Hear movies on CD with Carly Simon!

Carly Simon’s Film Noir is not her original work, but even for us Carly fans, it can please the socks off us. If you’re a big Carly fan, you’ll miss her original lyrics packed with meaning (much of which you realize is only understood by her, but they create images just as real for us). There’s one song on the CD co-written by Carly and Jimmy Webb. That was enough to keep me going until her next CD. That piece carries much of her musical signature.

Although I know little of the film noir movie genre, this CD inspired me to view some of it. Other reviews describe how this CD captures the feeling of the old film noir movies. It certainly has a feel to it, and it’s one that is different from any other CD I’ve heard by Carly. You actually think you’re at the movies, but the only movie playing is in your imagination. The orchestration sounds very much like a movie score in many places. Carly Simon herself said that Film Noir is all about hyperbole and being “almost over the top” in terms of production and expression. Much of the production on this CD is over the top. I found myself asking why it was so over done until I realized it was part of the mood of the album. I actually got kinda tired of the “over the top” element, so when I transferred the CD to cassette for listening in my car, I ended up fading out before some of the tracks ended to avoid the drawn out “movie music drama.”

“Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” is an arrangement of that old standby that fits least with the mood of the rest of the selections. That takes nothing away from it for me, however. It’s one of my favorite tracks! And for those of you who missed her previous CD, Letters Never Sent, don’t be surprised by James Taylor singing background vocals. No they’re not back together, and that’s not James Taylor—that’s their son, Ben Taylor! It’s really kind of eerie, but he’s got his parents’ combined talent, and it sounds great! He makes a couple appearances as background on this CD.

“Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year” is a duet with Jimmy Webb with Mr. Webb singing the lead (I found it kinda strange for a guest on an album to sing the melody). I love this song, though. It’s quiet, underdone, and accompanied only by an old piano you envision in a smoky bar (used throughout the CD). In this cut, you sense the bar is empty, after hours in the early morning, with the singer alone, singing through his sadness (he’s telling his former lover that Spring will be late, “for you have left me”). The musical interlude is rather abrasive with an edgy electric guitar, but I guess that’s part of the “over the top” aspect. Carly’s ethereal harmony over the top is haunting.

The title track, “Film Noir” is the only original song, and it’s one of my favorites! As a dual venture between Carly and her producer, I suspect he did more words and she did more music, although I hear some of her poetic touches in the lyrics, too. I especially like the way they refer to the opening title scrolling “as the score comes in and under” while the lushly-produced orchestration takes you right into the movie playing in your imagination.

Many of us were disappointed in Carly’s choice of John Travolta for the duet, “Two Sleepy People,” but if we didn’t have another picture of him as an actor in specific roles we might be more forgiving. He does an alright job; we’re just used to hearing Carly with more masculine voices like James Taylor, Ben Taylor, and Marc Cohn. The real issue: we men are just jealous that it’s not US singing with Carly!

One of the special treats on this CD (which many owners aren’t even aware of) is the special multi-media presentation! Yep! Stick it in the CD-ROM drive of your computer, and you get a great room that you can look around in 360 degrees. Click on certain objects and you get Carly appearing, talking about the making of Film Noir, about her feelings about the movies, about Martin Scorcese’s foundation (he wrote a great review on this CD), and a few other topics. It’s a real treat to see Carly talk to you!

Not typical Carly, but both fans and semi-fans will enjoy it, especially Film Noir fans!