When singer/songwriter/pianist Carole King released her album Tapestry in 1971, it was with little fanfare. With her writing partner and then-husband Gerry Goffin, King already had a highly successful songwriting career cranking out hits for the likes of the Monkees, the Drifters, and the Chiffons, but the Brooklyn girl had trouble gaining traction as a singer in her own right. A couple of previous attempts had failed, but with the release of Tapestry, Carole King changed the face of popular music. Her set of twelve confessional tunes, which includes megahits like "You've Got A Friend" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," mixed a rollicking New York heartbeat with the sweetest sounds of early '70s pop. There had been other ladies before her (Joni Mitchell, et al.) who bared the secrets of their souls through their music, but none were quite as successful as King. Being a master of pop, she knew how to make feelings of heartbreak ("It's Too Late") and uncertainty ("Will You Love Me Tomorrow") go down smooth and easy.
The legendary Tapestry is now getting a special two-disc deluxe re-issue via Legacy Recordings. The LP has gotten the re-release treatment before, but the reason to pony up for this particular release is for the extra material—live versions of all of the Tapestry songs, in the same order as they're found on the album, recorded in 1973 and 1976 in such varied locations as the San Francisco Opera House and New York's Central Park. Backed by spurts of thunderous applause, King's warm vocals and emotional delivery come shining through, offering up a second sparkling take on Tapestry.
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