The Best of Carly Simon (CD - 1975)

Personnel includes: Carly Simon (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano); James Taylor, Carole King (vocals); Jim Ryan (acoustic & electric guitars, bass); Paul Keough (acoustic guitar); Robbie Robertson, Andrew Gold (guitar); Bobby Keys (tenor & baritone saxophones); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Dr. John (piano, organ); Paul Griffin, Paul Glanz, Nicky Hopkins (piano); Tony Levin, Klaus Voorman, Willie Weeks (bass); Andy Newmark (drums, percussion); Jimmy Johnson, Jim Keltner, Jim Gordon (drums); Ray Cooper, Eddie Bongo (congas); Ralph McDonald, Richard Perry (percussion); Mick Jagger, Liza Strike, Vicki Brown, Carl Hall, Tasha Thomas, Lani Groves, Bonnie Bramlett, Doris Troy, Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney (background vocals).

Producers: Eddie Kramer, Richard Perry, Paul Samwell-Smith.

The first and still the best of the many Carly Simon compilations available, 1975's THE BEST OF CARLY SIMON is an all-meat, no-filler collection of most of the folk-pop singer/songwriter's best and biggest songs. Looking over the track listing, one is reminded of just how many classic songs Simon was responsible for in the early '70s.

"That's the Way I've Always Heard it Should Be," "The Right Thing to Do," "Haven't Got Time For the Pain," "Anticipation," and of course "You're So Vain" still sound remarkably solid. This is particularly impressive considering the amount of radio time they've all gotten in the intervening decades. Simon's husky voice and smart, piano-based arrangements don't sound nearly as dated as those of many of her contemporaries, and while THE BEST OF CARLY SIMON may qualify as a guilty pleasure in some minds, it's a pleasure nonetheless. minimize