Album Mini-review: The City — Now That Everything’s Been Said
File next to: Carole King, Laura Nyro, Brooklyn Bridge
Carole King‘s landmark 1971 LP Tapestry is admired even by those who don’t generally go in for that sort of thing. Her second album (1970’s Writer was her debut), Tapestry is a timeless and richly woven effort. Many music fans know that before embarking on a solo career, King was already a well-established “Brill Building” songwriter; only a few know that she recorded a 1968 LP as part of a group called The City. Moreover, that album’s personnel is nearly the same as Tapestry, right down to producer Lou Adler. Long out of print, unheard, and unfairly dismissed as undistinguished, Now That Everything’s Been Said is in fact a superb album that not only foreshadows Tapestry‘s pleasures, but actually kinda rocks in places. It’s hard to imagine a rock fan who digs Tapestry not falling in love with this disc, newly rescued from undeserved obscurity.
An edited version of this review appeared in the Colorado Springs Independent.
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About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.