Carly Simon (album)
Carly Simon is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on February 9, 1971.
| Carly Simon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 9, 1971 | |||
| Recorded | 1970–1971 | |||
| Studio | Electric Lady Studios, New York City | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:26 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer | Eddie Kramer | |||
| Carly Simon chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album was produced by Eddie Kramer, who had previously worked with Joe Cocker and Jimi Hendrix, and included Simon's first Top 10 hit, "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be", which earned her a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1972. A somber ballad centered on a woman pondering marriage with a sense of both inevitability and entrapment; the song was written by Simon and frequent collaborator Jacob Brackman. The album also earned Simon the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the same ceremony.
The album features material written by Simon, with additional writing by Brackman, Kramer, and Freddy Gardner, as well as covers of songs by Mark Klingman and Buzzy Linhart.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C–[2] |
| Uncut | [3] |
Critical reception
Carly Simon was mostly well received by critics when released. Timothy Crouse, writing in Rolling Stone, stated "Carly's voice perfectly matches her material" and her "...superbly controlled voice is complemented by deft arrangements."[4] Robert Christgau was less impressed in The Village Voice: "I suppose it makes sense not only for the privileged to inflict their sensibilities on us, but for many of us to dig it."[5] In more recent years, William Ruhlmann, writing for Allmusic, gave the album a three and a half star rating out of a possible five, and stated "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" and "Dan, My Fling", were the stand-out tracks.
In a retrospective assessment, music scholar Kim Simpson deemed "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" an "early soft rock masterpiece."[6]
Simon stated in the Ask Carly section on her website that "Reunions" was her mother's—Andrea Simon—favorite song of hers.
Awards
| Year | Work | Award | Recipient | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" | Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female | Carly Simon | Nominated | [7] |
| - | Best New Artist | Won | |||
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" | 4:15 | |
| 2. | "Alone" | Simon | 3:36 |
| 3. | "One More Time" | Simon | 3:32 |
| 4. | "The Best Thing" | Simon | 4:14 |
| 5. | "Just a Sinner" | Moogy Klingman | 3:10 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Dan, My Fling" |
| 5:28 |
| 7. | "Another Door" | Simon | 3:16 |
| 8. | "Reunions" |
| 3:06 |
| 9. | "Rolling Down the Hills" | Simon | 3:35 |
| 10. | "The Love's Still Growing" | Buzzy Linhart | 4:14 |
| Total length: | 38:26 | ||
Personnel
Musicians
- Carly Simon – vocals, acoustic piano, guitar
- Paul Griffin – keyboards
- Mark "Moogy" Klingman – keyboards
- Billy Mernit – keyboards
- David Bromberg – guitar
- Jimmy Ryan – guitar
- Jimmy Johnson – guitar
- Jeff Baxter – pedal steel guitar
- Jerry Jemmott – bass
- Tony Levin – bass
- Jim Wilkins – bass
- John Siomos – drums
- Harvey Shapiro – cello
- Ed Freeman – string arrangements (1, 8, 10)
- Pat Rebillot – string arrangements (2)
Production
- Producer – Eddie Kramer
- Engineered and Mixed by Eddie Kramer and Dave Palmer
- Art Direction and Design – Robert L. Heimall
- Cover Photography and Poster – Peter Simon
- Back Cover Photography – Joel Brodsky
Charts
Album – Billboard (United States)[8]
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Pop Albums | 30 |
Album – International
| Year | Country | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Australia[9] | 55 |
| 1971 | Canada[10] | 17 |
Singles – Billboard (United States)[11]
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" | Adult Contemporary | 6 |
| 1971 | "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" | Pop Singles | 10 |
References
- Ruhlmann, William. Carly Simon at AllMusic. Retrieved July 12, 2007.
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- "Carly Simon Carly Simon > Review". Uncut. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
- Crouse, Timothy (April 1, 1971). "Carly Simon > Album Review". Rolling Stone (79). Retrieved November 7, 2011.
- Christgau, Robert (August 19, 1971). "Consumer Guide: Carly Simon". The Village Voice. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
- Simpson, Kim. Early '70s Radio: The American Format Revolution. A&C Black. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-441-15758-4.
- "Carly Simon". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- "Carly Simon – Chart history - Albums". Billboard.com. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "CAN Charts > Carly Simon". RPM. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- "Carly Simon – Chart history - Singles". Billboard.com. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
