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

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

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 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.

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. 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 type of Western white male perspective that we would deny ourselves of the artistry and perspectives of the diversity of artists from those groups. Yes, there are a few examples of those group 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 has been played so many times, it 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 want to blame Tapestry for the thousands of pale imitators that followed. This is up there with 'Blue' as one of the greatest singer-songwriter albums of all time. I still think Smackwater Jack is 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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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..

One of my favourite albums of all time.

A lovely album from Carole that still hits.

оч качает с первых минут, нравится ее голос, крутые гитары, вайбово i feel the earth move очень крутой трек крутой альбом, очень приятный, очень интересный, не надоедает, очень приятный голос креол кинг написала кучу хитов для других исполнителей, а потом записала вот этот альбом, который не выходил из чартов, у нее 4 гремми и короче просто она оч крутая сонграйтерша

One of the greatest songwriters distills fifteen years of great songwriting into a superb collection of the craft and art of songwriting. An album about which so much can be said but little actually needs to be. Just listen. 5550000 stars.

Superb performance by a brilliant vocalist and songwriter. Deep emotional lyrics backed by a rich tapestry of instrumental music. A rare glittering gem.

Obviously perfect. Well done Carole

This was a huge album when it came out and should still be today. Talent above and beyond.

Wow. Did she write all the classic songs?

I don’t know what to say but this is just really really good

I fell in love with this album after my family bought tickets to the Carole King musical. There are more hits on this than there aren't. What a cool singer-songwriter.

One of the easiest five stars. Flawless. Received wisdom is of course other people sang her songs better, and of course in the case of Aretha Franklin that would be true. But she's got a wonderful voice, a wistfulness and melancholy that's unique. And that fabled warm analogue early seventies studio sound is perhaps here only equalled by Steely Dan.

New for me. Need to listen to more from Suzanne Vega

When I first heard this album I thought it was a greatest hits. It's incredible that the same person wrote all these gems.

A classic!!

I love this album - another of the ones my Dad would play to me on vinyl when I was a wee girl! Fond memories Great for a singalong, such powerful lyrics sung beautifully and the bass lines are funky AF! Fave Track: It's too late

I've been waiting for this one. Not because I know it front to back and want to gush about it (because I don't). No, I've been waiting because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. So many times I've heard this album gushed about by critics, seen it on list after list of the best albums ever, and heard from my own mother just how important an album this is. So that's a lot of hype, right? How often does any piece of media actually live up to any amount of insane hype? How often are you left disappointed by an album that everyone else seems to love, but you just can't get into? Well, I'm here to say that not only did this album meet the high expectations set onto by everything I've ever heard about it, it exceeded it. This is a fantastic collection of songs by a wonderful singer songwriter. Truly a masterpiece of originality, storytelling, and emotional songwriting. Carole King does here what so many others strive to do, which is to produce an emotionally authentic piece of art that so many have found, absorbed, and loved long after its release. I can't say enough, honestly. Easy five stars. I loved it. Standout Tracks: I Feel the Earth Move, So Far Away, Way Over Yonder, Where You Lead, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

I have such a sweet relationship with Carole king’s music, filled with youthful naivety and an ever-present sense of wisdom that never fails to fill my heart. This woman is an inspiration and a talent beyond words; I can never truly fault her work

What a great album. I knew of her but this album has blown me away.

Let's face it, this album is brilliant. There's some absolutely brilliant tracks in here, was some light relief after the last few days...

This album is a real powerhouse showcase of King's songwriting, having written nearly all of this album with most notable exception being a couple partial contributions by Gerry Goffin. Instrumentally King lands in real universal territory by taking her nuanced yet extremely relatable songs into very groove-based piano-driven territory. Are these songs cliché or overplayed now? Yes, but I'd argue that their place is earned, this is pure FM radio gold.

This album is perfection. No notes.

🔥🔥🔥

Everybody loves this album but that’s because it’s a fucking great album. One of the easiest 5s so far

Ah, I just love this album

A record filled with such warmth it’s like it’s being played live just for me. Simple and complex at the same time. Can’t imagine a time in my life when I would want to listen to this. Perfect.

MASTER-FUCKING-PIECE!!! The voice, the piano, the arrangement, the emotion - this album is perfection. So Far Away alone is worth 10 stars.

There’s so much semen in my pants

Love it 😍 4.5/5

I didn’t know how amazing this album was! Five stars for sure!

Without any doubt one of the landmark female singer/songwriter albums. Every song is a tour-de-force. Melodic and insightful. A true masterpiece.

just like slipping into a well-loved, old sweatshirt.

Great album, great voice, lots of excellent hits - I feel the earth move, you make me feel like a natural woman, will you love me tomorrow.

Tapesty is really good. It's piano-driven without being too samey, her voice is such an easy listen, the composition of the songs is beautifully balanced for the most part, you get a strong feel of the emotions attached to each story, it's a very strong piece of work. Way Over Yonder is the best song on the album, but the well-known You've Got a Friend and the two 'covers' (she wrote them but didn't perform the original releases) of Will You Love Me Tomorrow and A Natural Women are excellent too. This deserves a 5/5, I knew her name and a bit of her work but very happy to have this reason to find out a bit more about here.

One of those all-time classic albums. Wouldn't change a note.

No la conocía, suena bien. Habían varias canciones que había escuchado o me sonaban, lo que fue una sorpresa agradable. Bonito album.

Wow amazing!

Wonderful album

It’s too late is so good. She’s an incredible songwriter

banger after banger after banger after banger

It’s Carole King! She’s one of the greatest song writers of all time!!! Ultimate cozy listening!

Awesome album. Love her voice. Also - Gilmore Girls theme!

I love this album. So many songs I already know and never realized this was from the same album. Rightly recognized for the masterpiece it is.

one of the best instrumentals i've ever heard

It's a good album with nothing but solid hits. A timeless album.

One of the Best LP's of All-Time!

Beautiful songs and crafting

Always forget how great this is

Love this album. CK is a great song writer. These songs make me smile. They hold up to the passage of time.

I have always felt that this album, along with the Carpenters catalog, is the perfect music for staring out the window on a rainy day. There's really not a bad or "filler" song on the album. It has more than a handful of hits and even the covers (is it a cover if you do a song you wrote?) put King's own spin on the song. She seems to send a very different message in Will You Love Me Tomorrow than the Shirelles. While the latter's hit was aimed at teen girls, King's version seems to have a more mature relationship perspective. Also Natural Woman has a very different feel than the venerable Aretha version. Which brings me to the well documented controversy, or is it complaint, that her voice doesn't hold up. Well, clearly, she's not Aretha, but that's not fair. I think she sounds quite good on this album. Her voice doesn't have the power and quality to really pull off everything she wants to do, but she knows what she wants and hits it. And it works with the whole style of the excellent production of this album. Of course her songwriting remains her strongest point. Great classic album. 4.6

I'd seen this album bought up before about how good it is, but I thought it'd find it a bit plain. It's actually lovely.

Is there a single note wrong on this record? Any questionable lyrics or phrasings that seem forced or unnatural or anything less than spot on? Not that one can hear. There are big hits all over the place, and meaningful classics ("Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?") whose impact and influence go far beyond the pop charts. It's encouraging that such a rich and substantive record sold so well. Only downsides is that it can seem sorta boring, with playing right down the middle, and her voice isn't the best, though the singing (phrasing, etc.) is first-rate. An eat-your-vegetables classic it may be, but a classic nonetheless.

Fantastic album.

I know this album by heart. Love it.

Legend

Well it has finally happened The songs on here are so beautiful and well written. Folk songwriting , Singer Songwriter. Whatever you want to call it this is Top Notch “Way Over Yonder” has to be one of my favorite songs of all time First side doesn’t have a bad track! Now side 2 has some lesser songs but they are still well written and nothing is bad at all. This just flows so well and is not a choir to listen to. This is comfort food of music. It’s just beautiful nothing more nothing less . Carol King you’re on of the greats 5/5 1* - Not Good 2* - Has Merit 3* - Would Listen Again (Good) 4* - Like It/Love It 5* - LOVE IT AND IT IS A CLASSIC ALBUM

All time favorite

Classic 70s funk and warmth. Opening track is a definitive 70s timecapsule. 70s stuff like this feels like it still has freedom of form and singer song writer lyrical qualities. Not quite stream of consciousness, but clearly the message inspired the lyricism. A pleasant, yet common voice that doesn't feel manufactured. It makes sense why do many of these have covers. So many iconic songs!

This album is TITS! The musicianship was amazing. Could listen to that guy play guitar all day ….

Iconic pop album, will have you recognizing hit after hit as you ride through the album.

Easy listening, comforting music. Great lyrics. Minimalist album - mostly just singing and piano.

Good stuff

Great, very chill

viiill meh upbeat als ich erwartet han huere schön so far away chli ruhiger, ok it's too late BOPPP beautiful erinnered mich chli ah sechzger, POAH UND WAY OVER YONDER OOOOFF du hast einen freund (tönt wie es lied useme disney film) kenntmer halt aber s isch immerno so es guets lied allgemein riese album OAH ES ISCH ALLES SO SCHÖN mengisch chli sehr schnulzig aber s wird gnueg uufbroche dur paar upbeat lieder will you still love tomorrow isch sooo schön mite zweite stimmmmm hä es isch SO GUET smackwater jack wieder meh upbeat tapestry wunderschöne schluss. bin zwüsche 4 und 5 FUCKIT

A+. Stands the test of time. Well-written, great songs, varied and interesting music. This is an absolute classic for a reason.

This one is timeless genius. If I had to find something critical to say about this album it would be that it seems to draw more women than men, like barren cat women, even though every breeder woman I know loves it as well. That said, if this album doesn't deserve 5 stars, there is no method to the madness. "Way Over Yonder" has always been my personal favorite on a difficult set list to rank.

Awesome album from one of the best singer-songwriters of all time.

Very pleasant songs - a great album - I was pleasantly surprised

An absolute masterclass in songwriting. Gorgeous, warm, inviting, soulful songs that will continue to stand the test of time.

Will still love it tomorrow