Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits
Carly Simon
Dr. John, Michael Brecker, Ralph MacDonald, Richard Tee, Eric Gale, Steve Gadd, Roberta Flack, David Sanborn, James Taylor, Sally Taylor
Engineer: Eddie Kramer, Dave Palmer,
Producer: Eddie Kramer, Paul Samwell-Smith, Richard Perry, Arif Mardin, Mike Mainieri, Carly Simon
BMG Heritage, 2004
1 CD
Catalogue #: 59429
EAN: 0828765942928
UPC: 828765942928
You save: 25%
Personnel include: Carly Simon (vocals, acoustic guitar, whistle, piano, keyboards, synthesizer, programming); Eric Gale (electric guitar); David Sanborn (alto saxophone); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Dr. John (piano, organ); Richard Tee (electric piano); Will Lee (bass instrument, background vocals); Steve Gadd (drums); Andy Newmark (congas, percussion); Ralph MacDonald (percussion); James Taylor , Roberta Flack (background vocals).
Recording information: 1971 - 2003.
You know that tattered old Carly Simon best-of album that's been sitting in your older sister's record collection for decades? It's been firmly supplanted. While the two-disc ANTHOLOGY on Rhino is the most comprehensive Simon collection, for a single-disc retrospective, you can't do better than this. Obviously, the expected staples are all present and accounted for, from the breathlessly innocent "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" to the sassy, notoriously inscrutable "You're So Vain." Expanding on the aforementioned 1975 compilation, though, REFLECTIONS goes on to include the slinky Michael McDonald co-write "You Belong to Me," the synth-flecked '80s hit "Coming Around Again," and much more. For a thumbnail sketch of this beloved singer-songwriter's work, REFLECTIONS is the definitive article.
Tracklist
Carly Simon
One of the best and most popular confessional songwriters of the '70s, Carly Simon combined pop sensibilities with a folk background for a series of smash hits. During her tumultuous marriage to James Taylor, the pair scored big with a duet cover of Inez & Charlie Foxx's "Mockingbird." Simon has since branched out successfully into singing standards and providing songs for soundtracks.
Dr. John
Cutting his teeth on New Orleans session work while still a teen in the 1950s, pianist and singer Dr. John (born Mac Rebennack) emerged in the late 1960s with GRIS-GRIS, a blend of snaky rhythms, Crescent City funk, and swampland voodoo flair. Since then, he has remained one of New Orleans's prime musical ambassadors, an artist with his own trademark sound and style.
Michael Brecker
As one half of the famous Brecker Brothers, saxophonist Michael Brecker defined the sound of modern electric funk-jazz in the '70s. Since the 1980s, he has been one of the most in-demand session players, appearing on hundreds of recordings in both the jazz and pop fields, and his solo albums have received several Grammys. Brecker is known for his powerful tone, monstrous chops, and endless soloing stamina. He passed away from a leukemia-related illness in early 2006.
Roberta Flack
A former nightclub singer, Roberta Flack used her unflappable vocal technique to perfect a nuanced melange of soul, jazz, gospel, and folk music. Her sophisticated approach would reach its commercial and artistic zenith with the 1973 chart-topper "Killing Me Softly With His Song." Although the decades that followed weren't quite as kind to Flack, her work in the '70s remains some of the finest of the era and a huge inspiration to an entire generation of female R&B singers.
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is one of the most successful saxophonists in American music. From the mid-1970s on, his razor-sharp style and sense of groove have made him a giant in the smooth-jazz field. He has recorded with a myriad of contemporary jazz and pop artists and makes regular appearances with Paul Schaffer's band on the Late Show With David Letterman. As a result, he has maintained an extremely high media profile for most of his career.
James Taylor
James Taylor was the archetype for the gentle, inward-looking singer/songwriter movement of the early '70s. The easy lilt and timbre of Taylor's voice belies the complex emotional content of his songs, which aren't merely carefree folk-based odes, but instead look unflinchingly at a flawed man's journey through life. It's a tribute to his knack for making great pop records that he managed a long, decade-plus string of big hits. Taylor remained relevant long after his impressive run of top 40 hits, recording numerous million-selling records in the '90s & '00s and winning multiple Grammys.
