Throwback Thursday: 1971

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

I wrote about this album for my "1 Year, 100 Albums" Series. You can find that by clicking HERE

One Year, 100 Albums: #44 Carole King "Tapestry"

Carole King Tapestry, 1971

For me, this album is Saturday mornings in the 70's. Now, I wasn't alive in the 70's, so this feeling isn't based on anything in reality, but it happens every time. Maybe it's because my mom has this album on vinyl, or maybe I've seen a commercial or something that had this music (or similar music) in it and took place on a 1970's Saturday morning. Who knows?

All I know is that this album is practically a greatest hits album. Without looking up the exact story, the story goes like this: James Taylor convinced Carole King that she should record an album of her singing her own songs. These songs had been made famous by the Shirelles and Aretha Franklin (and eventually Taylor himself). So she decided to take his advice. And the result is this quietly stunning album. (I can't actually find this story now, so it might be a complete fabrication on my part)

She's not singing with the gusto of Franklin here. She's not passionately questioning her lover like the Shirelles. She's doing something a little more subtle. Her rendition of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" is a little more resigned and a little sadder, but I feel like it works all the better.

Tapestry has a little of everything on it and I've always been really happy whenever I put it on (even if I'm also sad or lonely). In a way, I guess King's voice is like the titular tapestry: delicate, intricate, elaborate, and perhaps a little threadbare. But make no mistake. Behind that tapestry is a solid stone wall. It's not going anywhere no matter what you throw at it. And I love that.

The next couple of albums are all, as it happens, older albums, so look forward to concerts from the years that the albums were released. It's so amazing to be able to find this kind of thing on YouTube. Also amazing: CK is roughly a year younger than I am right now in this video. Simply incredible. Criminy! James Taylor is only 23 in this!!!! Good grief!

Carole King - I Feel the Earth Move
Carole King - Will You Love Me Tomorrow?

You can buy Tapestry at Amazon, Amazon MP3, and iTunes

Off The Charts #3: #1 Albums

At first I was worried that this would be immediately shut down by the Man. And maybe it still will be, but I hope not. The thing is, you probably already own all of these songs. So why would you steal them?

I had a blast putting this one together and I hope you have a blast listening to it!

Off The Charts #3: #1 Albums


(A running theme of these episodes has been that I've been talking and talking and talking, so it's another Google Docs link. Let me know if it's not working, but I haven't heard from anyone about the others, so maybe I've learned how to do this right)


(Also, it seems that Blogger has forgotten how to move a word to the next line if it doesn't fit on the line it's on. So, that's annoying and hopefully you won't know what I'm talking about when you're reading this. If you DO know what I'm talking about, I apologize for the weirdness.)


***Featuring***
The Beatles
Blood, Sweat, and Tears
Carole King
Fleetwood Mac
Guns N' Roses
Jay-Z
Jaydiohead
Lauryn Hill
Michael Jackson
Nirvana
Radiohead

For the Ladies...

Well, Hello There!

All of a sudden it's almost the middle of March. I think someone stole the lion and rushed us on to the lamb!! That's ok. Weather is so crazy these days. Why do I always default to talking about the weather? It's like I'm a character in a play by a novice playwright.

But that's not important right now.

HERE'S what's important!

It's Women's History Month this month. I guess the ladies had better start making the most of it before the month is over! I'll do my part with a special surprise....


ACTUAL MUSIC LINKS!!!!!!

Mostly, I'm writing this because in the interim that I didn't have a hard drive (furthermore known as the Silent Quarter) I got a bunch of CD's by female artists or bands with female singers. So, I'm going to post one song from each of those and then match that with old favorites of mine.

Here we go!

Recently acquired

Rilo Kiley - Breakin' Up from Under the Blacklight

Grace Potter - Big White Gate from This is Somewhere

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Humble Me from 100 Days, 100 Nights (this would have been a good submission for the Envy Contrast Podcast this week...)

Amy Winehouse - Tears Dry on Their Own from Back to Black

Kimya Dawson - So Nice So Smart from Juno (Soundtrack)

Paramore - Born For This from Riot! (Warning: This might be a bit too pop-punky for some of you. It's a good song and they reference a really good Refused song, but I just wanted to warn you...)

Old Favorites

Carole King - I Feel the Earth Move from Tapestry

Dar Williams - Alleluia from The Honesty Room

No Doubt - Hateful from Burning London: The Clash Tribute

Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit from Pretty much any Billie Holiday CD you can get your hands on

The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go? from Motown 1*s...and also probably any Supremes CD you could get your hands on...

Dance Hall Crashers - He Wants Me Back from The Old Record

So, I'll be able to post music again and that means that I'll hopefully be posting MORE! Woohoo! Bye guys!