Carly Simon – Anthology 2002

CD1:

01. Carly Simon - That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be (4:17)
02. Carly Simon - One More Time (3:35)
03. Carly Simon - Anticipation (3:22)
04. Carly Simon - Legend In Your Own Time (3:45)
05. Carly Simon - Julie Through The Glass (3:25)
06. Carly Simon - You're So Vain (4:19)			play
07. Carly Simon - We Have No Secrets (3:58)
08. Carly Simon - The Right Thing To Do (2:59)
09. Carly Simon - Mockingbird (With James Taylor) (4:12)
10. Carly Simon - Haven't Got Time For The Pain (3:55)
11. Carly Simon - Older Sister (3:08)
12. Carly Simon - Waterfall (3:32)
13. Carly Simon - Attitude Dancing (3:56)
14. Carly Simon - In Times When My Head (3:30)
15. Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better (3:44)
16. Carly Simon - You Belong To Me (3:53)
17. Carly Simon - Devoted To You (With James Taylor) (2:31)
18. Carly Simon - Boys In The Trees (3:15)
19. Carly Simon - Vengeance (4:13)
20. Carly Simon - Come Upstairs (4:20)
21. Carly Simon - Jesse (4:18)

CD2:

01. Carly Simon - Not A Day Goes By (2:43)
02. Carly Simon - Why (4:05)
03. Carly Simon - It Happens Everyday (2:47)
04. Carly Simon - Orpheus (3:53)
05. Carly Simon - Come Back Home (4:24)
06. Carly Simon - Coming Around Again (3:42)
07. Carly Simon - Give Me All Night (4:04)
08. Carly Simon - The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of (4:57)
09. Carly Simon - All I Want Is You (3:59)
10. Carly Simon - Let The River Run (3:42)
11. Carly Simon - My Romance (2:35)
12. Carly Simon - Better Not Tell Her (5:13)
13. Carly Simon - Love Of My Life (3:34)		play
14. Carly Simon - Like A River (4:47)
15. Carly Simon - Two Little Sisters (Theme From ''Marvin's Room'') (3:24)
16. Carly Simon - Film Noir (3:38)
17. Carly Simon - Scar (5:34)
18. Carly Simon - Actress (4:51)
19. Carly Simon - Touched By The Sun (Live At Grand Central, 1995) (5:38)

Personnel includes: 
Carly Simon (vocals, acoustic guitar, whistle, piano, electric piano, synthesizer, percussion, programming); 
James Taylor (vocals, acoustic guitar); 
Jimmy Ryan (acoustic guitar, electric bass); 
Mike Egan, Paul Keough (acoustic guitar); 
Eric Gale, Lee Ritenour, Robbie Robertson (electric guitar); 
Nile Rodgers (guitar); 
Jeff Baxter (steel guitar); 
Eric Bazilian (mandolin); 
David Sanborn (alto saxophone); 
Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); 
Randy Brecker (trumpet); 
Michael MacDonald (electric piano); 
Dr. John (piano, organ); 
Richard Tee (electric piano, Clavinet); 
Robert Sabino (keyboards); 
Will Lee (bass, background vocals); 
Bernard Edwards, Doug Wimbish (bass); 
Steve Gadd (drums); 
Roberta Flack, Carole King (background vocals).

Inevitably described as leggy or toothy, Carly Simon emerged in the early '70s as a kind of finishing-school sex symbol. She's the daughter of publisher Richard Simon, as in Simon and Schuster, and her very personal early songs were informed with a familiarity and uneasiness with the trappings of wealth and prominence. The finely detailed "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" best captures the young Simon. At a time when her counterculture peers were singing about buildings going up in flames, 26-year-old Carly focused on the glow from her brooding father's cigarette as she slipped by his study. "That's the Way" was the first of a string of top-10 hits Simon produced through the '70s and into the '80s. Anthology includes the lot of them--from "Anticipation" through "You're So Vain" past "Let the River Run" (better known as the theme from Working Girl). Far surpassing the 10-song Elektra retrospective, The Best of Carly Simon, this two-disc, 40-song collection spans three decades in the career of an artist who clearly believes that confession is good for the soul. ---Steven Stolder

Carly Simon straddled the world between folk and pop music in the early 1970s and gradually emerged from the shadow of other folk titans to become a pop singer of verve and moment, earning herself a place in the pantheon of very successful singers like Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, and a number of others like Carol King who were on the pop charts and in the folk clubs earlier in their career. This album is a wonderful summary of the best of her efforts throughout her career, including those early years. From her breakthrough hits like -That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be- and -Anticipation- to later smash singles like -Loving You Is the Right Thing To Do- and -You're So Vain- (rumored to be written about everyone from James Taylor to Mick Jagger, but more likely a joke aimed at actor Warren Beatty) is all here.

This collection successfully gathers the best of those early years in one place, and then adds to it those superb follow-on efforts with a second CD that reprises her second stage efforts with another collection of more adult-centered pop hits. Even though I usually prefer to sample an artist in context in their early albums, even I have to admit this is a great comprehensive overview of the collective efforts from Carly Simon. There are a lot of good songs here, like the terrific -Legend In Your Own Time- about then beau James Taylor, and the rocking -Mockingbird-, a duet done with Taylor.

Indeed, there are other interesting, provocative, and beautiful selections here, including my own personal favorite, -I Haven't Got Time For The Pain-. This is a great look at a fascinating artist who later made a terrific comeback album called -Coming Around Again-, with hits such as the title cut, as well as superb numbers like -The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of- to regain her audience and popularity, which she used to great advantage in the years since, with a number of hits included here from -Better Not Tell Her- to -All I Want Is You-, and from -It Happens Every Day- to -Like A River-. It is one of her best and most representative greatest hits albums yet, and it gives us an interesting vantage point with which to understand her better. This is a terrific greatest hits album by an artist who is often under-appreciated. This is one I heartily recommend. Enjoy! ---Barron Laycock

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