Originally posted in The Playlist of Life , October 3 2011
Tapestry --- Carole King --- 1971 (Ode)
One of the mega-albums of the early seventies, a huge hit and a massive success for singer/songwriter Carole King,
Tapestry was in fact her debut album, which makes it all the more remarkable that there were
five hit singles from it, four of which reached number one! Since its release, to date,
Tapestry has sold over 25 million copies. Not bad for a first effort!
Carole King had of course written songs for other artists, and many had hits with her songs, like Aretha Franklin, who made “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” something of a signature tune for herself, and of course James Taylor, who scored a massive hit and enduring success with “You've Got a Friend”. But this is Carole's album: she writes or co-writes every track, and what she doesn't write on her own she contributes the music to, as in two tracks where the lyric is supplied by Toni Stern. On three others she shares songwriting duties with ex-husband Gerry Goffin.
The album opens with “I Feel the Earth Move”, a pacey, upbeat song about love, which has been covered by many artistes down the years, the most recent I recall being Martika. The style of the album from the off is quite laid-back, almost jazzy, folky in places, but it's by no means an album of ballads. “So Far Away” is one though, a wistful, almost pleading song asking why people don't stay together. It's a simple piano-driven song, with King's voice as simple and yet as distinctive as that of the late Karen Carpenter, singing as if she's been doing this all her life.
“It's Too Late” is one of the standout tracks on the album, a disarmingly uptempo song whose subject matter is far from fun, the bitter realisation that a breakup is unavoidable, as Carole sings
”Stayed in bed all mornin' just to pass the time/ There's somethin' wrong here, there can be no denyin'/ One of is changin', or maybe we just stopped tryin'”. It's carried on bouncy piano with some nice acoustic guitar, and was one of the many hits from the album. It's also one of the few Carole did not write, lyric duty falling to the aforementioned Toni Stern, music by Carole.
A great fusion of pop and folk modes,
Tapestry was in fact the biggest-selling album by a solo artist until Michael Jackson came along with
Thriller, and smashed all records. Not bad though: that was 1982, so she kept the top spot for eleven years. The album features some names which were to go on to be rather huge, including Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Russ Kunkel and a young Danny Kortchmar. Another piano ballad, with country flavour and a touch of gospel, “Home Again” keeps the quality high with some lovely piano from Carole, and a simple melody and theme.
“Beautiful” is a much more uptempo, happy song, with a “smile and the world smiles with you” idea, with an almost carnival ending, while “Way Over Yonder” fuses blues and gospel perfectly in a touching little ballad that's almost a hymn in disguise, with some supersmooth sax work. There's just nothing that can, or needs, to be said about the next track. A huge, massive hit for James Taylor, as well as others, I think everyone knows “You've Got a Friend.” It's followed by “Where You Lead”, a sort of mid-paced rocker with some great keyboards and a soul chorus line. It's the second track on the album written by Toni Stern, though interestingly there's a line in it which very closely mirrors one in “You've Got a Friend”... The song would be seen nowadays as sounding like the words of a submissive, subservient woman, with lines like
”Where you lead I will follow” and
”If you wanna live in New York City/ Honey you know I will”, but come on, this was 1971!
Another hit next, already a big success for the Shirelles in the sixties, again everyone knows “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” and yes, Carole King wrote it, along with Gerry Goffin. Her own version is a much slower, laid-back and piano-led version than the bubblegum pop of the original release, and so much the better for taking its time, with excellent and powerful backing vocals from James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. Another collaboration with Goffin, “Smackwater Jack” was also a hit, although of the singles taken from the album, this is one I have never heard prior or since, but it's a bluesy bopper, with a great piano line and striding guitars. Honky tonk! Without question the most fun track on the album.
The title track is a nice little ballad played on piano and guitar, almost the testament of a much older woman, with an interesting little parable within its lyric, and the album closes on another by-now famous song, that one that made Aretha so famous, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” ends this incredible debut on a high, with a powerful, anthemic love song with gospel overtones.
Carole King is one of those people who a lot of music fans will not know, or even know of, but the chances are that her music has touched almost everyone, whether it's through TV or film soundtracks, hits for other artistes, or her own music. Like the title of the album says, it's all part of the one wonderful interwoven tapestry. Now approaching seventy years of age, Carole is still busily recording, and doesn't look likely to slow down for some time. It's rather fitting, then, that our week of seventies album reviews kicks off with such a classic, iconic and timeless offering from a woman who has had more impact upon the music scene over her forty-year career than just about anyone else I can think of.
TRACK LISTING
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. Where you lead
9. Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
10. Smackwater Jack
11. Tapestry
12. (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Rating: 9.7/10