"For All We Know" single review

[ScottyB]

My older sister had this one. Gonna bland for my taste at the time. But I don't deny it's a great song. What I remember most about this 45, was the B-Side "Don't Be Afraid". I was immediately taken with this song, and whenever I would ask to borrow this record to play on my record player, it would be Don't Be Afraid that I would play.

 

[Toolman]

This is one case where I think Karen's vocal saved the song. It didn't do much for me at the time, and still wouldn't rank in my top ten of their singles, but that's mostly because it's not much of a song -- the big lyrical moment is the slight shift in lyric between "we've got a lifetime" and "let's take a lifetime". Otherwise it's repetitive. Arrangement was also too baroque or classical for my tastes in 1970/71. However, Karen sang it with more power and conviction than the song deserved, and the subtle way the overdubs are introduced is perfect. I tend to think if they'd been allowed to use Jose Feliciano's guitar intro, I'd have been much more drawn to it. I held off buying the tan album until I heard "Superstar", which was the one that turned me from a casual fan into whatever you call someone who eventually owns a bazillion CDs featuring the same tracks by the same group...

One caveat here: I think "For All We Know" probably went a long way toward firmly establishing their unique musical image. Even without hearing Karen sing a note, when that oboe intro comes on, you know it's a Carpenters record.

 

[theninjarabbit]

I think technically the next single after "Begun" is "Merry Christmas, Darling", but I digress...

I was charmed to learn "For All We Know", like "We've Only Just Begun", was also sourced from our duo watching television -- shows just how creative they were, in my opinion. I like both the original version and its remix, but I can't imagine it starting without that oboe (I read somewhere they were going to have Jose Feliciano play guitar on it before their annoying manager pulled him off). I was honestly not interested in the b-side "Don't Be Afraid" at the first listen, but now it's arguably one of my favorite early cuts next to "All of My Life" and "All I Can Do".

I received the "For All We Know" single itself from a family member who learned of my budding interest in this group Carpenters -- but it had no sleeve. In my inventiveness -- and somewhat of a need for all of my singles to be in the sleeves they came with -- I recreated the sleeve and drew the image on it myself (I hope today's paper doesn't ruin it, but I don't take it out much and the record itself is slightly worn).

 

[BarryT60]

I rank this song as one of my all time favorites - period. Simple - beautiful - a very sweet lyric - but still the melody & Karen's delivery offers a wistfulness that evokes such a longing to me...
I also am in love with the arrangement... The Oboe, the base line... all of it. To me - it represents Karen and Richard at their best.
This was their encore song on November 17th, 1973 - when I saw them in concert... Oh what a night!
When push comes to shove, I rank this as a favorite single from the earlier catalog... and Only Yesterday as a favorite from the second half of their recording career...

 

[CraigGA]

When I was in 7th grade, we were sometimes rewarded at the end of class with listening to the radio. About a month before The Singles album came out in 1973, one afternoon For All We Know came over the radio and the most popular girls in the class were mesmerized by the flowing urgency of subtle resolution that Karen showcased in her reading of this song. Some even whispered that she could really create a picture in your mind as she sang. Later that month it was one of the reasons I wanted The Singles album and it was my first Carpenters album purchase. Yesterday Once More was my first singles purchase as I was taken by the flowing perfection in the first verse that led to the chorus in Karen's voice. I was very limited on funds at that age and had to choose from all my favorites, but finally decided on Carpenters selections for in my mind, they stood out as perfection from talent alone that was captured in the studio.

 

[Tapdancer]

...the most popular girls in the class were mesmerized by the flowing urgency of subtle resolution that Karen showcased in her reading of this song. Some even whispered that she could really create a picture in your mind as she sang...

Amazing how those girls in 7th Grade possessed more sensitivity and musical understanding than (far too) many "adults" at the time.

 

[Charlie D]

This is one case where I think Karen's vocal saved the song. It didn't do much for me at the time, and still wouldn't rank in my top ten of their singles, but that's mostly because it's not much of a song -- the big lyrical moment is the slight shift in lyric between "we've got a lifetime" and "let's take a lifetime". Otherwise it's repetitive. Arrangement was also too baroque or classical for my tastes in 1970/71. However, Karen sang it with more power and conviction than the song deserved, and the subtle way the overdubs are introduced is perfect. I tend to think if they'd been allowed to use Jose Feliciano's guitar intro, I'd have been much more drawn to it. I held off buying the tan album until I heard "Superstar", which was the one that turned me from a casual fan into whatever you call someone who eventually owns a bazillion CDs featuring the same tracks by the same group...

One caveat here: I think "For All We Know" probably went a long way toward firmly establishing their unique musical image. Even without hearing Karen sing a note, when that oboe intro comes on, you know it's a Carpenters record.

I can see what you mean by the repetitiveness of the arrangement but I love the song, it always feels like a breath of fresh air. I can understand someone's dislike of it (particularly compared to their other more powerful 1971 singles) but it's supposed to almost be like a subdued, wistful poem. A big part of the love has to do with Karen's performance, like you said. The subtle power she puts into it really makes it resonate; if she phoned it in the song wouldn't have felt as satisfying as it is.

 

[dvakman]

This is hard for me to put into words. FAWK is not one of their strongest songs. Close to You and Rainy Days come to mind immediately as being far superior from a compositional standpoint. However... the arrangement and Karen's voice just slay me. I can't hear this song without getting into a kind of "mood". I get a lump in my throat. I have to stop what I'm doing and become absorbed in it, no matter how many times I've heard it. It's not my favorite Carpenters song, but it affects me the most.

 

[Harry]

I was just a little disappointed in this record. It was the first real single after CLOSE TO YOU, and for me, it just didn't have the stacked-vocal pizzazz of the first two albums. Largely, it seems to be a Karen-solo record with very little in the way of backing harmonies. It's nearly a minute-and-a-half in before we get a 7-second "aaaaah". Then another 30 seconds go by before another backing line - and then there's the final "waaaah".

I like the song just fine, and Karen's solo vocal is superb, but the arrangement always left me a little 'wanting' in the overdubbing department. It just didn't highlight enough for me what made Carpenters special. When "Rainy Days" replaced it in airplay, it somehow felt better, even though the first backing vocal doesn't hit until 1:35, but from there on they play a more important part of the recording.

Harry

 

[Must Hear This Album]

One of my faves. Simple and sweet. It was like she was singing right in your ear. So hopeful, the lyrics: two young people starting a life together. I remember the song running over and over in my mind on my wedding day 13 years ago. Karen and Richard were sending us off.

 

[Actorman]

I absolutely love this record. I love Karen's vocals. I love Richard's arrangement. The only thing that slightly bugs me about it is the lyrics, but maybe I'm just being way too literal.

"But time alone will tell." "Love MAY grow for all we know." That just doesn't sound very optimistic for a person offering to share a "lifetime" with someone. It's always sounded to me like the person was just settling and hoping for the best.

 

[dvakman]

I see it more as fatalistic. We have a long way to go, but who knows what life may have in store.

 

[Mark-T]

I like it quite a bit, and it does have a very different vibe than the previous two singles. I would love to hear the version with Jose Feliciano playing guitar as an intro.

 

[CraigGA]

I absolutely love this record. I love Karen's vocals. I love Richard's arrangement. The only thing that slightly bugs me about it is the lyrics, but maybe I'm just being way too literal.

"But time alone will tell." "Love MAY grow for all we know." That just doesn't sound very optimistic for a person offering to share a "lifetime" with someone. It's always sounded to me like the person was just settling and hoping for the best.

I never saw the movie but it would be my guess your observation could be answered by the contents of the movie and the time period from which it was made. Possibly, the statistic of divorce overshadowing a happy ever after life could have been an undertone, but you are still factually correct. Maybe that undertone of uncertainly, but peace and hopefulness made it so easy for Karen to interpret. She was a master at getting to the heart, so to speak, of melancholy malise.

Craig

 

[GaryAlan]

For All We Know:
I've loved this song ever since first hear--sometime in the early 1970's---
fell in love, all over again, listening to the Master Karaoke .
Strangely enough, I do not care much for Fred Karlin's other song:
Leave Yesterday Behind.
(Karen's 1978 vocals are fine, everything else about it is lacking.)

 

[Song4uman]

would have loved to hear it with Jose' Feliciano playing guitar on the intro...