Carole King - Home Again (2022) [24bit FLAC]

On Saturday May 26th, 1973 before 100,000 plus fans on the Great Lawn of Central Park in New York City, a generational talent singer-songwriter at the undeniable top of her game enjoyed a humbling homecoming a mere 14 miles from the house in Brooklyn where she grew up. The historic event highlighted the earth-moving power she’d unleashed with her watershed Tapestry (already being touted as one of the highest selling albums in history a mere two years after its release), all the way through her soon-to-be released song-cycle album Fantasy, (her fourth consecutive Lou Adler-produced album to land in Billboard’s Top Ten), Carole King’s performance that day was, according to Jack Nicholson, one of only two current events “proper” to be seen at in public.

Kicking off the show solo by expressing gratitude that a threatening storm had held off, the first portion of the performance highlights recent songs that were nigh-canonical at this point...from “Beautiful” to “Smackwater Jack” to “It’s Too Late” Carole’s deft piano and voice accompaniment is both enrapturing and riveting.

Later joined by her 11 piece band, all bedecked in customized St. Louis Blues hockey jerseys (“the musical note logo looked cool and they were cheaper than suits” said Adler of the sartorial decision) the second half of the gig was resplendent and lush, highlighting the bulk of the songs from Fantasy, and overall, the epitome of a crack band gelling on the material and connecting with the audience. Closing out the evening with “You’ve Got a Friend” dedicated to dear friend James Taylor, the overall feeling conveyed here is simple: joy.

Produced by Lou Adler and released in conjunction with Ode Records and Sony Music, Carole King Home Again is a previously unreleased concert recording and a stunning document of one of the greatest contributors to the American songbook. Presented on two LPs of brick-colored vinyl with one side dedicated to a graphic etching of the Fantasy tour logo. The gatefold jacket and printed inner sleeves feature stellar photos from the performance while the audio here is crisp and beautiful.

Additionally, the professionally filmed performance is presented here in its entirety in pristine quality on DVD. Helmed by the award-winning creatives behind the Coda Collection, the visual tableaux of the concert absolutely shines.

Exclusive to this set is a 7-inch single highlighting the inestimable talents of Lucy Dacus. A long-time fan of Carole King, Dacus recorded transformative covers of “Home Again” and “It’s Too Late” specifically to be included as part of this complete package. Both versions are pure, shining examples of why Lucy Dacus is one of the best singer-songwriters of this generation.