"Tapestry" album from February 1971
"…Of Rich And Royal Hue…"
"…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....
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