The Carpenters - Carpenters Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition
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Free Music Notes for Carpenters Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition
Free Music Review: All the Carpenters Best and a treat or two!
Hit: 5 Stars
I am biased towards this CD! This is my era of music and the Carpenters were among my favorites. If you have similar leanings you should not miss this CD.
"Carpenters Gold" includes their greatest hits (the 12 songs on the album "The Singles 1969 - 1973"), the best of their later releases ("Let Me Be the One," "Bless the Beasts and the Children," etc.), a few of their off beat forays ("Sweet, Sweet Smile," "Calling All Occupants of Interplanetary Craft") AND a special treat or two.
Everyone knows about the Carpenters' hits. To this day they are staples on easy listening and 70's music stations. I remember many of the later albums ("Horizons," "Passage," "A Kind of Hush") and am thrilled so many of the best from those releases are included on these two discs. Add a couple of stabs at country music like "Jambalaya" and "Sweet, Sweet Smile" and this album has everything a Carpenters fan could want.
The best thing this album does is give more than it has to give. Beyond all of the above, it includes a couple of previously unreleased songs (at least in the U.S.). One of those is a joyful, beautiful, charming rendition of "The Rainbow Connection." Another is a "work lead" vocal Karen recorded in 1978. Richad completed production of it in 1999, "Leave Yesterday Behind."
The real gold nugget of this CD set is a Barry Manilow hit, "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again." According to the jacket notes "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" was recorded in 1975 for the 'Horizon' album. Dicarded at the time because that album had enough other ballads, Karen's lead vocal was lost until the early 90's. Her "work lead" of this song was orchestrated and mixed, being released in 1994. I had not heard it until I got this CD. Karen's recording is vocally PERFECT. But the recording wasn't perfect. Karen left a ghost of herself after the first chorus. There, in the quiet before the second verse starts you can hear her turn the page, a ruffle of paper. It gives me chills every time I listen to it. The notes also say these are the original words to the song. Barry had some changed for his interpretation.
I'd like to add a plug for JACKET NOTES. These are under appreciated inclusions in CD packaging you just don't get when downloading a song or a CD from the a music store. The one included with this CD is excellent. Richard has written a touching tribute to his sister. His memories become insight to fans.
As I write this iTunes version 7.5 is available for download. The last several iTunes versions allow a higher quality download IF you go to "Preferences>Advanced>Import," you can select a 256 kbps quality in AAC encoding or 196 kbps for MP3 encoding. These are quite a bit larger files than 96 kbps, taking longer to import and more space to store, but it also follows that they will provide better sound. I assume other music software has similar options available. I recommend the higher quality.
Karen Carpenter had a unique voice. It had great depth, resonance and color. But it is her soul that drove that voice to greatness, to the place it occupies in my heart. This CD set captures all of that charm, power and magic. It's well worth the investment. Even if you have never been a fan, you will find the soothing vocals by Karen will move you.
Free Music Review: Carpenters CD
Hit: 5 Stars
The Carpenters CD came OK and I have already heard many of the hits of 30 years ago. Thanks.Free Music Review: It was an impulse buy...
Hit: 5 Stars
I heard a Carpenters song on the radio one day and decided to look for a CD since I loved their music growing up. It's amazing how much beautiful music they made in such a relatively short period of time. The mastering of this CD is great. The songs sound as fresh as they did back then.Free Music Review: excellent
Hit: 5 Stars
I received these CD's yesterday and put them directly into the CD player. Karen Carpenter may be my alltime favorite vocalist. I was not disappointed. Everything I hoped for and then some.Free Music Review: Bought for Mom, but I enjoyed a few songs myself!
Hit: 4 Stars
You try not singing along with Karen on "Close To You" - I challenge you!