Additional information
Personnel: Carole King (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, synthesizer, background vocals); James Taylor (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar); Danny Kortchmar (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, congas); Julia Tillman, Merry Clayton (vocals, background vocals); Danny Kootch (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, congas); James Taylor Move (acoustic guitar); Barry Socher (violin, viola, tenor saxophone); Perry Steinberg (violin, tenor saxophone); David Campbell (viola, cello); David Paul Campbell (viola); Terry King (cello, tenor saxophone); Curtis Amy (flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, wind); Ralph Schuckett (piano, electric piano, keyboards); Charles Larkey (electric bass); Steve Barzyk, Joel O'Brian, Joel O'Brien, Russ Kunkel (drums); Julia Tillman Waters, Taylor Boy And Girl Choir, Joni Mitchell, Mitchell (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Bob Irwin. Liner Note Authors: James Taylor Move; James Taylor . Recording information: A & M Studios (??/??/1971-05/21/1973); A&M Recording Studios (??/??/1971-05/21/1973); Boston, MA (??/??/1971-05/21/1973); M Recording Studio (??/??/1971-05/21/1973). Photographer: Jim McCrary. Carole King brought the fledgling singer/songwriter phenomenon to the masses with Tapestry, one of the most successful albums in pop music history. A remarkably expressive and intimate record, it's a work of consummate craftsmanship. Always a superior pop composer, King reaches even greater heights as a performer; new songs like the hits "It's Too Late" and "I Feel the Earth Move" rank solidly with past glories, while chestnuts like "You've Got a Friend," "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" take on added resonance when delivered in her own warm, compelling voice. With its reliance on pianos and gentle drumming, Tapestry is a light and airy work on its surface, occasionally skirting the boundaries of jazz, but it's also an intensely emotional record, the songs confessional and direct; in its time it connected with listeners like few records before it, and it remains an illuminating experience decades later. [The 1999 CD reissue on Sony adds two bonus tracks: the previously unreleased outtake "Out in the Cold" and a previously unreleased live 1973 version (on solo piano) of "Smackwater Jack."] ~ Jason Ankeny
Reviews
Rolling Stone (10/31/02, p.136) - Ranked # 19 in Rolling Stone's "Women in Rock: The 50 Essential Albums" Rolling Stone (4/29/71, pp.40-41) - "...Carole King's second album, TAPESTRY, has fulfilled the promise of her first album and confirmed the fact that she is one of the most creative figures in all of pop music..." Spin (p.101) - "King looked into herself and became a brilliant romantic realist." Q (9/99, p.130) - 5 stars (out of 5) - "...if the term singer-songwriter gained currency anywhere, it wouldn't be far from here....King's inward-looking songs spoke of a mature woman going it alone, wounded but hopeful....perhaps it's time to put aside the baggage that TAPESTRY brings with it and celebrate instead a classic rock record..." Dirty Linen (12/99-1/00, p.67) - "...this is a terrific set of songs...more than a quarter century after they first came to light, they are still fresh..." Q (Magazine) (p.119) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[O]ne of TAPESTRY's greatest charms is its lack of histrionics, with King's unpolished, lived-in voice....There is a real pleasure in hearing the love song in an expert's hands..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.118) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "It's hard to think of another album that hit the Zeitgeist quite as emphatically as TAPESTRY." Paste (magazine) (p.65) - "It's an exquisite, timeless work....TAPESTRY remains Carole King's definitive testimony..." Record Collector (magazine) (p.96) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "[A]s good as you remember: mellow, exultant, heartfelt and even surprisingly dark, especially with the sad verses of the otherwise upbeat 'Beautiful'..."
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