'More Room in a Broken Heart" is a sympathetic and breezy account of Carly Simon's life and (many) loves.
Simon is the proverbial poor little rich girl. Her father, Richard, was a co-founder of Simon & Schuster and she was brought up in monied surroundings: George Gershwin dropped by the house to play an early version of "Porgy and Bess"; Pete Seeger was the music teacher at her progressive school.
But apparently wealth can't buy happiness. She was tall, gawky and stuttered as a child. Insecure and overwhelmed by her accomplished older sisters, Carly spent much of her childhood trying to win daddy's love and much of her adult life pursuing men who often proved toxic.
Ironically, many of these relationships -- ranging from Kris Kristofferson to her drug-addicted former husband, James Taylor -- produced fodder for some of her best music.
While there are no major revelations here, rock journalist Stephen Davis has done an excellent job of putting Simon in her proper place, high in the pantheon of singer/composers. He presents her story in a readable style sure to please her most ardent fans as well as those only peripherally aware of her many accomplishments.
Yet, at times he provides too much information, and on occasion his writing is awkward, such as: "She probably had some work done on her facial presentation."
On the subject of errors, there is one Carly Simon made that Davis fails to mention. Carly, he wasn't vain; the song really was about him.
