CLOSE TO YOU: One of the greatest albums of all time

[Mike Blakesley]

The new Rolling Stone has a list, "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time." It was created by polling 273 music biz people, including artists, writers, critics, and Britney Spears. Their votes were tabluated on a weighted scale by an accounting firm.

Not a lot of A&M and related items made the list, but the Carpenters album CLOSE TO YOU came in at #175. Cat Stevens' TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN was #206, the Go-Go's BEAUTY AND THE BEAT was #413, and Carole King's TAPESTRY was at #36.

Personally if I was gonna pick a Carpenters album, I would have picked A SONG FOR YOU, and from Cat Stevens I would have chosen TEASER AND THE FIRECAT. But I'm glad the Carpenters made the list.

 

[Karenannefan]

Mike,

This is a little off topic sorry guys, but did Don Mclean's 'American Pie' album make the list, and if so at what number? ( I just adore this album)

Thanks!

Laura

 

[mr J.]

I agree with Rolling Stone-CLOSE TO YOU is one of the greatest albums of all time.It's sort of a shame that the CLOSE TO YOU formula was never duplicated.There's so much improvisation on that album(both vocal and instrumental).Plenty of great songs,too.And,without a doubt,CLOSE TO YOU is far superior to A SONG FOR YOU.(although A SONG FOR YOU is alot more listenable in it's upgraded form.)Coincidently,MOJO(the british version of Rolling Stone) lists CLOSE TO YOU in it's "1000 Greatest Albums Of All Time",and,if I remember correctly,it clocks in at album #275!

 

[Harry]

The Rolling Stone list is online here.


Harry
...looking over the list, online...

[edit]: And here's where my collection stands with this list:

001-100: 23
101-200: 11
201-300: 07
301-400: 07
401-500: 08

Total: 56 of the alleged top 500

 

[Murray]

Total: 56 of the alleged top 500

"Alleged" sums up this list perfectly. I've only got 31 of these albums in my collection, so what does that say about my musical tastes? (pretty darn good!)

I always take these type of lists with a grain of salt. How can anyone take seriously, a list which doesn't include "Frampton Comes Alive" - which is one of the best live rock albums ever, nor anything by the Tijuana Brass, whose sound defined the mid-sixties, but does include TWO albums by...gasp!... EMINEM!! At least Carpenters and Frank Sinatra made the list, which was a pleasant surprise.

Murray
...boycotting Rolling Stone until they recognize Barry Manilow...

 

[Harry]

I was surprised to see ABBA on the list!

Harry
NP: Music Box

 

[Rudy]

I take RS's lists with a grain of salt--they stopped being musically relevant 20 or more years ago. Today it's just a fashion/lifestyle rag. I'd heard about the list already, and quite frankly, they have some real "stinkers" picked out. Who in their right minds would put Exile on Main Street over something like Let It Bleed or Beggar's Banquet? I'd also rank the Beatles' albums a lot differently...I'd definitely put Revolver and Rubber Soul above any others, and anything later wouldn't even show up on MY list. Also, Peter Gabriel's highly commercial So over his first or third albums? Prince's highly commercial "jumped the shark" Purple Rain and Sign O' The Times over 1999?

Well hey, what do you expect for a magazine that's been out of touch for a couple of decades?

IMHO, Close To You is not representative of Carpenters' best work. Too uneven and tentative. They hit their stride on A Song For You, IMHO. The group, and Richard's production, jelled with that album...great tunes by Carpenter/Bettis and Williams/Nichols, and lyrics that reflected where their heads were at due to their success up to that point.

 

[thestitch]

So much for what accounting firms know!!
Who came up with this anyway?

Neil, I have to agree with you. RS is really out of it. And has been for awhile.

I also agree that SONG FOR YOU is probably the quintessential Carpenter's album. I admit to loving them all, but this one has to be my all time favorite.

I have very few of these albums. I do love the Beatles and the Beach Boys. Surprisingly Dolly Parton's COAT OF MANY COLORS made the list. I don't see many country albums here, but then, it IS RS.

Oh, golly I could name so very many albums that IMHO deserve to be up here more than most of those listed.

Marilyn,
who's not very surprised at all.

 

[andywithaz]

I agree about A Song For You It was the album where Karen's voice started to mature and it has the best songs on it. I just love Goodbye to Love, Hurting Each Other, A Song For You, Road Ode, Top of the World, and I Won't Last a Day Without You.


I think that Road Ode should've been a bigger hit

NP: A Song For You, the album

 

[Steven J. Gross]

What a pathetic, boring and predictable list from the stale RS- now I remember why I quit reading it.
Living in LA, I am subjected to the LA Times and their boring music critics, led by Robert Hilburn- VERY similar to RS.

 

[daveK]

My personal favorite Carpenters album has always been 1971's "Carpenters". Perhaps it's a bit too brief for some peoples' tastes but to me, every note played or sung on the entire album is perfect. I would definitely place it among the top 500 albums of all time, probably in the top 40.
Some other (pointless) thoughts on this list:
Publications like RS always remember "Getz/Gilberto" but kind of ignore all of his other work.
I'm glad The White Stripes' "Elephant" made it. Easily my favorite album of the past year.
All of Jethro Tull's work, other than "Aqualung" gets the short shrift too. My list would include "Thick As A Brick", "A Passion Play", "Songs From The Wood", and "Heavy Horses".
Why are "Meet The Beatles" and "Please Please Me" both on the list? Isn't one just a truncated version of the other? And since so many "best of" compilations are represented, how could the "1962-1966" and "1967-1970" albums not make the list?
Where's Dave Brubeck?? Not even "Time Out"????
When did Peter Wolf become critically acclaimed? How long have I been asleep??
How can you include Elvis' "Sun Sessions" and his RCA debut but not include the "King Of Rock'n'Roll" 50s box set? And where's "Elvis Country"? Or "Elvis Is Back"?
I would think Rod's "Every Picture Tells A Story" would be a lot higher.
How come Sinatra's Reprise years get ignored? I would include "September Of My Years" and "Watertown".
How come no Tony Bennett or Nat King Cole? How come Sinatra's the only crooner to make these lists? Tony's "Movie Song Album" and at least a Cole "Greatest Hits" collection should be here.
And as great as "Sgt. Pepper" is, I don't think it's nearly as good as "Revolver" or even "Rubber Soul".

 

[davidgra]

A quick check of the list shows that my collection clocks in at 76 of the top 500 albums...

This list is ridiculous, though, because of the inclusion of "greatest hits" collections alongside REAL albums. To me, a great "album" is a record in which the choice of material, sequence of songs AND the performances themselves all come together to make a terrific whole product -- without knowing in advance how the public will react to the songs.

"Greatest Hits" packages don't count because the popularity of the songs has already been decided; flops get left off and hits make the record. It's not the same thing as creating an album from scratch.

For the Carpenters, I have to go with A SONG FOR YOU as my top choice for a great "album." CLOSE TO YOU runs a close second, with CARPENTERS coming in third (if Karen and Richard had left off "Druscilla Penny" -- perhaps replacing it with "And When He Smiles" -- and included the full-length Bacharach/David medley that they did in concert, I'd probably say that CARPENTERS was my favorite album, but as it was released it is not perfect).

David

 

[daveK]

I knew someone would disagree about the "Carpenters" album with me either because of "Druscilla Penny" or "Saturday". I've always loved "Druscilla". Those two, "Rainy Days" and "For All We Know" are my four favorite Carpenter tracks.
I was thinking about The White Stripes and Carpenters both having albums on the list. The White Stripes -- a brother sister duo, he's a composer, she's a drummer. It's been done before, hasn't it?

 

[PJ]

Close to You is a GREAT Carpenters Album - the development in their music , sound , arrangements and production define this set as one of their best

Long term / older Fans back the early studio sets 1970 > 1975 as their overall best , most varied and consistent ....whereas younger Fans seem to support Hush and Made in America as their favourites

Great to see certain groups / artists ...long considered uncool , non -rock etc being listed along with the usual suspects in RS listing

As I recall , And When He Smiles was due to be recorded for early A Song For You sessions -around November 1971 ....for some strange reason ...Carpenters only recorded backing track and no Lead Vocal was completed .....

Fortunately Carpenters had recorded song for 1971 BBC TV Special and Richard had several live concert versions ....after many years of Fan requests .... former version finally released on As Time Goes By Album ....although shame Richard did not include on Essential Collection box set ......

Peter