Customer Reviews

The Best Of Carly Simon

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

While working at my job during the summer, we periodically would play Carly's hit song "YOUR SO VAIN" on the store's background music. I often found myself humming the song while I worked. I later purchased THE BEST OF CARLY SIMON CD with some extra money I had, just for the purpose of getting a hold of YOUR SO VAIN. I took it home, played it all the way through, and all I can say is that I quickly had a new favorite CD on my shelf. All of the songs on the CD, (especially YOUR SO VAIN, HAVEN'T GOT TIME FOR THE PAIN, and in my humble opinion, NIGHT OWL,) were magnificent pieces of music. I very quickly found myself getting ahold of as many of Ms. Simon's CD's that I could. Do yourself a big favor, if you like music, or like even just one song of Carly Simon's, pick up this CD. You won't be sorry.

This hits sampler is typical of record label greed...though Carly stayed with Elektra Records for another five years after this package came out, apparently Elektra wanted to milk her fans rather than wait for hits to come. As such, it is falsely titled, since a lot of her "best" was yet to come.

As hits go, this album is full of them, and what hits they are! Some of these tunes may be best remembered for their use in advertising: "Anticipation" was 'the ketchup song,' "Haven't Got Time For the Pain" was used to shill Anacin or some other headache remedy. A third song used in TV ads, "Julie Through The Glass" (from "Anticipation", used in a clip for the Church of Latter Day Saints) would have been a great addition to this album, but was passed over in favor of material from the more commercial "No Secrets" lp. "Mockingbird" and "Night Owl" (also from "No Secrets") are probably the weakest tracks in this collection, and could easily have been overlooked in favor of songs from "Playing Possum" or even "Hot Cakes."

If you consider yourself a fan of Carly Simon, this collection is entirely un-essential...you're better off collecting her first five Elektra lps in their entirety. Music fans who have a fondness for some of the hits here have a harder choice between this release and Carly's "Greatest Hits Live" album for Arista. The latter lp has some wonderful live readings of songs from this "Best of," and includes latter-day classics like "Nobody Does It Better" and "Coming Around Again." Of course, if you're curious and you have the cash, by all means buy the "Clouds In My Coffee" anthology, which stands as the definitive Carly collection to date.

-Mic

First of all,look at the Album cover,What a face. Then,open the CD,and play the first four years of Carly's recording career. From the first hit,"That's the way I've always heard it should be," Carly wrote the Music,not the words for this one. Jacob Brackman,Carly's songwriting partner for years wrote the words. "Anticipation," the greatest line ever writen is in this song."These are the good old days." Today is the good old Days for most of us. "We have no Secrets," Vintage Carly,telling us more about her life. "Night Owl," with Paul and Linda McCarntney singing background. This is one of Carly's biggest Albums,along with "Boys in the Tree's," and "Comming around Again," But its just the start .Carly goes on ,and we haven't seen the last of her.

Carly Simon straddled the world between folk and pop music in the early 1970s and gradually emerged from the shadow of other folk titans to become a pop singer of verve and moment, earning herself a place in the pantheon of very successful singers like Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, and a number of others like Carol King who were on the pop charts and in the folk clubs earlier in their career. This album is a wonderful summary of the best of her efforts in those early years, although it obviously does not have any of her later work. Still, from her breakthrough hits like "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" and "Anticipation" to later smash singles like "Loving You Is the Right Thing To Do" and "You're So Vain" (rumored to be written about everyone from James Taylor to Mick Jagger, but more likely a joke aimed at actor Warren Beatty) is all here. This collection successfully gathers the best of those early years in one place, and even though I usually prefer to sample an artist in context in their early albums, even I have to admit this is a good introduction to Carly Simon.

There are a lot of good songs here, like the terrific "Legend In Your Own Time" about then beau James Taylor, and the rocking "Mockingbird", a duet done with Taylor. Indeed, there are other interesting, provocative, and beautiful selections here, including my own personal favorite, "I haven't Got Time For The Pain". This is a great quick look at a fascinating artist who later made a terrific comeback album called "Coming Around Again" to regain her audience and popularity, which she used to great advantage in the years since. It is one of her best and most autobiographical confessional albums, and it gives us an interesting vantage point with which to understand her better. This greatest hits album, though, is a terrific "greatest hits" album by an artist who is often under-appreciated. This is one I heartily recommend. Enjoy

If you believe that Carly Simon produced her best work in the early 70s, then this "Best of" compilation should satisfy all but the most hardened fans and completists. All the hits extracted from her first 5 albums including the smash "You're So Vain" are here and they still sound terrific today, the exception being Carly's duet with James Taylor on "Mockingbird" which unfortunately hasn't aged well. Compared to Charles & Inez Foxx's original soul version or even Dusty Springfield's amazing cover from her 1964 debut album, this 70s remake has all the elements of commercialism and little else. Pity too that Carly's later singles successes like "Nobody Does It Better" and the UK hit "Why" are omitted (the European release of this same collection starts off with the latter track). But for these minor deficiencies, "Best Of" would have had a 5 star rating from me.

Carly Simon has a VOICE. So many singers rely on noise from the instruments to cover up the fact that they sing pretty much like you and I do in the shower, except some how they've conned us to pay them to do it. Carly Simon, on the other hand, has one of the greatest voices to ever sing a pop-rock song. She could sing these songs without the backup instruments and carry it off. How many singers have that ability?

This CD contains a few cuts that show off that wonderful voice, though regretfully not all of her "greatest" songs, notably "Nobody Does it Better" is missing, and as other reviewers have noted, several other hits that came out after this album. You have to wonder why this album was released as a CD given that a longer revised version was possible and should have been done that covered all of her hits, not just those from the early 70s. There is an import titled "The Very Best of Carly Simon: Nobody Does It Better" that includes the missing hits and covers her career to 1989. If you are looking for a more "true" greatest hits, you would be better served to buy that CD than this one.

This CD gets 4 stars instead of 5 for two major flaws. First, it is not truly Carly's greatest hits. Second, given that she had so many more hits available, and given that CD's will hold nearly 80 minutes of music, an updated "Greatest Hits" could be way longer.

Having pointed out the flaws in this CD, it's only fair to point out that this CD has several of her greatest. I know that many people equate Carly Simon with "You're So Vain", which is great pop-rock, but my personal favorite is "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be", a song about a woman giving up her needs and wants to marry. Her awesome voice is an amazing instrument that forces you to focus on her voice and what she is saying.

"Anticipation", the classic tv commercial song, is also on this CD. Overplayed yes, but still a truly great song, and once again it's Carly's voice that helps to make the song what it is.

I think "(We Have) No Secrets" is another wonderful song. I guess I'm a sucker for songs about relationships that are sung with such feeling. Carly has a way of putting emotion into her music with her voice that is rarely equaled in pop or rock music.

There are a host of other songs of varying stature on this CD. "The Right Thing to Do", "Mockingbird", "Legend in Your Own Time" and "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" all received air play to varying degrees, and thus are truly hits. I'm not a super fan of "Mockingbird" because it just doesn't seem to fit with the theme and tone of her other songs.

"Night Owl" and "Attitude Dancing" are fair songs that don't seem to reach quite to the level of the other songs on this CD.

If you are a big fan of Carly's and you already have all or much of her early music, pass this one by. If you have the money to afford the greatest hits import you may want to get it for its greater coverage of her music. If you are looking for a sampler and can afford to pass by her later music for now, which includes the awesome song "Nobody Does It Better", then buy this one.

Carly Simon was famous before her songs were done to death in cracker commercials and soundtracks to chick flicks. She was, in fact, tough as nails on pop, top-40 radio. White suburbia's Laura Nyro, if you will.

If you think you aren't familiar with her best stuff, check out the samples here. You'll recognize most of them. Along with Carol King, Simon dominated radio play for a couple of years, putting out a series of sparkling piano-based singles that told stories from a side of the coin pop hadn't heard in a while.

She could do anything for a while. I mean, who would have said "Mockingbird" would be a hit?

While I think this is a great album--the first 6 titles are all minor classics of American pop--it's "You're So Vain" that will always make Carly Simons reputation.

What a perfect, perfect single. Mixed like a Lennon record, with those throaty Carly vocals and a nasty lyric ("You gave away the things you loved and one of them was me,") that sent everybody on edge when it was released. For a time, there was a real debate about the focus of the title: Warren Beatty? James Taylor? Mick Jagger? I think the final consensus was Beatty; Jagger sings backing vocals on the track.

That's how big she was: Mick Jagger was a hired backup singer on her records.

"You're So Vain" sits in my alltime top-10, and the rest of this album is a study in Pop. Get it.

You're So Vain is such a funny song! I really think that SOMEONE made her mad and boy did they get told! That is the reason I bought the CD...I thought that was a better anthem for jilted women then You Outta Know. But when I got the CD home, I was pleasently surprised. I thought that the best song was That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be...and I still do on some days! This CD is a classic...it will never get old. The songs on this CD go straight to your heart.

The Best Of Carly Simon is a landmark collection of works documenting the first stage of the career of this gifted singer/songwriter. Almost every song on this album received a Grammy Award nomination. One of the things that I've always loved about Carly Simon is the way her songs tell life affirming stories about childhood,loneliness,relationships and matters of the heart. Every song on this LP is a Carly Simon classic and it should be on the music library of every serious music lover. Unfortunately the Carly of today is nowhere near as the Carly of the 70's. I can't seem to get into the music that she's been doing for the last few years, it just doesn't have the spark and creativity that her songs of the seventies had. I'm still a big fan but I would like to see her do more of the music that she did in the seventies. She recorded so many wonderful albums like "Anticipation" (1971) "No Secrets" (1972) "Hotcakes" (1974) and this excellent collection of hits in 1975. Another album that I love is "Boys In The Trees" (1978) I think that was the last great album that she released, although a more recent album "Letters Never Sent" was pretty good. "The Best Of Carly Simon" is one of my favorite albums of all times. I have it on CD and cassette and I never get tired of listening to it. It's a great LP by one of the greatest voices and fantastic songwriters of the 1970's.

Carly Simon remains one of the greatest singers of the 20th century and she continues her work even today. Her voice is strong, rich and full of energy; and the musical arrangements for her songs are brilliant. This album contains many of Carly's earliest runaway hits and these songs remain as fresh as ever. This CD proves it; and it brings back fond memories for those of us who danced through the `70s, too.

The album opens with "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be." This song deals with female depression as a result of antiquated expectations for a woman to settle down, marry young and have children. Carly also plays piano on this track as does Paul Griffin. The melody highlights the woman's disappointment about the direction she feels she "should" take in life.

The CD switches gears rather quickly; the next song is the much happier "The Right Thing To Do." Here Carly's character is passionately in love with her man as she celebrates each moment they spend together. "Mockingbird" is another song with a strong beat and musical arrangement. James Taylor sings with Carly and this is a real treat! Some reviewers write that they did not expect "Mockingbird" to be such a success for Carly Simon; and I agree with those reviewers. However, Carly could do anything at this time in her career and the song boasts a great musical arrangement with Dr. John on piano and organ. The vocals are very strong. Excellent!

In my opinion, "Haven't Got Time For The Pain" remains one of the most triumphant songs ever recorded. Carly sings to celebrate a new, true love that is her redemption from a life of pain and suffering. This touching song is still one of Carly's very best.

Two gigantic hits on this album deserve special merit and attention: "You're So Vain" and "Anticipation." The first song, "You're So Vain," launches a sarcastic, scathing and belittling attack on a former lover of Carly's who hurt her at a time when she was in love and much less aware of how people can be cruel. Carly uses this song as both an outlet for her personal frustrations and as a ballad to describe the type of love relationship in which someone is fooled by the other's insincerity. Mick Jagger does background vocals on "You're So Vain" although the liner notes fail to give him credit for this. The second song, "Anticipation," suffered a little bit because part of the main chorus was used in, of all things, a ketchup commercial on television. Fortunately time has passed and "Anticipation" is once again a great song instead of an advertising jingle. "Anticipation" also boasts some very pensive, philosophical lyrics about what the future has in store for Carly's affair with a man. There is a particularly insightful comment at the very ending of "Anticipation." Carly sings that she will just enjoy the moment with her man without worrying what the future will bring "'cause these are the good old days." Carly was right. The 1970s ARE "the good old days" for us in the year 2007. Excellent insight, Carly!

The CD ends with the upbeat track entitled "Attitude Dancing." A song that encourages freedom of expression is the perfect way to end this album. Carole King herself helps out on background vocals!

After all is said and done, this CD of Carly Simon's earliest greatest hits contains nothing less than a five star collection of well written songs that are both strong and beautifully arranged. Each song can stand on its own as both a song and as a little story. The quality of the sound is excellent and the liner notes offer the lyrics and credits.

Carly Simon will always be a special gift to us. Her ability to combine words and music produces beautiful and touching songs. Carly performs her songs with so much sensitivity you will be stunned as you listen to this CD. I highly recommend this CD for people who want to become more familiar with Carly Simon's earlier work as well as fans of `70s rock and pop music.