The Carpenters: Singles
1969 - 1981 (Super Audio Compact
Disc)
PCM 2.0: B DSD
2.0: B+ DSD 5.1: B+ Music: B
The Carpenters are much-derided, yet they retain some
serious popularity. How can this be
so? They are written off as doing the
worst, most milquetoast versions of popular music that it is “boring” or
“awful” as if music always has to be loud and have endless beats. They were part of a Soft Rock movement in
the early 1970s that included bread, a band at least as talented, as led by lead
singer/songwriter David Gates. However,
the tragedy of Karen Carpenter’s life has given the music a new urgency and
interest, down to a covers tribute album that attempted to reveal a darker side
to their music. The Super Audio Compact
Disc version of The Carpenters: Singles 1969 – 1981 offers surprisingly
revealing remixes of the following:
1)
Yesterday Once More – One
of the songs undeniably the duos, its interesting in its nostalgia component as
it does not try to sound old or be old, but instead be an honest reflection of
missing the past.
2)
We’ve Only Just Begun – This
song about optimism came form an insurance ad, which those who are annoyed by
melodic commercials will use as proof of shallowness, but the song transcends
that enough and it is another one of their deserved classics. Paul Williams co-wrote the song.
3)
Superstar – Does she really know the
artist on the radio or is she so lonely that she is just imagining the
relationship? This is one of music’s
great Pop mysteries and the duo’s best records.
4)
Rainy Days & Mondays –
Another classic, but not their best, though a big fan favorite. Paul Williams co-wrote again.
5)
Goodbye To Love – The electric guitar
does not mix with Karen’s voice in this 1972 Top Ten, which even turned off
some fans.
6)
I Believe You – The writers of Never
My Love created this sound-alike of sorts that does not work as well, no
matter who is singing it.
7)
It’s Going To Take Some Time –
Carole King co-wrote this song and it works well enough for Karen and was one
of their bigger hits.
8)
This Masquerade – This is one of the
more subtle covers of Leon Russell’s classic, but it is not bad. It reminds me that Solitaire is
missing from this set.
9)
Ticket To Ride – No matter how good her
voice may be here, this Beatles cover will never work for me and missed the Top
40, though it has its fans.
10)
Top Of The
World – A huge hit that seems to be slipping Christianity in
without admitting it, it is one of their classics, but it gets tired quickly.
11)
Only
Yesterday – Their last Top Ten U.S. Pop hit, the duo had simply
repeated themselves too many times and would pay for it commercially in the
long run.
12)
Hurting
Each Other – Ruby & The Romantics cut this in 1969, best known
for Our Day Will Come and this is as interesting a record, and (yes)
less sappy. One of the duo’s more
interesting cuts.
13)
Please Mr.
Postman – This Motown cover of The Marvelettes classic was almost
as big a mistake as The Beatles cover above, but was a much bigger hit.
14)
Merry
Christmas, Darling – One of their holiday records. It is fairly good and serves its purpose.
15)
Sing – The
song originally created for the original Sesame Street is now,
especially post-Elmo, associated with the duo instead. Their version is one of their biggest hits,
but it never worked as well as it did on the show.
16)
Bless The
Beasts & Children – The title song to the 1971 Stanley Kramer film
is not bad and makes one curious to see the film of that great journeyman
director.
17)
I Won’t
Last A Day Without You – In some ways, this may be the best of the Paul
Williams/Roger Nichols songs the duo cut because it hits the nail on the head
better than the bigger hits the duo had with their records. This is one of their best cuts.
18)
Touch Me
When We’re Dancing – Their last major hit, after a four-year gap in
hits.
19)
For All We
Know – From Bread writers James Griffin and Robb Royer, this
was the theme of the comedy film Lovers & Other Strangers (1970) and
another one of their best records.
20)
(They Long
To Be) Close To You – This cover of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David
classic is on that short list of songs originally cut by Dionne Warwick that
was overshadowed by a later version and it is about equal to her original,
which makes it one of their best records.
It put them on the map.
21)
Calling
Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft – Mostly a novelty record and
the last in their string of 1970s top 40 hits.
When we heard the CD-only version, one complaint was that
the songs sounded too comparatively new and the emphasis on bass and detail
killed what got it labeled Soft Rock to begin with. Fortunately, the DSD tracks bring back the feel of the original
recordings in their time, while revealing that these are better-produced and
engineered records than many would like to give them credit for being. Fan’s of Karen’s singing will be especially
thrilled, offering the best representation of her vocal skills since her last
major tour. This holds particularly
true on the 5.1 mixes, which never overdo or undercut her singing.
The masters have been kept in fine condition and this set
does a nice job of expanding the original Singles album that ended in
1973, it’s year of release. That was,
predictably, their biggest album and now one of the favorite adult contemporary
duos and biggest singles acts of their time can be appreciated for what they
did accomplish like never before.
Richard Carpenter personally saw to this and his work pays off.
- Nicholas Sheffo
