Cogito Ergo Geek: Carly Simon

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Carly Simon

Celebrity.

I have never much cared for that word. It represents the unnatural state where one loves a person one has never met, never talked to, and to whom one remains a matter of complete anonymous indifference.

Yet if it is possible for a man to love such a person unreservedly, than I do love Carly Simon.

Carly Simon has never been a pretty woman, but she possesses an ageless beauty. She has written most of her most popular songs, and sings them with a precision and clarity which could never be matched by an imitator.

This paean to a chanteuse was inspired by, of all things, a recent Telegraph interview. There I learned more about Carly Simon than I needed to know.

Although she has lead an interesting (if chaotic) life, in truth, I am enamored of her music more than her person.

I first became aware of Carly Simon by her hit songs heard on the radio. Eventually I bought her "Reflections" album. Most recently I also bought "Film Noir", which is essentially an eclectic collection of 1940's Torch Songs (see her Laura, a lovely near-minor-key arrangement with appropriately repeated perfect flats, from "the film of the same name starring Gene Tierny)". I was disappointed at first, but after listening to the album several times -- most often as accompaniment to writing unrelated articles here -- I discovered that, although they were not 'her songs', she had made them hers with her magnificent voice and style.

All of this is just my opinion. You can decide by herself, as several of her better-known songs are available in the form of music videos. (And you can treat yourself to an small collection by going to the homage at Rolling Stones Magazine's website.)

Here's a selection of her music videos.

You're So Vain: