Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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177 of 181 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Carpenters' set, but Richard's rework slightly mars, February 19, 2004
This is the strongest Carpenters collection available. All of the hits, including, FINALLY, the single version of "Solitaire" on a domestic collection! The album cuts are well chosen, with such old favorites as "Let Me Be The One" and "A Song For You" holding their own against the singles. There's also a few previously unreleased efforts, most notably "The Rainbow Connection." At 40 tracks, it easily surpasses their previous double-disker (released at different times under the names CLASSICS and YESTERDAY ONCE MORE) which only contained 27 songs. My only regret is that Richard continues to tinker with the hits, altering classics that were more than fine in the first place. The biggest offenders are "Maybe It's You" which sounds radically different from the gorgeous, stark version found on their CLOSE TO YOU album and "Hurting Each Other," whose additional, lusher background vocals slightly deaden its highly dramatic impact. Fortunately, Richard cannot alter the Carpenters' biggest asset, which is Karen's one of a kind voice. It continues to haunt and tingle the spine 35 years later. Listed below is the lineup with the changes Richard has made to the recordings. You can still get the original versions on their respective albums.DISC 1:
1. Superstar (additional recording in 1985, remixed in 1991)
2. Rainy Days And Mondays (1985 remix)
3. Top Of The World (1991 remix)
4. Maybe It's You (additional recording and remixed in 1990)
5. Let Me Be The One (original)
6. Reason To Believe (1987 remix)
7. Jambalaya (On The Bayou) (1991 Remix)
8. Leave Yesterday Behind (previously unreleased)
9. Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore (original)
10. Bless The Beasts And Children (1991 remix)
11. It's Going To Take Some Time (additonal recording and remix in 1989)
12. Rainbow Connection, The previously unreleased)
13. Only Yesterday (original)
14. Sweet, Sweet Smile (original)
15. There's A Kind Of Hush (1985 with some synth parts removed)
16. California Dreamin' (previously unreleased)
17. Solitaire (original single mix)
18. We've Only Just Begun (1985 remix)
19. This Masquerade (1990 remix)
20. Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (1989 remix)
DISC 2:
1. Yesterday Once More (1985 remix)
2. Please Mr. Postman (1991 remix)
3. Hurting Each Other (1991 remix)
4. I Need To Be In Love (1990 remix)
5. Merry Christmas, Darling (1978 version)
6. Close To You (They Long To Be) (original single version)
7. All You Get From Love Is A Love Song (original)
8. Sing (1994 remix)
9. Make Believe It's Your First Time (original)
10. Ticket To Ride (1973 re-record first released on The Singles 1969-1973 lp)
11. Goodbye To Love (additional recording and remix 1985)
12. I Just Fall In Love Again (original)
13. I Believe You (original)
14. Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again (original)
15. For All We Know (additional recording and remix 1990)
16. Touch Me When We're Dancing (original)
17. I Won't Last A Day Without You (1991 remix)
18. Mr. Guder (1990 remix)
19. Song For You, A (additional recording and remix in 1987)
20. Karen's Theme (original)
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53 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Remastered & Remixed Collection Of The Carpenters Best!, February 19, 2004
Back in the late 60's, the sister and brother duo consisting of Richard and Karen Carpenter, known as The Carpenters were one of the seventies best loved groups. Their first hit "Ticket To Ride" (a Beatles hit), released in 1969 did moderately well for their label A&M, but it wasn't until 1970 that the song "(They Long To Be) Close To You" shot straight up the charts to number one followed a few months later with another hit "We've Only Just Begun". The following year produced yet more hits for The Carpenters with "Superstar", "Rainy Days And Mondays" and "For All We Know", establishing The Carpenters as one of the most popular groups of the early seventies. Throughout the decade the hits continued and The Carpenters had accumulated 10 gold singles and 11 gold albums in the United States. This 2-cd "Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition" includes all their great hits such as the above mentioned songs as well as "Only Yesterday", "Please Mr. Postman", "There A Kind Of A Hush (All Over The World)", "Top Of The World", "Yesterday Once More", and a rare version of "California Dreaming" (originally a hit for The Mamas & Papas) as well as a remake of the Canadian rock group Klatuu's "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft" plus many more (40 songs total). This collection has been remastered and remixed and sounds great, the clarity of the instruments and vocals is astonishing. Also, included is a ten page booklet with a few colorful photos and a song by song breakdown and explanation by Richard Carpenter himself. Sadly, Karen Carpenter passed away in 1983 at age 32 and the world lost one of music's most gifted and beautiful voices ever. If you enjoyed the great music the seventies gave us from artists such as The Carpenters, Bread and Three Dog Night to name just a few, then this collection is a must have.
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31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
When something is already the best don't change it, June 22, 2006
Just listening to the samples of this new remix of "GOLD:35th Anniversary Edition ~ The Carpenters" I found it to be in my opinion sadly remixed very badly. Certainly not a tribute to the excellent talent Of Karen Carpenter and Richard as well. I wonder what Richard was thinking when he remixed these songs? As another review noticed and I agree with, is the bass on some is so loud it almost drowns out the pure excellence of Karen's deep resounding truly perfect voice. This is not a CD you want to get if you really want to appreciate the true pure sound of The Carpenters. The older CDs (if still in production or if you can find them used) "Carpenters Classics 25th Anniversary" a 2 CD disc 98:04 minute Collection remastered digitally, is a much better pick. Especially for those who remember The Carpenters when Karen was still alive and the original arrangements were nothing to mess with. The other CD's worth finding of The Carpendters especially if you like the Talent of Karen's deep resounding perfect voice, would be The CD "Voice Of The Heart" This is a hautingly beautiful collection of Love songs by Karen who lets each song touch your Heart and Soul making you feel as if you were right there as she sings each song. The other one I would highly recommend, if Christmas is your Holiday, would be "Carpenters Christmas Portrait"... "Special Edition digital version....Celebrating 70 continuious minutes of the Seasons best..." with Karen and Richard. There are 34 Carpenters songs as timeless as their sound,and 11 performances heard on this Holiday CD for the first time. These CDs are all the songs you fell in love with the first time you heard Karen sing. These are the arrangements so beautifully done with her and Richard. This new remix maybe OK if you have not been familiar with how wonderful the original songs The Carpenter's recorded and later remastered-Not Remixed- sounded. For this reason I give this 35th Anniversary remix a 2 star rating. These older CDs are how The Carpenders really won over their fans, took the Music Industry by storm and gave a generation of Music lovers reason to Love The Carpenders music and the sound they gave each song. Talent that can still win over anyone who truly appreciates the timeless talents only The Carpenters could deliver. As I more or less said in my Title for this review and taken from an old saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it!" or in this case Don't Remix it!
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