Customer Reviews

Yesterday Once More: Memories of the Carpenters and Their Music

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This is one of the finest books I have ever read on the Carpenters. I saved a stack of clippings myself over the years, but none cover the depth of what this book does. It is a "must" for all fans of Karen and Richard, and will surely serve to introduce future generations to the history and magic of the Carpenters music. It's also a great keepsake for fans because it includes rare articles, interviews, and writings about the duo from the 1970s to present. In addition to 16 full-page photos (some I'd never even seen before), "Yesterday Once More" assembles so many great pieces of writing on the Carpenters. The book begins with a fascinating overview of the Carpenters lives and careers by Paul Grein, who has always been known as a Carpenters supporter - and one of the few they had among the press world. There are several album reviews but one of the most impressive aspects has to be the placement of concert reviews (most are from Variety) throughout the book. It is quite interesting to follow the transformation from "opening act" in Vegas through to the record-breaking Palladium appearances. There is even a 1997 review of a concert performed by Richard Carpenter in Long Beach, California. There are other pieces you might consider to be "landmark" Carpenters articles: "On The Road With The Carpenters" by Digby Diehl, "The Choral Sound Of The Carpenters" by Frank Pooler (I have been trying to track down a copy of this one for years) and "Soft Rock & 14 Gold Records" from Saturday Evening Post. The highlight of these would have to be Ray Coleman's 1975 "Middle America Personified?" piece from Melody Maker - it's a mammoth work, interviewing Karen and Richard on separate occasions and offering much information not available in other dialogues. The last two sections of the book deal with Karen's death, Richard's activities since that time, and the resurgence in Carpenters popularity in the 1990s. I am especially fond of Daniel Levitin's "Pop Charts" article, which covers Richard's practices as an arranger, and the review of Karen's solo record (recorded in 1979 and released in 1996). "Yesterday Once More" definitely succeeds at showing the Carpenters from many views. Get this one!

If you ask my wife, I border on obsessive compulsive regarding the Carpenters. Karen's voice is (sadly, WAS), in my mind, without peer... before her and since. Always on pitch; filled with wonderful color, texture and interpretation. She was wonderfully showcased by Richard's (undervalued) arrangements. That said: I LOVE the Carpenters. Always have.

That said, this book was a huge disappointment. The author --er, EDITOR, has simply amassed a mismash collection of short reviews (complete with heavyhanded industry jargon-babble), interviews and short articles. With very little structure and no value added insight, it's a dusty old scrapbook of meandering, repetitive and, therefore, quickly forgettable material.

I just think the Carpenters, especially Karen, deserve much better. She was that great.

That said, in my hunt for everything Carpenters, I do highly recommend the DVD: CLOSE TO YOU, REMEMBERING THE CARPENTERS. Of all the DVDs available (mostly lip-synching "videos") this has a lot of live material and insight that will satisfy the most obsessive Carpenters fan.

"Yesterday Once More" by Randy Schmidt, an accomplished music teacher, has most of the more important published articles on the Carpenters. Their full text is printed in order, from 1970 to 1998. There are positive, as well as negative articles, on Karen and Richard Carpenter. The book does not have 1975 "Rolling Stone" piece; "The Family That Plays Together", (which can be purchased over the internet). The book also has Karen saying she was sorry for her comments on Mott the Hopple, but, the reader is not given any idea what the comments were. In the 1989, ratings topping, CBS made-for-television movie: "The Karen Carpenter Story", made by Richard Carpenter; the film shows Cynthia Gibb reading an review, which describes Karen as "chunky" and/or "chubby". According to Randy Schmidt-No Such Review Ever Existed! It was just "Hollywood" poetic licence! A friend of Karen's also told VH-1, Karen read a review that referred to her hourglass figure, and Karen flipped! Again, there is no evidence that anyone wrote a article that discussed Karen's weight, execpt to say how, after 1975, she was much too thin in appearance. The Carpenters were probably the best-selling U.S. music act of the 1970's, and their recordings will be played forever! Karen was a great, pioneer woman drummer/singer; and "Goodby to Love", (1972), by Richard Carpenter, (Tony Peluso on guitar), was the first "power ballad". This is an important, informative, intelligent book well worth reading and owning.

Randy Schmidt has captured a side of The Carpenters story that has been relatively overlooked, until now. By compiling many great reviews, articles and periodical stories, Randy shares a facinating side of the lives, careers and concerts and music of Karen & Richard Carpenter. There are some really terrific Q&A with The Carpenters as well. I feel like I have suddenly discovered a treasure chest of Carpenters history--there are many album and concert reviews, as well as interviews and magazine articles that I have never seen before. Its like someone just handed me hundreds of magazines with features and articles, press releases and reviews of The Carpenters music. The book is filled with beautiful photos of Karen & Richard Carpenter that really capture their entire career. "Yesterday Once More" is much, much more than just the title of a song or a book: To a friend or a fan of Karen & Richard this is one phrase that captures the way we feel about them and thier music. "When we were young and listened to the radio"---WE WERE LISTENING TO The Carpenters!

Unlike "The Carpenters, The Untold Story" written by Ray Coleman, this book tells the story of the Carpenters chronologically using reprints of articles, critical analysis of their albums, and interviews that appeared in various magazines and fan club newsletters. While the first book is well written in novel form, this book keeps it real, complete with source documentations. There is no poetic license here, it's their complete history as it happened, a fantastic read.

A noble effort to be sure, but in the end it seems as uneven as, well, a Carpenters album. There are highlights - primarily interviews with Karen and Richard - but too much of it is facile music-biz hackery or P.R. puff pieces that keep covering the same territory. (For example, the say-nothing music tabloid concert reviews become particularly numbing after awhile, as do the constant references to the fact that in an age of hippy sloppiness, the Carpenters showered.) Ultimately, the points that the book proves are probably not the ones the editor intended: a lot of industry journalism is pure dreck and there was any number of small-town John Simons out there who used their pieces about the Carpenters to demonstrate just how bitchy they could be. The most frustrating thing about the book, however, is what's missing. Major pieces from Rolling Stone, People, etc. are conspicuously absent (as is an interview where Karen apparently dissed Mott the Hoople - several pieces mention that she was sorry for what she said but we maddeningly never get to learn what that was!).

Mr. Schmidt has done an AMAZING job compiling this collection of articles, essays, interviews etc. This book contains unique perspectives of Richard and Karen Carpenter and their music from many sources. It provides a rich insight into their music and somewhat turbulent lives as they were producing their timeless sound. This is a MUST read for not only Carpenters fans but for anyone who appreciates the rare genre of contemporary music that the Carpenters were a part of. To have all these, rare hard-to-find, extremely insightful articles in one collection is a very special treat.

Randy Schmidt edits Yesterday Once More, providing over 45 articles, interviews, essays, and reviews of the lives and achievements of the Carpenters. From their recordings and performances to Karen Carpenter's health problems and death, this is packed with musical insights which go beyond casual biographical sketches.

Kudos to Randy Schmidt for putting this fantastic book together. Filled with great articles, interviews and reviews it's a delightful read that I only wish there was a volume 2!!!!

Instead of the usual biographies Randy opts for a collection of articles, interviews and reviews from various sources. It's like having your own collection of Carpenters articles without going through the effort of finding all these gems.

The book is laid out with great thought and care and definately was a labor of love. This one is not to be missed!!!!!

This book does more than just look at almost thirty years of writing about the Carpenters. At times "Yesterday Once More" comes across as a scholarly journal on their music. The compiler did a nice job of mixing writings from various authors and sources. It's all arranged in chronological order and reads like a biography. There are a number of informative interviews in the book as well. This book is easy to read and although a few of the pieces contain technical language, it offers something for everyone, whether they be musicologists or the average pop music fan.