Carly Simon first hit the music scene in the early 70’s with her smash hit You’re So Vain, a song that caused many a bar room brawl over who she was singing about, some said it was James Taylor, her soon to be husband and confidant at the time, others claimed it was an ode to Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones?
Many waters have run under the bridge since You’re So Vain, and it was a little trepidation that I put This Kind Of Love on my player. How you sing in your 20’s is somewhat different to how you sing when 62. There is something awful in destroying memories, but, I was not let down by this CD. Indeed her voice has changed, but she has still maintained the essence that we loved in You’re So Vain.
Track one, and the title track This Kind Of Love is a blending of old and new, while it has the Carly Simon DNA, it also has signs of a move toward a very different and fusion oriented style. I am not entirely sure that it was what I was expecting. Track two Hold Out Your Heart though is classic and consummate Carly Simon. This was what I was looking for. I fell in love with it on the first listen. And you can too, I have a streaming audio of the track.
Much of the album has a Brazilian feel about it, and according to the sleeve notes Brazilian music has been a huge influence on Carly Simon over the years.
Carly Simon joins a long list of well established musicians that are trying non traditional approaches to marketing. Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor have opted to release albums through the Starbucks Coffee House Chain, and that is the route that Carly has decided to take. Her style of music makes this a perfect fit. Don’t fret if you don’t have a Starbucks on your street corner, This Kind Of Love will also be available in tradtional CD outlets on April 29, you can also order a copy online through Concord Records.
Simon Barrett
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4 users commented in " CD Review: This Kind Of Love by Carly Simon "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackNobody does it better! Love Carly’s new one.
My wife bought this one and we listened to it from beginning to end. After much cringing and grinding of teeth we considered throwing it away but remembered that my sister-in-law would probably take it and re-gift it to a co-worker.
This CD is simply awful. Where’s the Carly of old?
Ms. Simon’s CD, This Kind of Love is a real gem! There’s not a song I don’t enjoy. It’s magic from beginning to end. highly recommmend
I was throughly disappointed with this album. As soon as I heard the first word “once..” I knew it was a mistake for me to have bought it; it was going to ruin my memories of her sweet sound and heart felt tones.
I sampled the rest of them for a few seconds each and decided that it wasn’t worth it for me to take the chance with the romanticized Carly Simon that I have always remembered and loved.
A part of it might have been because she waited for 8 years to release a new one; if I had periodically heard her, I would have gotten used to her voice. But the part that I really missed was the smart and thoughtful lyrics like “But you gave away the things you loved and one of them was me I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee..” Lyrics in this album are so contrived; written by a creative writing student rather than coming from the heart.
Oh well… she is still the greatest, despite this album.
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