Ticket 2 Ride

Carly Simon, singer-songwriter, rose to fame in the 1970s with such hits as “You’re So Vain”, “Haven’t Got Time for the Pain”, “Nobody Does it Better” and “Mockingbird.”

The still-enchanting Simon, 83, returns with a new collection of songs. Comes in Waves (2026), her first album of original content in 18 years.

Can any new music compete with those 1970s albums? Unlikely. That voice, those intimate but accessible pop songs, and that incredible and seductive image. All still intact.

The press release for her new album said: “It is a reminder of an artist still fully engaged with her craft, still asking questions, and still finding new ways to articulate what it means to live, to love, and to let go.”

Of “Howl”, the first single, the press release also said:  “It’s about letting the frustration out so it doesn’t sit and simmer. The song begins in anger, but it moves toward forgiveness, and speaks to any situation where trust has been broken.”

The description of “Howl” applies to the entire album. Knowing a bit about Simon’s life, her relationship issues with her father and first husband James Taylor, it seems very biographical. Of Taylor, Simon has said she has had no relationship with him for decades. Her father, Richard L. Simon, she has described as distant, and ignored her quest for his attention. He passed away at age 60, when she was 17. These relationships are still fertile ground for her songs, but she also sings from other places in her heart.

Simon has beaten breast cancer, is being treated for skin cancer, and recently announced her Parkinson’s diagnosis. Despite these challenges, she’s full of life and shares that in this music.

The songs: (composers) producers

1. “Howl“
   (Carly Simon/David Spencer)
   Spencer, Larry Ciancia, Teese Gohl, Paul Samwell-Smith
   3:05 Very contemporary arrangement, hard not to like this upbeat song.
2. “Maybe I Never Loved You” (Simon)
   Mike Mainieri, Ciancia, Gohl, Samwell-Smith, Ben Taylor
   2:33 A more traditional Simon story song. Certainly autobiographical. This would fit perfectly on one of her early albums. Great orchestral arrangement.
3. “Peaches” (Simon)
   Simon, Ciancia, Gohl, Samwell-Smith
   3:39 Upbeat, contemporary synthetic groove.
4. “Love Has No Ending“
   (Simon/W. H. Auden)
   Peter Fish, Taylor, Ciancia, Gohl, Samwell-Smith
   5:23 Folky, country ballad. Very nice vocal arrangement.
5. “Mother of Pearl” (Simon)
   Frank Filipetti, Ciancia, Gohl, Samwell-Smith
   3:52 Very autobiographical, to her daughter.
6. “Slowly” (featuring Andreas Vollenweider)
   (Simon, Teese Gohl, Jim Parr, Andreas Vollenweider)
   Simon, Ciancia, Gohl, Samwell-Smith
   3:27 The musical participation of Vollenweider is quite lovely.
7. “Four in the Morning”
   (Simon/JudyBelushi)
   Taylor, Ciancia, Gohl, Samwell-Smith
   3:05 Interesting musical arrangement. The least impressive song on the album. Co-written and sung by Judy Belushi, longtime friend who died in 2024.
8. “The More I Look for You” (Simon)
   Simon, Ciancia, Gohl, Samwell-Smith
   2:48 Lovely melody. Grand orchestral arrangement.
9. “Love the Way I Do“
   Simon/Jacob Brackman/Natasha Bedingfield/Gohl/David Saw/Taylor)
   Filipetti, Ciancia, Gohl, Samwell-Smith
   3:59 Simon gets some vocal accompaniment on this rousing ballad.
10. “The Father Daughter Dance“
    (Simon/Joe Deleault/Ernest Thompson)
    Deleault, Thompson
    3:13 Perhaps another autobiographical snippet from her own incomplete relationship with her father.
11. “Share the End” (2025 remaster)
    (Simon/Brackman)
    Samwell-Smith, Caincia, Taylor
    3:56 Her 1971 song is remixed for this album. Simon said about this updated mix:
    “In the original, I was reflecting on personal relationships, but in this version, I’m thinking more about what’s happening everywhere in the world—how to move forward while treasuring what’s behind us.”
12. “Do It Anyway” (Simon) Simon 4:05 Upbeat anthem for moving forward and over your challenges.

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The cast is extensive on this album.

Several old friends help Simon on the album including producer Paul Samwell-Smith who produced her second album. Jacob Brackman, her occasional writing partner, even sings backing vocals.

Carly Simon – lead vocals (all tracks), piano (tracks 3, 11, 12), acoustic guitar (4), guitar (5)
Frank Filipetti – mixing (all tracks); claves (9)
Brad Smalling – mastering
Athena Wilkinson – engineering assistance
Larry Ciancia – drums (1, 4, 6)
Ben Taylor – guitar (1, 5), piano (3), lead vocals (4), strings (7), background vocals (9)
David Spencer – background vocals (1, 6), acoustic guitar (1)
Patrick Warren – strings (1); arrangement, piano (8)
Chris Stills – background vocals (1)
Warren Bernhardt – piano (2)
Mike Mainieri – strings (2)
Sophie Hiller – background vocals (4, 9)
Peter Calo – mandolin (4), guitar (9)
Peter Fish – harmonica (4)
Teese Gohl – piano (5, 9), background vocals (6)
John Forté – percussion (5, 9)
Brad Tucker – bass guitar (5)
David Saw – guitar (5)
Jim Parr – background vocals (6)
Andreas Vollenweider – harp (6)
Judy Belushi – lead vocals (7)
Rob Mathes – arrangement (8)
Sally Taylor – background vocals (9)
Rick Marotta – drums (9)
Natasha Bedingfield – lead vocals (9)
Randy Roos – acoustic guitar (10)
Brendan Dowd – bass guitar (10)
Joe Deleaut – piano (10)
John Ryan – acoustic bass guitar (11)
Del Newman – arrangement, drums (11)
Peter-John Vettese – bass guitar (11)
Andy Newmark – drums (11)
Jim Ryan – guitar (11)
Paul Glanz – piano (11)
Jacob Brackman – background vocals (12)
Mindy Jostyn – background vocals (12)
Sid McGinnis – background vocals (12)
Will Lee – background vocals (12)

Thoughts…

I didn’t know what to expect with this album – I was pleasantly surprised. Their sound songs are wonderful, often very personal, but usually with a message. The sound production is much grander than I expected. The cast of musicians and producers is extensive and the result is rewarding.

And now the sensitive subject – Simon’s voice. Yes, it has changed. Age has done that, it’s made her a bit huskier and reduced her range. Sometimes it sounds like the young Simon, mostly it sounds deeper, but other vocal qualities are intact. Although deeper, she still embraces the demands of her songs.