This Masquerade: A Quick, Light Look at 4 Versions

[Late2theParty]

For me, Carpenters’ version of this tune is definitive. George’s is very nice but Carpenters’ wins by a landslide. I always liked Carpenters’ smooth jazz-tinged tunes. They’re the ones that Richard doesn’t overproduce. He does enough and gets out of the way so Karen can shine. Only Ordinary Fool is overproduced (think if Meatloaf did a saloon song) but Karen’s vocal is so amazing that she wins anyway.

I’d love to have seen Carpenters head down this road. They wasted a lot of time chart chasing after Horizon and that time could have been better spent taking a left turn into jazzier things. Karen had the chops and Richard definitely did too.

Ed

And I think Steely Dan's work on Aja and Gaucho showed that there was a lane in popular music to go there. Lately, I've been enjoying repeating her work on "Bwana" and thinking...she can do ANYTHING. So sad.

 

[Mark-T]

And I think Steely Dan's work on Aja and Gaucho showed that there was a lane in popular music to go there. Lately, I've been enjoying repeating her work on "Bwana" and thinking...she can do ANYTHING. So sad.

LOVE B'wana!

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

And I think Steely Dan's work on Aja and Gaucho showed that there was a lane in popular music to go there. Lately, I've been enjoying repeating her work on "Bwana" and thinking...she can do ANYTHING. So sad.

B'wana is really fun but the focus isn't on her; it's on the band...and Richard isn't even a part of that band. He also didn't do that ridiculously delicious vocal arrangement; that was the vocal arranging legend, Gene Puerling. She delivers a straight, doubled vocal throughout totally devoid of emotion. It sounds great because it was the right thing but let's be real here: anyone could have sung it. That tune doesn't require a great vocalist. For as much as I like it, there's really nothing distinctly "Carpenters" about any of it.

This road was a fun but it wasn't one worth continuing down. Like much of "Passage," it was just a temporary dalliance. Karen was best with expression and this kind of tune doesn't allow for that. I was more talking about Great American Songbook stuff - the kind of thing Linda Ronstadt brought back to prominence with "What's New." If Carpenters could have gotten ahead of her, they'd have had something. Likely, A&M wasn't gonna go for that - hence what we got instead.

Ed

 

[byline]

B'wana is really fun but the focus isn't on her; it's on the band...and Richard isn't even a part of that band. He also didn't do that ridiculously delicious vocal arrangement; that was the vocal arranging legend, Gene Puerling.

At various points, Richard displayed similar Singers Unlimited-style vocal arranging prowess, and those works are among my favorites. I wish they'd been able to do more of that.

 

[Mark-T]

B'wana is really fun but the focus isn't on her; it's on the band...and Richard isn't even a part of that band. He also didn't do that ridiculously delicious vocal arrangement; that was the vocal arranging legend, Gene Puerling. She delivers a straight, doubled vocal throughout totally devoid of emotion. It sounds great because it was the right thing but let's be real here: anyone could have sung it. That tune doesn't require a great vocalist. For as much as I like it, there's really nothing distinctly "Carpenters" about any of it.

This road was a fun but it wasn't one worth continuing down. Like much of "Passage," it was just a temporary dalliance. Karen was best with expression and this kind of tune doesn't allow for that. I was more talking about Great American Songbook stuff - the kind of thing Linda Ronstadt brought back to prominence with "What's New." If Carpenters could have gotten ahead of her, they'd have had something. Likely, A&M wasn't gonna go for that - hence what we got instead.

Ed

I have to disagree with your take on Karen’s vocal, Ed. I think she plays the role spectacularly. Her cool restrained vocals have just the right amount of playful flourishes to holds its own with the music.