Tapestry by Carole King, 1971
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
One of the most legendary and best-selling albums of all-time, Tapestry was a real pleasure to listen to. I'd already heard I Feel the Earth Move, but every single track on this album is really special. Many sound similar, but all are simultaneously unique.
I see why this four-Grammy Awards-winning album holds the record for most consecutive weeks at number one by a female solo artist, all these decades later.
My top 3 songs:
1. It's Too Late
This song was released as a single along with I Feel the Earth Move, and it slots into the album perfectly. There are so many things right about this song—it's hard to pick specific things to talk about.
I think an underrated part of It's Too Late is the percussion: the drums are perfect throughout this track and they provide a nice bed for the groove of the song.
2. Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
WYLMT is a heartfelt ballad that doesn't get you down and make you feel depressed; you can really feel the Carole-ness here, especially in how the song moves. I absolutely love her voice, and this is one of the best tracks to hear just how great her voice is.
3. Smackwater Jack
Smackwater Jack sounds out of place yet so perfectly in-place on this album, and I love it.
The driving drums and layered guitar upstrokes make this a fun track, and the moving bass in the background is really awesome.
Listening to this after Will You Love Me Tomorrow? was kind of odd at first, but after a second or third listen, I understood why and how this song fits on King's record. The lyrics are especially clever, at times, and beautifully show off her and Gerry Goffin's writing abilities.
Honorable mention: Beautiful
Beautiful was a close contender for top 3 songs, especially as a showcase of King's truly terrific vocals, but I'm not a huge fan of the somewhat odd on-beat drum part throughout—causing the track to drop just behind Smackwater Jack.
