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Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
 A Remastered Masterpiece! October 5, 2005
Martin A Hogan (San Francisco, CA. (Hercules))
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
For nearly four decades, Carly Simon has been producing top-notch high quality songs. This `remastered' collection contains all of her best and its hard to argue about which succeeds better than others. From the achingly lamentable, "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" to the emotional anthem, "Let The River Run", Carly pulls no punches with her strong voice or slick arrangements. Few female singers have such a strong band or percussion backing them, which has proven to be a Carly Simon trademark. You may have had an overdose of some songs, "You're So Vain" or "Nobody Does It Better", but they are intensely catchy at the very least. There are two distinctly different duets here. James Taylor playfully counters with a `call/response' technique on "Mockingbird, but the real surprise is the country flavored "Amity" with Sally Taylor. It's all in the family and it all sounds fantastic!
Great Album for a Real Nostalgia Trip ! December 9, 2006
Keith Barber (England)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I stumbled across this Carly Simon album on Amazon and snapped it up as soon as I saw it because it contained so many of my favourite childhood records (You're So Vain, Nobody Does it Better etc.). A brilliant album and worth every penny.
Romantic, Emotional And Remarkable Collection Of Carly Songs April 10, 2005
Jana L. Perskie (New York, NY USA)
33 out of 36 found this review helpful
I was not around at the height of Carly Simon's career. I am certainly old enough to have been around, but I lived outside the US for a long time, in an area where salsa and the cumbia were more popular than Ms. Simon. Now I get to listen to such fabulous artists as singers-songwriters Carly and Carol King retrospectively - and they sound even better now, than when I caught bits of their sound in the 1970s.p"Reflections" is a recording that includes 20 songs which span 30 years of the artist's career. She has a beautiful clear voice, and a natural style, which more than capably express a wide array of emotions. Her music, and much of it is her own, has been influenced by traditional American folk music, jazz, the blues and rock 'n roll. Carly Simon has been placed in the "confessional" genre of vocalists and songwriters. I don't pay attention to that kind of labeling. I feel like her songs are frank, honest and often very moving - from the heart. She is also quite sexy at times, and it is difficult not to move to her beat.pOne of my favorite cuts, "Like A River" was written for her mother, Andrea Simon, right after her death. Carly once said in an interview, "My yearning to communicate with her was so strong, it seemed to me that she could really hear me." Ms. Simon's voice, her lyrics, and signature piano make an extremely moving elegy to her mom. "Amity" a duet with daughter Sally Taylor is another captivating and emotional piece. "Nobody Does It Better," sung for the 1977 James Bond hit "The Spy Who Loved Me" is a fabulous, upbeat love song, and a real ego booster for the man in one's life. It topped the AC charts for several weeks in 1977. "You're So Vain," a number which has always aroused much speculation as to who the subject is, is included, as is "Mocking Bird" - another of my great favorites. Carly is accompanied here by her then husband, James Taylor, and their duet is absolutely phenomenal! "Let The River Run" from the soundtrack of "Working Girl" won her a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. "You Belong to Me" from 1978 is yet another winner - and one many women will identify with. And "Touched By the Sun" is a touching and inspirational tribute to good friend, Jackie Onassisp"Reflections" is a superb CD - a real jewel - very romantic, emotional, and beautifully interpreted. "Love of my Life" a song that really reaches me down deep, is an excellent representation of the riches that are to be found in this collection. I cannot recommend this CD highly enough.brJANA
Great ! August 25, 2006
Patience (Greece)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Although I liked her music back in my youth (long way back!)I never got round to buying a record, since then hardly heard more than an occasional song on the radio. When I saw this CD on Amazon I decided to treat myself, if only to enjoy "You're so Vain" which I love, and have discovered I now love nearly all the tracks here. Classic numbers, a good mixture, perfectly executed - I'll be looking for more from Carly Simon on Amazon .
A great collection by one of the great female singers December 11, 2004
Mr. T. Speller (London, Uk)
18 out of 22 found this review helpful
One of my earliest memories as a young boy is hearing the strutting bassline and the lyric "Son of A Gun" that acts as the introduction to Carly Simon's "You're So Vain", and joining in with one of the most addictive choruses in popular music: "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you". So I guess, in a subconscious way, I have always liked Carly Simon. Though rather unfairly, more for "You're So Vain", which is admittedly just one of the greatest songs of all time, and is the song that your average Joe will recognise straight away. For the catchy chorus. For the brilliant bassline intro. For the wonderful orchestration, for the wonderful lyrics, for the harmony by the distinctive Mick Jagger, and for the effortless, melodic voice of Carly Simon. And I could go on...pIt has only been in the last year I have only really discovered more of her material, and as this collection shows perfectly, that there is so much more to her than just THAT one song. Firstly, she is an wonderful songwriter. One can just empathise with her as she sings her own world-weary songs about relationships and life, especially in songs such as "Anticipation", "That's the Way...", "Coming Around Again", "Right Thing to Do", and "Give Me All Night". For me, I think this is the main charm of her songwriting, you just feel you are sharing her own experiences. Secondly, she's a great singer to boot, as comfortable interpreting other people's work as well as her own. Best examples of this are "Why" and "Nobody Does It Better". In "Why", a song written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers from Chic(two exceptional songwriters) she manages with her vocals to make it entirely her own, and although it is disco as opposed to her usual soft rock style, it works perfectly. As for the latter, from the Bond theme "Spy Who Loved Me", it is just sublime, beautiful to listen to. Her vocals are beautiful throughout, they have this homely quality that you can just feel comfortable with, much like with Karen Carpenter from the Carpenters.pSo in all, this is really a great collection of songs by one of the greatest female singer-songwriters of all time. Obviously, try out more of her individual albums too, "No Secrets" and "Coming Around Again" are exceptional in their own right. But if you are new to her or only familiar with "You're So Vain", this is a great place to start. And if you just want an album by her, you won't go wrong with this one(though "No Secrets", her 1973 album, is probably her definitive one).
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
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