Fantasy Beginning/You've Been Around Too Long/Being At War With Each Other/Directions/That's How Things Go Down/Weekdays/Haywood/A Quiet Place To Live/Welfare Symphony/You Light Up My Life/Corazon/Believe In Humanity/Fantasy End
Fantasy heralded a change of direction for singer songwriter Carole King in which she moves away from introspective songs to create a concept album addressing the social problems of urban America. (US:6)
“Fantasy was a concept album for the ear and senses. The songs transition seamlessly into one another, which created a cohesive whole despite the wide range of styles and sounds. The blending of soul, pop, jazz and folk made it a laid-back and subtle listening experience. The music overshadows the lyrics in many places, which are simpler and more straightforward than in the past.”
“It is a very sophisticated album in its construction and presentation. The soul-styling of Welfare Symphony transitions into the string-laden You Light Up My Life, which moves on to the Latin-sounding Corazon and then onto the jazzy Believe In Humanity. And so it went throughout the album. It was all quite clever. While the tracks can stand on their own, when taken in succession, they have an added depth and formed a memorable whole.”
“With this album, King moved into more experimental (for her) realms. Writing the entire album herself, without an outside lyricist, she moves away from the introspective songs of Tapestry and its immediate follow-ups to examine the lives of others, in particular of those less fortunate. It’s presented as a concept album of two unbroken suites of songs that all segue together. Moving beyond the spare arrangements of its predecessors, for Fantasy Carole scored brass and string arrangements and experimented with Latin and funk styles.”
“The songs are mostly weak, tepid West-Coast adult-alternative rock with a couple intriguing feints toward funk. Corazon is Latin-nursery-rhyme drivel. The everywoman qualities that made Tapestry so appealing can't translate to this record.”
“After the radio-friendly pop of her previous four albums Fantasy marked a radical change of direction for Carole King. Instead of being a collection of relatively unrelated songs, it is a concept album, addressing the social problems of urban America. The album holds together successfully throughout, with a unity in musical style and at times quite a soulful feel.”
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