Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
| Robert Christgau | B− |
| Rolling Stone | (positive) |
Initial reviews for No Secrets were mixed mostly in an ironically positive vein. Robert Christgau, writing in Creem, rated the album only a B− and stated that "if a horse could sing in a monotone, the horse would sound like Carly Simon, only a horse wouldn't rhyme "yacht," "apricot," and "gavotte." Is that some kind of joke?" Stephen Holden in Rolling Stone was ironic in his praise concluding that "what finally makes No Secrets so refreshing is her singing, which conveys the finest spirit of patrician generosity."
A more recent review from Allmusic's William Ruhlmann along with a high rating reflects a more positive regard for the album. Ruhlmann noted that "You're So Vain" "set the album's saucy tone, with its air of sexually frank autobiography and its reflections on the jet-set lifestyle." He also stated that "now that she felt she had found true love, she was as willing to acknowledge her own mistakes and regrets as she was to point fingers." But even he concluded on the note that "Perry paid particular attention to Simon's vocals in a way that made her more engaging (or at least less grating) to listen to."
You're So Vain is ranked at #72 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of All-Time. The song was also voted #216 in RIAA's Songs of the Century. It remains Simon's biggest hit and is considered her signature song.
Read more about this topic: No Secrets (Carly Simon Album)
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