Kim Carnes Album: “Gypsy Honeymoon: The Best of Kim Carnes”

to a lot of people, Kim Carnes is only known for "Bette Davis Eyes". Which is a shame, as she was one of the most underrated female singers of the 80's. However, this set is missing too many of her 80's hits to count. Among those missing, "Draw Of The Cards" (#28, 1981), "Cry Like A Baby" (#44, 1980), "Voyeur" (#29, 1982), "Does It Make You Remember" (#36, 1982), "Invisible Hands" (#40, 1983), "You Make My Heart Beat Faster" (#54, 1984), "I Pretend" (#73, 1984), "Hurricane", "Invitation To Dance" (#67, 1985), "Abadabadango" (#67, 1985) and "Divided Hearts" (#79, 1986). Over half of her charted singles. Even tho none of those songs were anywhere as huge as Bette Davis Eyes or More Love, they were all great 80's songs that deserve exposure. Try a budget compilation (you can find plenty that have all of the hits on them) instead. Kim, if you're reading this, we'd love you to return

Don't waste your money on limp, mediocre, wishy washy little girl stars out now...compared to a voice like this they truly should be on thier knees thanking god for thier unbelievable luck

All of Kim's favorite songs are here, as well as three new tracks, the best being Chain Letter. The duets with Kenny Rogers, Barbra Streisand, and Gene Cotton are here as well as the guest artists Ry Cooder, James Ingram and others. Her Grammy winning smash "Bette Davis Eyes" is on this cd and her Grammy winning Flashdance song is here, too.Soothing to the ear, and bringing back fond memories of the eighties, this would be a welcome addition to anyone's record collection. Her raspy voice is awesome!

With "Gypsy Honeymoon", Kim Carnes chose not to include several of the songs that kept her on Top 40 radio during (roughly) 1980-1986 in favor of ones that, I assume, are closer to what she has wanted to accomplish as a songwriter and artist. This results in a consistent soft-rock set that sounds very different from the other disc I'd recommend, 1990's budget release awkwardly (sarcastically?) called "Crazy in the Night and Other Classic Songs of Love and Loss." Between the two the Kim Carnes fan can get 16 of her 19 hits with only three overlapping. (MIA from both are "Invitation To Dance", from the soundtrack to a blink-and-you-missed it movie called "That's Dancing!"; the promisingly-titled "Abadabadango"; and "What About Me?", the truet with Kenny Rogers and James Ingram that I believe is available only on Kenny's box set.)

As Ms. Carnes slowly (very slowly, though not as slowly as Bonnie Raitt) began to achieve pop airplay after a few albums, she ended up following some trends that led her into more drum-machine based dance music and the world of MTV. I enjoyed such hits as the nearly-disco-paced "Voyeur" and the punchy "Invisible Hands" (I don't know what the words meant either), not so much the gimmicky "Draw of the Cards" with the chilling laughter at the end, but they scream "1980's" and don't fit the mood "Gypsy Honeymoon" achieves. That said, I do think the hits "Does It Make You Remember" (#36/1983), "Divided Hearts" (#79/'86), and especially the beautiful if low-charting "I Pretend" (#74/'84) would have fit in with this CD as well.

This disc does include Ms. Carnes' first four chart hits, the first three of which are not on "Crazy": 1978's beautiful (and Top 40, it can be both) duet with Gene Cotton, "You're a Part of Me" and the bluesy "It Hurts So Bad" from 1979. Early in 1980, she and Kenny Rogers released the excellent duet "Don't Fall in Love With a Dreamer", which like many of her songs Kim co-wrote with her husband, Dave Ellingson. More big hits ensued, "trendy" and not-so-much. "More Love", a soaring remake of a Miracles hit, made #10 in 1980. Then, of course, Ms. Carnes became an international superstar after her 1981 version of the Jackie DeShannon/Donna Weiss-written "Bette Davis Eyes" mesmerized pretty much all of us tuned in to pop radio at the time. It spent nine weeks at #1. Amazingly, or for licensing reasons, this classic was not included on "Crazy in the Night". The only three of her remaining 13 pop hits included here are "Mistaken Identity", the Barbra Streisand duet "Make No Mistake, He's Mine", and "Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)". Which had no barking sound effects and never used the words "barking at airplanes". Of note is the cut from the "Flashdance" soundtrack, "I'll Be Here Where the Heart Is", on "Gypsy" but not "Crazy".

I recommend trying to get both of these sets rather than "The Mistaken Identity Collection", which clumsily adds five tracks from other LPs to the complete "Mistaken Identity" album. It's still missing too many hits and in the end is neither a regular nor hits CD.

"Gypsy Honeymoon" is like hiding the tacky souvenirs, gambling-dogs poster and Duran Duran CD's when company you're trying to impress comes over; "Crazy in the Night" more like taking the acid-washed jeans/jacket out of the closet and partying down. It's rare that an artist can have two different-sounding hits compilations that both work in their own way.

The first time I heard Kim Carnes was when she sang 'Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer' with Kenny Rogers. Then I learned they both sang with the New Christy Minstrels.

Bette Davies Eyes was a massive hit for her which were followed by many more hits including the song she sang in 'Flashdance' also included in this album.

A must have for all Kim Carnes fans.