Customer Reviews

Tapestry

5 star:		(222)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This was a beautiful album when I first heard it in 1971. It is a beautiful CD when I listen to it today. Tapestry marked Carole King's transition from remarkable "Tin-Pan Alley' pop song-writer for the likes of Neil Sedaka, the Shirelles (who I think originally recorded Will You Love Me Tomorrow) and others to a singer/performer of the first rank. The album exploded in 1971, no small feat when you consider that 1971 may have seen the culmination in the evolution of the album from a compilation of inidvidual hits into a set-piece that was best served whole. The evolution began with Sgt. Pepper and Pet Sounds and went on from there. The growth of FM radio was fueled in part by the ability of those stations to play entire albums at a time. Similarly, the fact that FM stations would play whole sides of album encouraged musicians to create albums that were more than just a series of unrelated songs. But I digress . . .

There is a two-fold beauty gained from listening to Tapestry today. The first is the nostalgic pleasure gained from listening again to beautiful words set perfectly to music. This pleasure is probably limited to those of us, of a certain age, who cut their musical teeth on the music of the 60s and early 70s. The second is the pleasure anyone, no matter their age, can get from listening to the combination of lyrics and music that is Tapestry.

If the definition of a classic is a piece of work that survives and propsers over time, then Tapestry is a classic.

Why has Carol King's 1971 recording Tapestry stood the test of time?
Two words: sincerity and emotion.

The CD I bought from Amazon came with a sticker announcing: "4X Grammy Winner! Over 11 Million Sold! Every song's a classic!" But that really doesn't explain why, whether you're an "old timer" who got the original on vinyl or a young person experiencing King for the first time, Tapestry is so fresh, vital and appealing from start to finish.

It's not just King's superb white-soul sing-along melodies, or her music's wonderful rhythms, or the incredible variety of songs on this beautifully remastered CD. King wrote for a LOT of other artists who recorded her music and became very famous doing so doing the songs on this CD.

Indeed, when she recorded this in 1971 she was not as well-known to the general public as her music -- but that quickly changed when this became one of the great-selling
LPs of all time.

The secret is in her unpretentious, 100-per-cent post-liberated woman singing. She means EVERY word, every phrase and it comes across. Each jaunty song is a tasteful, at times playful, mini-drama. People often say that "so and so" (fill in the blank here) is the female equivalent of Frank Sinatra, considered the King of singing lyrics with supreme sincerity. But the REAL queen is definitely King. Her lyrics (happy and sad) don't just come alive, they're bursting with life-force as much as her music is bursting with worldclass melodies and rhythms.

Example: James Taylor grew increasingly famous (and rich) with his smash recording of You've Got a Friend. But his does not contain one-millionth the sincerity of King's rendition. Anyone who's ever "down" should listen to her sing the song -- and you'll feel like you do have a friend. And gift this to a beloved friend or relative and tell them THAT SONG is for them and when they listen they will completely get the message, a message King delivers right from the heart.

When the concert-challenged (she did not like to perform in public) King sings her songs the more famous versions of her music performed by more famous artists seem like
elevator music in comparison. Her "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" is laced with vulnerability unmatched by any other singer. `It's Too Late" takes on a near-defiant tone due to her phrasing.

She also does unparalleled work with the more upbeat songs such as "Where You Lead' and (my favorite) `I Feel the Earth Move" (our unofficial theme song here in California).

If you've heard King, get, listen to and savor this remastered CD. If you love someone, gift it. If you're a young musician or singer listen to and EMULATE a master writer and
performer. King's lyrics, music, rhythms and sincerity haunted and moved me in 1971 and they do today since this CD is every milligram good as it was when it was first recorded.

According to the liner notes, Tapestry was #1 for 15 weeks, on the charts for more than six years, and earned four Grammies including Record of the Year (for It's Too Late) and
Song of the Year (You've Got a Friend." This CD also contains two wonderful previously unreleased bonus tracks.

Everyone had a "Tapestry" album in the early 70's.Almost all the songs were played on the radio.If it wasen't Carole singing one of them ,it was James Taylor or Aretha Franklin,who had huge hits.I love Carole's voice,its so layed back and natural.I remember hearing"Its Too Late," played over and over again on the radio when I was in school.I fell in love with it.When you think about it,there's not much production on this record.Its just piano,bass,and drums.The main thing is the words and music from one of the greatest songwriters ever."So Far Away"is another favorite.Carole goes from Ballads,to rock and roll with "I fill the Earth Move." I bought alot of Carole King records after "Tapestry." I've enjoyed all of them,but this one will be played forever in everyone's CD players.

From a somewhat peaceful yet tender rendition of "So Far Away" through the subtle emotion behind "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" to the rock style of "I Feel The Earth Move," every song on this album is exceptional. Carole King has written some of the best music available, and with her singing her own material, she brings a certain uniqueness to the message. Often recorded by stars such as Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack, Carole King is the only one who knows what she wanted to say with her music. Singing her own songs gives her the chance to emote the messages, no matter how subtle, no matter how direct, to the listener. Listening to this album time and time again, one gets a better sense of what she was striving for with the music, and I think all who listen to this album will agree that she accomplishes it with grace.

Carole King's Tapestry is definitely one of those albums you come back to time and time again, no matter how varied your musical styles may become. I recommend this CD to anyone who even has a faint interest in her or her vocal stylings. You will not be disappointed!

With the current state of pop radio at an all-time low, it leaves me a little bit sad to think that a smart, savvy and soulful album such as "Tapestry" dominated the airwaves at one time. Personal yet universal themes weave through the material, as Carole delivers hook after timeless hook.

Many of today's songwriters simply have no appreciation of the giants who came before them. Songwriting is rapidly becoming a dying art, and with the proliferation of click-and-drag music software, digital recording and samplers, fewer and fewer people are learning how to properly write a song. Carole King never needed drum loops, remixes or computerized recording to get her message across. The emotion and feeling is in the melody, the chord changes and the lyrics. A true master of the craft. Carole King's songs will live on forever.

When Tapestry was released in 1971, Carole King was really only known as songwriter of such 60's hits like "The Loco-Motion". You knew she could write a good song, but what Tapestry revealed was Ms. King's vocal talents. Her voice is sweet and comfortable like a warm cup of tea and wraps around the song. The album basically created the 70's phenomena of the singer-songwriter and James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Harry Chapin and the like benefited from its mammoth success. Ms. King explores real emotions from her own perspective and it gives an intimacy to songs like "It's Too Late", "So Far Away", "Where You Lead" & "Home Again". "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" & "Natural Woman" take on a new meaning from the originals as we get to hear them from the composer's point of view instead of interpretations by others. Although she recorded and released it first on this album, she gave "You've Got A Friend" to good friend James Taylor as it obviously had a huge hit potential. People connected with the songs on this album and propelled it to number one. It stayed on the Billboard Top 200 album charts for over 500 weeks which was a record until Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon surpassed it.

"It's Too Late" was recorded and played on my cassette player/recorder hundreds, if not, thousands of times during the summer of '71. It was to be the greatest summer I can remember. And the thing I most remember about that good time, was Carole King. At the time, I was 16, an African-American male, growing up in the tumultuous South Bronx streets, in an equally tumultuous United States. And what times those truly were. But the music of Carole King...transended all the issues, all the problems. And there was something extraordinarily special about her music. I can remember vividly, the fact that the song "It's Too Late" caused the same incessant, beat following swaying, gyrating, and dancing behavior in all my friends, regardless of gender, race, or economic status...we were spiritually hooked! It would be some years later, when I would obtain the "Music" album. Interestingly, I never purchased the "Tapestry" album, but have listened to it in its entirety many, many times. Needless to say, I will obtain the CD in the near future. On the "Music" album I would come to further appreciate Ms. Kings talents. On the "Music" production, pieces like "Brother, Brother", "Sweet Seasons", "Surely", "Music", and "Growing Away From Me", Ms. King showed true genius. It's hard to say in any number of words, how truly talented she is...you must just listen, and allow your soul to be absorbed. Additionally amazing is the fact that she produced both the "Tapestry" and "Music" albums in the same year! Although I am not in any way a denominationally religous person, I must say, that we are blessed to have been graced by the Creator our God with the inspirational life of the musician Carole King.

If you've read any of my other reviews, you know that I am a Streisand fan even unto death... Well, now Babs has some competition! I've had TAPESTRY for six days; it hasn't been taken out of my CD player yet. I already knew a lot of the songs: Barbra recorded BEAUTIFUL, WHERE YOU LEAD, and YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND... Aretha made NATURAL WOMAN famous, and we've all heard WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW? on the oldies station. I bought this CD to hear what the songs sound like when sung by their composer. What a pleasant surprise! King's voice is mellow and foggy; she reminds me of Dusty Springfield. Carole King has a unique voice and a true gift for writing songs. This album deserves its wonderful repuation!

I remember buying my copy of "Tapestry" and thinking to myself, "why haven't I already done this?" King's brilliant, timeless, wholly engaging music and lyrics have a galvanic effect on those it touches. It's almost as if Carole herself IS the piano, the music and lyrics work so well. As a 17 year old, I may not have the seniority to remember this disc from back in the day, but as a piano musician, I entirely worship the musicality. Perhaps the most enchanting song on the disc is "Will you Still Love Me Tomorrow?", a deeply personal song with tremendous backup vocals (JT is there, listen for him!), fantastic band work, and totally singable, memorable lyrics. Where is this music on the radio? Why aren't children growing up today with Carole King as their hero, instead of certain unmentionable artists with names that sound like a small, double-lettered chocolate candy? I'm delighted that other teens have found a masterpiece in this disc, from what I see of their reviews. Buy the disc, listen to the words and feel the music, turn it up, and discover that real music can be loved by everyone. It's a tremendous work.

This is a classic album that sounds as honest and sincere now as it did way back in 1971. Imagine an album staying in the number one spot for fifteen weeks and on the charts for over SIX YEARS.

With four Grammy awards under its belt, and songs like “I Feel The Earth Move”; “It's Too Late”; “You've Got A Friend”; “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?”; “Tapestry” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, this album belongs in any serious collection of ‘70s music.

See also the tribute album “Tapestry Revisited” where folk like Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Amy Grant, Richard Marx, Celine Dion, the Bee Gees and Bebe and Cece Winans, among others, pay homage to this singer/songwriter extraordinaire.

A must-have album for your collection.


Amanda Richards, March 4, 2006