Released upon the 50th anniversary of the concert, the film Carole King: Home Again - Live in Central Park documents the singer/songwriter's May 26, 1973 show at the legendary New York City locale. Producer
Lou Adler filmed and recorded the concert without any concrete plans for release; he just felt compelled to capture
King at her peak. At the time,
Carole King was weeks away from releasing
Fantasy, the third album she delivered after the blockbuster success of 1971's
Tapestry.
Home Again finds her drawing from all these albums, playing half of the show alone on the piano, then the rest with an 11-piece band.
King doesn't rely heavily on
Tapestry, yet the absence of some of her biggest hits doesn't diminish the album. Even without "I Feel the Earth Move," "So Far Away," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," the set list captures the essence of
King in the early '70s thanks to the concert's dual construction: the initial solo set highlights her craft as a songwriter, while the segment with the full band illustrates her ease as a performer while also underscoring her musical versatility by making nods toward jazz and soul. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine