Kim Carnes
Mistaken Identities

Among the great hits that resonated throughout the 80s, "Bette Davis Eyes" is one of the most representative, to the point of overshadowing the name of Kim Carnes or being identified with it, without anything beyond that. It's the peculiar case of a hit song that buried its album and its singer. However, Kim Carnes was not a one-hit wonder, as it might seem, in the American music scene. She navigated the 70s and 80s without hesitation, with constant and steady production. Her style and grit led her to compete with Deborah Harris and Crissie Hynde, paving the way for a generation of rock women like Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette.

"Mistaken Identities" is the album of worldwide, uncontrollable success, opening with "Bette Davis Eyes" (BDE), which topped the charts for nine weeks in 1981. Critics were benevolent to this work, and platinum records and Grammys were almost inevitable. I found the vinyl in perfect condition this afternoon at a market. Undoubtedly it's a good album, but it highlights an original sin: the awareness of having a smash hit in hand and wanting to bet everything on it. The second track, "Hit And Run" by the same authors of BDE (Donna Waiss and Jackie DeShannon), already takes a subordinate position compared to the first, both for the structure of the song (more tied to country atmospheres, dear to DeShannon, but which have little to do with certain innovations of the album). Positioned at the start of the album, BDE overshadows, confuses, and relegates to the background well-crafted tracks like the title track, "Draw Of The Cards," "Don't Call It Love," "My Old Pals"—tracks that together offer an image of a mature and convincing Kim. The balance between the sound of synthesizers, already overflowing in music of that period, and other instruments is pleasant, something appreciable in most of the tracks. The album is quite enjoyable, showcasing all the personality of Kim Carnes, but one can still perceive Val Garay's choice, an expert and savvy producer (James Taylor, Nicolette Larson, Santana,...), to aim for the big score. In the end, he was right, and perhaps even Carnes appreciated it.

I certainly did, because with a few euros, I took home a great album.