Carole King Essentials

Tucked within the songwriter of '60s hits for The Monkees, The Shirelles, Little Eva and others was a heartfelt singer of personal anthems. With 1971's Tapestry, King bared her soul on a quietly powerful collection that came to define an era, and she continued to mine life's complexities while drawing from a deep melodic well. Her distinctive piano-playing, both nimble and precise, fuels fervent tales of love lost (“It's Too Late”) and found (“I Feel the Earth Move”), while her vocals offer the sweet intimacy of shared confidences and a raspy edge that suggests passionate abandon.