THE OFFICIAL REVIEW: "A KIND OF HUSH" (SP-4581)

[Chris May]

“A KIND OF HUSH”​

Catalogue Number: A&M SP-4581 ​

Date of Release: 06/11/76 ​

Chart Position- U.S.: #33; U.K.: #3; JAPAN: #5 ​

Album Singles: "There's A Kind Of Hush”/"(I'm Caught Between) Goodbye And I Love You”​

"I Need To Be In Love"/"Sandy"​

"Goofus"/"Boat To Sail"​

Medium: Vinyl/Reel/8-track/Cassette/CD​

Track Listing:

1.) There's A Kind Of Hush 2:57 (Reed/Stephens)
2.) You 3:45 (Edelman)
3.) Sandy 3:38 (Carpenter/Bettis)
4.) Goofus 3:32 (King/Harold/Kahn)
5.) Can't Smile Without You 3:26 (Arnold/Martin/Morrow)
6.) I Need To Be In Love 3:47 (Carpenter/Bettis/Hammond)
7.) One More Time 3:30 (Anderson)
8.) Boat To Sail 3:29 (DeShannon)
9.) I Have You 3:25 (Carpenter/Bettis)
10.) Breaking Up Is Hard To Do 2:34 (Sedaka/Greenfield)


Album Credits:


There's A Kind Of Hush:
Keyboards: Richard Carpenter
Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Jim Gordon
Guitars: Tony Peluso
Tenor Sax: Bob Messenger
Harp: Gayle Levant

You:
Keyboards: Richard Carpenter
Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Jim Gordon
Guitars: Tony Peluso
Oboe: Earl Dumler
Harp: Gayle Levant

Sandy:
Keyboards: Richard Carpenter
Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Cubby O'Brien
Flute & Clarinet: Tom Scott
Flute: Bob Messenger
Guitars: Tony Peluso
Harp: Gayle Levant & Dorothy Remsen

Goofus:
Keyboards: Richard Carpenter
Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Cubby O'Brien
Guitars: Tony Peluso
Tenor Sax & Cheek Pop: Bob Messenger
Tuba: Wes Jacobs

Can't Smile Without You:
Keyboards: Richard Carpenter
Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Jim Gordon
Harp: Gayle Levant
Whistle: Doug Strawn

I Need To Be In Love:
Vocals by Richard & Karen Carpenter and the MOR Chorale
Keyboards: Richard Carpenter
Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Jim Gordon
Guitars: Tony Peluso
Harp: Gayle Levant
English Horn: Earl Dumler
Flute: David Shostic

One More Time:
Keyboards: Richard Carpenter
Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Jim Gordon
Oboe: Earl Dumler

Boat To Sail:
Keyboards: Richard Carpenter
Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Jim Gordon
Vibes: Karen & Richard Carpenter
Guitars: Tony Peluso

I Have You:
Keyboards: Richard Carpenter
Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Jim Gordon
Guitars: Tony Peluso
Oboe: Earl Dumler
Harp: Gayle Levant

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do:
Keyboards: Richard Carpenter
Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Jim Gordon
Baritone Sax: Jim Horn
Tenor Sax: Bob Messenger
Guitars: Tony Peluso
Harp: Gayle Levant

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Produced by: Richard Carpenter
Associate Producer: Karen Carpenter
Arranged & Orchestrated by: Richard Carpenter
All Vocals: Karen & Richard Carpenter
Engineered by: Ray Gerhardt
Assistant Engineer: Dave Iveland
Mastering Engineer: Frank DeLuna
Art Direction: Roland Young
Photography: Ed Caraeff
Album Concept and Design: J. Scarkino & Co.
Special Thanks to Ed Sulzer, Ron Gorow and John Bettis

 

[SongForYou]

Not exactly the terrible album people often say it is. Richard wasn't too fond of it when looking back (which happens alot with Dick), and I can see why people think it's a kind of mush...and while there's only really, at the most, three gems, it's still a polished and nice album. The packaging is great with an autumn feel to it and the songs. Though this was also the marker for the decline in popularity for Carpenters, and their personal issues are somewhat reflected here. Karen's illness was becoming noticeable here and Richard's drug problem was out of control. It's not an amazing album, but it's alright.

The three gems are You, I Need To Be In Love, and One More Time -- which all carry strong, emotional resonance and are just lovely and beautiful.

The pretty good category includes, Sandy, A Kind of Hush, I Have You, Boat To Sail (one of Karen's sexiest performances). I really wish AKOH was a stronger track because it really could have been so much better.

And the dull ones are, Goofus, Breaking Up.., and Can't Smile. Doof- I mean Goofus, is notorious, but You really should have been the single in place of it.

 

[Harry]

I never disliked A KIND OF HUSH, though I realize what it represents in the Carpenters' body of work - the real start of the decline. Actually, after HORIZON, which I found a bit ploddingly slow, this album seemed better paced. The title track moved along at a good clip, as did the other oldies-type track to bookend it. "Goofus" never bothered me - in fact I liked it enough to think it could be a single when I first heard it, and I was proven right, I suppose - though it tanked the charts.

I especially liked the packaging with the front/back perspectives, the inner part of the jacket with the Carpenters logo, and the heavier cardboard innersleeve. It seemed like a classy package to me, and I love the way the Japanese replicated it in the 35th anniversary box set.

"You" was the goosebump moment for me though - except I had to manufacture the moment. I'd bought A KIND OF HUSH the moment it came out, and several days later I was presented with a promo copy of it from the radio station. At the time I had my stereo set up with two turntables and the ability to mix the two with a small mixer board, thus I could play both copies simultaneously, and did so early on just for fun.

When I started the track "You" on both turntables, one lagged behind just a fraction of a second making for an doubling effect on Karen's lead. Since the two turntables were not exactly running at the same speed - close but not perfect - one would naturally be faster, and one slower. As luck would have it that day, the one that started slightly behind happened to be the one that ran just a touch faster, thus it immediately began to play catch-up.

And as luck would have it, 1:38 into the track, it caught and began to pass the other turntable. Now, if you've ever run two records simultaneously, you'll know that when they're extremely close to matching each other, they begin to "phase". That gives a flanging kind of sound, an example of which is the sound of the trailing drums in "Your Wonderful Parade" on the OFFERING album.

In this instance, the two turntables caught each other and did the phasing thing just as the incredible backing vocals "...beyond your eyes..." occurred at 1:38 into the song, producing a memorable goosebump moment. I've always meant to try to attempt that again with computer trickery but just haven't gotten around to it.

By the way, the track "You" runs faster anyway on the older A&M HUSH CD than it does on the Remastered Classic version of HUSH, but I think it would be too fast to use for attempting the flanging effect.

Harry

 

[SongForYou]

I never disliked A KIND OF HUSH, though I realize what it represents in the Carpenters' body of work - the real start of the decline. Actually, after HORIZON, which I found a bit ploddingly slow, this album seemed better paced. The title track moved along at a good clip, as did the other oldies-type track to bookend it. "Goofus" never bothered me - in fact I liked it enough to think it could be a single when I first heard it, and I was proven right, I suppose - though it tanked the charts.

I especially liked the packaging with the front/back perspectives, the inner part of the jacket with the Carpenters logo, and the heavier cardboard innersleeve. It seemed like a classy package to me, and I love the way the Japanese replicated it in the 35th anniversary box set.

"You" was the goosebump moment for me though - except I had to manufacture the moment. I'd bought A KIND OF HUSH the moment it came out, and several days later I was presented with a promo copy of it from the radio station. At the time I had my stereo set up with two turntables and the ability to mix the two with a small mixer board, thus I could play both copies simultaneously, and did so early on just for fun.

When I started the track "You" on both turntables, one lagged behind just a fraction of a second making for an doubling effect on Karen's lead. Since the two turntables were not exactly running at the same speed - close but not perfect - one would naturally be faster, and one slower. As luck would have it that day, the one that started slightly behind happened to be the one that ran just a touch faster, thus it immediately began to play catch-up.

And as luck would have it, 1:38 into the track, it caught and began to pass the other turntable. Now, if you've ever run two records simultaneously, you'll know that when they're extremely close to matching each other, they begin to "phase". That gives a flanging kind of sound, an example of which is the sound of the trailing drums in "Your Wonderful Parade" on the OFFERING album.

In this instance, the two turntables caught each other and did the phasing thing just as the incredible backing vocals "...beyond your eyes..." occurred at 1:38 into the song, producing a memorable goosebump moment. I've always meant to try to attempt that again with computer trickery but just haven't gotten around to it.

By the way, the track "You" runs faster anyway on the older A&M HUSH CD than it does on the Remastered Classic version of HUSH, but I think it would be too fast to use for attempting the flanging effect.

Harry

You is magical, really. I have known what any Carpenters track sounds on vinyl, but I hope to someday get my hands on some used records and hear exactly what so many people heard. I'm only 19, so the way I've been enjoying them is through my iPod, which is still damn good! My dad loves them too, and is pretty sure he has an old copy of the CarpenterS album packed away in the basement. Need to start looking!

 

[Mark-T]

I have a love/hate relationship with this album. That said, "Boat to Sail" is one of my all time favorites. Gorgeous artwork! I have great photos of the album artwork and such as part of my album review here. (I am reviewing all the Carps discs on my blog, and just finished with "Lovelines".)

 

[Rudy]

Ugh...I can't even play this one anymore. One star.

 

[no1kandrfan]

I actually like all of the songs on this album, but I Need To Be In Love is not a favorite: the lyrics are beautiful, her performance is quite emotional, the arrangement is exceptional - but the choir completely turned me off, and made it very 'mushy'. It was because of the choir that I thought they made a mistake in releasing it as a single. It seemed so out of place with what was playing on the radio at the time. I would love for Richard to rework it so it's Karen, piano, bass and drum - I'm thinking something similar to the Make Believe It's Your First Time arrangement from the solo album.

Boat To Sail is exactly the opposite - sexy, sophisticated - a summer song. AKOH has always been fun, and I think it was a good single release. I Had You - love the Karen duet - her harmonies made it that much more touching. One More Time is one of my all time favorites - a very intimate reading by Karen, and one of her best vocals.

As previously mentioned the album cover, art work is incredible and I still enjoy pulling out the LP and looking at it.

 

[Dave]

Ugh...I can't even play this one anymore. One star.

Alright, I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way! To me, this album mimes too much of their previous work, w/ some of the material too far-fetching ("Boat To Sail", "You", "Sandy"--although I loved having that one as a single B/W "I Need To Be In Love"), while the rest too dull "Can't Smile Without You", "There's A Kind Of Hush", "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do", while with the remaining tracks, there is hardly much to expect anything from, but a clear sign that was clearly not a good way (in demand for most music lovers wanting much HEAVIER SOUNDS!) for The Carpenters to reinvent themselves...!

Rather, it was an opportunity for them to to REPEAT themselves, instead...!


-- Dave

 

[Toolman]

My first impression of this LP was olfactory, oddly enough. Like Harry, I bought it immediately upon release. Sat in the car outside the mall, ran my fingernail along the edge to break the shrinkwrap, and wow...one of the most powerful vinyl smells I'd ever noticed from an album emerged. Or maybe it had something to do with the packaging. At any rate, I remember that smell to this day.

The record itself was a disappointment. I found it much more plodding than Horizon, actually. Kept waiting for just one killer track, and it never came. One reviewer said it was "lacking in dynamic contrast," which I think is a good description. So, rather than criticize, a few comments on particular tracks...

YOU: My favorite as well.
CAN'T SMILE WITHOUT YOU: Probably my favorite version of this song. Better than Manilow's, or the "Occupants" B-side.
I NEED TO BE IN LOVE: This one never sounded "finished" to me. Nice song, but the lyrics are a bit wordy and rough in spots and could have been polished. Melody's beautiful, but it just never seems to take off like it wants to. I'd like to hear what it might have sounded like given the Horizon TLC.
BOAT TO SAIL: Not a bad song, but I thought the "DeShannon is back" ad-lib at the fade was a mistake. Carpenters were already getting compared to the Captain and Tennille at this point (and losing in terms of sales/airplay), so this bit of copying from "Love Will Keep Us Together" just exaggerated that. And to change "Sedaka" to "DeShannon"...after what they'd been through the year before...might have come across to some as a little dig. I definitely don't think it was intended that way at all, but why even go there.

This is the sort of album I like to put on when I go to bed, because I know if I happen to fall asleep, nothing on it is going to jar me awake. Never heard Richard or Karen describe it as a concept album, but I suppose if the concept was "Hush", it all makes sense.

Of course, at this point they seemed to be making a lot of bad decisions -- the Ken and Mitzi circus, doing TV specials with John Davidson, etc. -- so it sort of represents the threshold to the downhill ride, and maybe that influences my attitude toward it as well.

 

[SongForYou]

I actually like all of the songs on this album, but I Need To Be In Love is not a favorite: the lyrics are beautiful, her performance is quite emotional, the arrangement is exceptional - but the choir completely turned me off, and made it very 'mushy'. It was because of the choir that I thought they made a mistake in releasing it as a single. It seemed so out of place with what was playing on the radio at the time. I would love for Richard to rework it so it's Karen, piano, bass and drum - I'm thinking something similar to the Make Believe It's Your First Time arrangement from the solo album.

Boat To Sail is exactly the opposite - sexy, sophisticated - a summer song. AKOH has always been fun, and I think it was a good single release. I Had You - love the Karen duet - her harmonies made it that much more touching. One More Time is one of my all time favorites - a very intimate reading by Karen, and one of her best vocals.

The two sexy B's by Karen are Boat To Sail and B'wana She No Home; both really soothing light, and with a subtle erotic touch. Seducing us in more ways than one. And, yes, pefect for summer!

 

[Jamesj75]

When it comes to A Kind of Hush, I am all in! It is my favorite album after Horizon. First, I like the packaging of the original album. Although not the best photo of Karen and Richard, the artistic treatment is innovative.

• Now for the songs: I never cared much for "Sandy" or "Goofus." But for me, everything else is primo:
• The title track, yes another remake, is a great, upbeat, fun song that, for me, became the definitive recording of this song. Herman's who?
• Karen's personal favorite, "I Need to Be in Love," is also one of my favorites of their recordings. The lyrics paint a picture that is expressed by the master at conveying sadness with her voice.
• Four underrated gems really give substance to this effort:
  • "You"---top-notch, should have been a single.
  • "I Have You"---Karen's 2-part harmony with herself: what could be better?
  • "One More Time"---Although a bit plodding, this treasure builds to a boil, and Karen's voice is stellar.
  • "Boat to Sail"---a song that has grown on me since its original release. I do find sexiness in Karen's reading.
• "Can't Smile Without You"---as a fan of both Barry Manilow and the Carpenters, I definitely enjoy the Carpenters' treatment, although I prefer their version from the import, Singles 1974-1978.
• Remake alert: "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"---Akin to the title track, this is a fun, bouncy, catchy tune. This comes from a huge fan of Neil Sedaka's slow version but not so much a fan of him anymore for 2 main reasons: (1) all the documented drama when he opened for the Carpenters; and (2) he had the gall to say that Clay Aiken's version of "Solitaire" was the best ever. Please... Not even close. Not to offend any Aiken fans on here, but it's largely thought (myself included) that "Solitaire" (from Horizon) is one of Karen's best performances ever!

The overall time of this CD is short, but for me listening to it is time well spent.

One final thought: As fans of the Carpenters, we can all quibble about our favorites and least favorites, but we are all fans. Music has always been such a huge part of my life, and the Carpenters' music ushered that in for me (since the release of "Close to You"). Continuing to play their music, which I will no doubt always enjoy, brings me back to my youth. And that's a good thing!

 

[no1kandrfan]

Remake alert: "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"---Akin to the title track, this is a fun, bouncy, catchy tune. This comes from a huge fan of Neil Sedaka's slow version but not so much a fan of him anymore for 2 main reasons: (1) all the documented drama when he opened for the Carpenters; and (2) he had the gall to say that Clay Aiken's version of "Solitaire" was the best ever. Please... Not even close. Not to offend any Aiken fans on here, but it's largely thought (myself included) that "Solitaire" (from Horizon) is one of Karen's best performances ever!

James brought to mind something I forgot to mention. I could take or leave Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, but I recall reading - I think perhaps the People Magazine article - something along the lines (not a direct quote) 'the Carpenters have recently made peace with Neil Sedaka by including Breaking Up... on their latest album'. Does anyone recall this? And keeping this in mind, do you think that's the only reason why it was included? I would have loved a version of Karen singing the slower arrangement of this song!

I finally broke down and listened to Clay's version (not a fan at all) of Solitaire and while it was good, it doesn't hold a candle to the C's version.

 

[newvillefan]

I think perhaps the People Magazine article - something along the lines (not a direct quote) 'the Carpenters have recently made peace with Neil Sedaka by including Breaking Up... on their latest album'. Does anyone recall this? And keeping this in mind, do you think that's the only reason why it was included? I would have loved a version of Karen singing the slower arrangement of this song!

I remember reading that somewhere too.

I would have loved to hear Karen sing the slow version, in a bluesy style. In my mind it would have ended up something like 'Ordinary Fool'.

 

[no1kandrfan]

I found the People magazine quote. It's from the article Karen & Richard Carpenter aren't at the Top of the World: They Need to be in Love - August 2, 1976

"...Then when they got back into business, the Carpenters fell into another hassle and their first bad press (except from the rock critics) ever. Seems they fired their opening act at Vegas, Neil Sedaka, who was upstaging them. Lately they've made peace - putting Sedaka's Breaking Up Is Hard To Do on their last LP."

 

[byline]

I've never had a good feeling about this album, and I suppose it's because it subliminally embodies all the problems they were going through at the time. However, it does have one of my all-time favorite songs. "One More Time" saves the album ... for me, anyway.

 

[newvillefan]

I don't think I've ever listened to this album all the way through more than once. The two tracks that I do listen to occasionally (see below) are only there because of the harmonies and the special touch that gives them. It's definitely my least favourite of all of their albums. Offering is saved because it features them at their freshest and youngest, despite some weak material. Passage was different enough to make you want to listen again. Made In America, whilst a weak comeback, still was quite sophisticated in production terms.

Hush for me was just full of fillers and inconsequential fluff. Definitely agree with Herb Alpert who visited them during the sessions to enquire as to how they were getting on. Later, Richard worked out he was politely registering the fact that the album was not up to par. Forget the lovely artwork, albums like this sold with the support of a hit single. And there wasn't one amongst the ten selections, apart from 'I Need To Be In Love', which coming so soon after 'Solitaire', rendered them pretty much dead in the water. (I sometimes wish Passage had skipped and come a year early and they'd released B'Wana She No Home as a single lol)

Apart from 'Boat To Sail' and 'You' (both only salvaged by the vocal harmonies), I don't care for a single song on this album. The three covers (Hush, Breaking Up and Can't Smile Without You) are so lightweight, I often question Richard's judgement during the selection process.

In the Coleman book, a review described the title track as 'vapid'. Definition of that? "lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; insipid; flat". Without wishing to sound unkind, that pretty much sums up most of the album for me.

Also, I don't understand how fans think 'You' would have been a great single. It's a gorgeous album track, but sooo slow and plodding. It would have died a death on the 1976 Billboard chart. 'I Have You' is probably the nadir of my feelings on this album, it's an instant turn off for me. I've probably listened to it a total of 3 times ever.

Out of 5? 1 at best.

 

[A&M Retro]

I bought the album when it came out, and played the heck out of it. While I enjoyed it very much at the time, I've come to the conclusion in the years since that "A Kind of Hush" is the weakest effort released by Karen and Richard.

As previously stated, there's really no energy on display here, and it just comes off as an album lacking in inspiration. True, "I Need To Be In Love", "You" and "One More Time" stand the test of time, but the rest of the album feels like pure filler to me. Obviously, Karen and Richard were well into their personal problems, which undoubtedly didn't help. I remember John Bettis saying in the Coleman book that everybody was trying to get Karen to eat while the album was being recorded. That had to be a horrific experience for all concerned.

I hear now what Herb Alpert was concerned about. Just wish he had given the solo album another listen a few years later....he'd find it to be superior to this record.

Shortly after this album came out in 1976, "US" magazine did a "Who's Hot, Who's Not" year-end issue. I still remember their quote all these years later: "The Carpenters got so mellow that everybody fell asleep".

 

[SongForYou]

I don't think I've ever listened to this album all the way through more than once. The two tracks that I do listen to occasionally (see below) are only there because of the harmonies and the special touch that gives them. It's definitely my least favourite of all of their albums. Offering is saved because it features them at their freshest and youngest, despite some weak material. Passage was different enough to make you want to listen again. Made In America, whilst a weak comeback, still was quite sophisticated in production terms.

Hush for me was just full of fillers and inconsequential fluff. Definitely agree with Herb Alpert who visited them during the sessions to enquire as to how they were getting on. Later, Richard worked out he was politely registering the fact that the album was not up to par. Forget the lovely artwork, albums like this sold with the support of a hit single. And there wasn't one amongst the ten selections, apart from 'I Need To Be In Love', which coming so soon after 'Solitaire', rendered them pretty much dead in the water. (I sometimes wish Passage had skipped and come a year early and they'd released B'Wana She No Home as a single lol)

Apart from 'Boat To Sail' and 'You' (both only salvaged by the vocal harmonies), I don't care for a single song on this album. The three covers (Hush, Breaking Up and Can't Smile Without You) are so lightweight, I often question Richard's judgement during the selection process.

In the Coleman book, a review described the title track as 'vapid'. Definition of that? "lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; insipid; flat". Without wishing to sound unkind, that pretty much sums up most of the album for me.

Also, I don't understand how fans think 'You' would have been a great single. It's a gorgeous album track, but sooo slow and plodding. It would have died a death on the 1976 Billboard chart. 'I Have You' is probably the nadir of my feelings on this album, it's an instant turn off for me. I've probably listened to it a total of 3 times ever.

Out of 5? 1 at best.

I think the enthusiasm for You as a track and possible single is due to the fact that it feels like a classic, timeless tune, and in comparison to the other singles, it feels like an improvement. And I totally think it would have charted higher than Goofus.

 

[A&M Retro]

Agreed. "You" is a great tune.

 

[Chris Mills]

Horizon was always going to be a difficult album to follow, they were reaching that point in their career when sales in the US were falling, this album did reach a good position in the UK charts. They completed a sell-out stint at the London Palladium, incredible show, this certainly helped to maintain the loyalty from UK fans and promote the album.
I don't think the album has so much of a "plodding" feel to it. It has a laid back, relaxed feel. Karen did some great vocals on this album, her voice had developed to make it instantly recognisable, wether you liked the songs or not, you knew who was singing them. Richard's plan to put Karen out front had paid off, she was the star of the show.
When Karen sang "I Need To Be In Love" on the Bruce Forsythe Show, it was better than the album version, as much as I love the original, her interpretation of the song on that show was just stunning. I wouldn't change anything on this album, it was great pop music, performed by great musicains, produced to a very high standard, and proved that they had a recording career that had not reached it's sell by date. They may not have been selling as many albums as before, their talent was so great, that matters more than any chart position.

 

[Rumbahbah]

A Kind of Hush may have a 'relaxed' feel to it but it's just too relaxed and slight. Horizon may have dragged, but this album nods off. It feels fairly cohesive as a mood piece but that cohesion isn't a good thing and it results in some better tracks like Boat to Sail getting lost in the mix and not standing out as they should do. It also lacks a big hit single.
This is partly the result of a lack of bite in the song selection (even the Carpenter/Bettis tracks like Sandy and I Have You are unusually lightweight) and an overdose of three oldies (and none of which I'd call 'goodies'), but to my ears the production's to blame as well. Both There's a Kind of Hush and I Need to Be in Love sound better in their live versions without being hobbled by the sophorific double-tracking vocals on the former and the syrupy choir backing and excess of oboe on the latter. The tweaked version of Can't Smile Without You that appeared on the Singles 1974-1978 album sounds more vital than the version on here. Richard really lost his way on this one. Given how well Karen handled remakes redone in a ballad style, why on earth did he elect to cover the original version of Breaking Up is Hard to Do rather than the far superior slowed-down version that had recently been released? And Goofus, probably the worst song they ever recorded, was picked as a single. And Ordinary Fool, one of Karen's best ever performances, was left off the album. Madness all round!
The only saving graces are One More Time, a beautiful and understated track that's one of the only tracks to avoid the sleepy production so prevalent elsewhere on the album, and Boat to Sail, which is a track where that sleepy production style actually works perfectly. For years I never really took notice of this song - it kind of got lost in the general laid-back mood of the album - but it's a really lovely vocal and production. You is OK, and I can see why some people might figure it as a single (let's face it, anything would have been better than Goofus), but I don't think it was strong enough to stop the rot at that stage. This album really needed an All You Get From Love is a Love Song - there just wasn't anything 'current' enough to work as a big hit single here. The sad thing is that by the time they did get their act together and record and release something with a bit more potential like All Get From Love..., radio had turned away almost completely and didn't want to know. As others have said, this album did nothing for their image - even though the image problem wasn't entirely their fault, this album hardly fought against it.
I do like the cover art - although I was always mystified by the photo used on the inner sleeve. Karen has an expression that suggests she's just been landed with a massive tax bill. There were far better shots from the same photo session.
We're looking at two stars here. ..

 

[Toolman]

Remembered this 2-part Chicago radio interview with the Carpenters from August 1976 while promoting their new stage show and the "Goofus" single. Their fatigue is palpable -- due in part to the circumstances, a late-night interview following a stormy plane ride from Madison -- but there are chilling moments, such as when the interviewer comments on how thin one of them looks...and it's Richard, not Karen.

 

[Toolman]

Sorry -- above is Part 2. Here's Part 1...I hope...

 

[byline]

True. I always thought that Richard reached a point where he was rather emaciated looking, too. Would that have been as a result of the Quaalude addiction?

Wow, weird to hear the reference to Neil Sedaka, but obviously the interviewer was unaware of the blowup that had happened, and the fact that Richard fired him (or he chose to ignore it).

 

[Chris May]

Aside from the album being slow, my biggest issue with it has always been the overall production value. I've always been taken with the amount of noise heard on the album - By noise, I'm not referring to analog "hiss" necessarily, but more so the audible tape edits and such that just seem to be noticeable throughout. I also have felt that it was recorded and mixed a bit inferior to its predecessor, which I always thought was odd.

In its defense, I think with the 24-track recording still having been a fairly new technology at the time, different methods were being employed and experimented with in the 70s. Much like with the "Hush" album, this became even more noticeable on the following release of the "Passage" album, where the 24-track recording was in place, however a lot of instrumental and vocal sub-grouping gave the album more of a "monaural" sound on the playback, as opposed to the separation heard in earlier recordings.