Carly Simon's 1978 release "Boys in the Trees" showcases Carly in all of her incarnations: confessional singer/poet, inventive storyteller, torch singer and rock diva. Whatever your favorite Carly Simon song or approach, "Boys in the Trees" is guaranteed to please.

Of course the best known track here is "You Belong to Me," a midtempo scorcher co-written with Michael McDonald. Elsewhere a Carole King influence serves her well on "Back Down to Earth," we find her at the height of her romantic powers on the sweet ballad "You're the One," and "One Man Woman" shows her hanging loose and shining in a bluesy rock setting. These are, however, classic Carly moments. The real finds on "Boys in the Trees" are when she (pardon the pun) branches out. "Tranquillo" finds Simon in a lightly funky disco setting; the Carribean-flavored "De Bat (Fly in Me Face)" is easily her quirkiest tune with clever, comic lyrics (based on a true story of a bat falling off its radar and heading straight for Carly, making it all the funnier); and "Haunting," one of her strongest compositions ever, is a gorgeous example of high art; its lyrics are of the highest poetic order and the string-enhanced score falls somewhere between Classical and Gothic. But for those who love Carly best when she's armed with little more than an acoustic guitar and an earnest delivery, the starkly beautiful title track and the sentimental "For Old Times Sake" will surely do the trick...not to mention a cover of the Everly Brothers' "Devoted to You," a duet with her then-husband, James Taylor so priceless it makes you wish for at least a musical reconciliation of the pair.

Throughout all of the stylistic approaches, producer Arif Mardin works hard to add a slick pop sheen and still maintain all of Simon's musical personalities. Warm, witty, and virtually without error, "Boys in the Trees" is Carly Simon's finest album and one of rock's true classics.

This is in my opinion Carly Simon at her peak. Her best album ever I think. Every song is a timeless classic and her voice is excellent and crystal clear. The musicians that played on this album are also very good adding their own classic touch with their instruments in the background and letting Carly's voice take center stage as it should be. James Taylor who at this time was still married to Carly also lends his unique and soulful voice and guitar to this classic album.

"You Belong To Me" is a soulful classic even to this day which is still being played on FM radio. Carly co-wrote this song with Doobie Brothers lead singer and keyboard player Michael McDonald.

Ilove this CD the music, the grammy awarded album cover, the

production and most of all Carly's voice. This is a very soulful

CD "You Belong To Me' was the hit off the album. "Boys in the Trees" is one of Carly's most beautiful songs. Other standouts

are "back down to earth",Tranquillo(melt my heart)- a song written for Carly's son Ben. If you love Carly Simon you must

own this CD. In the 70's on elektra there was Carly Simon making

hits. linda Ronstadt was making a career on Asylum records a

part of elektra. Linda has a great voice-but Carly was writing

her own music and playing various instuments. Every song on this

CD is a classic

Though "Boys in the Trees" only contains one Carly Simon smash hit ("You Belong to Me") this album is without a doubt her strongest project. From the stark and beautiful title track to the gorgeous moodiness of "Haunting," this is some of Carly's finest writing, including the Carole King-flavored "Back Down to Earth" and the sweetly romantic "You're the One." "In a Small Moment" offers another touching Carly-crafted story, and "De Bat (Fly in Me Face)" is probably her quirkiest song ever. A cover of the Everly Brothers' "Devoted to You" with then-husband James Taylor is nothing short of breathtaking, and even the dated disco notions of "Tranquillo" carry over into this generation as a fine composition with slick production. Of course, the writing and singing skills of Carly Simon (in top winning form here) and the incomparable production of Arif Mardin are an indisputable formula for success, and this 20-year-old album being remastered and re-released is only further proof that "Boys in the Trees" is a pop/rock classic.

Oh, those glorious seventies when we had such greast collections as this one. Carly is in top form with this 1978 release. There are so many good things about this collection. The tracks move fluently from song to song, and create an aural experience rare in many of our female vocalists today. "Boys in the Trees" is such an intimate and unusual way to discuss and portray growing pains. "You Belong to Me" is one of Carly's best, and even though the Doobies' version is soulful and moody, her desperation and the musical arrangement truly make you believe "He belongs to her." "Haunting" is a beautiful track, expertly performed and arranged. I have a special fondness for "Tranquillo (Melt My Heart)". It's disco at its melodic best. I used to play that track over and over when I first got this in cassette form back in 1978. "De Bat" is also one of my favorite novelty, humorous songs, delivered with such a sense of fun and enjoyment. Maybe that's what's happened to Carly lately; she doesn't seem to be enjoying herself as much as she did back when she did this album (CD). The melodic and performance magic is nowhere to be found on "The Bedroom Tapes." Sorry, Carly. We still love you!