Now & Then [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: B00000G3WU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,065 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Japanese only SHM paper sleeve pressing. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players. 2009. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Now and Then" a Must for Your Carpenter Collection!, July 22, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: Now & Then (Audio CD)

"Now and Then" is the Carpenters salute to the golden age of rock and roll, the hits of the 1960's. This is the music that both Karen and Richard Carpenter grew up listening to and in this album, they make it their own.

The album begins with the "Now", by presenting their new smash hit of 1973, "Sing". Although criticized and condemned by rock purists of the day, "Sing" (originally written for Sesame Street!), captured the public's attention and became a big hit for the Carpenters. Also in the "Now" section is "This Masquerade", a haunting song about the break-up of a relationship, of course interpreted and performed flawlessly by Karen Carpenter. It amazes me how Karen, at just 23 years old, could put so much appropriate emotional inflection into her lyrics!

"Jambalaya", the hit 1952 Hank Williams song, lifts the mood with it's infectious foot stomping beat. Karen once again renders a flawless vocal rendering, which became a huge Carpenter hit in Japan, Germany, England, and Mexico.

The "Then" portion of the album begins with the colossal hit "Yesterday Once More", setting the stage for the eight 1960's classics songs that follow. Each song is an absolute delight in itself, with the band's Tony Peluso royally hamming it up as a 60's radio dee-jay introducing each song and hosting the all-too familiar "Guess the Song and Band Contest", that all of us (oldsters) once heard on AM Top-40 radio. It all comes together so neatly thanks to Richard Carpenters' inventive and unique musical arrangements.

This is an album that will have you laughing, smiling, and inflecting. It is as good a Carpenters album as any of their million sellers and will charm you endlessly. I highly recommend it.

Jim Konedog Koenig

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Richard & Karen's finest album, October 27, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Now & Then (Audio CD)

Whomever accused The Carpenters of being icky sweet and being a brother-sister gimmick, never took a listen to this album, which was once a Number One LP back it's in day, selling over one million copies. Richard & Karen Carpenter show how versatile as musicians and performers they are, by doing one side contemporary and one side dedicated to the pop oldies of the Sixties, truly a first in those days. If you were never much a fan of the late, Karen Carpenter, you will be when you hear Karen do such songs as "Our Day Will Come," "Da Doo Ron Ron" and the Shelley Fabares hit "Johnny Angel." In addition to such classics as "Yesterday Once More" and "This Masquerade," there's the beautiful instrumental of a song called "Heather." Just gorgeous. This is the remastered edition of the original LP release from 1973, in which Karen played drums on all the tracks, including a different version of "Yesterday Once More." This was Richard Carpenter's first "official" credit as producer of their albums, and his arrangements are simply fabulous. While "Sing" may have been a Number One radio hit with the bubblegum crowd, "Now & Then" is a fine example of just how talented Richard & Karen Carpenter were in the studios. Buy this CD pronto, before it goes out of print.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my all-time favourite albums, June 23, 2002

By 

Gontroppo "Music and Theology Lover" (Bathurst, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Now & Then (Audio CD)

Now and Then is a fantastic album. It shows off the talents of The Carpenters superbly. There are so many great songs on the album, and the musical arrangements are so tasteful. The suite of pieces originally put together for the second side of a gramophone record, beginning and ending with Yesterday Once More, includes some of the best interpretations of those old songs from the 60s you are ever likely to hear, and the recording quality is a lot better than on the original versions.

My favourite song is This Masquerade, which sounds great whether it is performed by the writer Leon Russell, or in a great guitar version by George Benson. But The Carpenters version features Karen's unique voice and a terrific ensemble of musicians in one of the best musical arrangements I have heard.

I also love Heather: the Johnny Pearson instrumental. [Pearson also wrote the memorable theme to All Creatures Great And Small, the TV version of James Herriot's books.]

Highly recommended.