"Tapestry" by CAROLE KING (June 2008 Epic/Legacy 2CD 'Legacy Edition' Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"Tapestry" album from February 1971

"…Of Rich And Royal Hue…"

I can vividly remember a girlfriend I had in the early Seventies in her faded jeans, cheesecloth smock and fabulous crimped long hair. She was far too pretty for me to be with - looking like one of those dream babes in Cameron Crowe's Seventies homage movie "Almost Famous" - the ones that inspire songs and poetry and a serious amount of effort in the 'trying-to-impress-with-how-witty-I-am' department. But I also remember her baggage as she walked towards me that sunny summer afternoon - clutching not a satchel full of hairbrushes and makeup - nor a copy of Tolkien's "Lord Of The Rings" (how odd) - but her used vinyl copy of Carole King's "Tapestry" album on A&M/Ode Records. She was clutching it tightly under her right arm so that it didn't fall from her grasp onto the unforgiving Dublin pavement below - protecting the LP like it was girly life itself. And smiling as she got closer - I kind of knew that its presence under her arm had a purpose - this nice but slightly dim guitar-mad Irish boy would need to be educated on something other than Deep Purple and Black Sabbath...

15 weeks at Number 1 when it was released in 1971, Rolling Stone's coveted album of the year award, four Grammy nominations, selected by the American Library of Congress for placing in The National Recording Registry and 20 gazillion sales ever since. And that's not to mention in the 11's an entire Broadway Musical based around it that regularly brings audiences to their feet with tears streaming down their cheeks (the Tony winning show "Beautiful") - it doesn't get much more iconic than Carole King's mighty "Tapestry" album. And I'm thrilled to say that this 2008 2CD "Legacy Edition" does that singer-songwriter milestone an audio solid. Here are the bare feet and the cat in the windowsill details...

Released June 2008 - "Tapestry" by CAROLE KING on Ode/Epic/Legacy 88697 11455 2 (Barcode 886971145526) is a 2CD 'Legacy Edition' Reissue and Remaster that breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (44:37 minutes):

1. I Feel The Earth Move [Side 1]

2. So far Away

3. It's Too Late

4. Home Again

5. Beautiful

6. Way Over Yonder [Side 2]

7. You've Got A Friend

8. Where You Lead

9. Will You Love Me Tomorrow?

10. Smackwater Jack

11. Tapestry

12. (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "Tapestry" - released February 1971 in the USA on Ode/A&M Records SP-77009 and in the UK on Ode/A&M Records AMLS 2025

Disc 2 (38:19 minutes):

1. I Feel The Earth Move

2. So Far Away

3. It's Too Late

4. Home Again

5. Beautiful

6. Way Over Yonder

7. You've Got A Friend

8. Will You Love Me Tomorrow?

9. Smackwater jack

10. Tapestry

11. (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

Tracks 1 to 11 are all PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED live versions featuring Carole just on a piano - they were recorded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1973, Columbia Maryland, Central Park in New York and in the San Francisco Opera House in 1976 (no dates nor other details given).

In a rather nigglesome but understandable move - the Side 1 and Side 2 LP labels repro'd under the see-through plastic CD trays on either side of the digipak are for Epic PE 34946 - the 1977 Epic/Ode Records reissue version (when Columbia took over its distribution). They should be for the 1971 Ode/A&M SP-77009 original. The 22-page colour booklet is pretty, reproducing the text and lyrics to every song in the same typography as the album artwork. There's a repro of "The Hollywood Reporter" from 15 March 1972 when she swept the Grammy boards (along with a snap of her clutching the same), period photos of Carole with Engineer HANK CICALO and Producer LOU ADLER, backing musicians JONI MITCHELL and JAMES TAYLOR - as well as her band - DANNY "Kootch" KOTCHMAR (Guitars), RUSS KUNKEL (Drums), CHARLES LARKEY (Bass) and RALPH SCHUKETT (Keyboards). There's short but informative liner notes on the album and its legacy by HARVEY KUBERNIK - a well known contributor to Rolling Stone and author of two books on Rock Music.

But the big news is a new BOB IRWIN and VIC ANESINI remaster which to my ears has given the notoriously low-fi album a beautiful fulsome polish - her voice and the instruments are lovely - warm and clear. Not to be outdone - my heart sank when I saw that Disc 2 was filled with 'live' versions - but as they're just her and a piano - they're beautifully intimate ("Way Over Yonder" in particular is gorgeous and features a storming vocal). Her voice cracks on a few and she hits a few bum notes here and there (probably why they've been in the can up until now) but most are well worthy of inclusion.

Even as the opening keys of "I Feel The Earth Moves" hit you - you're tingling. Once into "So Far Away" and "It's Too Late" - resistance is pretty much futile. James Taylor's acoustic guitar on the gorgeous "Home Again" is so subtle yet underlies the whole song as it aches its way into your heart. And those Sixties classics done by someone else now get their owner's touch - "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" and the sublime "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". And the title track never ceases to move me (lyrics above).

Uplifting, life affirming, nourishment for the soul - its all on "Tapestry". And now that touchstone in all our lives is better....

"How Come The Sun (1971) + Tom Paxton EP (1967)" by TOM PAXTON (November 2018 Beat Goes On 'Expanded' CD Reissue - Andrew Thompson Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"How Come The Sun" LP from July 1971

"...Little Lost Child..."

Having punched out no less than seven albums (a debut in 1962 Gaslight Records and six on Elektra) - "How Come The Sun" was the US Folkie's first set of studio recordings for his new signing Reprise Records - capitalising on the popular double-album "The Compleat Tom Paxton: Recorded Live" issued in March of 1971 that preceded it.

Strangely for such a high profile singer-songwriter - July 1971's "How Come The Sun" is only now seeing the CD light of day (47 years after the event) and this time by England's Beat Goes On (BGO) who have chucked the 4-track EP "Tom Paxton" [aka "The Marvellous Toy EP"] from 1967 on Elektra Records onto the end as a Bonus Item (a UK-only release at the time). This forgotten LP has been a firm fan want for decades and while I don't think it's the lost masterpiece some say it is - there's much to love here and BGO have once again done its subject matter the reissue the business. Let's get to radiant details...

UK released 23 November 2018 (30 November 2018 in the USA) - "How Come The Sun + Tom Paxton EP" by TOM PAXTON on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1364 (Barcode 5017261213648) offers the 9-Track 1971 LP and a Bonus 4-Track 1967 EP (issued only in the UK) that plays out as follows (44:07 minutes):

1. I Had To Shoot That Rabbit [Side 1]

2. Icarus

3. Little Lost Child

4. General Custer

5. She's Far Away

6. Prayin' For Snow [Side 2]

7. Louise

8. A Sailor's Life

9. How Come The Sun

Tracks 1 to 9 are his 8th studio album "How Come The Sun" - released July 1971 in the USA on Reprise RS 6443 and July 1971 in the UK on Reprise K 44129. Produced by TOM PAXTON and DAVID HOROWITZ - Tracks 2, 8 and 9 are co-writes between Paxton and Horowitz (all others are TP originals) and the album peaked on the US LP chart in August 1971 at No. 120 (didn't chart UK).

10. The Marvellous Toy [Side 1]

11. Beau John

12. Deep Fork River [Side 2]

13. My Dog's Better Than Your Dog

Tracks 10 to 13 are the UK-only 4-Track 7" single EP "Tom Paxton" [aka "The Marvellous Toy" EP] released 1967 on Elektra Records EPK-802

The outer card slipcase always lends these BGO reissues a classy look and the new 16-page JOHN O'REGAN liner notes illuminate much of Paxton's hugely productive career to his 80th birthday in 2017 (a total of 63 albums) - but its the ANDREW THOMPSON Remasters that will be the big draw here. The LP had a cast of six or seven musicians so it feels like a Folk-Rock record more than just a straight-up Acoustic picker - this Remaster picking out the lovely playing and better melodies like the gorgeous "She's Far Away" that ends Side 1 or the aching-melodica lament that is "A Sailor's Life" over on Side 2. The EP is stark (I'd swear its Mono) - straight up Acoustic renditions and although I can understand that its on here as a UK-only release - its sound and (childish) themes seem a world away from the 1971 album. Still it all sounds great. Other LP highlights are "Little Lost Child" and the Fred Neil timbre of "Deep Folk River" on Side 2 of the EP.

After a mid July 1971 release, by the very end of that month the "How Come The Sun" LP was bubbling under at No. 213 on the US Billboard Album charts. Come 14 August 1971 his LP had pushed up to No. 120, stayed there another week and then sank out of the listings rather quickly. Paxton would go on to "Peace Will Come" in 1972 and "New Songs For Old Friends" in 1973 - completing his Reprise run of studio albums - two more rarities that remain firmly off the digital radar some four and a half decades after release. 

For sure Tom Paxton's voice was never the strongest and admittedly some of the 1971 material may be dated in 2019 - but having waited so many decades, fans will adore this reissue (especially the quality presentation) and the curious will learn why he's held in such esteem...