Made in America [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Carpenters

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 8, 1998)
• Original Release Date: June 1981
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B00000G3X0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #128,221 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	James Koenig "konedog" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

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 Engles (Columbia, MD United States) - See all my reviews

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Swan Song, March 5, 2002

By	Peter (East of Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

Yes, this was the last album completed by the Carpenters while Karen was still alive. In subsequent releases, including "Voice of the Heart", it was leftover material that Richard assembled by cutting and piecing together. Much has been said of "Made in America", it seems to divide the loyal Carpenter fan base. Even reading the postings by buyers and fans on this Amazon site, opinions are very mixed. Personally, this is the perfect "swan song" by the Carpenters. Who knew this would be their last completed issue? In less than 2 years, Karen would be dead.

Though the Carpenters were defined by their "hit singles", each of their albums could still be counted on for rewarding non-single tracks and this CD is no exception. Aside from the hit singles "Touch Me When We're Dancing", "I Believe You", "Those Good Ol' Dreams", there are some great album tracks here: "Beechwood" and "Want You Back in My Life" is fun, perky listening. Karen's mature melancholic voice gets a good workout on "Somebody's Been Lyin'" and "When You Got What It Takes". She turns dross material into gold; that's always been her gift as an unparalleled interpreter of pop catalog.

It's sad to think "What Could've Been...", which people are constantly asking themselves and the music industry in general had the sad events of February 1983 not happened. It seemed the Carpenters were on the verge of a comeback or at least on the trail. You can hear Richard's gifts as an arranger growing in scope on this CD and Karen was seemingly on the rebound trail recovering from the devastating effects of Anorexia. As a singer, she never lost her God-given gift. Maybe instead of wondering "What Could've Been....", we should be grateful and glad for what we have with their legacy of classic songs and recordings. We still miss you, Karen.