Customer Reviews

Carpenters

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Known as the "Tan album" by Carpenter enthusiasts, the simply named "Carpenters" sets the tone and standard for all Carpenters music to follow.

Released in 1971, "Carpenters" contains five huge hits that were played over and over again on top-40 AM radio; I know this because I heard the songs myself and fell in love with them! Just a teen at the time, I could relate emotionally to the Carpenters music and lyrics. The "Tan album" was a big hit for Richard and Karen Carpenter. Richard's unique musical arrangements frame Karen's pitch-perfect vocals in such a way that the blend is absolutely heavenly.

Starting with the soulfully mournful "Rainy Days and Mondays", the album has no dull moments. Richard Carpenter displays his vocal talents in two songs, "Saturday" and "Drucilla Penny", and although both songs are lively and pleasing, the album clearly excels when Karen rich voice is highlighted. Her voice is so lovely, clear, and expressively distinctive, your ears will thank you for the treat! Karen is superb in "Let Me Be The One", "For all We Know" and "Bacharach Medley" where she sings a pleasing rendition of five Burt Bacharach standards. Karen also shines in two other little known songs, "(A Place to) Hideaway", and "One Love"; both have become personal favorites of mine. Had the two been released as singles in the ballad driven music of the early 1970's, both would have been top-40 hits. Again, enough praise cannot be expressed for Karen's heartfelt rendering of these songs and others.

Two other songs must be mentioned and praised. The mega-hit, "Superstar" is fourth on the playlist of this album. Although other vocal artists have tried to record this mournful song, Karen sets the standard with her recording. It is a song to treasure because of Karen's vocal perfection and interpretation. No one else even comes close to Karen's effort. Closing out the album is the tear-jerker, "Sometimes". Richard's arrangement of this song begins with almost a minute and 30 seconds of piano instrumental, with Karen then beginning her expressive vocal. Anyone not touched to the soul by this song probably does not have a soul to touch! I guarantee you will listen to it again and again, and you will examine your own heartfelt feelings and your personal relationships as well. It is that influential a song. The words were written by Henry Mancini's daughter, Felice Mancini, and put to music by Mancini. You won't forget it.

I own all the Carpenter albums, but I return again and again to the "Tan album" for its simple muscial purity and satisfying sound. It is a must for all Carpenter fans.

Jim (Konedog4) Koenig

I remember growing up in the early seventies, heading into a record store with dark glasses on, looking both ways to ensure no one that I knew saw me go in to buy this Carpenters LP. Their unfortunate, sqeaky clean promo image was at its height; and I didn't want to called uncool or something even less flattering. "If only they listened to Karen's smoldering, melancholy vocals on Superstar, Rainy Days and Mondays and One Love," I thought, "perhaps they would see the light. Perhaps they would hear what I hear: an almost unbearable sadness, yearning and longing that pierces the heart; such pathos and poignance not heard since Patsy Cline."

Years after Karen died, as with many great artists, her vocals (and Richard's arrangements) were finally beginning to be appreciated. A diverse range of singers from Chrissie Hynde to Sheryl Crow to Matthew Sweet were singing Karen and Richard's praises. I was finally vindicated; I could remove my sunglasses, go into a record store and not be ashamed to say I wanted to buy a Carpenters album.

This superb collection is a showcase for Karen's extraordinary vocals. She clearly put her heart and soul into her singing. She has left us with a treasure chest full of mournful, soulfully sung tunes which we can now proudly place beside the likes of Edith Piaf and Patsy Cline. Karen belongs in their company.

Karen and Richard Carpenter scored a huge goal with their self-titled album, Carpenters. Karen could sing so well that when she sang you truly felt that she was singing only to you and just for you; the vulnerability and passion in her voice made her singing instantly very special to hear. Richard's ability to sing and play the music also enhanced their performance greatly. The quality of the sound is very good; and the artwork recreates the original record album cover when this was released on vinyl all those years ago. This is truly a must-have for fans of Carpenters.

"Rainy Days And Mondays" starts the album off with one of their greatest hits ever. The piano arrangement is extremely pretty; and Karen sings her heart out. Her voice, clear as a bell, makes this ballad shine and Richard does a superb job playing the music to this song. "Rainy Days And Mondays" is also a huge highlight of this CD; and I think you'll like it very much if you haven't heard it before. In addition, there's also "Let Me Be The One;" Karen delivers this with panache; she handles complicated key modulations and tempo changes like the pro she always was! Karen's voice is in excellent form on "Let me Be The One" and I could never tire of this tune! "(A Place To) Hide Away" has a very sensitive arrangement; I really enjoy that piano playing and Karen never sings a superfluous note!

"For All We Know" captures all the emotions people feel when the commit to each other or have a formal wedding ceremony; there is the joy of being united forever mixed with the doubt about the future being perfectly rosy and without any strife. Karen delivers this with heart and soul; and the melody is charming. "Superstar" is a touching, mellow torch song that never ceases to move me greatly when I hear it; just about anyone who has truly loved and lost can identify with this angst in this ballad. "Superstar" is also one of the biggest hits ever for Karen and Richard Carpenter. "Drusilla Penny" seems to have some sort of harpsichord in the arrangement; I haven't heard this in so many years but it comes back to me rather quickly because of the power of this number.

There's a great medley of tunes by Bacharach and David: "Knowing When To Leave/Make It Easy On Yourself/There's Always Something There To Remind Me/I'll Never Fall In Love Again/Walk On By/Do You Know The Way To San Jose." This is a lush medley with lots to enjoy and I always smile when I hear this medley. The CD ends with Richard and Karen performing "Sometimes;" this is yet another sensitive ballad that highlights just how talented this duo really was.

Carpenters is a great album and one of the strongest by Karen and Richard Carpenter. Their fans will love this and it's an excellent starter CD for newcomers to the artistry of Karen and Richard Carpenter.

Although it's a brief album even by 1971 standards, it should be said that every song on this 3rd LP by the Carpenters is wonderful. "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "Sometimes" bookend the work perfectly. In with melancholy, out with melancholy, just the way a Carpenters album should be! Three big hits on this one: "Rainy Days...", "Superstar", and my favorite, "For All We Know". Two wonderful tracks with Richard singing lead: "Druscilla Penny" which is one man's inquiry as to what makes a rock and roll groupie a rock and roll groupie; and "Saturday" which is so catchy that everytime I listen to this CD, I find myself with that song in my head for the rest of the day! "Penny" is a little dated, but that only adds to its' nostalgic early 70s charm. There are several other standout cuts including the "Bacharach/David Medley" which show's Richard Carpenter's arranging genius and "Sometimes" an amazingly beautiful and sentimental Henry Mancini tune. I would like to comment briefly on two other reviews of this album: The Richard Carpenter cuts are really no more dated than Burt Bacharach songs of the period, yet Burt's tunes are revered as classics.

As many other reviewers have mentioned in other reviews about any Carpenters albums: Karen could turn any mediocre song into a jaw-droppingly amazing lesson in articulation and performance...the woman had class. This album is a collection of some flawless interpretations by Karen...unfortunately with a bit of filler along the way. "Rainy Days And Mondays" is just a damn good song which Karen pulls off with sincerity and melancholy. Not many other artists have tried to cover this song because Karen basically nailed it and owns it. It's made even more depressing by her death as we now listen in hindsight and you can almost imagine Karen is singing from beyond the grave and imparting her experience and wisdom to the audience. Thank God Karen just sang a song and didn't indulge in the vocal acrobatics of the current crop of "diva's" in the music industry today who scrap melodies to inflict us with their high-pitched, dolphin-esque wailing when they "sing" songs. RDAM is definately one of Karen's best performances ever.

"Superstar" and "For All We Know" were the other two singles released off this album. Karen does a fine job with "Superstar" but I never cared much for "For All We Know"? I am kinda baffled at how it charted so well too? It is just a "pleasant" song but I don't find the melody endearing and the Carpenters have so many better songs that flopped?

"Let Me Be The One" is such a memorable song and missed single opportunity, thankfully with Richard acknowledged and included this song on their 2CD GOLD Compliation which does not sound out of place. The melody of this chorus stuck in my head the first time I ever played this song- it is just that catchy. While it is a short song and very repetitive, Karen manages to hold your attention the whole way through.

"One Love" and "Hideaway" if sung by anyone else would just be passable efforts. Luckily, Karen manages to turn these pretty ordinary songs into something that is listenable.

Richard Carpenter's two contributions are the poppy "Saturday" and the bizarre "Druscilla Penny" with its weird Renaissance-esque intro. I might just be me...but I find Richard's singing voice just plain creepy! I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think he should have just stuck to the composing and arranging of their music! I skip these tracks...

The Bacharach/David Medley is interesting. Karen handles "Knowing When To Leave" amazingly well with its, as another reviewer mentioned, rapid-fire vocals. The problem the Bacharach part of the medley is that they completely changed the melody of such well known songs? I would love to hear Karen sing "Walk On By" the way it was originally arranged, instead Richard sings an unusual faster version which is ambitious and kudos to him for being creative...but it just doesn't really compare with how the song is meant to be performed.

The album closer "Sometimes" is just such a sad song that I find myself bawling my eyes out from the opening piano bars. When I first played this song I thought it was another of Richard's self-indulgent piano compositions with no vocals which he is so fond of...but I was patient enough to wait it out and eventually Karen starts crooning "Sometimes, not often enough, we reflect upon the good things..." Oy! You really have to hear this song completely to understand how true the words of this song are. Poor Karen sings beautifully and in such an under-stated way...

So, this album is a bit of a mixed-bag...some flawless performances by Karen...and some so-so songs...this was only album number 3 the Carpenters released and they really improved and got better with the following albums. They really caught lightning in a bottle. Listening to any Carpenters album is always a very humbling thing, knowing Karen has not been with us for all these years is such a tragedy...we still miss her. I think their music resonated with a lot of lonely and "just nice" people like me.

The Carpenters were total perfectionists, as evidenced by the superb production values of this album especially. Yet in re-visiting it all these years later, what they captured perhaps without intent was a deeply felt melancholy, both in Richard's precise arrangements and, most of all, in Karen's measured yet sad and soulful vocals. This album never quits -- the songs are, without exception, excellent, in a near-theatrical running order, and provide a myriad of pleasures. The hits just keep on coming, starting with perhaps the most perfectly realized hit of their career, Rainy Days and Mondays. The Bacharach-David medley is so wonderfully arranged you almost wished they had recorded an album of all Bacharach material.

Back in 1971, my college roommate had this album. The dorm had pretty much emptied for Christmas break, however my ride wasn't leaving until Christmas Eve morning. So, as I WAITED to get home, I repeatedly played the song "Sometimes" and cried and cried. It is very short and I remember the words to this day:

"Sometimes, not often enough, we reflect upon the good things. And those thoughts often center around those we love.
And I think about those people...who mean so much to me.
And for so many years have made me...so very happy.
And I think about the times I have forgotten to say...
Thank you and just how much I love them."

[My family will never know how I cried for them while waiting AND I'm sure I fought with my siblings and folks-just like normal-when I did get home!] By the way, my sister gave me this album for Christmas!
*I am updating my review about this song. My grandmother of 96 years passed a few weeks ago. Her parents were pioneers who came out in a covered wagon. I had a DVD made for her funeral with Manheim Steamrollers version of 'Home on the Range' playing in the background and I used "Sometimes" to close the DVD. Everyone asked where I found that song. The guys who made the DVD for me said, "It made me cry". So I am thankful to Henry Mancini and his wife for writing this beautiful song and to Karen and her beautiful voice for this perfect song.

i know it's a stupid title for a review, but one of my first memories is of my mom playing this album on 8-track when i was a boy. I loved this album, and although I had little musical knowledge at the time, I knew what I liked and how amazing Karen Carpenter's voice was. I consider myself a pretty manly man, but "Rainy Days and Mondays" can still almost make me cry.

Back in 1971, my college roommate had this album. The dorm had pretty much emptied for Christmas break, however my ride wasn't leaving until Christmas Eve morning. So, as I WAITED to get home, I repeatedly played the song "Sometimes" and cried and cried. It is very short and I remember the words to this day:

"Sometimes, not often enough, we reflect upon the good things. And those thoughts often center around those we love.
And I think about those people...who mean so much to me.

And for so many years have made me...so very happy.
And I think about the times I have forgotten to say...
Thank you and just how much I love them."
[My family will never know how I cried for them while waiting AND I'm sure I fought with my siblings and folks-just like normal-when I did get home!] By the way, my sister gave me this album for Christmas!

The Carpenters came along at a funny time in history. The 70's were dawning, and if you were a teenager like me, sure, the Carpenters were corny. Karen wore those long dresses with the long sleeves and the high collars, and the two of them were so "un-cool."

However, we get older and hopefully wiser, and we look back and realize what we had. Karen Carpenter was only 21 years old when she recorded this album, but her voice was a gift. "Rainy Days and Mondays"... try to imagine someone else, ANYONE else, singing that song. One of the greatest singers ever.

What a shame that we didn't have the chance to hear what an older Karen would've contributed to music.