Hello Big Man, Carly Simon's first new studio album of original material in more than three years, followed on from her 1981 album of standards, Torch, and the British Top Ten success of her collaboration with Chic, "Why." Both experiences (plus, perhaps, her 1980 hit "Jesse") seemed to have reinvigorated her taste in pop music, if Hello Big Man...

Hello Big Man, Carly Simon's first new studio album of original material in more than three years, followed on from her 1981 album of standards, Torch, and the British Top Ten success of her collaboration with Chic, "Why." Both experiences (plus, perhaps, her 1980 hit "Jesse") seemed to have reinvigorated her taste in pop music, if Hello Big Man was any indication. The sound was a return to the style of Anticipation and No Secrets after years of following trends -- the songs were romantic, with the erotic edge that had charged much of Simon's best material. The album was typically uneven, what with its reggae material (including a redundant cover of Bob Marley's "Is This Love"), but also typically personal and compelling. The title track was a winning account of her parents' courting, complete with a happy-ever-after ending that didn't occur in real life. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi