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List Price: $16.98 | | Label: Iris Records Label
Salesrank: 570
Released: October 26, 2009 |
| Our Price: $9.99 |
| Used Price: $8.78 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Never Been Gone Track Listing:
1. The Right Thing To Do
2. It Happens Every Day
3. Never Been Gone
4. Boys In The Trees
5. Let The Riverrun
6. You're So Vain
7. You Belong To Me
8. No Freedom
9. That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be
10. Coming Around Again
11. Anticipation
12. Songbird
Editorial Review:
The new album revisits songs originally written throughout Carly's extensively long and productive career. With new largely acoustic arrangements, the CD was recorded at home on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Carly's son Benjamin Taylor was the originator of the idea and Carly willingly (though sometimes hesitatingly) complied and lived up to the dare. Carly, Benjamin and the rest of the producers, known as Paphiopedilium , chose the songs, most of which were Carly's best-known and commercially successful. In the CD's generous liner notes is an explanation not only of the word Paphiopedilium , but an explanation of the reworking of each of the songs. Carly hopes that even without these notes, the music will speak for itself.
We are proud to give Carly's fans old and new, a brand new look at ten of her best loved, well-known songs as well as two never-heard-before surprises.
NEVER BEEN GONE includes "You're So Vain" , "Coming Around Again" , "Anticipation", "Let The RiverRun" , "You Belong To Me", "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be", "It Happens Every Day", "Never Been Gone", "Boys In The Trees", and "The Right Thing To Do" along with new songs "No Freedom" and "Songbird".
Never Been Gone Reviews:
Great Album! 
2009-12-17 - I've read a few reviews on here from people who actually don't like this album. Wha..?! I'll have to guess that those are from Carly purists -- this is not the Carly they expect and love, I suppose.
Although I'm not a diehard Carly fan, I have always loved Carly and enjoyed her music for years, and I have to say, I LOVE this album. I'm sitting here on the computer listening to it via my Rhapsody account and it is vibrant and fun, and I am more than happy with how her vocals came out, and very much appreciate the simple production values. I will definitely be listening to this one many times over.
If anyone has a problem with Ben's production -- tough! For her son to pull her out of her defiance to record again after the Starbuck's debacle, and to get it all done and released on his tiny label -- heck, more power to him!
If anything, comb through the preview tracks before making a judgment call. But I highly recommend this album!
I couldn't bring myself to buy it for even $2.00 
2009-12-06 - I absolutely love Carly Simon but...I couldn't bring myself to buy this for even $2.00 (MP3 price with coupon.) I hated the sound of her voice, backing vocals, arrangements, even her tv appearances made me cringe. Why redo songs that already sounded great? If Carly is unable to write new material, she should just stick to covers and a simple unplugged arrangement. This sounds like a bad lounge singer trying to be hip. I was so excited when I heard she was putting this out - working with Ben (who I love) and John Forte - but my heart sank when I started to hear the cuts. I never thought I'd ever refuse to buy one of her cds but I knew I would never ever want to hear these versions. Sorry Carly.
Something good inside, but a lot of strange stuff too 
2009-12-03 - So here are my thoughts on Carly Simon at this point: I think she is a wonderful singer - I love the voice she has now and the way she sings. That's probably because I have always loved her lower register the most and was never too fond of her singing in higher octaves (the Playing Possum-album for example: simply too high and therefore a bit shrill and unpleasant to my ears). But I think that as a singer she has never really disappointed so far (- personal tastes aside -) and I don't think the new album is an exception on that level.
On the other hand I have thought for many years that Carly sometimes tends to display very bad judgment when it comes to other aspects surrounding her work.
I'm talking about unconvincing album covers and artwork (Coming Around Again, Letters Never Sent, Spy etc.), silly sexy video clips (My New Boyfriend, Better Not Tell Her), bad PR efforts (Starbucks!,the "Heirloom box").
And with this new album all these problematic aspects come together. Particularly these days these aspects count a lot and play a vital part in whether an album succeeds commercially or not. (Look at Lady Gaga for example - she's a success because of her visual style and involvement in all things like the clothes she wears, video clips etc. - I'm not a Lady GaGa fan at all, but I think as an older artist you have to adapt to the way younger artists succeed these days at least a little bit in order to have a chance - and Carly wants to be successful, she says it.) Carly needs good advice from some business professionals of the new era.
The homemade approach won't make her successful again, as sales of this new album prove. Hire a professional stylish photographer and someone to produce an interesting video clip instead.
Most of her fans from the past simply expect more from her as she has been a true class act in the past with ace producers who delivered a shiny, rich sound + she had great visual style (remember the "Boys in the Trees"-album cover).
And now you get an album that looks scary and certainly not pleasant in a way that would make the cover an additional sales argument, it doesn't sound too good either (This Kind of Love sounded much better) and it's full of unnecessary seemingly cute or funny gimmicks like "Give it to the Girls" chants, laughing at the beginning of songs etc. - all meant to come across as laid-back, intimate, homely, but it's not what you expect from an accomplished veteran like her.
As I said there's something good at the core and that is Carly's singing - I like the way she works with the melodies, the gentleness and maturity of her voice. If only there wasn't so much unnecessary stuff around it. All these backing vocals that are much too loud (louder than her lead vocals). Some arrangements are simply not very musical (No Freedom - a cacophony) and some are overstuffed with new additions that make the songs worse instead of better (Coming Around Again, You're So Vain).
The worst thing in my opinion is the inclusion of a little text written by a writer friend of hers. I always wonder why some established American artists hire people to tell the world in their latest CD booklets what lovely people and uniquely gifted artists they are. I think that's tasteless, not sophisticated and not a noble thing to do. They should let the listeners decide for themselves whether they're truly that fantastic or not. The author here ends his words of praise with the line "You go, princess, with all our love!."
That's the sentiment of her inner circle and of most of her die-hard fans in whose eyes she's beyond criticism. But such a surrounding is not healthy for an artist. An artist is in need of people who are unafraid to tell him or her what they really see. Glossing over the flaws doesn't help as the artist has to realize them in order to improve his/her work. Carly doesn't seem to have such people in her inner circle right now (someone should have vetoed against the album cover), which makes me a little sad, because I think she's still great and that she can still have a huge comeback when she finds the right people to work with. She needs to leave her comfort zone in order to have another hit.
She still has what it takes to be a huge success - it's time to find the right crowd of artists and producers to collaborate with.
Dear Carly......
2009-12-02 - Dear Carly, I know you will probably never read this review (and this is meant with so much kindness and sensitivity), but this isn't a very good CD. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but as you know, sometimes even the best of intentions go astray. I would not use your son's ideas musically. He is nowhere near your talent or status. I know you adore him, and he reminds you of James, but leave him out of future musical adventures. Your last CD - This Kind of Love - wasn't too bad and I believe that was due to the professional treatment it received. But, Carly, maybe it's time to retire? I'm not trying to be mean, but your voice is shot. I'm not sure what happened (second-hand smoke from James???). Your voice just does not have the range and power it once did. I do think you're a wonderful person and I did have the once in a life time thrill of meeting you in person back in 1995 at the House of Blues in LA. so it's not like I'm against you, just being honest.
Whatever Happened To Carly Simon?
2009-12-01 - The Bedroom Tapes, This Kind Of Love, Into White, The Christmas CD, now this, I fell in love with Carly with No Secrets, and went on to love Hotcakes, Another Passenger, Boys In The Trees, Playing Possum, Torch, My Romance, This CD is just so sad, all the songs pale in comparison to the originals, and the voice sounds so off. Carly is my favorite singer, but I can't just give a great review based on the past, I haven't heard a great Carly CD since Have You Seen Me Lately, even the spotty Letter's Never Sent had moments. Sales will be dismal for this, and rightfully so, stop feeling sorry for Carly and expect more from someone who is capable of another great pop CD, Get in the studio with a great producer, someone fresh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, not just your friends hanging out and strumming a guitar and la la la, lets see what happens.
PS, I did love Moonlight Serenade, Come Upstairs & Spoiled Girl had spunk!
This is the first Carly CD I didn't buy.
