Carole King’s 1977 Capitol debut
Previously reissued on CD in Japan, King’s 1977 Capitol debut is now being reissued domestically on her own Rockingale imprint with its original ten tracks and an eight-page booklet that includes lyrics and album art. Simple Things was King’s last album to reach the Top 20 and be certified Gold, breaking a string of Top 10’s that stretched back to 1971’s Tapestry. This set also includes her first collaborations with future-third-husband Rick Evans, who co-wrote three songs. Like all four of her Capitol releases, Simple Things showcases King’s songwriting craft, soulful voice and keyboard playing, but failed to make a serious dent in the charts. Even her fellow singer-songwriters – Carly Simon and James Taylor – were then having hits with other people’s material.
The peppy “Hard Rock Café†(which sounds to be a celebration of hometown gathering places, rather than an advertisement for the then-yet-to-franchise London restaurant) climbed into the Top 40, and the album’s optimistic title track found success on the A/C chart. Fans will find many fine album tracks, all of which are relentlessly optimistic. Even the song of separation, “You’re the One Who Knows,†leans on the lasting value of what was, rather than dwelling on what’s no more, and the closing “One†speaks to King’s growing social conscience. The backing band is professional but didn’t add anything particularly memorable to an album that’s basically a journeyman among the better entries in King’s catalog. [©2012 hyperbolium dot com] 