BBC Review
Pleasant rather than essential, something that would be a nice tour souvenir.
David Quantick 2010-03-11
There comes a time in a recording artiste’s career when they feel the need to revisit the hell out of their oeuvre. Rockers and jazzers of a certain age who, dare one say, have run out of new ideas, often go back into their old catalogue to have a look around and see what they can retool for whatever audience they have left.
Joining the ranks of the old-school repeaters is Carly Simon. This collection of old songs, re-recorded by Simon with new arrangements (which also suit her age-changed vocal style), joins The Best of…, Greatest Hits Live, Clouds in My Coffee, Anthology: Reflections, and Carly Simon's Greatest Hits as the latest recycling of her back catalogue. Her work does lend itself well to this kind of treatment; not being a clapped-out male rocker, she has no need to sound loud, and nor is she lumping it out on the dancefloor like, say, Tom Jones. Simon’s work has always leaned towards the jazzy and, while she hasn’t done a Joni Mitchell, who recently went back to her old hits but made them smokier and bluer, she has added new layers of experience and meaning to them.
If at times the impression left is too breezy (the elephant in the career that is You’re So Vain sounds almost embarrassed to be here), at others it’s extremely potent. Coming Round Again, with a lyric that always dealt with the passing of time as well the lot of a woman, is particularly effective here. The same can’t be said of You Belong to Me. In its original incarnation, as a duet with Michael McDonald, it sounded like a funky preview of what McDonald would pen in the 1980s; but now it sounds shaky and bland, a shadow of what it was.
As an album Never Been Gone is pleasant rather than essential, and would be a nice tour souvenir. But it’s hard to imagine it bringing in new fans, or making older ones want to sit it alongside the original versions they hold dear.
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Comment number 1.
At 09:51 12th Mar 2010, Al wrote:Listening to "the right thing to do", Carly's voice sounded really shot. She seems to have lost the edge which was the selling point in the first place. I'm sure it would be fun to see her live still but as for recording- the old Carly has it every time.
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Comment number 2.
At 14:26 14th Mar 2010, ulysses2 wrote:The rest of this album ,though, her voice is rich and mellow---always that unusual barotine for female singles. It almost seems like she was warming up on "The Right Thing To Do---which is vergtheledss a great rendition. As an example, check out "Let the River Run"( which is absolutely the most beautiful rendition of this song), You belong to Me, Anticipation (again, just gorgious). Yes her key is a register lower, but it actually works for many of these songs--especiall YSV, Boys in the Trees, and Coming around again. Since Carly so rarely performs, or even promotes her albums--certainly not by today's standards---it's a testimony to their quality that these somgs are still recognized at all!I think for new audiences who are interested in songs that actually have melodies (seems rare these days) these are classics that shouldn't be missed.
By the way--you hear Jagger lately in concert---check out th back up singer off stage view.
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Comment number 3.
At 03:27 19th Mar 2010, B4_in_SF wrote:I really love this album.
Believe me when I heard the 30 second song files before the disc made it to the shops--I thought 'yikes, not good.'
Once the album was in hand and I spent some time with it... I was amazed....Yes, Ms Simon's voice may have gone south a bit, but her voice is not the point of this collection. (the reviewer here who lumps NEVER BEEN GONE with all those major label Greatest Hits collection only proves he was not really listening.
This album is about Carly Simon's songwriting and her musicality
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