Essential is a beautifully remastered 16-track overview of singer and songwriter Kim Carnes' eight years with EMI. Though she recorded two fine albums for A&M before, and a number of solid if underappreciated offerings for a number of labels after, Ms. Carnes is best known for the seven records she made for EMI between 1979 and 1986. Of course, her biggest hits are here: the ubiquitous pop classic "Bette Davis Eyes," "Cry Like a Baby," and "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" (in duet with Kenny Rogers). But deeper than this are lesser-known but nonetheless excellent songs such as "I'd Lie to You for Your Love," "Abadabadango," "I Pretend," "Chain Letter," and the Faces-esque "It Hurts So Bad," all of them done in an nearly astonishing range of subgenres of rock and pop.

Released in 1984 and captured here on Columbia's high-fidelity digital reissue press, Emotion is the twenty-third studio album from the legendary vocal icon Barbra Streisand. Representing a polished, contemporary step into mid-80s pop-rock and adult contemporary aesthetics, the project was recorded across eleven legendary studios in Los Angeles and New York alongside an elite roster of top-tier hitmakers. The album seamlessly balances soaring, dramatic power ballads with upbeat, high-energy pop numbers. It features the stellar, driving title track Emotion supported by background vocals from The Pointer Sisters, the chart-topping, emotionally resonant duet Make No Mistake, He's Mine with Kim Carnes, and Jim Steinman's sprawling, multi-layered seven-minute rock epic Left In The Dark. Augmented by early songwriting contributions from Diane Warren and a driving rock collaboration with John Mellencamp, this pristine digital archive preserves a platinum-certified milestone of 1980s vocal pop excellence.

“To Love Somebody” is a heartfelt collection showcasing Kim Carnes’ distinctive raspy vocals and emotional delivery, blending rock, pop, and ballad styles into a cohesive and expressive album. Known for her major success in the early 1980s, Carnes brings a mature interpretive approach to this 1993 release, focusing on soulful storytelling and stripped-down arrangements. The album includes both original material and reinterpretations, with the title track “To Love Somebody” standing out as a deeply emotional cover that highlights her vocal intensity and phrasing. Throughout the record, themes of love, longing, and personal reflection are explored through warm instrumentation and understated production. Songs like “Everything Has Got To Be Free” and “Fell In Love With A Poet” emphasize lyrical depth and introspective mood, while maintaining accessible pop sensibilities. The album serves as a reflective and intimate chapter in Carnes’ discography.

View from the House is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Kim Carnes. It was released on July 25, 1988 by MCA Records. The album marked a return to her early country music roots. Carnes recorded the album in Nashville, Tennessee, and co-produced the album with Jimmy Bowen. View from the House received positive reviews, with music critics praising Carnes's cover songs. The album reached number 39 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and contained two hit singles. "Crazy in Love" and "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" both charted on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks at number 68 and number 70 respectively. "Crazy in Love" also reached number 13 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Drawing heavily on her early-'80s peak, when she spent nine weeks at number one with "Bette Davis Eyes," Gypsy Honeymoon: The Best of Kim Carnes may not be a definitive collection, but it nevertheless is a first-rate one, containing the majority of her best-known songs. There's "Bette Davis Eyes," plus "Don't Fall in Love With a Dreamer," "More Love," "Mistaken Identity," and "Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)." While "Draw of the Cards" and "Voyeur" should have been here, this still winds up being a fairly satisfying collection for most casual fans.