Posted on 05/06/2008
There are countless albums from the 1970's that for many define the decade: Songs In The Key Of Life, Saturday Night Live, Bitches Brew, Rumours, Dark Side Of The Moon, Exile On Main Street, That's The Way Of The World, Frampton Comes Alive, There's A Riot Going On, Off The Wall. In this batch, one would often find the album that would start the tradition of presenting female singer/songwriters in a light that was different from the traditional roles women were given in the music industry. That album was Carole King's influential 1971 album, Tapestry.

King was a respected songwriter who had a lot of success in the 1960's, but becoming an artist in her own right was not an easy transition, at least by the public. Tapestry was King's second album and while the production was not extravagant, the music and lyrics were direct and to the point. Album producer Lou Adler said that when he was presented with demos King gave to him towards the album, what he wanted to do was not treat the album with Phil Spector-type orchestrations or song demolitions, but to reproduce those demos in a way that the songs would sound basic but very warm and intimate. Adler reveals that an album by jazz singer June Christy became the template for how he wanted the songs to flow from one to the other, and the music of pianist George Shearing would be an influence on how to make that flow possible. Even without that information, the album holds up incredibly well 37 years after the fact as the audio tapestry it has now become.

The album spawned four singles, all of which are still played on oldies and classic rock radio today: "It's Too Late", "I Feel The Earth Move", "Smackwater Jack", and "So Far Away". "I Feel The Earth Move" had a very bold sound with King playing the introductory melody that would signify the start of the album, and yet its lyrics spoke a bit about the innocence of emotions one gets when they see eye to eye with a loved one. The early 70's was a time of political strife, women's liberation, there was always some type of movement, be it social or personal. In music people were talking about a need to go to the country or to take one's self back to the garden, but in "So Far Away" she sings "so far away/doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore?/it would be so fine to see your face at my door/doesn't help to know you're just time away". While the lyrics may have been personal, listeners interpreted them as a reflection of what was going on in their lives, which moved them to want to listen to more. This was followed by "It's Too Late", which turned a 180 and said that love has gone sour and they both need to move on. That would only be followed by "Home Again", where she now longs for the comforts of a warm embrace and a sense of belonging with a significant other.

As the album moves on, each song comes off as a personal diary that tells a story of joy, pain, hope, abandonment, friendship, all within the forever growing fabric of life. James Taylor sat in with King during the recording sessions for the album and played guitar on "You Got A Friend", which moved Taylor so much that he would cover the song, leading to it becoming one of his biggest hits. The album also features new versions of songs King had co-written with partner Gerry Coffin in the 1960's, "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", and here they are stripped down to the core. By hearing them performed by one of its authors, one tends to take in more of what the song is about, and perhaps vision themselves as the voice in the song or the people who are a part of the song. The best songwriters are the ones who are able to provide the words that are unspoken. As people began to discover Tapestry, the buzz grew and one couldn't turn on the radio without hearing her. The album would sell 11 million copies, stay on the charts for six years, and was considered the biggest selling album in history until Michael Jackson came out with Thriller. In that time, Tapestry would influence hundreds (if not thousands) of women to express themselves in the same open manner as King did, and made it possible for those artists and albums to gain an audience. It also validated the singer/songwriter phenomenon, where a guitar or piano and a voice could bring you to the promised land. Or at least heavy rotation on AM radio.

The second CD in this deluxe edition features previously live renditions of all but one song from the original album, sequenced in the same order as the album. These recordings feature nothing but King and the piano, performing the songs in a way which are said to be very close to how they started out in demo form. What I found interesting about these live recordings (taken from performances recorded in 1973 and 1976) is that you get to hear the songwriter at work. The liner notes indicate that when she played these songs without a group, she would not only play the melody but also play what she wanted to be used as bass and guitar lines. Having less definitely reveals more, and the songs are still as powerful with one single voice as they are with overdubbing or background singers. The mastering by Vic Anesini and assistant Maria Triana is incredible, both of them help reproduce the quality of the album as close as possible to the original LP, and to dust off the reels to present live recordings that probably were not touched until this project came along.

Sitting down by a window as the sun shines through, sweater and blue jeans on, cat looking curiously into the camera, fabric in hand. Carole King looked content on the cover of Tapestry because this was her vision of solace, of home. Back when people looked to music for hints on how to live and love, and what to expect when it was time to leave childhood. Tapestry was the blueprint on how to create exceptional music by not putting on a face, but by being yourself. The intent of the album was not to create hits, but just to create music out of a love of music itself. The end result was a record that was appreciated for its mirrored honesty, and this deluxe edition explains why these songs hold up as well today as they did in 1971.

- John Book