Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Did you miss Carole King last time she came through town?  Haven't quite caught up replacing your records and tapes with c.d.'s and MP3's? Or are you the type to turn the radio up whenever you hear "I feel the EARTH- MOOOOOVE under my feet".  Well, if you are in any of the above mentioned situations, check out the new two-part release of the 1971 classic, Tapestry.  Part one of this new release is the original Tapestry and part two has wonderful live versions of each song from the classic album. 

If you weren't aware, Tapestry is chock full of hits: It's Too Late, Where You Lead, I Feel the Earth Move, You've Got a Friend, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman are all, believe it or not, from this album.  These songs take you through a wide spectrum of emotions.  Going from delight to regret to sorrow to loyalty, Carole King is generously intimate through her writing and performance. 

The live performances in this collection highlight the personal nature of Carole King's style.  King has topped herself, in a sense, with her collection of live material.  Tapestry is undoubtedly great, but the live versions are a bit more loosely arranged, a bit more emotive and a bit more fun.  They are stripped down to just piano and vocals, the core instruments of her songs.  Her resonant and strong voice sounds just as good on the live versions as it does on her album which attests to what a great vocalist she is.  You can also hear the audience at times which is fun.  The original album, with it's backup singers, drums, and guitar is a little more peppy and manicured.  Tapestry definitely sounds like it's from the seventies but the live version could easily fit in on the radio today.  The comparison shows how timeless King's songs really are (and the plentiful covers over the years show for this too).   

The only downside (if you could even call it that) to this re-release is that you wouldn't want to listen to both CD's consecutively because the live c.d. really does sound a lot like the original album.  Both CD's are great in their own right but will most likely be chosen according to mood.  The fact that we have been given this choice, however, is a great gift to all Carole King fans.  Revisiting Tapestry and then hearing live versions of these great songs was definitely a joyful experience for me.