Carole King - The Living Room Tour by Annette Warner This article first appeared on GoGirlsMusic.com   Few female artists with a 40+ year career still touch the masses as earnestly as Carole King still touches even new generations of up and coming "real" music fans. It is releases like this that keep the renaissance artists alive and justifiably so. The intimate and raw flavor of this project feeds a musically impassioned King into the veins of her worldwide addicts - overdose free. Well….almost. Even though it was adorned with Carole King's scratchy and well-known voice, I could have gone the rest of my life without hearing Donny Osmond's (only?) hit…"Go Away Little Girl" But, now that I know it was part of a medley of hits on track number 8 that Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote, I can deal. I know there are surprises around every corner in this biz, but it is times like this I feel as if I never knew my true childhood (adulthood too!) musical hero's. Come on Carole….Go Away Little Girl? : ) I had no idea……anyway… Songs spanning four and a half decades - 1961 - 2005, oddly excluding only the 80's, are included on this conversation piece release testament to the fact that such classic King tunes as Chains, Locomotion, Pleasant Valley Sunday, and the unfortunately still timely, Being At War With Each Other will never be forgotten. Soulful singer Gary Burr joined King on several tracks as either back-up or lead vocal, and though he didn't really take anything away from the CD, I still wish it would have been Carole only! Admittedly, I did enjoy the inclusion of Carole's daughter, Louise Goffin, on the one track Where You Lead I Will Follow. There are a myriad of conversational snippets that Carole treats us to throughout the generous trackage and one, of which, remarked about her gigs in living rooms she has been enjoying through her almost senior-citizen years, right before the track Sweet Seasons, that took on a new tongue-in-cheek lyrical face for the benefit of, according to Carole - "at least one politician in every living room audience… that don't like the word 'lose'" - "Sometimes we win and sometimes we win -and sometimes the fools get a hold of you - just when you thought you had made it"… Little things like that make this jewel-like collection of some timeless and some timely tunes, seem like you are sharing a piece of her throne. For someone that would be happy just sitting at the foot of it, it is a real pleasant experience…. This 2 disc LIVE release is undoubtedly coined The Living Room Tour because of its intimate, raw, and multi-instrument-lacking presentation. This, in my opinion, brings out the best of what is already, perfection; Pure, raw and unplugged, Carole King. The warmth and undeniable integrity of the 25 million seller Tapestry, is but a big taste of what this project offers up, and that's saying something. Ironically, besides the incredible and award-winning songwriting, one of the most perfect things about Carole King is the fact that her vocals are far from perfect. But for being 62 years old as of this projects liner notes…any female artist out there, and I do mean pick one, can only hope to still be able communicate her music so endearingly and heartfelt at that age. And after so many years of serving up hit after hit, I call this release a truly golden gift of the ages. "So let's set aside all the fussing and fighting - and make this night about songwriting - Sing and play some favorite tunes - Welcome to my living room." - Welcome to my Living Room www.caroleking.com www.concorederecords.com