposure. 1987's "Coming Around Again" album was a big hit, and she won an Oscar in 1989 for the song "Let the River Run," a song used in the film "Working Girl" starring Melanie Griffith. In 1990 she released a collection of standards, titled "My Romance," and followed that album up with a new pop collection in the latter part of the year, titled "Have You Seen Me Lately." The album spawned a couple of hit singles, and featured some of Carly's strongest and most memorable material.

The first track and hit single was "Better Not Tell Her," a melancholy tune in which Simon is giving advice to a former lover to not share everything about her romance with him, presumably in hopes of saving his new relationship. It's a very catchy song and is currently one of my favourites. Following that is "Didn't I?," a piano-driven ballad in which Simon muses and asks questions about a failed relationship. The title track follows, being a little bit too easygoing for the subject matter. The song is basically about a woman living in a delusional state, and then asking the listener to not "wake me unless you love me." The singer is sort of commenting on her own ill emotional and social state in a moderately sarcastic way, but the music makes it sound like a day on the beach. It still manages to be an impressive song. (A bit of trivia--the music was featured in the 1990 Meryl Streep film "Postcards From the Edge.") Fourth on the album is a song that I never seem to tire of, the spiritual "Life is Eternal." Simon says the song's chorus is based on a Christian prayer she heard, while the verses seem to ponder what happens when we die. It's very touching, and instrumentally effective with the heavy drums towards the end as well as the layers of synthesized (?) strings. Rounding out side one is the powerful "Waiting at the Gate." Simon is singing to someone dear to her with a drug problem who is entering a rehab clinic, and does so in a mature and effective way. Too bad this song didn't get that much exposure compared to some of the others.

Side two starts off with "Happy Birthday," a somewhat cynical look at middle age and life afterwards. "Holding Me Tonight" is an easygoing serenade to a lover and was moderately successful on the Adult Contemporary charts, while "It's Not Like Him" is a bit too cliche for me. I also think it sounds a little too much like "Two Hot Girls" from the "Coming Around Again" album. "Don't Wrap It Up" is an uptempo number about an older woman being unafraid and hungry for love. Not one of my favourites, but I like how the narrator's age is not seen as a bad thing. It seems that most pop songs are sung from a younger perspective. "Fisherman's Song" features Judy Collins, and is a gentle, lullaby-ish waltz. The album ends on a strong note with "We Just Got Here," a song using summer's end as a metaphor for growing older. The song really does sound like summer is ending, and once again addresses one of the most prominent themes of the album--age and moving on. It's sad but hopeful at the same time, and doesn't sound like it would fit any other place but at the end of the album.

This album is a good example of one of the things that made Carly Simon so famous in the first place--solid songwriting. Not every song is a winner, but each does contain some kind of strength. This definitely ranks as one of my favourite Carly albums in her long discography.

I live in Argentina, where Carly is sadly not a very well-known artist. The only song that was often played on the radio was (and still is) "you're so vain". Of course I liked that song, and I remembered the performer's name. In 1990 at a record store I found a copy of "Have you seen me lately?", and I was not sure to buy it or not, since it apparently didn't feature any familiar song. But I finally finished buying it. When I heard it for the first time, I was truly amazed. What a voice! The songs sounded in a way that was a pleasure to listen. Then recently I heard that "old" record again, and I thought how could it be that Carly Simon is largely ignored in my country. "Love is eternal" in its own right makes the record worth of buying, had it be available today... But it doesn't end all there. "Waiting at the gate" ,"Not like him", the opening track "Better not tell her" and "Fisherman's song" are high class songs, and Carly sings with a charm voice... For sure I would like to find more Carly Simon records, but they're very hard to find here. She's very much more than just "You're so vain". And this record still sounds fresh forteen years after its release. Without any doubt, a great record and a great artist. A "must have".