Tapestry

“Tapestry” by Carole King (1971) Very familiar with this artist and album. Isn’t everyone? “Tapestry” is superb. Stands the test of time. Soulful, well crafted songs with highly evocative lyrics and creative, forward looking melodies. The recording quality is first rate, with brilliant, properly balanced contributions from studio musicians. Fine touch in the mix. Piano work is iconic, even if it doesn’t demonstrate a studied virtuosity. Lead vocal, likewise, perfectly delivers the feel and meaning of each composition, without exemplary power or range. Excellent pitch control and diction, even on blues bends and subdued passages. The tracks are arranged well on this album, taking the listener on a journey that is definitely laid out in two major sections, Side 1 and Side 2. This a skill that’s rather under appreciated in this era when one doesn’t have to ‘flip the record over’. I have no wisecracks about this album. I’m not worthy. 5/5

I'm about 800 reviews into this project, and my wife keeps asking me why on earth do I persist with Dimery's clearly flawed list which regularly infuriates me. The most obvious shortcoming is the under-representation of female artists. Every time I have to suffer through another album of 70s classic rock or a cult psychedelic band or a gangsta rapper or over-rated male songwriter (have you seen how many records Neil Young has on this list?) or some other boring bunch of blokes strutting around showing off their allegedly enormous cocks and badmouthing the women in their lives, I get frustrated that there are so few female artists here. I mean, did you realise that Paul Simon has seven albums on this list and Nina Simone only has one? How does _that_ work? I want to quote here from Jessica Hopper's massively insightful essay 'Emo: Where the girls aren't' compiled in her book 'The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic': "Can you ignore the marginalization of women's lives [and artistry] on the records that line your record shelves in hopes that feigned ignorance will bridge the gulf, because it's either that or purge your collection of everything but free jazz, micro house 12"s and the Mr. Lady Records catalog?" Actually, there are a hundred bits of that essay that I want to quote here, so you should just go read it right now (published under a different title): https://lithub.com/classic-jessica-hopper-emo-comes-off-like-rimbaud-at-the-food-court/ Ms Hopper posits a really great question, and a hard question: how do we justify the exclusion of female voices and perspectives from our listening? I am now going to talk to my straight white male rock fan homies as a straight white male rock fan myself; where are the female artists? where are the queer artists? the artists of colour? the indigenous artists? the differently abled artists? the artists who speak languages other than English? How did the musical canon become so focused on a particularly Western white male perspective that we would deny ourselves of the artistry and perspectives of the diversity of artists? Yes, there are a few examples of those groups in the 1001 list, but let's get real; it's not truly representative. If you are curious, if you want music to show you new and different things, then a diversity of artistic voices provides a wealth of treasures. Things you haven't heard or experienced or thought before. We are all richer for it. There should be, there _must_ be more women on this list. </rant> Ok, now that I have that out of my system, let's talk about Carole King's Tapestry. It is a breath of fresh air to listen to this record. This album is embedded in the basic DNA of the culture. A classic easy listening album. Carole King would be a songwriting legend even if she had never released a single record under her own name. But it is a great pleasure to hear her perform some of her greatest songs herself, in her own voice. The band is relaxed and understated, playing as friends rather than hired guns (even though they were all crack session players). The Sound Opinions show celebrating the 50th anniversary of Tapestry (https://soundopinions.org/show/799) interviewed several band members who, even 50 years later, clearly had fond remembrance of the sessions and their friendship with Carole. That makes a pleasant change from the number of albums I have listened to recently by men who were talented artists but real arseholes. Thanks, Carole, for proving that you can be a successful artist and a decent human being. It restores my faith in humanity. I don't blame Tapestry for the thousands of pale imitators that followed. This is up there with 'Blue' as one of the greatest and most influential singer-songwriter albums of all time. I think Smackwater Jack is a bit out of place on the record, but, other that, it is difficult to fault. This album is warm, human, and comforting. Every home should have a copy.

9/10. Was really enjoyable to listen to throughout, had a nice cat on the cover.

This is a pretty remarkable album. It's absolutely choked with monster hits. The thing is, most of these hits I know because of other artists covering them. I don't think anyone can deny the sheer songwriting talent of Carole King. She's incredible. But every song is delivered in such a soft, chill manner that they rarely just GRAB you. But, ultimately, that's ok. The album feels whole in a way that very few albums do. Like it's all part of one, big... well, tapestry. Great songwriting, good performances. Overall, a pretty killer album.

Listening to this with a good pair of headphones reveals a masterpiece in mixing/balance - audio effortlessly fades in and out/cross channel. This album is amazing, front to back

Beautiful but boring

Surpringly amazing album. Love the "spread out" feel to the music. Instruments are independent but work well together. Subtle in parts but very balanced

Oh wow

This album is so hugely popular. My mother played it almost constantly. I'm probably going against the grain to say it, but I just hate her voice. The best songs on the album are the covers, but I mean, how you going to outdo Aretha? How you gonna beat the Shirelles? James Taylor did You've Got a Friend so much better. Everything that King sings is like she jumped the shark.

Masterpiece. The chonker cat on the cover is great. Amazingly I've never owned this album. I've listened to it plenty though. There's so much space and breath between the notes, it forces me to allow down and listen. Excellent headphone album. Definitely essential.

I described this as the musical equivalent of a cozy vintage sweater. I'm very familiar with and fond of this album. Carole is a master songwriter and this album is packed with hooks. She puts the "natural" in natural woman - top marks!

Simply beautiful, I can't believe I've never heard of this album before. Absolutely love it, an easy 5 stars. What a gorgeous voice, and every song is worth listening to.

Wow. I've always heard the name Carol King, but never knew the songs she sang. Some really timeless hits on this album, and the ones I didn't recognize were amazing as well. i definitely will look out for the vinyl of this album. No other notes. This album is perfect. ~ 5 stars My only regret is I only get to put one song into my 1001 playlist. It was a tough decision, but "I Feel the Earth Move" is universally great, so it'll be that

Heard this for the first time in full during Lockdown 1 (had obviously heard most of the songs on their own) and didnt realise how many songs were Carol King's! I knew she sang "You've got a friend" but wouldn't have been able to put another song to her catalogue if you has asked me. She was obviously a HUGE influence on the next generation of female artists but I never noticed many citing her in the same way as, say, Joni Mitchell or Aretha Franklin. Anyway - point is, I was massively impressed with this album. 5/5 easily for me.

Certified 5 star song writing

Very solid album. Great cover art. Lots of stuff you've probably heard before that's been covered a hundred times.

Who said brunettes can't wear jeans?

Overall A really mellow oldtimey album with some upbeat and melancholy songs its good to put on the background. i give it 3/5 its good but not extraordinary I feel the Earth move - I really dig this vibe, i like the pace of the song a lot, and the instruments the lyrics are not bad either. So far away - Good bass, melancholy vibes but not enough for a sad song, still really good. It's too late - I feel like the vibe don't match the lyrics but i still like them both, Lyrics are what stands out the most tho. Beautiful - Really cute song I like the vibe and lyrics. --"At this point i start to get the formula of the album all the songs have sort of same pace to them its not bad they all work in their own ways"-- Way Over Yonder - We slow Down quite a bit, i love the backing voices and the piano on this one, the solo with the trumpet is nice too, i feel like here i can truly appreciate her voice more. You've got a friend - Sort of the same vibe as Beautiful but turned into love song (or friendship song), we are keeping this sort of powerful slow tempo which i think suits her better. Where you lead - Its the same song as You've got a friend but more upbeat, and faster tempo, i prefer You've got a friend over this one. Will you still love me tomorrow? - I didn't really like this one not much to say about it, slow song with sad lyrics. Smackwater Jack? - I love the piano on this one and the swing vibe it gives its well put together and the story in interesting and fun, strong old west vibes. Tapestry - The main song of the album, I like the lyrics a lot but not much else, of course that is the main selling point. A Natural Woman - I like the song but it felt the same as others in this album

Carole King demonstrates that less is more. Her simplicity and direct approach to her music causes the tracks to shine with a straightforward rawness rarely seen nowadays. [Another album from the soundtrack to my childhood]

Bangers all around. Even the tired ones you've heard 100 million times hit like a brick when you listen to them on purpose.

An early pinnacle for 70's radio-friendly pop. The sheer pop craftmanship by Carole King is timeless. Only a few albums have as mellow and ear-wormy songs as this one. Songwriting masterpiece.

Will still love it tomorrow

Such a good album but should have ended with Tapestry!

I love this album - great variety, solid beats and lyrics

Never listened to this from start to finish before. I prefer these original versions to many of the more overly produced and polished versions. A couple of the songs are of a much lower standard but it would be churlish to give this anything lower than 5.

Unbelievable album filled with hits. Now I know the sound of Carole King

For someone I’d never listened to this was excellent. Both the lyrics and her voice were incredible. Put me in a good mood listening to it.

Listening to this album spurred me to look up more info about Carole King. It was very interesting to find out how many hits she wrote. It seems like Sia took a page out of her book

beautiful: the carole king musical caroline would really like this album

Classic

A cozy and round record. A great voice

KITTY Classic parent jams

I thought I would like this more but it was a bit boring. But the cat on the cover made me like it slightly more.

If you’re a guy over 40, chances are you’ve had at least one girlfriend that made sure you heard this record before you die.

Would say the drawbacks are a general solemnity and the sparsity of the arrangements, except I can get showier uptempo renditions of similar or identical material elsewhere, so I wouldn't have this any other way. Complex. Brooding. Full-blooded. And gloriously ordinary. Which damn sure means it's every bit as beautiful as she feels.

На одном дыхании послушал. Думаю, что это хорошая характеристика и альбом явно заслужил свою оценку.

Love the voice on this woman. A few standout tracks, but the sound was overall a little samey throughout.

No..

This is incredible. If the title track wasn't on there it'd be an oops all bangers album. The first three really are something special, probably one of the best three track run ever in my opinion. The theme to me is relationships, the way others can make you feel, wether romantically mr friendship wise and thebwriting is killer, very personnal. That with melodies that are incredible (how versatile can a piano be ??) makes tapestry absolutely great

Surprisingly amazing

beautiful melody, love the pianos

If you don't recognize at least a handful of tracks from this album, either through King herself, or some artist you love covering one of them, I don't know if you can really call yourself a fan of music. Tapestry has cemented itself as one of, if not, the best singer-songwriter album of all time. King's approach to each song here is perfectly crafted. It's almost unfair the level of skill on display. It's Too Late can go toe-to-toe with some of the best tracks of the 20th century. Also, I've always wanted to snuggle the kitty cat on the cover.

10/10 This album is a songwriting masterclass from Carole King. She dances her way between folk, soul, rock and r&b, never letting it sound out of place and without ever sounding like anyone other than herself. Just the way that her songwriting moves and modulates through the songs is an absolute joy and I couldn’t help but admire the construction when she landed on certain chords, it was almost magical. Her voice is great, but with that little edge of vulnerability about it that makes it connect so much more than a technically perfect vocalist would. She, seemingly effortlessly, dances between sadness and joy with wilful abandon, which only enhances the beauty of the work. And all of this is just framed with a quite exceptional production. Every instrument has its place, and the focus pulls so deftly between different lines that it always keeps your ears in the right place to pick up on little licks and nuances. It’s not often that music can really grab me in a such a visceral way, but I did find myself welling up as I sang along to You’ve Got A Friend. It’s such an exceptional song and performance. But what’s quite remarkable about this album is that You’ve Got A Friend doesn’t just sit there head and shoulders over the rest. It sits happily there at the opening of side 2, in the midst of a collection of other fantastic pieces of songwriting and recording. Bravo. I Feel the Earth Move - This is such a great song, equal parts soul, rock and folk. It’s got excellent pace, there are some really lovely bits of instrumental flair here and there, particularly the little interplay in the middle between the guitar and piano. I really like the way the focus pulls to different parts through the track, which is mixed so well. Quality all round. So Far Away - It’s a change of pace. A song of longing and desire. It’s a really pretty little song that just wanders around in the verses and then lands on a great vocal in the chorus. Somehow it’s got a lot going on, but is also incredibly sparse. The instruments get their little moments, but each are fleeting. It’s Too Late - She’s such a good songwriter. The transitions between the sections are so smooth and effortless despite the change of tone. The playing on this is so great too. The harmonies are picked for the perfect spots, and her vocal has such a laid-back ease to it on this song. She’s not afraid to drift off into fairly lengthy instrumental sections too, which are great. Home Again - The cadences of the musical movement on this song are just beautiful. The way it builds and shrinks and how that aligns with the musical movement is just lovely. It’s short, but ever so sweet, and her vocal has something to it that just cuts through the skin. Beautiful - There are bits of this song that are really great, but as a whole it doesn’t quite connect with me as much as the rest of the album. I think it’s the more staccato nature of it. The rhythm section just plods a little bit too much for my taste, and the fairly relentless snare drum is just a bit too much. Way Over Yonder - Now this is more like it. That swing. The way the bass and the lead vocal tend to move in opposing directions throughout. Her vocal that just soars and sways. It’s incredibly satisfying and beautiful, but it’s also got a real fire in its belly. And that sax solo is like a perfect cheese accompaniment to this glass of wine of a song. You’ve Got A Friend - This is such a gorgeous song. It weaves its way between a bereft sadness and beautiful optimism in such a perfect way. It is an absolute songwriting masterclass. The way it modulates between keys is absolutely stunning. The restraint of the arrangement allows for everything to live in its own place, and it still seems so full when it needs to. It all just combines into something exceptional. Where You Lead - This leads perfectly on from You’ve Got A Friend, both lyrically and musically, even borrowing some of the progressions, but throwing a far more upbeat twist. There’s some really solid playing one this track, and some of those backing vocals are superb too. It’s almost a Motown song with a folky twist. Great stuff. Will You Love Me Tomorrow? - This is perhaps a little more on the nose than some of the other songs, which have a bit more subtlety to them. It’s still really gorgeous though. The interaction between the piano and guitar parts are really, really nice, and the vocal harmonisations with James Taylor and Joni Mitchell really move things around well. Smackwater Jack - From the a subject matter point of view, this does stick out a bit from the rest of the album. It’s a great little bluesy R&B number though. It’s a nice bit of fun, and as always, it’s a very well written song. Tapestry - This is a beautiful, wandering piece. It floats around without ever landing on anything to concrete in quite an ethereal way, slowly moving up keys through each verse and then stepping back down to start again. This is a really great album track, with no real centre to it, but as a wash of music between songs, it works so well. (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman - Another songwriting masterclass. Again, the dynamic and tonal variation between verse and chorus is genius, and the way it builds to the chorus is exceptional. It drifts back down to the verse so smoothly too. The dynamic variation in this song is so fantastic. It goes from soft, almost whispered to full on balls-out passion and I’m here for it every time.

timeless and perfect

I’ve always loved this album

Masterpiece

Tapestry is a great album, plain and simple. The songwriting is outstanding, it's heartfelt, relatable, and timeless. Each track flows naturally into the next, giving the album a real sense of cohesion and emotional continuity. It’s one of those records where everything just clicks: the melodies, the lyrics, the performances.

Bonus point for cat on cover.

5 stars, no notes

Such a fantastic album

Wow, what a fantastic album. A materclass on songwriting.

I didn't realize how much Carole King I knew already. A lot of bangers on here. Cool baselines. Memorable vocal melodies without it being too generic.

Tapestry just is one of the best albums ever. One of the most important albums by a woman too. This album is packed with brilliant written songs and even some well-known hits. I just love this.

Tapestry is mogelijks het mooiste album ooit gemaakt. Prachtige stem, herkenbare songteksten en geweldige sound. 5.0

Excellent

My mom liked this album.

I absolutely adored this album. It was absolutely gorgeous lyrically, musically, and vocally. It's truly timeless, and there isn't a bad song on the album. This is THE Carole King album you should listen to if you want to get to know her as an artist. It's a masterpiece that touches on so many different emotions and experiences with such eloquence and raw emotion. One of the best listens I have had so far on this generator.

As much a triumph of songwriting as of singing, Tapestry is everything I love about music: simple, yet stirring, lyrics, timeless classics by the original songwriter, and a Bluesy, soulful, folksy, and, at times, downright spiritual composition. I feel embarrassed I had never heard this album all the way through, and how I was more familiar with the popular covers of King by other epic musicians: Franklin, James Taylor, and others. King's voice, so powerful, projects her words in a way that make you feel like you're right next to her, sharing her emotions. I understand why so much critical success has been heaped on this album now. Favorite tracks: "Way Over Yonder" and "Smackwater Jack," beyond the requisite well-loved classics.

I liked his much more than I expected to, the songwriting is top tier pop/soul and it the playing is super smooth, not normally what I would listen to but sometimes you can't deny greatness when you some across it. One of those 70s blockbuster albums like Rumours where One listen is enough to confirm it's right to seemingly exist in every record collection on the planet.

Just stunning! A beautiful and brilliant album.

LOVED THIS

Iconic. What a talent. Everyone should listen to this album

A soulful and warm benchmark for this kind of singer-songwriter album. Quietly brilliant. King doesn’t have a big voice, but she really goes for it.

Such a gem! Lovely and brilliant. The lyrics , her voice , everything here creates a solid album. I love it from the beginning . No fillers, it just keeps getting better on every song.

5/5. A classic front to back, just a greatest hits album in the form of a studio album. A calming album of hits and mostly ballads. These songs are simple but still feel full and complete. Carole effortlessly provides beautiful vocals while still keeping it raw and authentic, giving the illusion of a new singer songwriter and not someone who has been writing songs for years for other artists already, and the cover art is intentional as well to keep up the illusion. And honestly, it works, and is well done all around. Best Song: I Feel The Earth Move, So Far Away, You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)

Cat on the cover 5 stars

Beautiful album. Great work here from CK with some timeless classics on here as well. I could let this play all day.

Masterpiece

Beautiful album, really fantastic songwriting. I was torn between 4 and 5 starts, because it didn't quite have that wow factor that captures you for the entirety of the album. I ultimately decided it was a 5 star album because every song is really fantastic even if they don't wow you. I love a good piano driven album. You can really hear how talented of a songwriter Carole is.

All I can say is I'm very happy this album is so beloved. Carole King is a songwriting queen and it's a pleasure to hear her sing every note and word of these songs she wrote. Highly recommend lounging outside on a lightly breezy, sunny day with some headphones and cold drink of choice. 10/10 listening experience for a 10/10 album.

This gets a five from me just for "Will you still love me tomorrow" by itself. It's a perfect song. Classic album. Five stars.

Perfect voice, brilliant lyrics. Very nice album.

Her voice

5 stars

Beautiful, just beautiful. The second album in 600+ albums so far that ive never conciously listened to all the way through before that gets a 5 star review. There are so many songs here that are about as good as a song could be. He voice carries emotion, the piano and guitar are beautiful, but most of all the songwriting and accessibility are of the highest order. This should be held in the highest esteem.

9/10

Powerhouse. One of the all time great songwriters.

Bangers all

Awesome

Went back and forth a lot trying to decide 4 or 5.

One of my favorite albums of my youth, each song is a master piece on it's own.

If you were born in 1980 or later, you might not recognize this title. This was like Alanis Morrisette's "Jagged Little Pill" in that it's a singing songwriter bringing her A game. The album won 4 Grammys, and delivered "I Feel the Earth Move", "So Far Away", "It's Too Late", "You've Got A Friend", "Where You Lead", "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?", and my favorite "Smackwater Jack". I will recommend this to my granddaughters, hoping they will appreciate it as much as I have.

# Album Name: Tapestry # Artist: Carol King # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: What a banger! absolutely loved this album. Tune after tune after tune. Great voice as well. I listened to it multiple times. WHY have i never listened to this before?! # Top Tunes: All of em # Would I listen to it again? Yes

Another example of not previously realizing how much by this artist I knew. This album was so beautiful to me. Gorgeous, heartfelt songs. When I was done, I immediately wanted to listen again.

Very beautiful. Great lyrics and piano.

Nice cat, Carole.

I love this album so much I even have a copy on vinyl. Best four bucks I ever spent. From start to finish Tapestry is all about great songwriting and.this is one album I simply can't live without. Doesn't matter what other people say about this record. I love it and it had certainly aged well.

A masterpiece in every sense of the word. So much soul, heart, and passion.

Loved it!!!

Pretty much perfect.

This is one of my mum's favourite records, so I heard it a lot when growing up. I don't listen to it often anymore, but each time I go back to it, I absolutely love it. King's soulful vocals, impressive melodies and memorable lyrics all add up to a great album. Some of these songs should be in conversations with the best of all time.

Groovy and moody and just all around a good vibe. I could see myself rocking out to this on the regular.

Incredible

This album is absolute top level songwriting. So many amazing songs. That's a five for me and I make a note to check out her other albums too.

Recognized about half the songs on this album, but just didn't know where they came from!

this album is like when you're in a shitty abandoned parking lot watching the most beautiful sunset you've ever seen 10/10

One of the greatest song writers in history? Yes please.

every single track = BANGER

One of the best albums ever-with brilliant song craft and top production, albeit stripped down to emphasize the purity of this masterpiece. Each song is superb, and I especially enjoy “It’s Too Late” the finest break-up song ever.

For my mama, always and forever