Carly Simon (album)

Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Studio album by Carly Simon
Released	February 9, 1971
Recorded	1970–1971
Studio	Electric Lady Studios, New York City
Genre	Folk rock;
Length	38:26
Label	Elektra
Producer	Eddie Kramer
Carly Simon chronology
Singles from Carly Simon
	"That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be"; Released: 1971;

Carly Simon is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on February 9, 1971.

The album was produced by Eddie Kramer, who had previously worked with Joe Cocker and Jimi Hendrix, and included Simon's first Top 10 hit, "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be", which earned her a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1972.^[1] A somber ballad centered on a woman pondering marriage with a sense of both inevitability and entrapment; the song was written by Simon and frequent collaborator Jacob Brackman.^[2] The album also earned Simon the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the same ceremony.^[1]

The album features material written by Simon, with additional writing by Brackman, Kramer, and Fred Gardner, as well as covers of songs by Mark Klingman and Buzzy Linhart.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[3]
Christgau's Record Guide	C−^[4]

The album was mostly well received by music critics upon release. Timothy Crouse, writing in Rolling Stone, stated "Carly's voice perfectly matches her material" and her "superbly controlled voice is complemented by deft arrangements."^[5] Robert Christgau, writing for The Village Voice, was less impressed; "I suppose it makes sense not only for the privileged to inflict their sensibilities on us, but for many of us to dig it."^[6] In more recent years, William Ruhlmann, writing for AllMusic, rated the album 31⁄2-stars-out-of-5, and listed the tracks "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" and "Dan, My Fling" as stand-outs.^[3]

In a retrospective assessment, music scholar Kim Simpson deemed "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" an "early soft rock masterpiece."^[7]

Simon stated in the Ask Carly section on her website that "Reunions" was her mother's—Andrea Simon—favorite song of hers.

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Recipient/Work	Result	Ref.
1972	Grammy Awards	Best New Artist	Carly Simon	Won	^[1]
1972	Grammy Awards	Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female	"That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be"	Nominated	^[1]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.^[8]

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be"	Carly Simon Jacob Brackman	4:15
2.	"Alone"	Simon	3:36
3.	"One More Time"	Simon	3:32
4.	"The Best Thing"	Simon	4:14
5.	"Just a Sinner"	Moogy Klingman	3:10

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Dan, My Fling"	Brackman Fred Gardner	5:28
2.	"Another Door"	Simon	3:16
3.	"Reunions"	Simon Bill Mernit Eddie Kramer	3:06
4.	"Rolling Down the Hills"	Simon	3:35
5.	"The Love's Still Growing"	Buzzy Linhart	4:14
Total length:			38:26

Personnel

Musicians

Carly Simon – vocals, acoustic piano, guitar
Paul Griffin – keyboards
Mark "Moogy" Klingman – keyboards
Billy Mernit – keyboards
David Bromberg – guitar
Jimmy Ryan – guitar
Jimmy Johnson – guitar
Jeff Baxter – pedal steel guitar
Jerry Jemmott – bass
Tony Levin – bass
Jim Wilkins – bass
John Siomos – drums
Harvey Shapiro – cello
Ed Freeman – string arrangements (1, 8, 10)
Pat Rebillot – string arrangements (2)

Production

Producer – Eddie Kramer
Engineered and Mixed by Eddie Kramer and Dave Palmer
Art Direction and Design – Robert L. Heimall
Cover Photography and Poster – Peter Simon
Back Cover Photography – Joel Brodsky

Charts

Album – Billboard (United States)^[9]

Year	Chart	Position
1971	Billboard 200	30

Album – International

Year	Country	Position
1971	Australia^[10]	55
1971	Canada^[11]	17

Singles – Billboard (United States)^[9]

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1971	"That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be"	Adult Contemporary	6
1971	"That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be"	Hot 100	10

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Carly Simon". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
^ "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be lyrics". Carlysimon.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Ruhlmann, William. "Carly Simon". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2007.
^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
^ Crouse, Timothy (April 1, 1971). "Carly Simon review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
^ Christgau, Robert (August 19, 1971). "Consumer Guide: Carly Simon". The Village Voice. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
^ Simpson, Kim (July 21, 2011). Early '70s Radio: The American Format Revolution. A&C Black. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-441-15758-4.
^ Carly Simon (1971). Carly Simon (booklet). Elektra.
^ ^a ^b "Carly Simon – Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "CAN Charts > Carly Simon". RPM. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.

External links

Carly Simon's Official Website

[Gram-1] "Carly Simon". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2018.

[2] "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be lyrics". Carlysimon.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.

[allmusic-3] Ruhlmann, William. "Carly Simon". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2007.

[CG-4] Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.

[RS1971-5] Crouse, Timothy (April 1, 1971). "Carly Simon review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2011.

[6] Christgau, Robert (August 19, 1971). "Consumer Guide: Carly Simon". The Village Voice. Retrieved November 7, 2011.

[7] Simpson, Kim (July 21, 2011). Early '70s Radio: The American Format Revolution. A&C Black. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-441-15758-4.

[Album_booklet-8] Carly Simon (1971). Carly Simon (booklet). Elektra.

[billboard-9] "Carly Simon – Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2015.

[kent-10] Kent, David (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[can-11] "CAN Charts > Carly Simon". RPM. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.

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