FREE WEEK #6

Carly Simon:This Kind Of Love

Carly Simon-like her fellow journeyman wordsmith,Neil Diamond-has come out with a fantastic album in what is supposed to be the 'twilight' of her career.

Maybe,it is being at the point where record sales aren't the most important aspect of her music that makes it easier for her to create such good music.Maybe it just the vast amount of writing,singing,recording,experience that makes this cd seem such a pleasure.Perchance,maybe,it is just a case of all of the elements falling into place at the right time.

Whatever the reason(s),this is a great cd.Carly Simon shines here.

I like albums that grow on me.Two examples of this are,'London Calling',by The Clash,and 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot',by Wilco.There is something fresh and exciting about music that you have to actually listen to repeatedly to fully grasp.

As a proud owner of every Carly Simon album,I can truefully say that almost every Carly album seems that way.The first couple of listens of her new stuff never seems as enjoyable as the third,forth,etc.Maybe because Ms.Simon usually makes her music seem so effortless and spur of the moment...like she's making it up(or nearly so)as she goes along.

This is a plus for me.Though there can be a certain charm to over produced/over rehearsed/over rehashed music,in the pop music world, that is not often the case.There are few things that I hate more then music that has been 'blanded' to death.

That is definitely not the case here.The more times you listen to this cd,the more you like it.

'People say A Lot' is one of my favorite songs of the year.It is so new on so many levels...and fun:-) At almost six and a half minutes long,it is already a rule breaker.It sends a funny,but sober message on getting ahead...or maybe just being in the rat race....whatever...With voice overs,etc...I haven't heard another song like this(except maybe Neil Diamond's 6:04 opus,'Don't Go There') all year long.

It just makes me think how much classic rock/adult contemporary radio sucks!Yeah,I love,'You're So Vain' and 'Nobody Does It Better', as much of the next guy...but Geez Us...without playing artist's new stuff...it all becomes so...stagnant after a while.Play some new stuff,will ya!?!

Carly Simon was supposed to had been influenced by Brazilian music on this collection.I don't know enough about that genre to truthfully tell you to what extent she achieves this.However,I do enjoy the nature of this beast,mellow,yet bold{gulp...sounds like I'm describing a cup of coffee}..Very nice.

Songs that stand out are,'How Can You Ever Forget';'Hola Soleil' and 'When We're Together'.

Another song that deserves mention is,'They Just Want You To Be There',a very trueful(in my experiences,anyway) song about being a good parent.Simple advice,but a different kind of love song.

We won't talk about the Michael Jackson sounding,'So Many People To Love'.Sssh,just don't mention it.


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