This collection of music from 1974 is my personal Carly Simon favorite. Back in 74' I was blown away by Joni Mitchell's classic "Court and Spark" and although nothing during that year from a female artist would top that, this came out and was also classic stuff with a vocal and attitute to match the music. "Safe and Sound","Haven't got time for the pain", "Mind on my man", "Older Sister", "Misfit", "Forever my Love" this whole collection, though not a "rock and roll" album helped define the best pop rock of this era. Carly went on to make many more classic recordings but none as uniform as on this CD.

I have always loved Carly Simon and this is one of my favorites.

She recorded this album after her marriage to James Taylor and

during her pregnancy with daughter Sara (Sally). This album is

all about making that decision of what do you do after the success of a hit album "No Secrets" which produced the hit

"You're so Vain" Well you go into the studio and record another

smash which will sell like hotcakes. this album has "Mockingbird" on it which she sings with James Taylor. This

song is one of the best remakes ever done and Carly and James

were at their happiest. Other standouts-"Older Sisrer","Think

I'm Gonna Have A Baby" the great opener "Safe and Sound" oh

all the songs are great. One of my favorites is "Haven't Got

Time for the Pain" one of Carly's greatest songs. I think Carly

Simon's greatest CD is Boys In the Trees" but "hotcakes" is

like a friend the songs are so personal.

I have been on a Carly kick for awhile now and decided I was going to go through her back catalog and snatch up all of her 70's CDs. Hotcakes, Carly's fourth album was recorded while she was pregnant with her first baby, the follow up to her highly successful No Secrets ("You're So Vain") album, this followed along those same lines though I have to say the songs are a tad more peppy and in a happier mode than her previous records. I'm sure this had something to do with the glow of her marriage and pregnancy. Opening with the hilarious yet poignant "Safe & Sound" Carly describes how the world is going crazy, Hong Kong's divorce rate is high, the Mexican touradors "have all gone gay, the Roman [...] have quit to seek a better way" and motorcycle gangs are driving around naked down Hollywood Boulevard but as long as Carly and her man can stick together through all the madness they'll be safe from all of it. "I Think I'm Having A Baby" is pretty straight forward and her chorus of "they're making too many phonograph records" leaves you wondering whether she's contemplating giving up her career for her family. In a clever little line she lets us know she "won't be naughty for the sake of naught/or different just to differ." The excellant "Grown Up" is typical Carly reflections remembering how she viewed the grown ups at her parent's cocktail parties and now she's one of those people, quite excellant in delivery and lyrical; "I've just gotten older/ I've just gotten taller" and the crazed little jazz fest that is the title track is something you wouldn't expect to hear. The lyrics are just insanity about making pancakes, which perhaps is a child's nursery rhyme I'm not familar with, no matter what the intent it's a little dose of fun. The two singles released "Haven't Got Time For The Pain" and the romping duet with husband James Taylor in "Mockingbird" are nice little additions that don't necessarily take away from the rest of the album. Next to 1975's Playing Possum, this is probably my favorite of the Carly Simon albums in my collection thus far.

I'm a major Carly fan. She and Linda Ronstadt have always had my heart and I could relate to them more than any other female artists of the 70's. I've listened to this recording religiously since I was 17 and I just love it! Although, always compared and overshadowed by Joni Mitchell, I've always thought Carly was much better and Mitchell extremely overrated.

I love the lyrics and the way she sings "Man On My Mind." Simply beautiful. "Safe and Sound" and "Gonna Have A Baby" are precious. The weakest cut on this recording, if there is one, is "Mockingbird." Of course, James is all over this one, but it's Carly's finest and happiest moment and you can hear it on the entire record. For once, a woman that can sing happily about "positive moments" in her life.

Highly recommended, I smile everytime I hear the tune "Hotcakes."

I went in worried Hotcakes wouldn't be as memorable as the first four Carly Simon albums. Turns out there was absolutely *nothing* to worry about!

"Just Not True" has a wonderful vibe, and is probably one of the best songs here. Yes it's perhaps too sentimental for many folks, but I simply don't mind it one bit. Carly's voice has never sounded better, and the vocal melody is really good too. The dreamy sections of the song with Carly's voice gently humming and going "Ahhhh" in a relaxing tone is pretty darn spectacular.

"Mockingbird" is a low point for me unfortunately because the lyrics consist of that popular childrens song "Hush, Little Baby" that we've all heard several, several times, but for whatever reason Carly decided that teaming up with James Taylor and turning it into a country rocker was a good idea. Well... it's not. Not to me at least. Maybe you'll like it. The lyrics not only make me cringe but the sloppiness of the vocal exchange between James Taylor and Carly Simon doesn't mix well- Carly sings one line, and James immediately sings the same line afterwards. Not a really good idea at all.

"Think I'm Gonna Have a Baby" is proof that Carly can sing a wonderful melody seemingly out of the blue and it instantly sounds wonderful. I love the verse melody to pieces. "They're putting out too many phonograph records, think I'm gonna have a baby". Haha, I love that line! "Grown Up" revolves around haunting piano and horn arrangements with a touching vocal performance. Lyrically it's a highlight since it's about the magical feeling of growing up but something about the way Carly sings it feels really extraordinary. It's like her honest lyrics and wonderful vocals are capable of making me recall my own past.

"Safe & Sound" has interesting lyrics that jump around from Switzerland to Portland Oregon to Brooklyn to Hong Kong. It's about the confusion and the many problems we're unaware of around the world but, despite all the madness, as Carly says "If we stick together, you and me forever, and we're safe and sound, the world's just inside out and upside down". It's fairly unique I suppose. The vocal melody is *spectacular*. "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" I believe was a hit. The chorus repeats the title of the song quite often, but it does so in a way where you can really feel Carly's emotions in her singing voice, so I admire it.

"Forever My Love" features an inspirational vocal melody, and the piano playing is really competent as well. I must say, Carly's voice really jumps around on this track and it's great. "Mind on my Man" takes simplicity to a whole new level, but the fact it contains easy going 70's vibes is an attraction so anyone who was around back in the mid 70's will greatly admire it. "Older Sister" is unique- it takes an old-fashioned style country melody but Carly totally puts an interesting spin on the vocals by making them bouncy and upbeat with creative lyrics about her sisters interests. This song is actually really awesome. "Misfit" is a nice pop song with a quality vocal melody. Just come home with Carly and turn on the TV! Only in my dreams. :)

Overall, amazing album really. Just ignore "Mockingbird" and discover the gold that is the rest of the material.