Carole King - Music Audio CD

A fair review of the Carole King "Music" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Carole King reviews here, or go back to the Carole King tabs.

Carole King Band: Carole King
Title: Music
Rating:
Release Date: 1991-03-01
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Brother, Brother 2: It's Going to Take Some Time 3: Sweet Seasons 4: Some Kind of Wonderful 5: Surely 6: Carry Your Load 7: Music 8: Song of Long Ago 9: Brighter 10: Growing Away from Me 11: Too Much Rain 12: Back to California

Ok CD
I am not crazy about this particular piece of work but then again, this just does not appeal yo my taste. I do have a number of Carole King CDs.


finally
good to hear it again 'though the my copy of Tapestry is remastered and this doesn't have the same audio quality. i'd been looking for this cd for a number of years in Asia but with no luck.


sweet music
Blast from the past. cd arrived in excellent/new condition. Had this on album years ago.


Good music, too
I mean, come on, they're more or less the same albums, even though this most certainly was not a smash hit on the level of that one. If you liked Tapestry, I can't see any reason for you not liking this, either. But really, what do I have to complain about? I love Tapestry, and while this isn't in the same league as it, it's still a respectable album full of melodic, mellow keyboard-heavy pop, occasionally with a horn section, as on "Sweet Seasons" and the listenable filler "Carry Your Load". "Brother, Brother" and "It's Gonna Take Some Time" efficiently recast the Tapestry sound, and though they're clear rip-offs they're great ones; her voice, clear and lovely, is fantastic on the remake of "Some Kind of Wonderful", originally a hit for the Drifters, though here it's remade as a pleasant folk-pop song with prominent acoustic guitar and piano, and just a little touch of the pedal steel. Her piano playing was never perfect, but it's effective on the swaying ballad "Surely". She only lifts the tempo on the gospel-ish "Brighter", which is a great song, and one of the only times she really breaks from the formula. If it wasn't a hit (and with the allmusic guide temporarily dead I've got no way of finding out), it should've been. Another time is the agreeable country-folk track "Growing Away from Me". The third formula-breaking, "Back to California", has the same basic thrust as Joni Mitchell's "California" (released during the same year), and it's the closest thing to unbridled fun you'll ever find in King's catalog. A few tracks are lesser - I already mentioned "Carry Your Load", and I don't really like the title track, which sounds like a song from a bad musical. "Song of Long Ago" gets spoiled by poor male backup vocals, and even if you take those out it's still a generic song. If you gotta rip yourself off, you might as well do so in style, and that's exactly what Carole does here. Oh, via the amazing power of Wikipedia I found out what the big hit here was after all: "Sweet Seasons", which went to #2. .


Music = Mellow Mix
She released 4 albums in a row that were achievements anyone would be proud of, and then 2 more that weren't bad at all. In the early-to-mid 70's, Carole King set the standard for the mellow singer-songwriter genre. This album, her second, was pretty much overshadowed by the giant "Tapestry", her first. But the passage of time allows us to see that it is a valid artistic accomplishment in its own right, not a pale follow-up to "Tapestry". Carole's trademark piano and soft percussion are applied to a variety of impressive songs. "Brother, Brother" is a good strong opener, with its tremolo effect and bongos backing up Carole's vocal about keeping a caring eye on someone she is fond of. "It's Going To Take Some Time" is softer, but still serious, about someone picking up the pieces after a hard fall. "Sweet Seasons" brings us back into the sun again, with its terrific piano hook and lyrics describing the joys of ". . . a life in the open, a life in the country. . . " "Surely" is my favorite on the album. It is slow and deliberate and shows quiet power as Carole tries to convince her lover of her loyalty. I especially like the lyric "How does the turtle go? Slowly, surely. That's how my love grows. . . " The title cut to some extent echoes the jazzy feel of "It's Too Late", but it makes a more positive statement and, accordingly, it is more upbeat. "Song Of Long Ago" is a compact, delicate, folklike song with added vocals by James Taylor. The message of this song is that no matter what's happening to you, the important thing is to FEEL. "Too Much Rain" is slow and deliberate like "Surely", with a less happy ending. And just in case all this mellowness has lulled you to sleep, the final cut, "Back To California", will wake you up. It is very reminiscent of The Beatles' "Get Back", with its thumping bass, constant drumming, keyboard solos and even similar chord changes.

Because of its variety, this album is difficult to sum up in a few words. While it looks back to "Tapestry" for inspiration, it also predicts the growth that occurred in "Rhymes & Reasons" and "Fantasy", the 2 albums that followed it.
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You can see a complete list of all Carole King discography, or go back to the Carole King tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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