| Carly Simon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 9, 1971 | |||
| Recorded | 1970–1971 | |||
| Studio | Electric Lady Studios, New York City | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:26 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer | Eddie Kramer | |||
| Carly Simon chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Carly Simon | ||||
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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.
| 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.
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient/Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Grammy Awards | Best New Artist | Carly Simon | Won | [1] |
| Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female | "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" | Nominated |
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[8]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" | 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 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dan, My Fling" |
| 5:28 |
| 2. | "Another Door" | Simon | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Reunions" |
| 3:06 |
| 4. | "Rolling Down the Hills" | Simon | 3:35 |
| 5. | "The Love's Still Growing" | Buzzy Linhart | 4:14 |
| Total length: | 38:26 | ||
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[9] | 55 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[10] | 17 |
| US Billboard 200[11] | 30 |
