This review was published in the February 2023 issue of Classic Rock magazine, no. 310.
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The birth of a musical legend witnessed by thousands and, luckily, caught on camera.
Carole King’s revered legacy had its genesis with the release of Tapestry (1971). Two years later, the first ever free concert was put on in Central Park, performed by King to one hundred thousand people.
Archive footage filmed by Lou Adler presents a stripped back first set with the aim of recreating the intimacy of Tapestry, demonstrating King’s natural ease before a crowd. She is then joined by her band – the cream of the 70s West Coast crop – for songs from then-upcoming record Fantasy (1973). David T Walker’s flawless guitar tone embroiders Being at War with Each Other and Haywood while Bobbye Hall’s percussion ignites a medley of Corazón and Believe in Humanity.
Home Again marks King’s evolution from Brill Building songwriter into an era-defining artist. The footage captures her being whisked away from the stage, perhaps, at that point, with only an inkling of the longevity of her art.
10/10
Phoebe Flys