Although your reviewer has no memory of previously seeing it, "The Classic Concert" was filmed initially as an HBO TV live special before a selected audience in the summer of 1987 on an attractive, if windblown Martha's Vineyard and now comes to us on DVD with the obligatory extra features such as an interview segment, scrapbook of rare photos and a useful complete discography.
All of which is educational enough where your reviewer is concerned as he freely admits his prior knowledge of enduring MOR legend CARLY SIMON is relatively limited. Indeed, "The Classic Concert" acts as a handy live 'greatest hits' set in itself, with Carly performing with the expected bags of charisma during her hour onstage.
Presumably, the Martha's Vineyard location was chosen because of its' undoubtedly idyllic harbour and islands backdrop, but frankly the musicians (including Carly herself) look frozen by the biting wind throughout - a fact confirmed by the contemporary Carly in the interview footage - and there is something slightly surreal in seeing her perform to an invited audience of a few hundred sitting on village hall-style wooden chairs braving the chill factor from the Atlantic.
Inevitably, some aspects of the show have dated badly too. I say inevitably, but when you consider this was 1987 then it IS inevitable the proceedings will feature musicians wearing horrible pastel-shaded clothes erring on the baggy, dreadfully stilted keyboard sounds, grinning ponytailed drummers gleefully revelling in the Simmons electronic elements they've 'updated' their kits with and - worst of all - that scourge of mankind the fretless bass. And yes, all these are in evidence here, though at least there's none of those shag awful stonewashed jeans that everyone wore thinking they were trendy in the mid -80s.
So maybe we should be thankful for small mercies, and certainly for a goodly amount of this smoothly paced set, Carly Simon herself does exude the class you'd expect from a performer whose career has spanned the decades and produced a number of tunes that have become public domain in their own right.
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Sure, it's beautifully crafted MOR pop throughout, but crucially not slush. Indeed, kicking off with the easily assured harmonies of "Give Me All Night" and the semi-acoustic treat that is "Anticipation", you're aleady getting sucked into her world. Surprisingly, she moves over to the piano early on and dispatches "You're So Vain" with all its' bitchy brilliance still happily intact.
It doesn't all stand up so quite so well. "Do The Walls Come Down" reeks of that dubious eau de lighters aloft power ballad of the variety that allowed dreadful twerps like Jennifer Warnes have huge hits in the mid 80s, and - however much she looks back on it with fondness in her interview footage - one can only say: "Carly? Why?" and then break down in tears when she brings on the kiddies' choir for a blast through "Itsy Bitsy Spider" during Coming Around Again." Excruciating.
Fortunately, more goodies await around the corner, and Carly again gets us onside with a quick cozzie change for the sultry "Two Hot Girls" and follows it up with bassist/ arranger/ Elvis Costello collaborator T-Bone Wolk picking up the accordion for the fine "It Happens Everyday" an ramming home the advantage with a nicely-weighted cruise through the Carole Bayer Sager-penned Bond Theme "Nobody Does It Better."
So yeah, "The Classic Concert" is unashamedly commercial, FM pop par excellence, and undoubtedly one to stick on when you're winding down with your significant other and a glass of wine. But that has its' place too and if you must cruise into the middle of the road at least enjoy the ride with a classy, high-calibre songstress. Carly Simon still fits that bill with ease.
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