⭐ Official Review [Album]: "A KIND OF HUSH" (SP-4581)

HOW WOULD YOU RATE THIS ALBUM?

  • ***** (BEST)

    Votes: 7 8.1%
  • ****

    Votes: 20 23.3%
  • ***

    Votes: 46 53.5%
  • **

    Votes: 12 14.0%
  • *

    Votes: 1 1.2%

  • Total voters
    86
Thank you....that's what I like about this forum, someone always knows the answer. If you are able can you scan in a clear shot, I'd love to see it.
Chris,
My copy is actually in a storage box with high school yearbooks, concert programs, etc. from the 70's....and still at my parent's home. Also in that box are clippings of Billboard's reviews of singles and albums that I could find during that time.....the same ones you've been posting here at the forum over the past few weeks. How great to see them again, and thanks for finding earlier ones I'd never seen!

Harry,
Since you've recently added the Billboard promo ads, would it be possible to also include the reviews with their corresponding singles and albums on the Complete Recording Resource site?
 
Here are some cleaner copies of promo ad for the album A Kind Of Hush and the single, I Need To Be In Love....in addition the single and album review by Billboard.

Billboard%20Carpenters%20AKOH%20Album%20Promo%20Photo%20Ad%20June%2019%201976.jpg~original


Banner Ad
Billboard%20Carpenters%20AKOH%20Banner%20Promo%20June%2019%201976.jpg~original

This is the Back Cover
Billboard-Carpenters-AKOH-Album-Promo-Ad-June-19-1976.png~original


I really like this one below :love:

Billboard-Carpenters-I-Need-To-Be-In-Love-Promo-Ad-June-05-1976.png~original
 
Recently stated at TICKET and worked thru HORIZON with glee and retrospect. Came to HUSH n not so much. Then PASSAGE hmmm. Perked up at hints of MIA and then relished in VOTH, LOVELINES and ATGBY.
Don't know why exactly but save CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT I felt a lull. The extreme delay at 3 year absence cept for Karen solo mmmhmmm was agonizing thought I'd heard the last. Where HUSH has some moments for me, well several I instinctively knew there was a fall from grace. But whuda run huh?

Jeff
 
Album and Single Review

Billboard%20Carpenters%20AKOH%20Album%20Review%20July%2004%201976.png~original

Billboard%20Carpenters%20I%20Need%20To%20Be%20In%20Love%20Single%20Review%20June%2005%201976.png~original

That's two big nods to Richard from Billboard for his production skills (for single and album)...I wonder where his frustration over lack of recognition was born from, considering this and the fact he's down as the album's producer on every album cover from Now & Then onwards.
 
I think there was a big disparity between published accolades and public perception. I always felt that no matter how much information was made available, the perception among the general public was that Richard played a negligible role in their music, and Karen was the star. And I suspect that also occurred in many interviews they did, where less-prepared interviewers would want to focus all their attention on Karen, and be scratching their heads over what to ask Richard. I also seem to recall that at one point he was introduced as the Carpenters' pianist, nothing more. Things like that add up.
 
Yes, Byline,
here is a quote from
Coleman Biography , page 180:
" ...Richard had been shocked and angered when, sitting alongside Frank Zappa
and Quincy Jones on a record industry seminar sponsored by
Billboard magazine,
he had been introduced as Richard Carpenter--piano player with the Carpenters."
"He was particularly saddened by the lack of identification by people in the music industry."
 
To properly review this album - I have to take myself back in time to the bicentennial year and remember where my head was at - and truly review the album not only by what has stood the test of time - but how I felt about it when it was released. I'm going to be completely honest. No holds barred.

I loved Horizon. I loved the singles, the concept, the cover photography, and technically, the recordings. So - naturally, I was clamoring for new material and thrilled when a new album was so close at hand....
Yet - when the first single was released, I was less than thrilled that this was a cover. Cute, likable ditty, but less than thrilled.


Next up - the second singe a couple weeks prior to the album... INTBIL... Certainly, I liked this song. Beautifully written and performed, intimate and lovely. However, at the time, I was not certain it would be a huge commercial success - as it had no beat. In other words, even though our heroes didn't need to necessarily succumb to the Hustle or Jive Talkin', we needed to realize that dancing was more than a fad - and that a good slow dance could be worth it's weight in gold. INTBIL had neither a beat to slow dance to - nor the message of promise that would engage would-be lovers to embrace on the dance floor. So - I loved the song, and realize it was more of a personal statement piece than a promise of commercial success.... and for that I appreciate the choice. Otherwise, it would not have been a single choice for me.

Album release: Art: I did not like it. I wanted to.... but I did not. The wooden trim looked very dated already - and simply didn't seem to have the panache that other Carpenters projects had until this release. The wooden trim looked like it should have been a Barbara Mandrell album - more than a Carpenters project. I did like the inner logo printing. That's about it. To name an album after a number 12 single seemed ridiculous as well. I didn't love the photography; either picture. The outside had those cheesy grins, and that picture on the inside was the very first time I felt Karen may have been ill - due to the quality of her hair, and in my opinion, the sickly nature of her general aura. Had NO idea that this was a premonition worthy of real consideration, just thought she looked bad.

1.) There's A Kind Of Hush 2:57 (Reed/Stephens) Cute. - Not single worthy.
2.) You 3:45 (Edelman) Loved it - still do. Still believe this should have been the single. Probably in place of INTBIL.
3) Sandy 3:38 (Carpenter/Bettis) I loved this song. Most certainly because I think Karen sounds utterly beautiful on it. That intimacy of the tan album comes out here, as it did on One Love... The change that may have taken place in this reading, versus the 1971 One Love is that of a more mature version of Karen's intimacy that I think is so poignant and beautiful to hear.... 'Being with you I'm like a child again... Your eyes can see clearer than mine'.... Beautiful.
4.) Goofus 3:32 (King/Harold/Kahn) I may be a minority - but I'd have killed this song in favor of Sailing On The Tide. I passed over it even when playing the album.
5.) Can't Smile Without You 3:26 (Arnold/Martin/Morrow) I felt this could have easily been a single release as well. Had YOU been out in the spring, I'd have released this for fall. Sans the added woodwinds from the re-mix. That made it sound more big band-ish and less 1976-ish....
6.) I Need To Be In Love 3:47 (Carpenter/Bettis/Hammond) Lovely, clearly a personal message from everyone involved.... but to me - not necessarily the right single choice for spring/summer. Maybe a winter of 76 song....
7.) One More Time 3:30 (Anderson) Pretty. So glad we have it... but not my ultimate favorite on the project. Although the line: "I'm goin' way down south to Baton Rouge, tonight" is an all-time favorite Karen line... Very lovely....
8.) Boat To Sail 3:29 (DeShannon) I KNOW I'm gonna get hate-mail for this one - but I never loved this one. It was a FF back in the day for me - and now, I only listen to it - because there is no more new material. I found it boring.
9.) I Have You 3:25 (Carpenter/Bettis) Pretty - pretty - pretty. Intimate and lovely.
10.) Breaking Up Is Hard To Do 2:34 (Sedaka/Greenfield) Fun. I'm glad it was here - as it was livelier than Hush, and was one of the few areas where I heard "life" and fun....

All in all - I'd sum this one up as: a very pretty sounding album. Not earthshaking. Pretty. IMHO - the correct single choices may have helped the commercial success of the project, but all in all - the albums preceding and following were much more polished and seemed to live up to the high standards with which we had come to expect from the act.


I saw this album a lot the same way. :cool: But respectfully, Barry... I have a couple of disagreements here, though nothing major:

First, regardless of the dance craze developing in the mid-late '70s, I thought "I Need To Be In Love" (I hate song titles abbreviated by single letters) was a fine choice for a single, at ANY time of the year. I mean, it was a CARPENTERS single, not a Bee Gees single. But maybe you're right in that it may have fared better in winter. I don't know. I was eight years old at the time, so I gave no thought or consideration to such matters... and I didn't really explore this album until the early '80s anyway. Funny, though, that it was successful enough to end up on most of their later compilations.

Second (and no, this isn't gonna be 'hate mail' here), I liked "Boat To Sail", even though it's not one I would play very often. "Boring"? Cuhhhmmahnnnnnn. Now, ya wanna talk "boring"? Their version of "Can't Smile Without You", as well as their version of "I Just Fall In Love Again" from PASSAGE are both what I would describe as "boring". (I'll probably get 'hate mail' for this!:wink:)

These songs aside, I couldn't have said the rest any better, and I couldn't agree more. Especially where "Goofus" is concerned (I still hate that song). "Sailing On The Tide" would've been great in it's place. Just my two cents' worth. :)
 
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I saw this album a lot the same way. :cool: But respectfully, Barry... I have a couple of disagreements here, though nothing major:

First, regardless of the dance craze developing in the mid-late '70s, I thought "I Need To Be In Love" (I hate song titles abbreviated by single letters) was a fine choice for a single, at ANY time of the year. I mean, it was a CARPENTERS single, not a Bee Gees single. But maybe you're right in that it may have fared better in winter. I don't know. I was eight years old at the time, so I gave no thought or consideration to such matters... and I didn't really explore this album until the early '80s anyway. Funny, though, that it was successful enough to end up on most of their later compilations.

Second (and no, this isn't gonna be 'hate mail' here), I liked "Boat To Sail", even though it's not one I would play very often. "Boring"? Cuhhhmmahnnnnnn. Now, ya wanna talk "boring"? Their version of "Can't Smile Without You", as well as their version of "I Just Fall In Love Again" from PASSAGE are both what I would describe as "boring". (I'll probably get 'hate mail' for this!:wink:)

These songs aside, I couldn't have said the rest any better, and I couldn't agree more. Especially where "Goofus" is concerned (I still hate that song). "Sailing On The Tide" would've been great in it's place. Just my two cents' worth. :)
No hate mail from me either! :)

Chocolate & Vanilla, my friend!

I will say - in the form of a healthy and respectful difference of opinion... that 'I Just Fall In Love Again' was and has tuned out to be one of my all-time favorites... (notice I wrote out the title?!) :wink:

Thanks and have a great day! BT
 
Here are some cleaner copies of promo ad for the album A Kind Of Hush and the single, I Need To Be In Love....in addition the single and album review by Billboard.

Billboard%20Carpenters%20AKOH%20Album%20Promo%20Photo%20Ad%20June%2019%201976.jpg~original


Banner Ad
Billboard%20Carpenters%20AKOH%20Banner%20Promo%20June%2019%201976.jpg~original

This is the Back Cover
Billboard-Carpenters-AKOH-Album-Promo-Ad-June-19-1976.png~original


I really like this one below :love:

Billboard-Carpenters-I-Need-To-Be-In-Love-Promo-Ad-June-05-1976.png~original
Notice, they flipped the negative on the banner photo.... the hair is parted on opposite sides for both siblings...
 
I remember wondering why Carpenters did the pop version of Breakin Up Is Hard To Do, and Sedaka did the ballad version. It seemed backward to me. I probably listened to You, I Need to be In Love, and Boat to Sail the most. I loved Karen's jazzy take on the latter.
 
^^^ Me, too. I was so disappointed when I first heard the album and that they chose to record the upbeat version. Oh, what could have been!
 
This makes for another good, purely musical, question
(and, there are soooo many musical questions !):
Why?
the ballad version of
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
was not attempted,
in favor of the upbeat version recorded for the album.
 
This makes for another good, purely musical, question
(and, there are soooo many musical questions !):
Why?
the ballad version of
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
was not attempted,
in favor of the upbeat version recorded for the album.

That's a great question - I would think she would have nailed it and done it a ton of justice! Another one of those "shoulda-woulda-couldas" I think...
 
I also thought the album should begin with the slow intro of "Hush" (like the live shows) and segue (sp?) into the single version- and then end with a slow version of Breaking Up.
 
It's likely that the duo and the powers that be looked at the two possibilities of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" and were all still basking in the glow of "Please Mr. Postman" having topped the charts.

It's also likely that they were looking for something uptempo to conclude the album that was heavy on ballads.

Maybe Richard's current disdain for the track stems from that debate in that he might have been on the wrong side of the argument.

Just conjecture...

Harry
 
Which side? Did he want the slow version and the company wanted the upbeat one? Or the other way around? Any insight?
 
As I said, just conjecture as a possible discussion point.
 
Which side? Did he want the slow version and the company wanted the upbeat one? Or the other way around? Any insight?
Every Carpenters recording was made exactly the way Richard wanted it,including "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do".

A&M gave K&R "carte blanche" in the studio from day one.Even Their debut album was tailor made to Richard's specifications-and K&R chose every track for that album.
 
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