Indeed, I find myself mentally filling in the songs with the added elements of the studio recording arrangements. When King does something slightly different in the live version, it stands out. Sometimes my initial reaction to the change was positive, but most of the time it took a few listens to get used to it. King's voice is not as strong on the live tracks as it is on the studio recordings, where she had time to rest it between sessions.
Part of the power of King's live performances is her presence, which is not easily conveyed in an audio-only recording. This particular recording is able to maintain the momentum of a live concert with only a few stumbles, as tracks from different performances are noticeably placed side-by-side, leading to some level and balance shifts mid-stream. However, these variations are less apparent on cheap speakers than on high-quality headphones, so you'll most likely not notice them in casual listening.
The collection also includes extensive liner notes from noted music writer Harvey Kubernik. The essay provides the listener with a brief overview of Tapestry's role in modern American music history. The information is available in a variety of sources, as referenced by Kubernik, but he does a fine job of synthesizing and providing his own commentary.
Tapestry: Legacy Edition sheds a slightly different light on the classic songs, highlighting the subtle shades and tones in them in a way that other live recordings have not. Tapestry is one of the seminal pop albums of the 20th century, and even if you already have multiple versions of it in your collection, you'll want this one, too.
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