Carly Simon (album)

Carly Simon
Studio album by Carly Simon
Released	February 9, 1971
Recorded	1970–1971
Studio	Electric Lady Studios, New York City
Genre	Folk rock
Length	38:26
Label	Elektra
Producer	Eddie Kramer
Carly Simon chronology
Carly Simon (1971) Anticipation (1971)
Singles from Carly Simon
"That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" Released: 1971

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] Written by Simon and frequent collaborator Jacob Brackman, the song was a somber ballad centered on a woman pondering marriage with a sense of both inevitability and entrapment. ^[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.

Reception

Professional ratings

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.

Awards

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

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. ^[8]

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be"	Carly Simon Jacob Brackman	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

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Dan, My Fling"	Brackman Fred Gardner	5:28
2.	"Another Door"	Simon	3:16
3.	"Reunions"	Simon Bill Mernit Eddie Kramer	3:06
4.	"Rolling Down the Hills"	Simon	3:35
5.	"The Love's Still Growing"	Buzzy Linhart	4:14
Total length:			38:26

Personnel

Musicians

• Carly Simon – vocals, acoustic piano, guitar
• Paul Griffin – keyboards
• Mark "Moogy" Klingman – keyboards
• Billy Mernit – keyboards
• David Bromberg – guitar
• Jimmy Ryan – guitar
• Jimmy Johnson – guitar
• Jeff Baxter – pedal steel guitar
• Jerry Jemmott – bass
• Tony Levin – bass
• Jim Wilkins – bass
• John Siomos – drums
• Harvey Shapiro – cello
• Ed Freeman – string arrangements (1, 8, 10)
• Pat Rebillot – string arrangements (2)

Production

• Producer – Eddie Kramer
• Engineered and Mixed by Eddie Kramer and Dave Palmer
• Art Direction and Design – Robert L. Heimall
• Cover Photography and Poster – Peter Simon
• Back Cover Photography – Joel Brodsky

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1971)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [9]	55
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [10]	17
US Billboard 200 [11]	30
US Cash Box Top 100 Albums [12]	20

References

1. "Carly Simon". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
2. "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be lyrics". Carlysimon.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
3. Ruhlmann, William. "Carly Simon". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2007.
4. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 12, 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
5. Crouse, Timothy (April 1, 1971). "Carly Simon review". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
6. Christgau, Robert (August 19, 1971). "Consumer Guide: Carly Simon". The Village Voice . Retrieved November 7, 2011.
7. Simpson, Kim (July 21, 2011). Early '70s Radio: The American Format Revolution. A&C Black. p. 89. ISBN   978-1-441-15758-4.
8. Carly Simon (1971). Carly Simon (booklet). Elektra.
9. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
10. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5324". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
11. "Carly Simon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
12. "Cash Box Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. XXXIII, no. 6. July 24, 1971. p. 29. ISSN   0008-7289 – via World Radio History.

External links

• Carly Simon's Official Website