JBee
Active Member
"Goofus" was about three years too late as a single. If it had been out in 73-74 when the Tony Orlando & Dawn Ragtime stuff was hitting it might have worked but even then it probably wouldn't have been a million seller or top ten pop.
The songs picked for AKOH by Richard seem to me like an overreaction to his saying "Horizon" was too draggy. Most everything was mid tempo and lyrically light. "Ordinary Fool" passed over for Goofus? The album could have used one or two more songs like Fool to break up the sunny but inconsequential lyrical vibe of most of the material save INTBIL or One More Time.
I think this nails my problem with the album. I used to think it was too ballad-y, but I love ballads (heck the Carpenters' "Rainy Days", "We've Only Just Begun", and "Close to You" are some of my favorite songs period). I love Horizon as well, even if it is "draggy". By contrast, AKOH comes off as too MOR (that dreaded phrase), many of the songs in the same tempo, many of the songs of the same type. And the songs that are different from that template- say the uptempo "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" (an unnecessary cover) are below par in my view. It also may be why MIA is my least favorite Carpenters album - too many songs with a similar sound.
I must say that the Insights And Sounds Blog has the best review of the Hush album I have ever encountered.
Of everything said there, I particularly agree that Karen's vocals are the "thing' that makes this album a delight.
Of course, I might clarify that the Master Karaoke of I Need To Be In Love--while still lacking the lead--has all
of the elements of a great Carpenters' ballad.
Now, I'm torn between One More Time and I Need To Be In Love--would the former have done any better on the Charts ?
Would the slow-burn, jazzy- version of Breaking Up Is Hard To Do have been an even better recording opportunity ?
When one considers that possibility coupled with Ordinary Fool, the reception of the Album might have fared better in the public forum.
And, if Herb Alpert had heard Ordinary Fool--at that time--would he not have urged its placement on the Album ?
Would any of the above changes really mattered in mid-1976 ?
My gut-feeling is that it would not have mattered regarding sales or charting position.
I think overall it might not have changed anything in 1976 but for the album's legacy, a few changes might have made it hold up better. I'm not saying the album bad or even average, but its no Horizon and it doesn't have the experimental, let's try something new feel of Passage either. Replace "Goofus" with "Ordinary Fool", replace the uptempo "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" with the ballad version (and Karen is a better more soulful singer than Sedaka, she would would have knocked it out of the park), then with no "Goofus", release INTBIL as the THIRD single off the album (since it meant so much to the duo personally), and then pick either "You" or "I Can't Smile" as the second single (I don't think either would have done WORSE than #25 on the charts). Just those three changes and the whole album and its standing in the Carpenters oeuvre is dramatically improved to my mind.
I have no problem with the sound or with Karen's vocals, for me they are the highlight of the entire album, though I agree with you that anyone who doesn't think her physical problems affected her voice may be delusional (though that line that her voice never changed is often repeated even today), I never noticed it in this album - though I did on MIA - but the lack of the earlier verve and power from 69-73, and the choice of softer songs, could be a direct result of them recording the album when she was recovering from a complete collapse and not being able to belt out another "Superstar".
It's interesting that this discussion has gone more into the defects (or non-defects for some) of the album. My view on it is this, if there had been stronger song choices by RC and stronger cuts on the album, they would not have led off with a so-so cover song ("A Kind of Hush"), followed by an excellent, but overproduced ballad (INTBIL) followed by..."Goofus" (no defending that one). I don't think "Goofus" would even have made it onto any of their 70-73 albums. Just think how A Song for You was so stacked with great songs that they were able to pluck one from it "I Won't Last A Day Without You" and release it as #11 single TWO years later. Or the discussion we've had in earlier threads about "A Place to Hideaway", which was just a regular album cut on the tan album, but is so strong that it probably would have been the lead single had it been on AKOH.