Blockbuster: Carole King's Tapestry Defined the Singer-Songwriter Movement, Swept Grammy Awards, Spawned Four Hit Singles, and Sold More Than 25 Million Copies Worldwide

Feel the Earth Move: Mobile Fidelity's Numbered-Edition Hybrid SACD Is True to the Producer’s Original Intent of Putting Carole King in the Room With You

Carole King’s Tapestry is one of the rare albums that immediately plays in your head the moment its title, cover art, or songs are mentioned. Having achieved status of near-mythical proportions, it is the singer-songwriter record you’d bring to the proverbial desert island if you were limited to one choice. Renowned for its lifelike production, Tapestry now sounds clearer, richer, and more emotional courtesy of Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition hybrid SACD.

Faithful to original album producer Lou Adler’s vision of making King (and not just any pianist player) appear seated and playing in front of listeners, this SACD delivers utmost transparency, balance, warmth, intimacy, and perhaps most importantly, feeling. Aware of how many times this iconic work has been re-released, Mobile Fidelity's engineers settled for nothing less than the finest sonic presentation possible when mastering Tapestry from the original master tapes.

The results mirror what went down in the A&M Studios. Lean, simple, direct, and so nakedly real the sonics evoke what might be heard on a professional demo tape, this collectible SACD gives what Rolling Stone deems the 36th Greatest Album of All Time the due it deserves. King’s personal singing, her graceful pianism, the integral rhythmic foundation provided by the likes of drummer Russ Kunkel and guitarist Danny Kortchmar, and the symmetrical contributions of guest instrumentalists ranging from saxophonist Curtis Amy to guitarist James Taylor resonate with three-dimensional imaging and cozy realism.

Indeed, one reason—apart from the flawless songwriting, earnest deliveries, and eloquent performances—Tapestry endures is because of the naturalness of the production and songs. King’s unadulterated articulations on love, conviction, friendship, place, sadness, and companionship ring true because there’s no doubting their meaning, intent, or sincerity. Tapestry makes you feel, and compels you to get closer to the music and the musicians performing. It is an album of organic nuances, suggestive intents, and engaging melodies.

Thematically, classics such as “You’ve Got a Friend,” “I Feel the Earth Move,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman” resonate because they address universal sensibilities and the human condition. They, like all of Tapestry, are relaxed yet emancipating, strong yet mellow, comfortable yet terrifically beautiful and lastingly unique. Four major Grammy Awards, four Top 10 singles, sales of more than 25 million copies, and one of the first albums chosen for inclusion in the National Recording Registry just seem like icing on the cake.