Carly Simon - Live at Grand Central

Considering that Carly Simon is only a few months away from turning 80-years-old and suffering from numerous maladies, it is unlikely that the legendary singer will be doing much if any performing in the future. That makes this concert film from 1995 all the more precious. And the show happened in a very cool and unusual setting: the main concourse of New York City's vaunted Grand Central Terminal. Simon only references her surroundings once, when she points out the zodiac symbols on the ceiling, asking if there are any Pisces in the audience. The camera doesn't show who she is talking to but she gets a little flirty with someone, saying, "You're a Pisces? You're very compatible with me!" She then dedicates a cover of Kris Kristofferson's "I've Got to Have You" to all the Pisces in the audience. The show is quite sublime, very appropriate for the beautiful venue. Big hit "Anticipation" comes early in the set, and no she doesn't tell any stories about how the song was famously used in a ketchup commercial back in the day. She does however tell the (true) story behind the calypso tune "De Bat (Fly in Me Face)." It seems she was carrying her sleeping daughter into the house where once inside she was "assaulted" by a bat that had presumably "totally lost his radar." Carly moves from acoustic guitar to electric piano as she performs, among others, "Haven't Got Time for the Pain," "That's the Way I've Always Heard it Should Be," "Davy," "Like a River," and "Jesse," on which she just sings. "Let the River Run" is the show's final number and it has a big vocal sound as all of the backup singers are prominently featured. Notably absent is the #1 hit "You're So Vain." Live at Grand Central is a great snapshot in time and will be cherished by Carly Simon fans. Order it here (ad).

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