Moonlight Serenade
Carly Simon could spin vintageBlack Sabbathinto the musical equivalent of buttery, well warmed comfort food. Not surprisingly, much like her earlier trio of classics from the Great American Songbook (1981'sTorch,1990'sMy Romance,and 1997'sFilm Noir), Carly positively nails the 11 standards collected onMoonlight Serenade. If there appears to be a little more magic onMoonlightthat is missing from the others, you can credit her collaborator Richard Perry. As arranger and producer, Perry bends these songs in a direction that calls to mind the Simon/Perry classics from the early 1970s,No SecretsandHotcakesincluded. Confident interpretations and respectable playing aside, what you hear onMoonlight Serenadeis naturalness and joy, a spirit that bespeaks Simon at her peak. That spirit's power to transform ballads and soft rock songs into instant classics grabbed the 70's generation by the collar. WithMoonlight Serenade, we thankfully see that spirit sweeps across a ballroom with the same fullness and fire.--Tammy La GorceRecommended Carly Simon DiscographyNo SecretHotcakesReflections: Carly Simon’s Greatest Hits