Eric Carmen, All By Myself | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 48^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “All By Myself” by the late, great Eric Carmen.

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 48^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2024), we recollect and reflect on “All By Myself”, performed by Eric Carmen. 

“All by myself / Don’t want to be all by myself anymore.” On March 11, 2024, the world lost a talented musician in Eric Carmen (1949 – 2024). Throughout the course of his career, Carmen charted 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including three top-five hits. The song to beat, however is the beloved and timeless “All By Myself”, which peaked at no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. Written solely by Carmen, the gold-certified single samples (interpolates) the gorgeous,  Piano Concert No. 2 in C Minor, Opus 18, 2^nd Movement by Russian Romantic composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff.  Oft covered, “All By Myself” is one of the great soft rock classics of the 1970s, appearing as the fourth track on Eric Carmen (1975).

Eric Carmen spares no length on “All By Myself.” The classic runs more than seven minutes in duration.  Of course, it is a magnificent, worthwhile seven minutes! First and foremost, Carmen sings wonderfully. His tone is superb, with no shortage of expression throughout the course of his performance. The melodies he composed are tuneful in the verses, and of course, the centerpiece, the chorus (excerpted above).  Thematically, Carmen feels lonely, hence why he doesn’t “want to live all by myself anymore.”  In the third verse, he sings, “Had to be sure / Sometimes I feel so insecure / And love so distant and obscure / Remains the cure.” Besides strong vocals, relatable and memorable lyrics, and tuneful melodies, the production and arrangement are top-notch.  The brilliance of Rachmaninoff shines through, repurposed masterfully by Carmen.  Combine Russian Romanticism, lush strings, and 70s soft rock cues, and the vibe is epic.  The epic extended instrumental section deserves acknowledgement too! Post-instrumental, Carmen knocks the ending of “All By Myself” out of the park.

Eric Carmen // Eric Carmen // Arista // 1975

Eric Carmen, All By Myself: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 48 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Arista; OpenClipart-Vectors, Speedy McVroom via  Pixabay]