This Kind of Love is the 22nd studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Hear Music, on April 29, 2008. Simon's first album of original material since The Bedroom Tapes in 2000, it is also her most recent album to date consisting of brand new songs. It debuted at No. 15 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 23,000 copies in its first week. By late 2009, the album had sold 124,000 copies.

Background

This Kind of Love was released via the Starbucks-owned label Hear Music and was to be sold in Starbucks outlets as well as by general music retailers. To Simon's disappointment, Starbucks announced that it had ceased day-to-day operations of Hear Music five days before the release date of This Kind of Love. Starbucks reneged on its agreement to stock the album in stores and reduced her advance after Simon had spent $100,000 on recording sessions in Martha's Vineyard. In 2009, Simon sued Starbucks for "concealment of material facts", "tortious interference" with Simon's contract, and "unlawful, unfair and fraudulent business practices". Simon's lawsuit was dismissed in favor of Starbucks.

Production

Simon cited Brazilian music as an influence for the thirteen-song album. She worked on the album for two years.

Reception

This Kind of Love received general acclaim from music critics. AllMusic stated "the aching 'So Many People to Love' is a sparse, spontaneous, sadly sweet finger-popping swing tune... this is the kind of pop song that is perfect for Simon's voice." The track "Hold Out Your Heart" was also singled out for praise; "The skeletal guitar that accompanies her on the first lines are quietly stunning. When the strings and backing vocals enter, they wipe away the years of 'pop music progression' and take listeners back to a purer time -- when lyrics would communicate in sync with music written specifically to offer a dramatic aural portrait of an emotional slice of life or an episodic one. It's graceful and quite beautiful when it reaches up and everything swells." He concluded: "This is the best album of mostly original material she's cut since 1979's Spy." The Boston Globe stated "her voice is huskier, veined with the fine lines of age, but that only enhances the sultry sound of the Vineyard's favorite songbird, the still-too-sexy-for-her-shirt Carly Simon. The original songs on This Kind of Love are a mishmash of styles: poppy, jazzy, or seasoned with a dash of Brazilian Tropicana. Thirty-six years after her breakthrough No Secrets, Simon is still exploring the vicissitudes of togetherness." Writing for PopMatters, Steve Horowitz was also enthusiastic, rating the album 8 out of 10 stars and writing "Simon has prodigious gifts that seem so effortless that it’s easy to mistake the laidback elements of her songs for laziness. That would definitely be a mistake. The carefree aspect of her music disguises the intensity of the underlying feelings expressed. Simon’s artistry can be found in how she expresses the tension between these conflicting elements," continuing "Simon uses Brazilian rhythms to create a calm façade as she sings about life, love, and death. The music mostly sways like a gentle, tropical breeze. She sings in an unhurried fashion, rarely revving up the tempo, instead letting the percussion section do that for her. And she rarely stretches for a note. That famous ache in her voice so prominent in her early work from the ‘70s is rarely found here. Instead, she sounds mellow... Don’t mistake its pleasant surfaces for laidback listening. There’s much more to it than initially meets the ear."

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Credits

Musicians

• Carly Simon – lead vocals, electric piano (2, 11, 13), backing vocals (3, 4, 5, 10, 13), acoustic piano (5), synthesizers (5, 13), percussion (5, 11), acoustic guitar (10), guitars (11), bass (11) • Tesse Gohl – orchestrations (1-4, 6, 8, 11), synthesizers (6), string arrangements (11) • Sammy Merendino – programming (3) • Peter Calo – music director (1-8, 10, 11, 13), guitars (1, 2, 3, 5-8, 10, 13), backing vocals (3, 4), acoustic guitar (4), electric guitar (4), mandolin (5), dobro (8, 10) • David Saw – guitars (1, 2, 5, 6), backing vocals (3, 5, 13) • Ben Mauro – guitars (9) • Michael Lockwood – guitar solo (11) • Lincoln Goines – bass (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13) • Jimmy Webb – bass (3), backing vocals (3), synthesizers (4, 10), orchestrations (5), acoustic piano (7, 11, 13), arrangements • Tom "T-Bone" Wolk – bass (11) • Robby Ameen – drums (1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 13) • Steve Gadd – drums (11) • Cyro Baptista – percussion (1-4, 6, 8, 11) • Rick Marotta – percussion (1, 2, 3, 6, 8), cajón (11) • Aaron Heick – saxophone (1), English horn (5), alto flute (7, 11) • William Galison – harmonica (13) • Elena Barere – concertmaster (1-6, 8) • David Campbell – string arrangements (9) • Wade Robson – string arrangements (9), vocal arrangements (9) • Jill Dell'Abate – backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 13), contractor • Frank Filipetti – backing vocals (1, 5, 6, 10) • Tawatha Agee – backing vocals (2, 6, 13) • Vaneese Thomas – backing vocals (2, 6, 13) • Fonzi Thornton – backing vocals (2, 6, 13) • Jimmy Parr – backing vocals (3) • Ben Taylor – backing vocals (3, 4, 5, 13), acoustic guitar (4) • Sheree Brown – backing vocals (9) • Children's Choir (Tracks 1 & 6) • Sarah Barnaby, Ben Brooks, Amy Cass, Melanie Clarke, Aidan Cron, Emily Graffeo, Ryan King, Josie Mangold, Lucas Mangold, Emily Powers and Amanda Scopelliti

Production

• Frank Filipetti – producer (1-8, 10, 11, 13), engineer, mixing • Jimmy Webb – producer (1-8, 10, 11, 13) • Carly Simon – additional producer (1-8, 10, 11, 13), producer (12), additional engineer, liner notes • Ben Taylor – additional producer (1-8, 10, 11, 13), additional engineer • Wade Robson – producer (9) • Jimmy Parr – associate producer, additional engineer • Derik Lee – additional engineer, assistant engineer • Missy Webb – assistant engineer • Bob Ludwig – mastering • Jill Dell'Abate – production coordination • Tommy Steele – art direction, design • Jodie Wright – webmaster • Lynn Goldsmith – photography • Meghan La Roque – personal assistant • Amanda Ziskin – personal assistant • Studios • Recorded at Legacy Recording Studios (New York, NY) and Parr Audio (Oak Bluff, MA). • Mixed at Legacy Recording Studios • Mastered at Gateway Mastering (Portland, ME)

Charts