POP!
Dress you up
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2007
- Messages
- 50,700
A few weeks ago VoR recommended the Carly Simon's GH 'Reflections', after quite a few listens here are my thoughts:
1. You're So Vain - It's weird when there are those songs that you've ALWAYS known yet don't actually think to listen to ever because you automatically think you've made your mind up and criminally underrate it yourself as a result. This is one of those songs for me, I adore it on this Greatest Hits but never properly gave it a chance before 9/10
2. Anticipation - One of her other big hitters I see, very much AC radio fodder but I quite like it, I can imagine it'd be the type of song my mom would sing horribly off key to in the car (she did this my entire childhood to old Carole King, James Taylor, Beatles etc) but it's pleasant as is 6/10
3. Nobody Does It Better - Another nice slowie, I like this one a bit better though, the arrangement is a little less formulaic, lovely instruments and quite lush 7.5/10
4. That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be - omg this is gorgeous
, I have to give Carly credit. Beyond the face of predictable AC hell I always suspected in her catalog this has really bittersweet and 
lyrics, and the whole thing is really quite haunting particularly the verses. Was this autobiographical in some way? I can imagine it has quite the back story for her 9/10
5. Coming Around Again - this was definitely my favorite aside from "Why", it's very late 80s/early 90s Laura Branigan and that's a huge compliment coming from me. I LOVE the key change(?) in the chorus, the chanting "I believe in love..." 10/10
6. The Right Thing to Do - this one made less impact on me, pleasant enough but not enough to re-gain my attention after the amazing preceding track 6/10
7. Let the River Run - sounds like a 90s christian track, a nice melody it has but it kind of reminds me of Debbie Harry's dreadful "Communion". I am a sucker for gospel choir though 6.5/10
8. I've Got to Have You - a bit quieter but I like the dramatic change-up at around 2:45, definitely the kind of music to listen to during a thunderstorm on a late Summer afternoon. 7/10
9. Mockingbird - cheesy as fuck
, but I'd be lying if I wasn't nodding along to it and mouthing the words by the third listen. Not something I'd ever choose to put on willingly but it's fun enough 6/10
10. Legend in Your Own Room - I found this one a bit boring but nice simple guitar track 5/10
11. Why - I certifiably love this now, not just the catchy 'la di da di da's but the backing track is amazing in a funky, pop, reggae/calypso sort of way and I actually think she sounds fucking sexy on it, sorry 10/10
12. We Have No Secrets - I love the subtle instrumentation here, and the sweeping in and out (is it a keyboard? it happens right after "sometimes I wish" and in the break before it), quite dreamy 8/10
13. Haven't Got Time for the Pain - something a bit more sing-a-long and anthem-y 7/10
14. You Belong to Me - do I spot a bit of a 70s R&B influence here, I quite like it and it's a bit different to the other stuff on the album but still very Carly Simon, I like the brass instrumental break 7.5/10
15. Jessie - a bit sassy for Carly Simon standards 6.5/10
16. Boys in the Trees - not necessarily an unusual song for the compilation but it does seem a bit darker and than some of the songs on the album, I imagine it will still grow on me 7/10
17. The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of - Was this on an underperforming budget early 90s Carly album? It sounds like it would be and not in a good way Pleasant but I don't think it pulls off what it's trying to here 4/10
18. Give Me All Night - I like the 80s production, it's more evident here than on the other songs which sound for the most part they could all be on her 70s output/commercial peak. Now this is very Laura Branigan 7/10
19. Love of My Life - Losing a bit of interest with this song, sounds like what I already heard in some of the other songs but more nondescript and generic. picks up a bit more toward the end but still very dull
"I like pumpernickel bread" wtf 2/10
20. Touched By the Sun - A nice closer and she sounds to be genuinely impassioned on it unlike a few of the previous which sound kind of phoned in, I like the 80s guitar solo, who's the male voice? 7/10
All in all, very pleased. It's a bit much to sit through all in one go but I can definitely see myself going back to it months and years from now to quite a few of the songs. "Coming Around Again", "That''s the Way..." and "Why" alone are incentive enough for that and I imagine a lot of it will still grow
1. You're So Vain - It's weird when there are those songs that you've ALWAYS known yet don't actually think to listen to ever because you automatically think you've made your mind up and criminally underrate it yourself as a result. This is one of those songs for me, I adore it on this Greatest Hits but never properly gave it a chance before 9/10
2. Anticipation - One of her other big hitters I see, very much AC radio fodder but I quite like it, I can imagine it'd be the type of song my mom would sing horribly off key to in the car (she did this my entire childhood to old Carole King, James Taylor, Beatles etc) but it's pleasant as is 6/10
3. Nobody Does It Better - Another nice slowie, I like this one a bit better though, the arrangement is a little less formulaic, lovely instruments and quite lush 7.5/10
4. That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be - omg this is gorgeous
, I have to give Carly credit. Beyond the face of predictable AC hell I always suspected in her catalog this has really bittersweet and lyrics, and the whole thing is really quite haunting particularly the verses. Was this autobiographical in some way? I can imagine it has quite the back story for her 9/105. Coming Around Again - this was definitely my favorite aside from "Why", it's very late 80s/early 90s Laura Branigan and that's a huge compliment coming from me. I LOVE the key change(?) in the chorus, the chanting "I believe in love..."
10/106. The Right Thing to Do - this one made less impact on me, pleasant enough but not enough to re-gain my attention after the amazing preceding track 6/10
7. Let the River Run - sounds like a 90s christian track, a nice melody it has but it kind of reminds me of Debbie Harry's dreadful "Communion". I am a sucker for gospel choir though 6.5/10
8. I've Got to Have You - a bit quieter but I like the dramatic change-up at around 2:45, definitely the kind of music to listen to during a thunderstorm on a late Summer afternoon. 7/10
9. Mockingbird - cheesy as fuck
, but I'd be lying if I wasn't nodding along to it and mouthing the words by the third listen. Not something I'd ever choose to put on willingly but it's fun enough 6/1010. Legend in Your Own Room - I found this one a bit boring but nice simple guitar track 5/10
11. Why - I certifiably love this now, not just the catchy 'la di da di da's but the backing track is amazing in a funky, pop, reggae/calypso sort of way and I actually think she sounds fucking sexy on it, sorry
10/1012. We Have No Secrets - I love the subtle instrumentation here, and the sweeping in and out (is it a keyboard? it happens right after "sometimes I wish" and in the break before it), quite dreamy 8/10
13. Haven't Got Time for the Pain - something a bit more sing-a-long and anthem-y 7/10
14. You Belong to Me - do I spot a bit of a 70s R&B influence here, I quite like it and it's a bit different to the other stuff on the album but still very Carly Simon, I like the brass instrumental break 7.5/10
15. Jessie - a bit sassy for Carly Simon standards 6.5/10
16. Boys in the Trees - not necessarily an unusual song for the compilation but it does seem a bit darker and
than some of the songs on the album, I imagine it will still grow on me 7/1017. The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of - Was this on an underperforming budget early 90s Carly album? It sounds like it would be and not in a good way
Pleasant but I don't think it pulls off what it's trying to here 4/1018. Give Me All Night - I like the 80s production, it's more evident here than on the other songs which sound for the most part they could all be on her 70s output/commercial peak. Now this is very Laura Branigan 7/10
19. Love of My Life - Losing a bit of interest with this song, sounds like what I already heard in some of the other songs but more nondescript and generic. picks up a bit more toward the end but still very dull
"I like pumpernickel bread" wtf
2/1020. Touched By the Sun - A nice closer and she sounds to be genuinely impassioned on it unlike a few of the previous which sound kind of phoned in, I like the 80s guitar solo, who's the male voice? 7/10
All in all, very pleased. It's a bit much to sit through all in one go but I can definitely see myself going back to it months and years from now to quite a few of the songs. "Coming Around Again", "That''s the Way..." and "Why" alone are incentive enough for that and I imagine a lot of it will still grow
Last edited:
