Sensational '70's Tune for Wednesday, July 22nd, '09

Two minutes and fifty-seven seconds of sublime Adult Contemporary radio music is what this great pop record is. Of course coming on the heels of the singer's only #1, "You're So Vain", this Top 20 smash had a head start, but its success can't be wholly attributed to the big song. Elektra single #45843, "The Right Thing To Do", might sound dramatically different from the tune that came before it, but it does have one thing in common with "You're So Vain": they are the two best songs on the No Secrets album. A sweeping Richard Perry production has one of Carly Simon's most heartfelt vocals on the opening track from this very personal collection of songs. Though the rest of the lp had Paul & Linda McCartney, Mick Jagger, Doris Troy, Bonnie Bramlett and others working with the material, this composition showed strength right out of the box and has stood the test of time, doing so without contributions from the marquee talent available. Carly's simple piano is accompanied by Andy Newmark on drums, Jimmy Ryan on bass, very active congas from Elton John percussionist Ray Cooper, all buoyed by Kirby Johnson's simple string and horn conducting and arrangement. Not as stripped down as the first Plastic Ono Band album but still not as elaborate as most of this disc. The three backing vocalists, Carly with icki Brown and Liza Strike, are just enough repeating the title of this love song to James Taylor as it concludes, closing with a quick fade of strings and piano that seemed to always find their way onto Helen Reddy's recordings. While Carole King remained the singer/songwriter crossing over, Carly Simon distinguished herself by dominating in that category as well as the world where Reddy was so successful. There's enough tension and drama, especially in the middle eight, to lift this title above most of the introspection on the album, reaching out to all the hopeless romantics who just couldn't help but relate to it. The subject matter, and sound, would be reprised a little over a year later on "Haven't Got Time For The Pain", the formula clear, effective and worth repeating. Carly Simon's by now familiar-to-radio voice must have inspired The Captain & Tenille to go a step beyond Sonny & Cher when their day in the sun came. James Taylor wisely stayed in the background on all of this, no need to duet until "Mockingbird", his invisible presence here fully acknowledged.