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thebobsphere's review
3.0
Tapestry is my first Carole King album and I liked it a lot! Loren Glass' book about it is ok. I've never bothered to do research on her so this was a perfect primer. The story behind the album is good too. It's a concise, no frills book.
reenum's review
4.0
This book is a great exploration of the dawn of the women's liberation movement through the lens of Carol Klein aka Carole King.
The first part of the book is a straight ahead biography of King. This helped put her art into better focus. The problems she had with her first husband and her subsequent life as a single mom help show why King eschewed the traditional sexuality of the young female pop singer. King had a couple of kids to take care of and didn't have time for that nonsense. This maturity also helped her act as an equal of James Taylor and other male singers on the Laurel Canyon scene. King's ability to make her own path in the music industry made her an iconoclast. There aren't that many women even today who have been able to be as confident and assured as her.
I also enjoyed the discussion of the artistry of her post-Tapestry albums. While she never quite reached the heights of Tapestry, she continued to make music that reflected her journey through life. The last chapter talked about the inevitable evolution of a lot of singers from the 60s and 70s: the cash in. King grossed $58 million on a tour she went on in the 2000s, she sold her album exclusively through Starbucks, and also did other commercial tie-ins. I'm not knocking the hustle, but it's interesting that someone who seemed so dedicated to keeping her music pure later succumbed to the temptation of riches and fame.
I recommend this book to any music fan.
The first part of the book is a straight ahead biography of King. This helped put her art into better focus. The problems she had with her first husband and her subsequent life as a single mom help show why King eschewed the traditional sexuality of the young female pop singer. King had a couple of kids to take care of and didn't have time for that nonsense. This maturity also helped her act as an equal of James Taylor and other male singers on the Laurel Canyon scene. King's ability to make her own path in the music industry made her an iconoclast. There aren't that many women even today who have been able to be as confident and assured as her.
I also enjoyed the discussion of the artistry of her post-Tapestry albums. While she never quite reached the heights of Tapestry, she continued to make music that reflected her journey through life. The last chapter talked about the inevitable evolution of a lot of singers from the 60s and 70s: the cash in. King grossed $58 million on a tour she went on in the 2000s, she sold her album exclusively through Starbucks, and also did other commercial tie-ins. I'm not knocking the hustle, but it's interesting that someone who seemed so dedicated to keeping her music pure later succumbed to the temptation of riches and fame.
I recommend this book to any music fan.
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