Boys in the Trees Audiobook By Carly Simon cover art

Boys in the Trees

A Memoir

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Boys in the Trees

By: Carly Simon
Narrated by: Carly Simon
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Simon's memoir reveals her remarkable life, beginning with her storied childhood as the third daughter of Richard L. Simon, the cofounder of publishing giant Simon & Schuster; her musical debut as half of The Simon Sisters, performing folk songs with her sister, Lucy, in Greenwich Village; to a meteoric solo career that would result in 13 top 40 hits, including the number-one song "You're So Vain". She was the first artist in history to win a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award, for her song "Let the River Run" from the movie Working Girl.

The memoir recalls a childhood enriched by music and culture but also one shrouded in secrets that would eventually tear her family apart. Simon brilliantly captures moments of creative inspiration, the sparks of songs, and the stories behind writing "Anticipation" and "We Have No Secrets", among many others. Romantic entanglements with some of the most famous men of the day fueled her confessional lyrics as well as the unraveling of her storybook marriage to James Taylor.

Includes original music composed especially for the program by Carly Simon and Teese Gohl plus a previously unreleased bonus song from Carly Simon.

©2015 Carly Simon (P)2015 Macmillan Audio Entertainment & Celebrities Music Women Heartfelt

Critic reviews

"Carly Simon exuberantly narrates her memoir, which reads like a history of rock and roll from the 1970s onward. Simon's warm and personal style sounds as if she's telling her story directly to each listener." ( AudioFile)
Honest Storytelling • Poetic Writing • Authentic Narration • Emotional Journey • Vivid Descriptions • Beautiful Voice
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I loved that the book was read by Carly! I'm a big reader, but hearing her tell her own story was amazing! My prayer for Carley is that she has or does find The One True Love! Thank you for sharing a part of you with us! 😊

Very insightful!

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LOVED listening to Carly tell her story. What a lovely person she is. I'm now planning to write to her (hoping to not sound like a loon!) as I met her once and have always admired her spirit. Get this book. She is honest and intuitive and a delightful human being.

Carly Simon is a true beauty in every way

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I enjoyed hearing her voice as she shared her extraordinary past that I knew only about through her music. Hearing her sort through her reality in between her songs was like having an intimate conversation with your best friend who trusts you enough to hear all she wants to say knowing that you are one of her confidants in arms.

A Confidant in Arms

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What a pleasure to know Carly through this memoir.
Thank you for your narration and boldness to let a fan know you better.
I am grateful

Carly at her finest

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I enjoyed getting a glimpse inside Carly's life. I thought it was interesting and appreciated her candor & wisdom. I think she's human, and wonder if she knows many of us have these same feeling and beasts inside. I know I do, but she articulated things better than I ever could. I enjoyed that the story was read by Carly, I love her voice & would not have enjoyed it any other way. The music was a good idea, although sometimes it drowned out what was being read. Thank you Carly, I was a child of the 70s and enjoy going back and listening to your wonderful songs today. They have a new meaning, and the insights were cool. When I was little I thought You're so Vain was about me! Ha!

Thank you for sharing your story

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I wasn't really sure why I decided to listen to this initially. I wasn't really a Carly Simon fan and didn't think her life outside of marrying James Taylor could be all that interesting. Boy was I wrong! I was amazed at how many stories and life experiences she had. Each story was accented by one of Carly's songs which made it feel like I was listening to a radio play. I have gained such a deep appreciation for Carly and her music now (and I have unfortunately experienced the opposite reaction with James Taylor). Fans of Carly's music should definitely get this audiobook.

What a painful, beautiful experience

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Hearing Carly read her memoir, interspersed with music, guitar, piano, and her singing, makes this a delightful and wondrous experience. Highly recommended

What a treat!

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I can't imagine reading this book in print. Hearing Carly Simon read her story was a true treat. Can't get anymore real than hearing the author's tones, inflections, etc. You hear it the way they intended.

The music is wonderful.

A must 'read' as an audio book

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Where does Boys in the Trees rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I enjoy biographies and this one is in my top 5 so far.

What other book might you compare Boys in the Trees to and why?

I had just finished the book by Alan Cumming, read by the author, and it was performed excellently likely due to his acting skills. Still, Simon, like Cumming, knows how to punctuate her own story the best.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

An author reading her own book is almost always the best choice, as in this case. As a songwriter, it's appropriate to have some occasional musical interludes and background music but the problem with this recording is often the sound mixing is 50% each making my ears compete for hearing the narration. A few times I think the music mixing exceeded 50%. Typically on narrations while the dialog is performed the music will lower in the mix to truly take it into the background. Not so with this book. I often had to turn up the volume to discern the words she was speaking. I don't know who thought a 50% mix (or higher) was a good idea.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's rarely possible for me to listen to any book all in one sitting. I listen while driving, so I often consume books in a minimum of 2-hour chunks.

Good story, problematic mixing

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Loved this fascinating life story, especially as it is told directly by Carly. Reminder that there is often much below the surface.

Captivating!

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