Made in America [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Carpenters | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 8, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B00000G3X0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,287 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Made In America will Make Your Day, August 1, 2005

By 

kone "kone" (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Made in America (Audio CD)

The June, 1981 release, "Made In America" is Richard and Karen Carpenters last album together. Karen would subsequently die of complications of anorexia nervosa in February of 1983, and although Richard would still continue to release additional unreleased recordings, "Made In America" represents the last album that the duo would make together.

"Made in America" is the first album to be released by the Carpenters since "Passage", released in 1977, a drought of 4 years. Both Karen and Richard went through a period of personal crisis that began with Karen's descent into anorexia nervosa and Richard's addiction to prescription sleeping pills. While Richard made a successful withdrawl at the Menniger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, Karen continued to spiral downward. Karen also married Tom Burris in August of 1980 and this delayed the album as well.

"Made In America" was not a colossal commercial success for the Carpenters compared to their other string of huge hit albums. It went to #52 in the charts and spawned one top-20 hit, "Touch Me When We're Dancing". Yet, don't let the album sales fool you, this is a terific album and represents a return to their roots - producing beautiful touching musical ballads as only the Carpenters could.

The album shines brightly with many other strong Carpenter-brand ballad songs. There is the heartwarming "Those Good Old Dreams" and "When You've Got What It Takes", the touching and tear-jerking "Somebody's Been Lyin'" and "I Believe You", as well as "When It's Gone", and finally the lively nostolgic "Beechwood 4-5798", (which the Carpenters turned into a "fun" music video). Then there is the special song that Richard specifically wrote for Karen's marriage day, "Because We Are In Love". What makes this album so good is that once again the songs have that Carpenter signature to them, that unique sound that is theirs alone. Everyone will find a wealth of material that they will find to their liking.

It saddens me that "Made In America" is the last original Carpenter album. Karen's premature death meant that her beautiful melodic voice would not entertain and charm us fans again. I can only think of what might be had Karen survived her heart attack and conquered anorexia (some friends say she did conquer it and was planning to help others by getting the word out through her personal testimony about this tragic mental disorder). But it was not to be, and all we have of her are her recordings and our warm memories of a beautiful woman with the magical voice of an angel. I miss her still, over 20 years after her death.

"Made In America" will please you immensely, and will help you recall the girl with the signature voice and sound.

Jim "Konedog" Koenig

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Carpenters stereotype is never a bad one!, July 30, 2005

By 

Angie (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Made in America (Audio CD)

When I first heard MADE IN AMERICA, it struck me as a "fun" Carpenters album, one that is more guilty pleasure than breath-taking beautiful. As with A KIND OF HUSH, this album would almost have you believe that Karen and Richard Carpenter really were as happy as they appeared in public.

While VOICE OF THE HEART and CLOSE TO YOU will probably always be my favorite Carpenters CDs, there IS something special about MADE...perhaps because it's the first Carpenters album I actually remember seeing in the record store when I was a kid, the one that produced a top 40 single I wanted to request on my local radio station even though I was too embarrassed to say "touch me."--Imagine thinking a song with that title was racy:)!

In college I started a belated CD kick and tried to get all the Carpenters albums in that format. It took a while before I was able to track down "Made in America" after my cassette fell apart. Once I found it, though, I was thrilled (and a little dismayed) to rediscover songs such as the adorably catchy "Beechwood 4-5789" and the sexist "Strength of a Woman" (no woman in her right mind would have such an attitude toward a cheating man!)

Lightening up, I took a second look and realized that MADE IN AMERICA had more ballads than I thought it did and that it was
not nearly as fluffy and commercial as I had previously imagined. Yes, "(Want You) Back in My Life Again" and "Touch Me When We're Dancing" are pleasant by-products of their attempts to ride that early 80s pop bandwagon and "When You've Got What it Takes" is just a bit too precious, but all the other tracks hold out just fine 25 years later, especially the bittersweet "When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)"--a song that took on an even sadder edge after Karen Carpenter passed away.

The three songs on the album most true to the Carpenters' classic sound are "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)," "I Believe You," and "Somebody's Been Lyin.'" The perfect balance between songs that are fun (if maybe a bit dated) and songs that are timeless may be why so many of fans believed the talented duo would have gone on to do so much more in the 80s.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Almost Return, April 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Made in America (Audio CD)

With this album, after a three year hiatus, the Carpenters seem to go back to their roots. The opening "Those Good Old Dreams" is pretty, but very disappointing as a single (#63). "Strength of a Woman" is average, and "Back in My Life Again" sounds feisty, but not good enough to be a single, although it was! (#72). "Somebody's Been Lyin" is gorgeous, the arrangement is sparkling and Karen's voice seems warmer than ever. "I Believe You" is the best track, although strangely it only went to #68 on the charts. I can't understand this, since this one seems to be the best song on the album. "Touch Me When We're Dancing", the Carpenters' last top twenty hit, (#16), is a high point on the album as well. In all honesty, I don't understand why "Beechwood 4-5789" was released as a single (#74) or even recorded. So many other songs are better than this one, and could have charted higher, especially "When It's Gone." The album has its beautiful moments, but seems to lack the magic of previous ventures.