Track Listing
1. Our Affair
2. So Many Stars
3. Big Dumb Guy
4. Scar
5. Cross the River
6. I Forget
7. Actress
8. I'm Really the Kind
9. We Your Dearest Friends
10. Whatever Became of Her
11. In Honour of You (George)
| Details | | Contributing Artists: | Ben Taylor, Steve Gadd, T-Bone Wolk, The Rankin Sisters | | Distributor: | BMG (distributor) | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes
Personnel includes: Carly Simon (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, African marimba, congas, percussion, programming); Teese Gohl (conductor, piano, Hammond B-3 organ, programming); Liam O'Maonlai (vocals, balron, flute); T-Bone Wolk (acoustic & electric guitars, dobro, mandolin, piano, bass); Stuart Kimball, Michael Lockwood (acoustic & electric guitars); Peter Calo (acoustic guitar); Eric Bazilian (electric guitar); Mindy Jostyn (violin); Aaron Heick (saxophone); Tony Garnier (bass); Steve Gadd (drums, percussion); Larry Ciancia, Shawn Pelton (drums); The Rankin Sisters, Ben Taylor, John Forte (background vocals).
Producers: Carly Simon, David Field, Frank Filipetti, Teese Gohl.
Engineers include: Carly Simon, Frank Filipetti, Jimmy Parr.
The basic tracks for most of Carly Simon's first album of all new material since 1994 were recorded on a tiny home system in her daughter's bedroom. This isn't exactly low-fi alt rock, however; the tracks were overdubbed, by high-gloss session musicians in a real studio, and the concluding "In Honor of You (George)"--as in Gershwin--is tricked out with a lush orchestral arrangement. It sounds great; these songs are among her strongest ever.
The opening "Our Affair," for example, has the sort of spare, live feel Rick Rubin gave Tom Petty, and the lyrics are hilarious ("There's a white hot desire, of which I'm pleasantly aware" indeedà). As you might expect, there are a lot of relationship songs here; most, like "So Many Stars," convey a sort of middle-aged regret. One of the most poignant tracks ("Scar") is about Simon's bout with breast cancer, including the hopeful observation that "A really big man loves a really good scar." The album's real tour de force, however, is much like a Dorothy Parker and Truman Capote collaboration--"We Your Dearest Friends," a witheringly bitchy song sung about Simon from the point of view of a two-faced celebrity hound.
Editorial Reviews
3 stars out of 5 - ...New York songs about love affairs, technology, harrowing health reversals, George Gershwin, confidence, doubt and more....engagingly sung....The Carly Simon of THE BEDROOM TAPES shines.
Rolling Stone (05/25/2000)
3 stars out of 5 - ...[An] enjoyable affair....portraying the emotional uncertainties of being a certain age....a welcome return to form.
Q (08/01/2000)
...Arguably the finest album of her career so far....Hug this one to your chest.
Mojo (07/01/2000)
4 stars out of 5 - ...A brave but often beautiful album from a seasoned artist who's lost none of her bite...
Uncut (08/01/2000)
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