Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits

 In this CD we have 20 Carly Simon songs, 19 of her greatest hits and a 20th song recorded with her daughter, Sally Taylor, as a bonus.  The song for me that makes this CD worth listening to is "You're So Vain."  This song is surrounded by mystery as no one knows to whom she is referring.  It seems to be actually a compendium of men, including Warren Beatty.  "I haven't got Time for the Pain" is a song whose lrics go through my head.  This and the song "Anticipation."  I also like "That's the Way I've Always Heard it Should Be" from her first album and "The Right Thing to Do" from her third album.  She sings "Mockingbird" with James Taylor.  She was married to James Taylor for ten years.  Simon has a distinctive and enjoyable voice.  She also plays piano.  She represents music from the 70s when I grew up.

Music Review: James Taylor: Sweet Baby James

James Taylor: Sweet Baby James, Country Road Music, Inc., Warner Brothers, 1970. 

James Taylor is a singer and song writer.  This effort was his second album.  It reached number three on the billboard charts, and the song Fire and Rain also reached number three.  It was nominated for album of the year in the grammies.  Fire and Rain is a song that goes over and over again in my mind, especially the chorus, "I've seen fire and I've seen rain,  I've seen sunny days that I though would never end, I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, But I always thought I'd see you again."  It is one of my favorite songs.  It is very much biographical for James Taylor, describing he friend who passed away by suicide, and then his struggles with addiction.  I love that he could open up this way in a song.

CD Music Review: Gordon Lightfoot: Gord's Gold

Gordon Lightfoot" Gord's Gold, produced by Lenny Waronker and Joe Wissert, Warner Brothers, 1975.

This album includes many of Gordon Lightfoot's favorites, and his distinctive sound and voice.  I enjoy the Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Early Morning Rain, Sundown, Beautiful, Rainy Day People, If You Could Read My Mind and Carefree Highway.  In If You Could Read My Mind he is longing for something that he has lost in his relationship, "I don't know where we went wrong but the feelings gone and I just can't get it back."  Lightfoot has a very distinctive voice and this CD brings bak memories of listening to the radio when I was young.

Music review: The Greatest Hits, 1971, Entertainment Weekly

This is a compendium of twelve hits from 1971.  This was about the time my parent bought me a radio for Christmas when I was growing up.  I would listen to music as I went to bed, and these were some of the songs that would be playing.  “Knock Three Times” Dawn, “Indian Reservation” The Raiders, “Put Your Hand in the Hand” Ocean and “Brand New Key” Melanie all brought back pleasant memories. 

This set of songs his highlighted by “Maggie May” Rod Stewart. Rod Stewart's grainy voice and the guitar playing in this song are wonderful.  The parts with just music are as enjoyable as the singing.  At one point they effectively add a ukulele which is very nice, especially when the vocal comes back in over the top of it. 

Another song worthy of mention is “Mr Bojangles” The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.  I had not realized they played this song, thinking it was a Sammy Davis Jr. song.  I guess this song has been sung by many artists.  It actually predates this version by several years.  Although the author denies that is was about Bill Bojangles Robinson, the similarity with his story is striking. 

The Temptations sing “Just my Imagination” which is a very beautiful and peaceful song.  I enjoy its tone.

There are a couple of songs from this group that just I just don’t care for.  I never understood “Spanish Harlem” and still don’t.  Similarly I don’t care for Marvin Gaye “What’s going On.”