Carly Simon straddled the world between folk and pop music in the early 1970s and gradually emerged from the shadow of other folk titans to become a pop singer of verve and moment, earning herself a place in the pantheon of very successful singers like Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, and a number of others like Carol King who were on the pop charts and in the folk clubs earlier in their career. This album is a wonderful summary of the best of her efforts throughout her career, including those early years. From her breakthrough hits like -That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be- and -Anticipation- to later smash singles like -Loving You Is the Right Thing To Do- and -You're So Vain- (rumored to be written about everyone from James Taylor to Mick Jagger, but more likely a joke aimed at actor Warren Beatty) is all here.

This collection successfully gathers the best of those early years in one place, and then adds to it those superb follow-on efforts with a second CD that reprises her second stage efforts with another collection of more adult-centered pop hits. Even though I usually prefer to sample an artist in context in their early albums, even I have to admit this is a great comprehensive overview of the collective efforts from Carly Simon. There are a lot of good songs here, like the terrific -Legend In Your Own Time- about then beau James Taylor, and the rocking -Mockingbird-, a duet done with Taylor.

Indeed, there are other interesting, provocative, and beautiful selections here, including my own personal favorite, -I Haven't Got Time For The Pain-. This is a great look at a fascinating artist who later made a terrific comeback album called -Coming Around Again-, with hits such as the title cut, as well as superb numbers like -The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of- to regain her audience and popularity, which she used to great advantage in the years since, with a number of hits included here from -Better Not Tell Her- to -All I Want Is You-, and from -It Happens Every Day- to -Like A River-. It is one of her best and most representative greatest hits albums yet, and it gives us an interesting vantage point with which to understand her better. This is a terrific greatest hits album by an artist who is often under-appreciated. This is one I heartily recommend. Enjoy!

I don't know whether it says more about the quality of music today or my age, but this is the first CD I have purchased for myself in years. If, like me, you are tired of paying $15 to hear two familiar tracks, you will be pleased with the bounty of music you get for your money with "Anthology". Although it is a CD set, it is more like two separate CDs-each one loaded to the brim with good music.

The first CD features most of Carly's popular hits. Memory evoking songs such as "Anticipation", "You're So Vain", "Attitude Dancing", and "Legend in Your Own Time" will have you fighting (unsuccessfully) the against the desire to sing along. Some later hits ("Nobody Does It Better and "Vengence") sound good too.

The second CD features some songs lesser-known than the first, but can still stand on its own. Several of Carly's later songs ("Let the River Run","Better Not Tell Her", "Coming Around Again", and "Love of My Life") were on the radio for too brief a time and in my opinion received too little airplay. Some of these titles I did not recognize initially, but were immediately familiar to me when I heard them. You may have the same experience.

As an added bonus there were several tracks in this set that I had not heard before. After listening to "It Happens Everday", "Julie Through the Glass", and "At Times in My Head" I found them growing on me easily.

I particularly liked the way the songs were arranged in chronological order. It made the set seem like a soundtrack to Carly's life. The songs on the first CD tend be about new love, relationships and heartbreak. The later songs on the second CD are about marriage ("Coming Around Again"), family ("Two Sisters", "Love of My Life") and even death ("The River").

The sets packaging and accompanying notes are worth mentioning. Suffice it to say there is a lot there. Reference info is provided for each track. Also included is a lengthy but entertaining essay from a die-hard Carly fan. What he writes will strike a familiar chord if you are old enough to remember when the songs on the first CD were "new".

In summary, this a very satisfying CD set. I purchased it over a week ago and am still listening at least once a day.

I would be interested to see what the sales figures are for the different sized Carly Simon collections. "Anthology," a two-CD collection that offers 40 songs from 1971 to 2000 is the middle range set, in between one of your basic hits collections and the "Clouds in My Coffee" box set. Then again, you could go out and pick up all of Simon's individual albums as well. However, I have little doubt that if these two CDs were released separately it would be the first one, representing Simon's work before 1980 and including all of her hits with the exception of "Let the River Run," which is on the second disc. I know that for my money they could have thrown that track on the other disc and I would have been more than content. It is that Oscar winning song and Simon's comeback hit "Nobody Does It Better" that are the two tracks you would want to have beyond what was on the original "The Best of Carly Simon" album from 1975.

Looking back on her recording career it is clear that Carly Simon is one of those artists who came in like a lion and is going out like a lamb. In the early 1970s she emerged as one of the most popular of the confessional singer/songwriters starting with "That's the Way I've Always Heard it Should Be," a moody little number attacking the idea of marriage. Her biggest hit, "You're So Vain," was of a similar tenor but today her most recognizable tune would have to be "Anticipation," since it is used to sell ketchup, with the James Bond theme song "Nobody Does It Better" being second (although that was written by Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager, not Simon herself). However, I usually thought her second level hits, songs like "The Right Thing to Do" and "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" were the better songs.

In 1980 Simon collapsed on stage while performing and everything seemed to change. Since then she has released about as many cover albums as she has albums of original material, although her most recent release, "The Bedroom Tapes" hints at the possibility of a revitalized writing career. Consequently, the second disc in this collection is less folk-rock and more adult contemporary. The collection contains all previously released material, although some of the tracks are from film soundtracks and one was heard previously only on the "Live at Grand Central" video. It would have been nice if they had gone back to some of Simon's recordings before she signed with Elektra, when she was part of the Simon Sisters (Lucy Simon was the composer of the superb Broadway musical "The Secret Garden"). Ultimately, I think "Anthology" suffers as a choice because for those who like the early Simon, there is too much of the later here and for those who enjoy all of the stages in her musical career, you might as well go for the third disc and pick up "Clouds in My Coffee."

The one thing I love about this Anthology set is how it goes from year to year.You can hear the growth of this Artist with every track,and remember a special time in your life,and bring back all the wonderfull memories."THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS." If you have Carly's Box Set,"Clouds in my Coffee,"you will find alot of newer cuts on this 2 CD collection."Attitude Dancing(One of my favorites)"In Times of my head,Waterfall,Come Back Home,Come Up Stairs,and alot of Carly's recordings after 1995.I just wished alot of other tracks were on this set,"Were So Close,"(My All Time favorite song of Carlys)"The Carter Family,Melt My Heart,Half A Chance,One Love Stand,The Three of us in the Dark,Anyone but me,Our Affair,and "So Many Stars,"but with so many great songs from Carly Simon,you can't go wrong with this wonderfull 2 CD Anthology Collection.

My main reason for reviewing this CD is that the track listing here does not include the song "Film Noir", which is actually the 16th track on Disc 2.

Aside from that fact, this collection is great music, spanning Carly Simon's entire career. All of her big 70's hits are included on Disc 1: "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" through "Jesse". While this disc is my favorite of the two, Disc 2 also includes a lot of pretty good songs from the 80s and 90s, including hits like "Why", "Coming Around Again", and "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of". Simon was, and is, a top-notch songwriter and maker-of-music. She has a real talent both for writing good lyrics, and for coming up with great melodies and tunes. And, in my opinion, she maintains her standards of excellence through the 80s and into the 90's and beyond!

As for the sound quality fo this recording, I have reasonably good-quality equipment for listening to music, and the sound of these two discs seems excellent ot me. The sound is nice, full, clear, and clean.

Another collection to consider is the less expensive, remastered single-CD "Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits", which also spans her entire career, but concentrates on her big hits. But if you want to explore Carly Simon's work more extensively (for goodies like "Waterfall", "Attitude Dancing", "Older Sister", and "We Have No Secrets", "Why", etc.), then the double-disc "Anthology" is probably the one to buy. "Anthology" is definitely worth the $29-$30. However, if all you really need is the radio hits, then maybe you're better off buying "Reflections".

Lastly, I'd like to comment that I've already purchased a few Rhino compilations (Monkees, Black Sabbath), and they seem to be making a habit of putting out excellent compilations, well-remastered and with great packaging/booklets/liner notes. Keep it up, Rhino!