Search - Kim Carnes :: St Vincent's Court: Romance Dance

Priceless KC

J. Collins | 03/03/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While fans may argue whether or not the two albums comprising this disc are among Carnes' best, it's the combination of rare and previously unreleased material here that makes it a must-buy. "St Vincent's Court" was previously available on an Australian CD, but is long out of print. "Romance Dance" has never appeared in it's entirety in a licensed digital disc."St Vincent's Court" was Carnes' debut for EMI America, released in 1979. Though it was her fourth solo album, many people still hadn't heard of Kim at this point. Like her earlier platters, this album was a folksy mix of balladry and light Pop. The album wasn't a commercial success, spawning only a minor (Billboard Pop #56) hit in "It Hurts So Bad." But as fans know, this album has plenty of charms. Upbeat tunes are sprinkled liberally among the ballads, so the tempo never lingers long in one place. Produced in association with Kim and husband Dave Ellingson, SVC is a great mixture of homespun harmonies and memorable tunes."Romance Dance" ups the ante set by SVC, with producer George Tobin, Rock guitar and a thumping rhythm section. There really isn't a difference in the quality of material from SVC to RD, despite the cover tunes and the radio-ready production for the latter. That's why I think these albums complement each other in this CD. "Romance Dance" seemed to offer a compromise of sorts: Kim got to pick her own tunes, but the label picked her producer. The result was energetic and seldom less than tuneful. As Rock music goes, this is still pretty light fare. But there's no denying that Carnes was born to belt "Tear Me Apart," and that her band simply cooks the boogie out of it. The way she revels in "More Love" is so heartfelt that Mr Robinson must have forgiven her for "stealing" his song.Highlights from SVC include "Jamaica Sunday Morning" (dreamy, graceful tune sung beautifully), "Paris Without You" (also ethereal in tone, desperately romantic), "Blinded By Love" (upbeat, tuneful and radio friendly) and the closer, "Goodnight Moon," a meditative and sentimental tune that offers listeners a "good night" of their own. My recommendations for "Romance Dance" include the two tracks already mentioned, plus "Changin" (quintessential Country-Pop KC), "In The Chill of the Night" (KC sure had blue-eyed soul before she got her Bette Davis Eyes), and "Where Is Your Heart" (dancy Pop featuring Bill Cuomo's synths and a great melody from Kim).Sound quality throughout this disc is quite good. I noticed a couple of repeat "pops" in a few tracks (very minor), but no drop-outs or clipped highs. The packaging for this compilation uses plenty of photos, with samples from the albums included plus some rare snapshots that fans will find entertaining. The liner notes, written by Mike McLellan, offer an interesting (albeit abbreviated) history of Carnes and her career. As if that weren't enough, this release also includes a bonus track in "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer," the hit Carnes duet with Kenny Rogers. I think this disc is the kind of compilation I can heartily recommend to casual fans as much as fellow diehards."

Before And After Review

Da Man | Pekin, IL | 12/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kim Carnes released her EMI-America debut, St. Vincent's Court in 1979.BEFORE:
Kim Carnes was a seasoned songwriter. Her songs had been performed by the likes of Barbra Streisand. However, she hadn't had too much success as a solo artist although she had made the top 40 the previous year.AFTER:
The album was not a success, however it spawned one country-rock classic with It Hurts So Bad. Critics knew however that there was something special brewing with her.St. Vincent's Court was more country-tinged than Kim's later 80's ventures with EMI-America. The album is a great showcase for Kim's raspy voice (is it me, or does she sound identically to Rod Stewart on It Hurts So Bad?). Nothing essential, but still, a worthy album to own.Kim followed this up with Romance Dance in June 1980.BEFORE:
Having some country-pop success with It Hurts So Bad and Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer. Kim was a sure thing in the music industry as a songwriter.AFTER:
with her new style, Kim Carnes proved she was a rising star. She scored a top 10 smash with More Love, and also came close to the top 40 with Cry Like A Baby. The addition of synthesizers to her repitoire worked in her favor, as Romance Dance was a success.As a lover of Kim Carnes' 80's synth-driven pop, Romance Dance is where it all began. This album is every bit as good as Mistaken Identity and better than Voyeur (though I consider Cafe Racers her best). Her version of More Love made you forget about Smokey Robinson for the 3 1/2 minutes. Neither albums are quite that famous to music history buffs, but Kim is a great underrated singer-songwriter who deserves to have people go back and discover her catalog. So much more to her than Bette Davis Eyes"

NOBODY SINGS CARNES LIKE KIM!!!

Guilherme | Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL | 10/31/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD includes 4 charted Billboard hits:(1) "It Hurts So Bad"
(2) "Cry Like A Baby"
(3) "More Love"
(4) "Dont Fall In Love With A Dreamer" (duet with Kenny Rogers)This CD includes songs co-written by Kim Carnes which were covered by several artists:(1) "What Am I Gonna Do" - covered by Brenda Lee (Take Me Back - 1980);
(2) "Stay Away" - covered by Barbra Streisand (Songbird 1978) and Engelbert Humperdinck (Don't you Love Me Anymore - 1981/Songs Of Romance - 1996);
(3) "Paris Without You" - covered by Don Potter.
(4) "It Hurts So Bad" - covered by Span Elizabeth and Big Nick & The Cydecis (Born Half Wild);
(5) "Changin'" - covered by Sami Jo.
(6) "And Still Be Loving You" - covered by Don Potter (Over The Rainbow) and Brian Taylor (Brian Taylor, 1977).This CD contains the movie-theme of "Washington Mistress": "And Still Be Loving You".This CD includes some excellent songs covered by Kim Carnes:(1) "Cry Like A Baby";
(2) "Tear Me Apart";
(3) "More Love"More information about Kim: http://www.kimcarnes.com and http://go.to/kimcarnes"