Several collections already existed that encompass Carly's solo career, including the three-disc box set CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE (1995), and the double-disc, forty-track ANTHOLOGY (2002). For the amount of space available on both of them, the track selections are flawed. REFLECTIONS, meanwhile, truly represents the cream of Carly's catalog and is an extremely enjoyable listening experience from start to finish.

The first nine tracks are comprised of Carly's '70s Elektra hits like "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be, "Anticipation," "You're So Vain," and "You Belong To Me." I have my favorite album tracks from this period like "Tranquilo" and "We're So Close," but the recordings included here were the hits, so I can't find fault with the selection. Track 10, "Jesse," represents her early '80s tenure at Warner Brothers - a logical choice as it was her only top 20 hit there (I also liked her minor reggae-flavored hit "Why" from this period).

In 1987 - after an unsuccessful album SPOILED GIRL for Columbia - Carly moved to Arista and experienced a career resurgence, much like that experienced by other middle-aged Arista arrivals Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. Her Arista highlights make up the final 10 tracks.

The first Arista album COMING AROUND AGAIN was one of Carly's strongest ever and it is well-represented here by its four singles, including the reflective title track and the enchanting "Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of." During her Arista years, Carly also got involved in film scoring - quite successfully - including her enclosed Oscar winner "Let The River Run" from WORKING GIRL and the theme for LOVE OF MY LIFE.

The 1994 biographical album LETTERS NEVER SENT resulted in some of her most intimate work and is well represented here by touching tributes to her mom ("Like A River") and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis ("Touched By The Sun"). This collection then concludes with "Amity," an acoustic duet with daughter Sally Taylor that was included in the 1999 film ANYWHERE BUT HERE.

While one disc cannot due full justice to Carly, REFLECTIONS manages to touch on all significant phases of her career. For those who don't own any of her music, it's a great first purchase.

For those of us who grew up with her, Carly Simon suddenly appeared on the music stage like a performer literally shot out of a cannon, so meteoric was her rise! She managed to ably walk the tight-rope between folk and pop music in the early 1970s and gradually emerged from the shadow 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 over the tw3enty year span of her popular career. 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 efforts as well as the follow-on efforts that reprise 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 collection from a fascinating artist who 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!

For nearly four decades, Carly Simon has been producing top-notch high quality songs. This `remastered' collection contains all of her best and its hard to argue about which succeeds better than others. From the achingly lamentable, "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" to the emotional anthem, "Let The River Run", Carly pulls no punches with her strong voice or slick arrangements. Few female singers have such a strong band or percussion backing them, which has proven to be a Carly Simon trademark. You may have had an overdose of some songs, "You're So Vain" or "Nobody Does It Better", but they are intensely catchy at the very least. There are two distinctly different duets here. James Taylor playfully counters with a `call/response' technique on "Mockingbird, but the real surprise is the country flavored "Amity" with Sally Taylor. It's all in the family and it all sounds fantastic!

One great part about the liner notes is you actually finally find out who "You're So Vain" is about and that this person sings back-up on this song without credits!

Carly Simon is one of the best singer songwriters of all time. and Reflections has all of her greatest hits. My favorite song is Anticipation, This is a song Carly wrote while waiting to go on a date with Cat Stevens. You're So Vain is another favorite song of mine. It was a big hit for Carly in the early 70's. I also love the song Nobody Does It Better which is the theme song to the James Bond movie Octopussy. Jessie is a great song about all the things you would do for a friend. I haven't heard Jessie in years, and I still enjoy listening to it. Love of My Life is one of most romantic songs I ever heard. It is definitely another one of my favorites. Her duet Mockingbird with her ex husband James Taylor is excellent Their voices sound really good together. Let The River Run is another great song. I like this song, because it shows the power of Carly Simon's voice. Carly Simon's voice conveys so much wisdom, warmth and compassion in her songs and that is what I have always loved about her. Reflections is an excellent CD for anyone who enjoys soft rock music.

When you've had a career as long and illustrious as that of Carly Simon's, compiling all the memorable songs onto a single disc can be a chore, and needless to say, there are some missing classics, but still... From her singer-songwriter greats such as "That's The Way I Always Heard It Should Be" and "Legend In Your Own Time" to blockbusters such as "You're So Vain", "Nobody Does It Better" and "Jesse" to her string of comeback hits in the late 80's like "Coming Around Again" and "Give Me All Night" to the heartbreaking, little-heard 90's track "Like A River", this is as perfect a single-disc collection of Carly Simon can possibly get.

Carly is a classy woman who has overcome so many obstacles in her career, from stagefright to a highly publicized divorce to breast cancer, Carly is the very definition of the word survivor, and everytime you think you've heard the last of her, she comes back even stronger.

Many of Carly's albums aren't widely available in stores, usually I see this, 1987's Coming Around Again and this years successful Moonlight Serenade, so this is a great way to get the bulk of Carly's memorable hits on one package. If you're a tried and true fan, I'd recommend Anthology over this, but for the casual listener, this is the be-all end-all collection to own from Carly.