Co-writing a large number of the most classic pop music hits of the 1960s would be enough of an accomplishment for most people, but not for Carole King, who left the Brill Building for Laurel Canyon and started a legendary second act that is defined by 1971's Tapestry.
Carole started off out of the box on fire, smashing the keys of the piano with a funky beat accompanied by a statement of unbridled passion. It sounds as if Carole has been holding back these feelings for a very long time and is finally able to shout them out with exuberant joy. The song builds to a crescendo of musical release giving way to a gradually slowing and calming coda, a shift in tone which sets the mood for the next section of the album.
Whether by distance both physical and emotional, or by death, separation from those we love is something that everyone has experienced at some point in their lives. Carole even admits, "can't say much of anything that's new". But she perfectly captures the bittersweet feeling that things would be better in the presence of certain people who mean the most to us.
The mournful solo flute which closes "So Far Away" segues gracefully into the melancholy groove of "It's Too Late". An admission of human failings, Carole contrasts nostalgia for the good times with the cold reality that a relationship is over. But the song, and the rest of the album, are a testament to the belief that when moving from one phase of life to the next, good things lie ahead and perhaps the change is for the best.
And that's just the first three songs.
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