We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago…….
She had it…whatever it is….the voice, the writing talent, the look, the animal magnetism, that jumped off her album covers into the hearts, minds and other areas of men and boys all over the world. And women could relate to her songs of longing, frustration and even lust. Carly Simon appeared on the scene with two LPs in 1971.
Her debut…simply titled “Carly Simon” had its moments but none better than her first hit, ‘That’s The Way I Always Heard It Should Be”. A quiet, yet biting look, at what was expected of her social circle. She laid down the gauntlet early that she wasn’t going to settle for a life that many in her mother’s (and her) generation did. It garnered her a Grammy nomination.
But, it was her sophomore effort, “Anticipation”, that cemented her place in the growing singer-songwriter chorus.
We all know the title track after it’s use in the ketchup commercial. But, did you know it’s about a pending date with her paramour at the time, Cat Stevens?
She had moved on from Stevens to James Taylor…who had moved on from Joni Mitchell in the 1970-71 version of musical beds…by the time this LP was released in late 71.
Some other outstanding tracks include Legend In Your Own Time (about Taylor?), “The Girl You Think You See”, and the final track “I’ve Got To Have You” which features some fine guitar work from Jimmy Ryan and drumming from the always solid Andy Newmark.
You can see and hear how Simon’s songwriting improved in less than a year…with a lot more left to come. She grew up rich (the Simon is from Simon & Schuster) but she earned her way in one of the most male-centric of professions. She knew what she wanted and went out and got it.
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