Carly Simon - Greatest Hits Live (1988)

I was given this CD and now I'm wondering why the previous owner wanted to pass it on:

1. they missed the word "Live" in the title and were expecting the familiar studio cuts, or
2. they enjoyed the HBO Special "Carly In Concert - Coming Around Again" (or subsequent home video release "Live From Martha's Vineyard") and mistakenly thought they wanted to hear it again.

Whatever the reason - their loss, my gain. Some hits are here, Carly is in fine voice, the recording is clean, and the band - including T-Bone Wolk, Hugh McCracken, Lani Groves, and Michael Brecker - are cookin'. My only complaints are the drums are way too hot in the mix, there's a dadgum (prerecorded?) children's choir on track 10, and the fake crowd noise throughout gets old very quickly. I've never been to any concert where there was half as much whistling as there is on this release. But those are minor quibbles.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #87
• CashBox: #85

Billboard, August 13, 1988, p. 82

Tracks and the Billboard chart peaks of the studio versions:

1. Nobody Does It Better (#2 pop, #1 AC, 1977)
2. You're So Vain (#1 pop, #1 AC, 1972)
3. It Happens Everyday (1983)
4. Anticipation (#10 pop, #3 AC, 1971)
5. The Right Thing To Do (#17 pop, #4 AC, 1973)
6. Do The Walls Come Down (1987)
7. You Belong To Me (#6 pop, #4 AC, 1978)
8. Two Hot Girls (On A Hot Summer Night) (1987)
9. All I Want Is You (#7 AC, 1987)
10. Coming Around Again/Itsy Bitsy Spider (#18 pop, #5 AC, 1986)
11. Never Been Gone (1979)

I'm glad Jesse didn't make the cut; I wouldn't have minded That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be, Mockingbird, or Haven't Got Time For The Pain on the disc, but I wasn't consulted. However, I understand that artists have to play new music and deep album cuts at their concerts because they realize the audience needs a chance to go buy merch and/or visit the concessions and restrooms.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When the hit song You're So Vain was popular, I thought the lyrics were "I had some dreams, they were grounds in my coffee." 😂 Since I was 6 years old at the time, I'm impressed I knew what coffee grounds were.