Customer Reviews

The Carpenters - Gold: Greatest Hits

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This Video is fantastic.Most of the Carpenters hits are in this collection. The sad part is seeing Karen so thin in one video,then looking great in another one.Even Richard looked bad around 1975,singing one of my favorites,"Only Yesterday." The best Karen looked on this tape was in 1977,two years after almost dying singing"All you get from Love is a Love song."I never seen her look so sexy and full of life.She was on her way to a full recovery.This video collection's wonderfull. We get to see the Carpenters from early TV specials,to the last video's the Carpenters recorded for the"Made in America"Album. Karen was in bad shape,and her eyes lost that glow.Its very sad to watch these last video's made by the Carpenters.One Video I would love to have is the Carpenters Christmas Special. I hope this comes out in the near future.I would love to have it along with this great video.

In 1985, A & M released the first Carpenters all-music video collection: "Yesterday Once More" on VHS tape. Now, 17 years later, Universal has rereleased "YOM" on DVD, but,with the title "Gold". The audio and video parts are excellent! Karen and Richard look and sound awesome! It is a true upgrade to the DVD level. However, apart from 'song selection', there is no difference from the VHS tape! The DVD for "Close to You-Remembering the Carpenters" had a lot more extras than it's VHS release. The Japanese "YOM" DVD has the additional video; "I Need to Be in Love". Universal could have added the 6 extra videos from the 1995 VHS release: "Intrepretations". I do recommend "Gold". It has a much better quality than the "YOM" VHS release, and does not cost as much to buy it as the imports: the Japanese "YOM" DVD, and/or the 2000 Taiwan DVD-"Carpenters, A Video Biography Karaoke", (which doesn't look, or sound, much better than a VHS tape, and it has the words to the songs printed on the screen). Also, on the Taiwan DVD, 4 of the 21 videos have nothing in common with the songs being sung. I am disapointed that Universal named this DVD "Gold", instead of "Yesterday Once More",(which it is), and that it does not contain any more videos than the 1985 VHS release did.

I was the associate producer of the original release of the Carpenters video originally titled "Yesterday Once More" and now "Gold".

It is a very long story how we got to the final release-no budget, we did not get paid for our work, busted are backs trying to locate all the clips and I wasnt even a Carpenters fan! But I immediately loved Karen's voice and it was great working with Richard. Super person and an incredible talent! I shortly thereafter split with my then partner Paul Surratt who was the producer of the video from our company, Research Video. I went back to my first love, bluegrass music and vintage Country-Rock (Gram Parsons, Clarence White). I am still proud of what we did, most of you have no idea the hell we went through with A&M just getting this done back then. Now that MCA/Universal owns it, it probably is even a more distant memory to everyone.

Enjoy anyway!

John M. Delgatto
Sierra Records, Books & Home Video

The Carpenters DVD "GOLD" is an outstanding DVD version of the 1985 VHS "Yesterday Once More', and nothing more. What a disapointment for long-term Carpenters fans to not have anything new on this DVD. How long does the record company think we will keep buying new DVD and CD collections without any new remixes or unreleased material (from Karen's solo project there are at least 10 songs (Including the beautiful track, "Something's Missing", that were not included on "Karen Carpenter", produced by Phil Ramone that could be completed, or Carpenters sessions...there must be more)? There are many more video clips that could have been included on "GOLD", like "I Need To Be In Love", Carpenters ABC TV Shows, live performance tracks, especially the ABBA cover, "Thank You For The Music, which Karen & Richard performed on "the Tonight Show", Richard Carpenter interviews and updates on him, etc.
Note to A&M Records/Universal Music... RELEASE "AS TIME GOES BY", which is an outstanding 'new' Carpenters CD of previously unreleased material available as an Import from Japan.
I've been a Carpenters fan since 1972. I've bought everything available. So far.

Released in 2002, Carpenters "Gold" DVD is an exact replica of the 1985 Carpenter VHS release "Yesterday Once More". For those of you (like me) who already own the VHS version, I am sorry to say that "Gold" offers nothing new, no new tracks, no new visuals, no interviews, etc. Obviously, the DVD format is not utilized to it's full potential and with little creative imagination. Had there been a full menu on the DVD, plus some additional music videos, this would easily be a 5-star production. However, for those who have never seen the Carpenters perform, "Gold" will be a good introduction to the duo, and serves as an technology upgrade for those who previously bought "Yesterday Once More".

"Gold" comprises 15 "music videos" of some of the Carpenters' more popular hits. Please be aware that the term "music video" has taken on a whole different meaning (due to MTV), compared to when the Carpenters performed their songs. Instead of creative visual pictures and themes, the "Gold" visuals of the Carpenters is mostly standard fare, with Karen out front singing before the Carpenter band. A few songs are filmed on location; such as "Please Mister Postman" at Disneyworld, and "Ticket To Ride" in the snowy mountains of Aspen. The songs span the entire breadth of the careers of Karen and Richard Capenter, from "We've Only Just Begun" featuring a very youthful Karen Carpenter, to "Those Good Old Dreams", with a much more mature Richard and a painfully thin Karen.

The sound quality of the songs is excellent, as these songs are taken directly from their albums, with Karen and Richard lip-synching to the recording. The lip-synching is done so well that in most cases one would swear they are actually singing live. Karen's characteristic rich lovely voice is flawless.

I give the production 3-stars only because it could have been so much more. All the same, if you are a Carpenters fan like I am, you will want to own this DVD.

Jim Konedog Koenig

As a devote Carpenters fan I found this video to be absolutely beautiful. It's especially nice for those of us born to late to see Karen and Richard in concert or in their televison specials. A MUCH more personal collection than Interpretations, I DARE a true fan to see the end of this video for the first time and not cry. It was made only 2 years after Karen passed away and I see it as a moving and very sweet tribute to the woman who brought so much joy to the world with that voice.

Karen Carpenter is also my favorite singer of all time. I could stay for hours and hours just seeing her sing. Her voice was like velvet. I'm a little disappointed to see that this DVD does not include all of her songs. I think that a GOLD DVD should include at least 3 ou 4 more newer songs. As it is I think it should be entitled SILVER only. I hope to see something better on Karen Carpenter in the near future. She and all of her fans deserve it.

I love all songs in this DVD. But little disappointed, as it doesn't have "Yesterday Once More". Hope I can see that song in their next new DVD.

Great video. Video clips of most all of Karen and Richard's hits along with many previously unseen pictures. Close to You, We've Only Just Begun, Please MR Postman, Those Good Old Dreams and Many more! These clips span from their early days in the business (Ticket to Ride) where we see a young, very healthy Karen to the last "Carpenters" single, "Touch Me When We're Dancing" where one is struck by how thin and ill Karen looks. These clips were chosen by Richard and dedicated to Karen's memory, they are a touching tribute to a lady with a perfect velvet voice. She is greatly missed. END

CARPENTERS-GOLD is simply a re-release of the VHS "Yesterday Once More", but with a 5.1 remix thrown in, and slightly better picture quality. These two extra features are good reason to buy the DVD, but not enough to justify the high price tag. What's really missing with this DVD? To begin with, A&M have failed to recognise the value of DVD techonology which allows for considerable space on the disc. Many more film clips could have been added, as well as a documentary ... but sadly none of these are provided. It really doesn't deserve the title of "Gold", perhaps "Silver plated" would be more fitting?

Would love to see some real LIVE performances of Karen Carpenter. When are we getting a live DVD because material does exist.