Customer Reviews

Living Room Tour (Dig)

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Carol King releases her much anticipated two CD set, The Living Room Tour, with a flourish and artistic style rarely seen or accomplished. This set is an awesome opportunity to experience King not just sing, but also play the guitar and piano flawlessly. She wows her audience every step of the way; to write that she has an excellent rapport with her audience is to state the obvious. King is a titan of the 20th century musical form; and this two CD set is a must not only for her fans but also for lovers of all rock and pop music in general.

King displays remarkable ability to express all emotions here. Whether it's the thoughts of the death of a relationship in "It's Too Late," the celebration of womanhood as a relationship blossoms in "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman," or the plaintive, poignant cries of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," Carole King surpasses all expectations in her ability to emote, to befriend and enchant her audience. And how's about her storytelling abilities in "Smackwater Jack?" Her in person concerts give Carole the chance to share emotions intimately with her audience. The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that during her concerts "(King) did indeed act for all the world like that's where she was and that everybody there was her dear friend." I couldn't have said it better myself!

King gets ample help from talented peers on this two CD set. Look for both Gary Burr and Rudy Guess helping out with vocals, guitar and bass instruments. Louise Goffin and Sherry Goffin Kondor add some great background vocals that you won't want to miss. The sound quality and cover art are very well done.

Also, don't forget that this set offers two new songs: the opening "Welcome To My Living Room" as well as the devoted and caring song called "Loving You Forever," a duet King wrote with Gary Burr. The two new songs are a fantastic plus! And then there's the power of the live recordings bringing back fond memories, that element of nostalgia. People like nostalgia; and King delivers that well here with a whopping seven songs that were number one hits during her lengthy career.

Carole King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 for her exemplary work as a songwriter. And, when it comes down to it, The Living Room Tour two CD set reminds us all again so clearly that very few artists perform songs as powerfully as Carole King. Carole, we are richer for your being here with us; because we've STILL got a friend! As usual, GREAT JOB, CAROLE-AND THANK YOU!

Carole King is one of the best singer songwriters of all time. She has a career that spans over 40 years, and I think that The Living Room Tour is a great record of her achievements. I envy anyone who had the chance to see her perform her music in concert last summer in Los Angeles, Chicago and Hyannis Massachusetts. Listening to this CD, I felt like Carole was actually singing for me in my living room.

The first track is a new song entitled Welcome To My Living Room. It is a short cute track in which she sings about her love of performing music and entertaining people. Carole also sings a lovely new duet entitled Loving You Forever with a musician named Gary Burr. This is a very pretty love song. My favorite track is the So Far Away. I think is a beautiful song about missing someone you love. I also enjoyed the songs It's Too Late and I Feel The Earth Move. These songs are timeless classics that should be famillar to anyone who grew up in the 60's and 70's. Another track that stands out is Sweet Seasons. This is a great song about enjoying and accepting the ups and downs of life. I was surprised by the number of songs Carole wrote for other artists which are included here. Every musical artist from the 60s and 70s owes a little bit of their success to Carole King including Aretha Franklin. In fact, I think one of the highlights on this CD is a song that Aretha recorded entitled You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman. This is a very inspirational and uplifting song. Carole's performance of this song is so good.

I really enjoyed the track The Locomotion. It is a great dance song that recorded by Little Eva and more recently performed by Kylie Minogue in the 80s. Her voice conveys so much warmth especially on the song You've Got A Friend which was recorded by James Taylor. The music of Carole King is timeless. The lyrics to most of her songs will stay with you forever. I recommend The Living Room Tour to anyone who enjoys soft rock music.

Wow, I stumbled upon this cd only by chance and it has not been out of my changer ever since. What a rare and gifted performer. This setting is cozy and intimate. The recording is wonderful, soundwise you don't miss a thing. She is in the best voice of her career and at 62 (so she states on the cd) she is in full charge and ready to go. Give it a listen to and you won't be let down. It will lift you higher and higher.

Carole King has released 3 "live" CD's over the course of her
career--"The Carnegie Hall Concert" (recorded in '71 but not
available until the 90's), "In Concert" from 1993, and now "The
Living Room Tour" from her very successful tour of 2004, which
she took back on the road this year. "Living Room" is by far my
favorite. The Carnegie Hall recording is fun, and of great
historical importance for Carole fans, having been recorded just
as "Tapestry" was topping the charts. But her performance is
a bit tentative since Carole was a relative newcomer to the
stage. The "In Concert" CD is just the opposite, perhaps a bit
too bombastic with even Slash (!) sitting in on two songs. But
"The Living Room Tour" finds Carole totally comfortable onstage
in an intimate setting that shows her songs off in a very flattering light. These songs are so well-crafted that they
can stand alone with just a voice, piano and minimal accompaniment (2 talented guitarist/singers). Carole's voice,
at age 63, is a bit more raspy than you might remember, but not
enough to significantly change her sound. She still sounds like
CAROLE KING. If anything, her pipes seem a bit more powerful
than before, and the "rawness" adds some depth to her delivery.
The song selection is what makes the CD fun for Carole lovers.
Many classics from the "Tapestry" era sit comfortably alongside
newer songs like "Now And Forever" or "Wishful Thinking". And
the Goffin-King compositions never cease to amaze, especially
when you realize how many American Pop classics they created.
It really is a very entertaining show, and I'm glad to have
seen it a few weeks ago at Radio City Music Hall. My one
complaint is that most of the extremely funny and entertaining
dialogue has been edited out. Carole told story after story of
how the songs came to be written, and it made the live concerts
something special. I'm sure they left them out to make the
record "flow" better, and that's understandable. But I do hope
that a DVD is in the making, complete with stories and other
songs that she's been performing on the road which are not on
this CD ("Music", "Been To Canaan", "Beautiful", etc.) But if
you ever liked Carole King, this CD will surely find a place in
your "Heavy Rotation" pile. It's a great reminder of the awesome
talent that is Carole King!

I saw her twice in this 2004-2005 tour, and this CD captures the essence of the experience brilliantly. You feel like she is singing to you instead of an audience of thousands. Many of her classic songs are included, and they blend seamlessly with her post-Tapestry works. Also included are some of the hits she penned in the 60s for other artists (it's only a fraction of her catalog and it leaves you wanting more!). "Live CDs" are often questionable, and don't always give you that same feeling as a studio album, but this one is different. You won't be disappointed.

Enough said. Although Tapestry came out when I was an infant/toddler---I am a fan of lots of types of music--and discovered Carole King later in life. This live CD has most of the classics and some new songs. I just got it--but have found myself addicted to it.

...from the great lady, but while they may be tinged with sadness it is a very fond farewell that explores all we have grown to know as being what Carole King is all about.
That is, soul feeding, heart warming songs which speak of accurate social commetry on life, love and the state of world both now and way back at the start of her career.
Moreover this album feels like a persoanl tour and presentation of her work to her adoring public. Her voice is a beautiful as ever and her lyrical penmanship continues to be emotive, stirring and intelligent. You will love this album from the moment you put it in on and without question you will want to give it the justice it deserves by listening to the entire recording in one sitting. Has the hallmark of a classic album and as I have said, a fond farewell from a much loved artist.
Just beautiful!

Carole King's new double-CD chronicle of her hugely successful 2004 Living Room Tour finds the singer-songwriter at the top of her performing game: after one listen it would be hard for anyone to believe that this is a person who back in 1970 when she first stepped out into the spotlight as a performer was reticent about giving live concerts due to stage fright.

For over forty years, Carole has been comfortable behind the scenes, first as one of pop music's most celebrated songwriters. Since her 1971 classic Tapestry and its many successful follow ups, she has proven herself, over and over again, in the recording studio. With the Living Room Tour, she proves herself to be one of the most natural, relaxed, entertainers of her generation. Some believe her infrequent concert tours over the years is why those curmudgeons who control the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction process have yet to induct her as a performer [she was inducted as songwriting partner of Gerry Goffin in 1990), well, they should give this live album a close listen and then try to justify not including King, the performer, into to their hall of fame.

Yes, most of her male peers tour year after year, rarely taking a break, yet, without all those years of practice-King who last toured over 12 years ago, steps front and center, into the spotlight and is so at ease and in touch with her audience that you would swear she toured every year too.

And whether it's after attending one of her 2004-05 live concerts, or after a listen to this deluxe new career retrospective, you too will feel like you are right there in the living room of one of America's most treasured composers/performers. This woman blows the whole fourth wall concept to smithereens!

Over the years, I've often envied those people who were lucky enough to call themselves friends of Ms. King-could you imagine hanging out in Carole's living room as she played those melodies? Film director Hal Ashby, a former Laurel Canyon neighbor of Carole's back in the 70s, told a reporter that he would sit in his home contemplating his next film project as the sound of Carole King playing her songs would waft through the air. How wild! This new cd gives the listener the same "up close and personal" experience.

From the whimsical opening number, "Welcome to My Living Room"-in which she warns the audience that she might forget some her lyrics since "I'm 62"-you can sense that something once in a lifetime is about to take place. She takes chances throughout the show, some of which, are captured here on record, for example, when she reaches for a high note that is out of reach, or as you can hear her tired breaths during the very emotional rendering of "Lay Down My Life" -one of the best songs she's written since the 70s, but, that's all part of the charm.
Carole's followers have long admired her honesty and lack of pretensions - both personal and musical--she became a superstar back in 1971 in spite of herself- and with some of these recordings, you get to hear her singing, strained at times, but, she's giving the song her all and that, more than any vocal pirouettes you might get from a Celine or Shania, makes the performance of the song soar - the aforementioned "Lay Down My Life" and "Wishful Thinking"-are examples.

My biggest thrill listening to the album is hearing how Carole makes her piano take on the role of other instruments. On "Peace in the Valley"-recorded in '72 and revered by fans like me for its subtle back and forth interplay/arrangement of piano vs. percussion (Ms. Bobbye Hall), she manages to suggest the interplay of both piano and congas. How could "Jazzman" work without Tom Scott's sax solo from the 1974 #1 hit single - no need to worry - Carole's scatting takes the place of the horns. Hard to describe: you'll just have to listen. How could Carole perform "Being at War With Each Other" solo - the 1973 recording is literally a swirling symphony suite of strings - well, once again, you won't even notice that she's not being backed by an orchestra - her piano playing and vocals are so versatile that she can intimate just about any instrument.

Of course, she does get strong musical support from her long-time musical director Rudy Guess (who co-produced this album), and co-writer/guitarist Gary Burr. To their credit, they give "Smackwater Jack" new life and Carole has an easier time of conjuring the Monkees on "Pleasant Valley Sunday" thanks to their backup. Gary Burr duets beautifully with her on "Loving You Forever"-a simply stated, but, heartily delivered country-tinged love song.

And regardless of how many times, you've heard "It's Too Late," "Natural Woman." Or "You've Got a Friend"-you haven't really heard them, until you've heard them on this album... how anyone could make you feel like you're hearing the '67 classic "Natural Woman" for the first time, is what old fans have always known as the magic of Carole King. Judging by its pre-orders on Amazon.com where it's been hovering at #2 for the week before its release, a lot of new fans are about to discover it as well. (Rockingale/Concord/Hear Music)

...there's no end, to the music! Carole King music. It is presented here in it's purest of forms. Carole's welcoming, tangy and clear vocals, those unmistakable Carole King piano chords, and often some perfectly blended vocal and guitar harmonies from friends and talented musicians in their own right: Gary Burr and Rudy Guess.

So glad that she unearthed treasures like "Peace in the Valley," "Being at War with Each Other," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," "Now and Forever" (from the film, A League of Their Own), "Lay Down My Life," and "Wishful Thinking." In addition to many of her great hits like "It's Too Late," "Sweet Seasons," "Natural Woman," and "I Feel the Earth Move." And more!

I have been flicking the TV off nightly, popping this CD in, closing my eyes, and I am there, at the concert with everyone else, enjoying song for song, with Carole at the forefront, presenting these treasures as they were most likely, originally written in their barest purest forms. No special trappings.

And that medley of hits that she and Gerry Goffin wrote for others! Whew! And the new song written with singer/songwriter Gary Burr, and as aforementioned, co-performer on this CD, "Loving you Forever" is destined to be a new wedding song.

Disappointments? Yes. "Up on the Roof" and "Been to Canaan" are not included. But this is a five-star recorded-live CD if there ever was one!

Welcome to Carole's living room. It's Beautiful.

"The Living Room Tour" double CD is an excellent set from Carole King. What comes across on disc is FUN! The joy is infectious as Carole radiates great warmth whether she's doing a delightful job on a newer tune like the title track from her last studio CD "Love Makes the World" or a classic like the rollicking "Smackwater Jack." The song I find myself playing THE MOST from this first disc is "Now & Forever" that was written for the movie "A League of Their Own." Live in concert it captures the beauty of the melody & lyric, "Didn't we come together? Didn't we live together? Didn't we play together? Didn't we love together? And together we made up the world. I miss the tears, I miss the laughter, I miss the day we met & all that followed after." The medley of her classic tunes is a delight with the Bobby Vee classic "Take Good Care of My Baby," my favorite Herman's Hermits track "I'm Into Something Good," "One Fine Day" & "Go Away Little Girl." Few artists other than Carole King have the span to have the range of material from which to draw. Disc Two has many of her great "Tapestry" hits including a powerful version of "So Far Away," "It's Too Late" and a joyful reading of "It's Too Late." Particularly powerful in this live format is her rendition of "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman." When Carole sings, "Before I met you like was so unkind, but your love was the key to my peace of mind" with a delightfully sympathetic audience singing along and cheering her on, it melts the heart. "Locomotion" that was the final curtain call on her appearance in Raleigh burns up the disc with Rudy Guess & Gary Burr blazing on guitar. At the Raleigh show she did a rousing version of "Take Your Hands Off Of My Baby" and had an excellent impromptu songwriting experiment from the point of view of people thinking about their loved ones overseas in Iraq or Afghanistan. King talked about her many USO shows and support for our fighting men & women. "The Living Room Tour" is a great live set recorded from shows in Los Angeles, Chicago & Massachusetts that captures the energy of her 2005 tour. This 2-CD set is an absolute treasure for old fans, generational converts & new fans too! Bravo!