šŸŽ¶ Album Sides THE ALBUM SIDES [Poll]: "NOW & THEN" (SP-3519)

Which side is your favorite?

  • Side 1

    Votes: 10 29.4%
  • Side 2

    Votes: 24 70.6%

  • Total voters
    34
I disfavor wasting recording time or effort on a purely instrumental offering.

The Richard Carpenter Trio began life as an instrumental group, and Richard Carpenter was the driving force behind that. Richard is a gifted piano player and his talents deserved his own small space on a Carpenters album.

Remember, in 1970, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, and 82, no-one, NO-ONE, had even the slightest thought that there would be limited time with Karen on Earth. The future would always be full of many more vocal tracks with Karen shining through. Under those circumstances, didn't brother Richard deserve even a little space?
 
I'm definitely not implying that Richard Carpenter did not deserve his place or "his space."

What I am implying is that once it was realized that Karen Carpenter's voice was a "one-in-- a-- million,"
"if not once-in-a-lifetime" voice, this is where the recording efforts should have been concentrated---especially at
her peak. Richard Carpenter definitely "got his place"--to wit the earlier era, when Karen was still "finding her voice."
I mean he really did great on those earlier recordings--I would submit that he did not show that same creativity with Heather--so, why bother ?

By the way, we all have limited time on this earth, whether we know it , or not.
Thus, my comments--and, opinion about Heather-- do not center around what ultimately transpired with Karen.
 
To add a touch of clarity regarding my viewpoint on song
Heather:
If I were to replace this song by a Karen Carpenter "drum solo,"
instead of a piano-based (presumably Richard) solo,
I would still be against said placement on a Carpenters Album .

Thus, my viewpoint is not--I emphasize--not a Richard versus Karen stance !

It is beyond-all an anti-instrumental , on a Carpenters' album, "stance" .
 
I think I understand your position, and will agree to disagree. I find an occasional instrumental on a vocal album, or the opposite, a vocal track on an instrumental album, to be a refreshing change of pace.

One hypothetical question though: suppose "Heather" had words and Richard performed the vocal, with all kinds of sumptuous overdubs - just him - would you still be against it?
 
I can answer in the affirmative, Harry.
After all is said and done, I was right there to purchase both of Richard's solo albums,
just as with Karen's solo album.
I had heard nothing from any of those album's at time of said purchases !
However, the difference is this:
In purchasing a "Carpenters" album, I expect to hear--well, "the Carpenters" !
Pop songs : arranged and performed vocally-- by both Karen and Richard Carpenter.
I love that Carpenters sound--Karen's lead and the sibling-harmonies. And, of course, Richard's arrangements.
Heather is a nice instrumental. I do not consider it a " Carpenters' song," though.
Heather sounds far too much like Autumn Reverie, its original incarnation.
 
Heather sounds far too much like Autumn Reverie, its original incarnation.

I'm with you there. It could have been executed more in tune with a Carpenters sound. Some aah-aah-aah harmony overdubs would have been better than the straight copy of "Autumn Reverie". Still, as it is, it's a pleasant diversion. The album would have been better with one more Side One track.
 
Iit's still a lovely tune that I never considered merely "filler".
Well, we DO get Karen on 'Heather' because she's playing the drums on that track. Nit-picking I know. :)

Bottom line is it was a waste of a song third track in on side A of an album released during Karen's vocal peak. Richard was great as the producer, arranger, composer etc but this was an indulgence really.
 
I'm with you there. It could have been executed more in tune with a Carpenters sound. Some aah-aah-aah harmony overdubs would have been better than the straight copy of "Autumn Reverie". Still, as it is, it's a pleasant diversion. The album would have been better with one more Side One track.

That's been my feeling about it. It's fine as instrumentals go, and I don't mind an instrumental track on Carpenters LPs, but ideally something about them should identify the song as being from Carpenters (whether adding the overdubs --great idea -- or using a song Richard wrong, like "Flat Baroque"). As pleasant as "Heather" is, again, ANYBODY could be performing that. Nothing about it says, "This is Carpenters you're hearing." "Sometimes" was another good option -- mostly a beautiful piano showcase for Richard, but Karen comes in for a brief period and then you know who's performing the song.
 
Carpenters Fan Club Newsletter #27, July 1973:
"Incidentally, the new album was Named by none other than Mom Carpenter !"

We read for the first (only ?) time #22 , February 1973:
"Richard is also his own record producer."
 
Has anyone ever figured out why exactly the Japanese have given N&T such a hugely revered status? I mean, I know they're crazy about the duo in general but this particular album and the YOM single have been personal favorites for the whole country ever since 1973. Is it the oldies, nostalgic theme and medley format? Is it the variety of songs on Side 1? Is it the Tri-fold cover that gives foreigners a mysterious kind of glimpse at American suburbia?
 
Side 2 hands down, with the exception of This Masquerade on side 1. It was definitely one of their 10 best. The medley is excellent. I can do without Richard on lead vocals but he does manage to do a pretty good job with The Night Has A Thousand Eyes. That final "goodbye" that Karen sings sooo looow on End Of The World makes my neck hair stand up (which is good because I don't have any left on the top of my head)! Johnny Angel; even the might of Karen cannot wrestle that one away from Shelley Fabares. But nevertheless, a nice cover of it. Our Day Will Come and One Fine Day are certainly on a par with; and I believe exceed the originals.
 
That final "goodbye" that Karen sings sooo looow on End Of The World makes my neck hair stand up

I have to confess, I think that moment spoils the entire song. I've never thought it sounded natural. Singing such a low note on an open mouthed syllable makes Karen sound like she's having her throat checked by a doctor who's asked her to say "ahhh" :laugh:
 
Johnny Angel; even the might of Karen cannot wrestle that one away from Shelley Fabares.

I actually agree with this. Karen was of course a much superior singer but it sounded better with Shelley who gave it a charm or something that I didn't hear in Karen's version. Still a delightful listen, of course.
 
I actually agree with this. Karen was of course a much superior singer but it sounded better with Shelley who gave it a charm or something that I didn't hear in Karen's version. Still a delightful listen, of course.

The best thing about Karen's version is her multi layered harmonies at the beginning. As Richard once said, "you can't beat a better blend than yourself".
 
The best thing about Karen's version is her multi layered harmonies at the beginning. As Richard once said, "you can't beat a better blend than yourself".

That's true, I love that opening, it's so lush and delicious. Ear candy. Plus, this was when Karen's voice hit a new richness so anything from this era was a special kind of treat.
 
Shelley Fabre's version was cute and campy. Karen's sounds sophisticated and lush. Very dreamy. I think its a perfect cut for her voice and their talents.
 
Shelley Fabre's version was cute and campy. Karen's sounds sophisticated and lush. Very dreamy. I think its a perfect cut for her voice and their talents.

Maybe it's the cutesy, kitschy arrangement of Shelley's version that I like that fits the song better. Also, Karen didn't get a whole song to sing. The arrangement may have been beefed up a bit with more flavor had it been a stand alone track.
 
I just played this album for the first time in a while as I donā€™t have it digitally (I do have the individual tracks digitally across compilations, but not the album). I remember picking this one up at a pawn shop a week before Christmas 2000, and even though I didnā€™t have a record player at the time I knew I was getting one for Christmas. But because it was a pawn shop find for like 25 or 50 cents (mightā€™ve even been a dollar) I wasnā€™t expecting the best sound. And it doesnā€™t as itā€™s full of snap, crackles, and pops! (This is what the RPO LP sounds like!! Pawn shop find!šŸ˜†) But it doesnā€™t skip!

Even on vinyl, the piano on ā€œHeatherā€ hasnā€™t aged well. The rest of the song is die, but that mono piano hasnā€™t aged well.

Also itā€™s interesting how different parts pop out (this isnā€™t a quad disc) when the surround system is on PLII Music and is seperating it into 5.1.
 
I'm with you there. It could have been executed more in tune with a Carpenters sound. Some aah-aah-aah harmony overdubs would have been better than the straight copy of "Autumn Reverie". Still, as it is, it's a pleasant diversion. The album would have been better with one more Side One track.
My mind is blown. What? I had no idea that "Heather" was a cover. Deep inside, I think I read somewhere that this wasn't a Richard Carpenter original, but I never knew the story behind this song. "Autumn Reverie" sounds pretty much the same as "Heather." One might think that Johnny Pearson covered "Heather" since "Sing" is also on the Pearson album "Touch Me in the Morning"! I suppose great minds borrow each other's work. :tongue:
 
My mind is blown. What? I had no idea that "Heather" was a cover. Deep inside, I think I read somewhere that this wasn't a Richard Carpenter original, but I never knew the story behind this song. "Autumn Reverie" sounds pretty much the same as "Heather." One might think that Johnny Pearson covered "Heather" since "Sing" is also on the Pearson album "Touch Me in the Morning"! I suppose great minds borrow each other's work. :tongue:
The ones who were also around in the 70ā€™s have mentioned that it was being used in a TV commercial for Alcaseltzer or something at the time that Richard recorded it.
 
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