Carly Simon
Never Been Gone
Iris Records
www.irisrecords.com
By George W. Harris

There’s always been something about Carly Simon that has attracted me.
Was it that floppy hat on one of her covers? Her high cheekbones? Her
husky voice? Whatever it was, she was one of my guilty pleasures in the
70s when I couldn’t stand most of the whiney singer songwriters like
Janis Ian or Carol King. On this disc, Simon does what most artists are
afraid to do; go back and revisit their old songbook and see how it
sounds 30 years down the line. Yes, she takes on all of those female
empowerment anthems, and actually does a good job with them.

He voice has aged well, a bit more relaxed and leathered, and she wears
it well. The tunes are much more acoustic and understated than the am
pop radio days. “Anticipation” and “You’re So Vain” as well as “The
Right Thing To Do” come across well in the 21st century, while “That’s
The Way….” sounds a bit preachy for the present generation. Acoustic
guitars, bass and djembes are the call of the day here, with a minimum
of production otherwise. A clever homemade tape of “Songbird” closes
this intimate and cozy release. I’ll probably listen to these versions
more often than her “Greatest Hits” disc for quite some time.