Carole King

The product is more than I anticipated, Anne Murray, one of my favorites (I am in her age group) singing with many of my favorite more contemporary women. The seller was quick to mail and perfectly acceptable in all respects. Thanks, Amazon, for linking us up with outside sellers.

Oh, Anne, I just fall in love again... with your voice!! Dusty Springfield, Carole King--how great to hear all the lady troubadours on this CD. It's a beautiful collection of duets. Put it in your vehicle if you commute to work and you'll be singing by the time you get there! Really nice...

I'm a fan! I grew up with Anne Murray and absolutely love her voice. This cd of duets is a fun, fresh way to introduce her old songs. I prefer Anne's voice alone but this new twist is worth listening to...I enjoyed it! The duet with KD Lang is my favorite...their voices are so complimentary.

I anticipated a good rendition by all artistes after listening to samples, but it surpassed my expectations.
Anne is a wonderful singer and her duet with fellow Canadian Celine Dion live,is extraordinary. Not to metion Sarah Brightman (another favourite singer of mine). What a performance by all. Could you imagine if Anne got together with another favourite of mine(Nana Mouskouri)? That would be a great joy to me.

As a kid I always listen to my mum who always played Anne Murray's song over and over again. The reason I purchased this album is to have a memory to my mum. Almost all the tracks in the CD had been heard before but this album is different as Anne included a lot of others artist which gives a different kind of feeling. Anne wrote a great deal of all the artist she duets with in this album, and it is worth enough for buyer who love Anne's music.

Prior to the release of her breakthrough album "Tapestry" in 1971, Carole King had already made a huge contribution to the pop/rock scene by writing for other stars such as Aretha Franklin ("Feel Like a Natural Woman"); Little Eva ("The Locomotion"), and The Shirelles ("Will You Love Me Tomorrow"). Other tunes such "You've Got a Friend" were popularized by other singers - in this case, James Taylor - so that her name was more of a footnote than one belonging to a widely recognized singer. "Tapestry" changed all that. Featuring her own songs that were popularized by other musicians as well as some new ones, King allowed her gutsy, honest style full reign. The public responded by keeping the album on the charts for a full six years.

For those who lived through the 70s, it is astonishing to find the number of chart-topping tracks on this CD. Besides "You're Got a Friend," "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" and "Feel Like a Natural Woman," this CD contains "I Feel the Earth Move," "So Far Away," "It's Too Late," "Way Over Yonder," "Beautiful," "Smackwater Jack," and, of course, "Tapestry." Surprisingly, these songs have endured decades, unlike much of the pop music of the era. King's forthright expression of emotion transcends the 70s sound and context.

Women of a certain age and the guys who loved them should find memories embedded in every track, as this album was the unofficial dorm must-have from the mid-70s to the early 80s. Men looking for a romantic gift for women who grew up during that time (and have not replaced their vinyl records) could not make a better choice. -- Debbie Lee Wesselmann

This is one of the greatest albums of all time,hands down,sounds as good today as when it was released ions ago,a timeless classic!!! A must for any serious music collection!!! A true "Tapestry" of songs!!! Recommended! Two thumbs up!!! A+

As the search for vinyl turned from a romp to the local music store to a search in the antique mall. I realized it was time to switch to CD's. With limited space and no future for many old vinyl friends it was time to round them up and release them to the local used book store. I cried and could only hope they would find a home that would cherish them.

It did not take long before I realized I missed them. So now I spend my days waiting for them to be reincarnated. Some that return are so tinny in sound that I can not believe they were that way to begin with. Others are so mangled that the original pattern of tunes is lost for ever.

It may be the result of time but I found this album to be all I remember and then some. It is well worth the purchase.

"Tapestry" is the best representation of Carol King and her music. If you only buy one, this is it. And you will feel the earth move under your feet.

Having had the record album many years ago, I was happy to get the CD. It is a wonderful CD by a prolific and talented songwriter who just happens to be a most expressive singer. Who better to sing her songs.

Without a doubt, the best track on the CD is "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". Not only is the music terrific and the singing expressive, the lyrics to this song are pure poetry. "It's Too Late", "You've Got a Friend", and "Tapestry" are some of the other golden tracks on this CD.

There is not, however, one bad track on this CD, and there are not too many CDs about which one may say this. The CD liner also includes the lyrics to the songs on it. It is definitely a CD without which no music library should be.

I've really enjoyed listening to my old album Tapestry. It brings back fond memories. Elizabeth

This is a re-packaging gimmick beyond belief. At the price being asked, you would think Carol would throw in some new material. Shame, shame Carol!

I received my item in good time and in good shape. But the two CD set turned out to be the same CD twice. I was very disappointed.

At the time of this album's 1971 release, Carole King had long since proven herself one of America's greatest pop songwriters, but she had yet to be fully recognized as a performer. It wasn't for a lack of trying. Early in her career she'd released a few singles from her perch at the legendary Brill Building, including the minor hit "It Might As Well Rain Until September." She'd also produced a smattering of titles for the Dimension and Tomorrow labels in the mid-60s, an album with the group The City in 1969, and her solo debut, Writer, in 1970. The latter held many charms, but found King singing her way past rock `n' roll backings or fitting herself into country rock. Writer's variety is broader than the piano-centered productions of Tapestry, but neither the upbeat numbers nor the placid ballads of King's debut proved the expressive jazz-tinged singer-songwriter vehicles of this sophomore breakthrough.

Presciently, Writer's closing cover of "Up on the Roof" did point the way to Tapestry, taking what had been a signature 1962 performance by The Drifters and rearranging its Latin beat and swirling strings into an introspective piano ballad. It's the same magic King performed in transforming the searching adolescence of the Shirelles' "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" into the thoughtful worry-wonder of a woman on the brink of thirty. The feats are all the more impressive for the lyrics having been written when King was barely twenty-years-old herself, writing for commercial acceptance on AM radio rather than pure self expression. Here, as throughout Tapestry, King's piano is the instrumental focus, allowing her to emote through her voice and fingers in parallel.

The funky opener, "I Feel the Earth Move," finds King's vocals equally at home up-tempo. Her emancipated expression is breathtaking, and a bluesy piano solo enhances the euphoric freedom. Such openly emotional writing would be cloying in less talented hands, but King was not only an expert wordsmith, but a definitive interpreter of her own material. Her gospel-tinged version of "You've Got a Friend" is heavier than James Taylor's contemporaneous single, amplifying both the pain and relief of the song's lyrics, and the closing take of "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" is stripped of Aretha Franklin's arrangement and supported instead by King's piano playing and an overdubbed backing vocal. The spare instrumentation brings this closer to a songwriter's demo, but King's performance finds a dedication to the lyrics that reclaims her stake in the song.

In addition to re-imagined versions of earlier songs, King composed intimate new works of relationships being strained ("So Far Way") and broken ("It's Too Late"), loneliness ("Home Again"), salvation ("Way Over Yonder") and faithfulness ("Where You Lead"). It's only with "Smackwater Jack" and the album's title track that King took to more fictional abandon. The sum total of Tapestry swept the 1971 Grammys, netting King awards for Album of the and Pop Vocal Performance, as well as Record of the Year ( "It's Too Late") and Song of the Year ("You've Got a Friend"). The album launched "It's Too Late" to the top of the charts, and followed with "So Far Away" as a top twenty. Both singles' B-sides, "I Feel the Earth Move" and "Smackwater Jack," got their share of airplay, with the album peaking at #1 at the start of a six-year stay on the charts.

Legacy's two-CD reissue features the original album on disc one, and a second disc of live takes recorded at various locations in 1973 and 1976. The eleven tracks of disc two repeat the Tapestry song list, save "Where You Lead," whose lyrics King had deemed servile, and left off her set list. Over the years, this material was performed in a variety of musical settings, but Legacy has selected arrangements featuring only voice and piano. There's not much distance between Lou Adler's lean arrangements for the original album and these solo takes, but removing the intermediation of studio recording pushes King even closer to her songs. She adds an occasional inflection to her melodies, but what really sets these performances apart is the communication with her audience. The songs are transformed from interior expressions of a songwriter to vehicles for sharing emotions and responses.

King really digs into her songs on stage, bringing the sleeper "Beautiful" fully to life and adding extra passion to "Way Over Yonder." As on the original album her "covers" of songs made into hits by others reveal new emotional layers. "You've Got a Friend" spurs King to vocal exclamation, and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" is sung with a declarative force that's in startling contrast to its intimate lyric. Even more so than on the studio versions you get a hear King's singing and playing as natural expressions. Running the live tracks in the same order as the album suggests just how carefully the album was sequenced; but what isn't shown here is how these songs fit into King's larger live set. It's also interesting to note that none of these tracks were selected from tours that promoted Tapestry itself; they're all from subsequent album tours.

Those who purchased earlier versions of Tapestry will enjoy the new light shed by the live tracks; they can be purchased individually from on-line download services. Those picking up their first Tapestry CD may also want to reach back to the 1999 reissue for the bonus track "Out in the Cold," likewise available as a download. This latter track is reputed to be a Tapestry outtake, though its provenance remains disputed. Legacy's deluxe gatefold digipack includes new liner notes by Harvey Kubernick, period photos from the recording sessions, and song-by-song lyrics and instrumental credits. This is a superb reintroduction of one of the 1970s most endearing and enduring albums. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]

Seller accurately described the condition of the product and was quick in sending the item.

This is a great CD for those who loved Carole King's Tapestry LP and her work within the decade.

Great sound, and a great collection.

Carole King is one of the most talented artists out there. For me, there isn't a single song that I don't absolutely love. I can listen to this CD endlessly. It is the best of our times!

Everything Carole does is amazing! It never seems to get old!

This is my very first Carole King CD and I absoloutely love it. What a unique voice and incredible songs. If you "think" you might like Carole King, then I highly suggest you get this. If you know you do, then you perhaps already have this one. It's pure joy.

As stated in the other reviews, there are some songs that are not on this CD which were worth including, but I have been very pleased with the selections on this CD. My entire office has enjoyed listening to this and have had no complaints. Excellent samples of Carole's work.

This CD had been on my wish list for a very long time. Watching the film, I thought it sounded gorgeous & made a note to find it. Time and recordings for which they can secure rights to put on a soundtrack CD limit producers; so while not all of the music from this film may be on this disc, it is a lovely score. Rachel Portman won the Oscar for Best Original Score for "Emma" and received nominations for scores from "The Cider House Rules" and "Chocolat." The instrumental score on cuts like "You Waited" lifts up the mood in the film and stands on its own as a musical piece followed by the closer "I Waited" that conveys peace, fulfillment and transcendent joy. My favorite track is "The Lakehouse" that opens with such a curious tentative beginning as if the curtain is being drawn back on the story, revealing the glass house on the lake. This piece is breathtakingly lovely. Paul McCartney's track "This Never Happened Before" that appeared on his CD Chaos and Creation in the Backyard is an excellent opener. Nick Drake's "Time Has Told Me" brings this quiet songwriter to the disc. Carole King's "It's Too Late" from her classic "Tapestry" CD sounds great in this remastered version. The music on this soundtrack is what moved me in the film, well worth seeking out for those who love lush and melodic music. Enjoy!

This movie shows how strong love can be It can win against all odds
Sandra and Keanu make a very good convincing couple

I don't know if anyone else noticed in the soundtrack...but there was a piano piece (excluded from the soundtrack and NOT written by Rachel Portman whom everyone seems to be so impressed with...to each his/her own) I unfortunately cannot place the exact scene it was cued. I want to say the artist/s was Cinematic Orchestra or Medeski Martin Wood. Heck, I think I even have the CD but my collection is in storage (go figure). I know that I've not given any detail but if you just take a listen I believe you'll understand why I'm searching for that particular piece. It's unbelievably moving...melancholy, and possibly sad to some. I rate the soundtrack one star because ALL the music should have been included. I'm certain there are reasons for their exclusion but I find it such an aural tease! If there is anyone out there with a keen ear for the obscure...please contact me and perhaps we solve the mystery and relieve my clouded mind.

What a great movie without blood, gore and a lot of swearing going on. My Father actually recommended that I see it. Excellent romantic movie. Loved Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves performance's in this. They have some terrific chemistry too. I recommend buying this for a really enjoyable romantic movie with a good twist to it. I could watch this over and over again.

I'm really enjoying this CD. It does indeed reflect the ambience of the movie, with some great songs. Would prefer if it had a few more vocalised tracks, however, the ones that are there are great, especially Carole King's It's Too Late. The songs without lyrics are also really nice.

This is a really great cd. I had the record when I was a kid, and wore it out I listened to it so much. Now my daughter is loving the cd. I was so happy to find it! Even though it's over 20 years old, the songs are still really fun and sweet, and don't sound dated at all. A really fun cd for little girls, especially.

My sister, when she was a little girl, loved this album, and I was surprised how much of it is buried in my mind after 30 years. I bought this for my little girls, and they like it well enough. I just wish they could watch the DVD, and then I think they'd really enjoy it.

This CD brings back good memories of my own childhood. My children love the little books and now love the CD. It is impossible to find in stores and we love giving it as a gift to friends that hear it at our house and in our car. Year after year my kids have been exposed to one poem or another in school. The kids love that the songs rhyme and are easy to sing along to. The lesson learned in Pierre is one that they have really responded to well. I just cannot say enough great things about the CD (or Carole King's voice!). If you can actually order this CD you will be purchasing a treasure!

I remembered loving this album as a child, and was delighted when my daughter received this for her birthday this year. I just listened to it for the first time in probably over 25 years and was amazed at how good the songs were. The lyrics, of course, are fabulous, and the music is catchy, but not at all annoying like some children's music can be. Both of my kids (age 4 and 2) were dancing around the room on the first listen and asked me to play it again when it was over. I have a feeling it will be in heavy rotation for a while by their request. It's a shame that it's only available as an import, but I think even at the cost of the import this is WELL worth it! You won't go wrong with this CD.

this cd has all of the songs that I remember from when I was a kid. I can't wait to share this with generations to come.

Is this the best of her work? It's all fabulous, let me tell you, but I have hope that the best is still yet to come. This CD proves she's still out there and she's still working.

I listen to this music and think how many moments has her music been with us even subconsciously? "Pleasant Valley Sunday" reminds me so much of a neighborhood I once lived in with the garage band down the street and the lawn-of-the-month wars between the neighbors on either side of me.

Oh yeah, and I heard "I'm into something good" the first time I saw my first crush. And "Natural Woman" was my favorite song for years...just how many artists have covered this song?

This is the music a lot of us grew up with. I believe it will be around for a long time, but honestly, nobody does it like Carole King.

This is a spectacular "Living Room" show from Carole King. One of the finest singer-songwriters of our time. It goes without saying that this is a concert I would really have loved to see.

I guess my point here is really a question? Why didn't they film this? If they did.........please release it on DVD.

Someone is going to accuse me of writing this because I disagree with Carole King's politics. I do, but music and politics should have nothing to do with each other. See my review of "Tapestry".

A story is told that may be apocryphal, since it has been told about more than one lady...someone goes up to an aging Opera Diva and says "Madame ****, it must be terrible for such a great singer to realize you've lost your voice". The wise lady replies "Oh, no...what would be terrible would be if I DIDN'T realize it".

Listining to this album made me think of watching Willie Mays play for the Mets in 1973, or of the last few times Arnold Palmer played The Masters. Oh, the songs are as great as ever, and Carole's ability to connect with an audience remains fabulous. And, disc two does sound better than disc one. Still................

If you're a BIG FAN [like me] who just has to have all of Carole King's records, get this. It does have some wonderful moments. But if you only want one, or if you're just discovering the voice of my generation, get "Tapestry". THAT album will remain perfect forever.

ok i'm a boomer and own tapestry. this is a version of carole king that has aged along with us boomer fans and it's great. fun, relaxed, beautiful. she has got to be the greatest songwriter of my lifetime, and to my tastes, an equally good singer and performer. love it.

Listening to Carole's latest recording release is just so warming to the heart and soul. She brings you back to such fine memories of our childhood to adulthood compositions. Her voice is still outstanding, the only disappointment was not being in the living room with her to see this wonderful artist track through her career. Buy it.... you will not be sorry!

Goffin and king had in the sixties a lot of hits in the charts.
If you like '60 pop classic, it's strongly recommended for you.

Music lovers around in the great musical sixties enjoyed countless chart-topping hits by legendary songwriting duo CAROLE KING & GERRY GOFFIN married during their early hit making years which is the incredibly prolific period this wondrous collection is drawn from. Starting with a mesmerizing "He's In Town" by THE TOKENS, this mini-masterpiece features a sophisicated and fascinating arrangement complete with great sax & guitar solos swirling around hypnotic vocals...each song in this stunning ACE IMPORT come from a diverse collection of stellar artist's ranging from ARETHA FRANKLIN to THE EVERLY BROTHERS then all the way back to the "White Queen Of Soul" DUSTY SPRINGFIELD who CAROLE herself named as her all-time favorite interperter of her songs! "Wasn't Born To Follow" is an engrossing DUSTY SPRINGFIELD performance and this great legendary singer should have had many more chart-topping #1 hits and Grammy Awards than she had and this haunting classic is a clear example of another lost "hit" song opportunity. Passionate & riveting winners like "Halfway To Paradise" by a soulful sounding TONY ORLANDO still sound great after all of these years and the stunning rhythmic sizzler "I Can't Hear You" by overlooked Soul Icon BETTY EVERETT along with her other classic "near top 10 hits" ("You're No Good" & "It's In His Kiss") should have all gone to #1! "Yours Until Tomorrow" by DEE DEE WARWICK show that anyone from this generation after generation legendary singing family has a great voice and this winner would easily have been TOP TWENTY with any exposure at all yet was only a R&B chart hit...great songs from this era sunk when only going to the R&B charts and the sublime "ATLANTIC SISTERS OF SOUL" is a goldmine collection of lost classic stellar performances and to date this timeless & superb collection is the finest "DIVA FEST" available and a must have for lovers of great soul singers and these great ladies really do get down!!! ERIC & THE ANIMALS burn the house down & "Don't Bring Me Down" is a rocking & soulful classic while THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS "A Man Without A Dream" is another glorious example why this classic duo went on to have an amazing career spanning decades. While all mesmerizing songs in this tremendous collection from greats such as BOBBY RYDELL, JACKIE DESHANNON, BOBBY VEE & others have that classic sixties hit sound, another engrossing collection would be to have a "TOP TEN COLLECTION" of those numerous classics from this amazing songwriting duo who both continue to this day writing volumes of great songs making them trailblazing giants who long ago went to legendary status both individually and collectively! Like all great ACE IMPORT COLLECTION'S, the "GOFFIN & KING" collection is rich in sound and the generous liner notes make for informative & fascinating reading! Bravo to CAROLE KING & GERRY GOFFIN for making music an enjoyable, memorable and wondrous listening experience throughout the great musical sixties and then beyond...definitely the greatest songwriter/composers from the past few generations and again...beyond

This Ace of London release falls within the same series honouring renowned song writers/produces (see also Bert Berns and Jerry Ragovoy as examples) and, like those two volumes, mixes the contents with bona-fide hit singles and either failed singles, those which registered only on the Billboard Pop Hot 100 "Bubbling Under" charts, or which are considered among classic album cuts. The fact is, they could just as easily have concentrated only on their hit singles as a song-writing team (Carole King, born Carol Klein on February 9, 1942 in Brooklyn, did the melodies, while Gerry Goffin, born February 11, 1939, also in Brooklyn, did the lyrics), and come up with enough to fill out two volumes, especially if they included collaborations with others such as Barry Mann and Phil Spector, as well as songs composed individually or with others after their marriage broke up in 1968.

As a team, however, they wrote and composed mainly songs which centred around themes of teenage love, rejection, and jealousy and, in that regard, there were none better..Indeed, they were so good at what they did for the Aldon Publishing component of Don Kirshner's famous Brill Building (which they had joined as newlyweds in 1960) that he established Dimension as a separate record label almost exclusively for their songs, at which point they also moved into production and arranging.

Of the 26 tracks included here, a full 18 were not hit singles (tracks 4 to 12, 16 to 20 and 23). Four of these were, however, the uncharted flipsides of hits: Yours Until Tomorrow, which was the B-side to Dee Dee Warwick's I'm Gonna Make You Love Me (# 13 R&B/# 88 Hot 100 in December 1961/January 1962 on Mercury); the Drifters' Another Night With The Boys backed their mega-hit, Up On The Roof (# 4 R&B/# 5 Hot 100 in late 1962/early 1963 on Atlantic) - which they also wrote but for whatever reason was excluded from this album; I Was There by Lenny Welch which was released on the reverse of Two Different Worlds (# 66 Hot 100 in September 1965 on Kapp); and A Man Without A Dream by The Righteous Brothers b/o On This Side Of Goodbye (# 47 Hot 100 in November 1966 on Verve).

Nor do they include what turned out to be their first major hit, Will You Love Me Tomorrow? After initially being released on Scepter as simply Tomorrow, the subsequent pressings with the title change rose to # 1 Hot 100/# 2 R&B in late 1960/early 1961. Later it would be covered by such divergent artists as The 4 Seasons,. Roberta Flack, Melanie, Donnie Elbert, Dana Valery, and Dave Mason. In fact, hardly any of their earliest hits are provided here and one that is. Tony Orlando's Halfway To Paradise, is the LP version as opposed to the Epic single which reached # 39 Hot 100 in May 1961.

It then jumps to 1964 to include these hits from that memorable year which kicked off the British Invasion: I Can't Hear You by Betty Everett (# 66 Hot 100 in July on Vee-Jay); He's In Town by The Tokens (# 43 Hot 100 in August on B.T. Puppy); Let Me Get Close To You by Skeeter Davis (# 45 Country and # 106 Hot 100 :Bubble Under" in October on RCA Victor); and I Just Can't Say Goodbye by Bobby Rydell (# 94 Hot 100 in December on Capitol). Skipping over 1965, they then include, from 1966, Ben E. King's So Much Love (# 96 Hot 100 in May on Atco) and Don't Bring Me Down by The Animals (# 12 Hot 100 in June on MGM). The last hit included here is the now-classic (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman by the great Aretha Franklin (# 2 R&B/# 6 Hot 100 in November 1967 on Atlantic).

Of course, since this isn't presented as a collection of their "greatest hits" I can't be my usual critical self in that regard. It is, in fact, a superb compilation of their various styles from 1961 to 1967, replete with informative liner notes as only Ace can do them, and excellent sound quality.

However, in the event you are not all that familiar with the Goffin-King library, here are just some of the other hits they wrote as a team: Some Kind Of Wonderful and When My Little Girl Is Smiling - The Drifters; Pleasant Valley Sunday and The Porpoise Song - The Monkees; Chains and Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby) - The Cookies; I'm Into Something Good - Herman's Hermits and Ethel "Earl-Jean" McRae, lead for The Cookies; Goin' Back - The Byrds; Don't Forget About Me - Dusty Springfield; Every Breath I Take - Gene Pitney; Take Good Care Of My Baby - Bobby Vee; One Fine Day - The Chiffons; The Loco-Motion - Little Eva (discovered by the duo as she was babysitting their daughter Louise); Point Of No Return - Gene McDaniels; Go Away Little Girl - Steve Lawrence; Hey Girl - Freddie Scott; I Can't Hear You - Betty Everett, and later covered by Helen Reddy as I Can't Hear You No More; Oh No, Not My Baby - Maxine Brown; Hi-De-Ho (That Old Sweet Roll) - Blood, Sweat And Tears; and Smackwater Jack - Carole King (she would also have 17 other hits as a solo artist).

Small wonder they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990.

I was completely disappointed with this CD. I listened to it all the way through one time and did not want to hear one song over again. I loved Carole King's albums of the '70s. I liked her earlier hit songs I heard on the radio throughout the '60s, and that's what I expected from this album, but it's not what I got.

ACE have done a superb job in sourcing the original tracks for this reverential compilation, going more for the lesser-known and harder-to-find than the already available smash hits. This CD is clearly aimed at the converted; all others will prefer the instantaneous thrills of Goffin and King's stratospheric successes (of which there'd be more than a CD's worth and with few exceptions are readily available elsewhere).

A 24-page booklet, packed with photos of artists, old vinyl 45s, record sleeves and lots of background information, accompanies the CD. The booklet is well-written, meticulously detailed and attractively organized. In outlining Goffin and King's 1960s song-writing successes, the booklet treads a path familiar to their fans, but also fills in enough gaps along the way to make the booklet possibly the most informative overview of Goffin and Kings 1960s output. In addition to song-writing credits, Goffin and King were often involved with other aspects of many of these tracks, with, for example, Goffin producing and King on backing vocals.

Succinct commentaries accompany each track. A very recent interview by Al Kooper of Gerry Goffin supplements the track-by-track commentary, suggesting that Goffin knew of the track selection. His quotes, although helpful, occasionally have a gossipy quality such as his identifying by sexual orientation one of the male session singers and his disclosure about his own and others' extramarital affairs. I suppose the latter helps us better understand the more adult themes that emerged in Goffin and King's later songs. By contrast, the most recent quotes by Carole King are sourced from 1980s radio broadcasts. Was she also approached to provide her own commentary?

Parallel to the track commentary is a jam-packed listing of the Goffin-King songs that made the American and British charts, plus the ones that never charted at all. If it cracked Billboard's Top 100, it'll be listed here. I have long thought that it would be wonderful to have a complete listing of every song Goffin and King ever published. Does such a list exist?

A compilation that favours rarities and lesser hits over the bigger sellers may risk mistaking hard-to-find for worth finding. The verdict: The overwhelming majority of 26 tracks are gems, with just one I could take or leave (Bobby Vee's The Idol; it's not hard to guess why this tired, cliche-ridden lament about the price of fame was not released until decades after it was first recorded). Here, in no set order, are some of those gems:

"HALFWAY TO PARADISE"
This remains Goffin and King's grandest-sounding song of all, from its inspired imagery (i.e., paradise just out of reach), through to the theme of a teasing would-lover intent on remaining unavailable, this song is a gift to the Drama Queen lurking in most singers, wanna-be and professional alike. With lyrics carried by a perfectly simple yet sad melody, the song relentlessly builds and builds to an ear-tingling crescendo. The song reminds us about the expressive forces unleashed when love is thwarted by the love object herself. Even without orchestral backing, this song packs a punch. It is all the more powerful sounding when the full orchestral treatment swarms in as the so-near-but-so-far yearning momentum builds to a climax. Surprisingly, never a big hit in the States, it has effortlessly attracted numerous versions over the decades, of which Tony Orlando's is the first.

"ANOTHER NIGHT WITH THE BOYS"
Some years ago I heard that this song was first composed by Goffin and King with the Everly Brothers in mind. This seemed unimaginable, given that the best known version was by the Drifters - until, that is, I heard Carole King's demo tape where the vocals ached with those inimitably sweet Everly Brothers-inspired harmonies. This is not to detract from the Drifters' more subdued and soulful reading, but it underscores how a truly great song as this can be interpreted with conviction in more than one way. Goffin tells us this was never a big hit for the Drifters. True; but I suppose it never stood a chance, backed as it was by the exquisite Goffin-King gem, Up On The Roof.

"I DIDN'T HAVE ANY SUMMER ROMANCE"
This sweetly sad little song has a long history of being over-looked: Firstly, as the B side to the flop follow up to Carole's 1962 hit, It Might As Well Rain Until September and a few years later this more polished version by the Satisfactions - a version which has remained unissued for more than forty years until now. Both versions are worth seeking out. The Satisfaction's has an undeniably lusher sound than Carole's whose own version nicely hints at the pared-back simplicity of her best work of the 70s.

"I'LL LOVE YOU FOR A WHILE"
Echoing the sentiments of Gale Garnett's earlier smash "We'll Sing In the Sunshine", the lyrics unapologetically declaim that the love on offer will be "for a while and then I'll be on my way". A most unusual theme for either a man or a woman to so explicitly announce to a lover, this Goffin-King number does not sink under the melancholic weight that eerily threatened to torpedo "We'll Sing in the Sunshine". The beat is cleverly supple and insistent with the singer delivering this seemingly callous message with an air of immovable detachment. Perhaps because of the lanquid defiance of the message, it sounds more disturbing delivered by a woman. One asks, What elicited the message in the first place? A too clingy lover or one who took too much for granted? What is the lover to do when she or he hears the all-too-clear message? Jill Jackson convincingly and boldly tackles this song, but for the heart-stoppingly best version seek out Dusty Springfield's.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU"
Betty Everett's reading of this Goffin/King classic grows in stature yearly. Never a big hit for anyone, it has justly remained a frequently covered song. Long after many Number One songs fade, this lesser chart hit will still be around. Everett's scintillating delivery has not quite been stolen by Dusty Springfield's own stunning version, but some days they are neck and neck, as when the two versions are played one after the other. Wow!

"YOURS UNTIL TOMORROW"
Regardless of quality, almost every compilation disc has at least one track that easily rises above the pack. When a compilation has as many gems as this one does, it becomes harder to pick the very, very, very best one. While it might otherwise be a futile endeavour, not so with this great compilation. One gem stands out, lyrically, musically and vocally: Dee Dee Warwick's "Yours Until Tomorrow". Dee Dee's yearning reading wipes from memory Gene Pitney's stridently anguished version (a Top 40 UK hit for him in 1968). Never has getting the last few drops out of a dead relationship sounded less like an act of desperation and more like an act of in-the-moment self-sacrifice.

While Goffin and King fans will instantly savour this compilation, others may take longer to warm to it; but they'll be rewarded by the wait. A simply stunning collection.

When you get tired of listening to "Tapestry" you can switch to this album for a while. Great nostalgic experience, and I can't get "Up on the Roof" out of my head.

Jane Chihal

I really love this album. I don't own this album, but I borrowed it from the library. I listened to it, before downloading onto my computer, when I did. I really love the way she hit's the piano key's on "Wasn't Born To Follow." "At This Time In My Life," just put's a picture in your head. Disc one inculdes "Tapestry," a classic album , but ties in some earlier song's , too. Oh, did I mention the lovely tune and lyric's Carole King tied into "Child Of Mine," and "Up On The Roof." By the way, nothing's wrong with you if you like Carole King, or if you hate her. Everyone has they're own thought, and your's count's. "Enjoy!"

Completely forgetting about her early Dimension singles(some of which, like "It Might as Well Rain" and "Nobody's Perfect", are gems)and choosing iffy album tracks over songs I've loved for years(like one of my favorites, "You Go Your Way, I'll Go Mine", arguably one of King's best songs), this 2-disc set still offers great moments and the entire "Tapestry" album(although the recent "Tapestry" remastering includes a bonus leftover not included here!). Two songs by King's unheralded pre-"Tapestry" band The City were enough to hook me("Wasn't Born to Follow" is gorgeously earnest)and a live track with James Taylor is a lotta fun. B+

After reading several negative reviews I was left with no choice but to write my own. I just purchased this set and I already knew it would be "GREAT"! Back in the early 70s when Carol King was pening & singing these songs Modern Rock music was not something that I listened to as I was and still am a true Country and Bluegrass music fan. Western Swing with the likes of the Great Bob Wills and Hank Thompson was the stuff I was into.Many of my friends at that time (30+ years ago)were dope smoking Hippies listening to that Hard Hard Rock Music of the day!During this timeI was wearing Motorcycle Boots with Ducktail short hair as I still am today at 50. The music of that time turned my stomach. I can still remember many folks going to them dope smoking rock concerts and my friends and me were buying tickets to go to the EastWind in Baltimore County to see Earnest Tubb and his Honky Tonk Band from TEXAS. To say the least I was a real hard sell for Hard Rock. A friend of a friend of mine was playing a record one day that I heard while I was back here in the States on leave from the Merchant Marines, it was Carol King's Tapastry. When I heard this music I thought to myself - Boy, this is some really good music ! After that first encounter I was sold and today over 30 years later I still know that Carol King is the Best Female Artist of our time. I have a huge Country Music collection of LPs,cassets and CDs with not much of any 1970s music except for Ms King .I have collected about eight of the Tapastry Album (I want to be able to pass down an original edition of this LP to each of my children and grandchildren as I have already given my oldest daughter who is 26 her copy) All my copys are in mint condition. I have more of Carol King then any other artist, even Johnny Cash ! So don't tell me nothing negative about this 2 CDset as I KNOW this is a real monument in music history ! "ENJOY"

NATURAL WOMAN:The Ode Collection 1968-1976, is all you really need from this gifted songeriter and talented singer. All of her classic songs are in this fantastic 2CD box set, including her greatest masterpiece "Tapestry" in its entirety. This collection is really fantastic and it also includes her two top ten singles "Jazzman" which I think is one of the best songs that she ever wrote,(excellent saxsophone solo) and "Corazon" which she actually sings in Spanish. There are only two songs that I can think of that should of been included in this collection but sadly were omitted and those are "Hold On" from her LP "Simple Things" this is a beautiful track that she wrote as well and I especially love the soft mellow acoustic guitar that she herself plays on this song. The other is one called "Morning Sun" which she wrote and recorded for the closing credits of the movie "Wanda Nevada" starring Peter Fonda and Brooke Shields from 1979. Overall this is a the best Greatest Hits collection ever assembled on this unique artist who is highly regarded as the most successful and influential female songwriter of her generation. The songs of Carole King are as timeless like the woman who wrote and recorded them.