⭐ Official Review [Album]: "AS TIME GOES BY" (UICY-1060)

[JohnFB]

I’m with Karen on this one. One of the reasons I don’t care at all for the song is the melody on the line “what’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing” (repeated later with different lyric). That up-and-down, see-saw melody doesn’t suit her voice at all.

I always thought that that "up and down, see-saw melody" was kind of unique and a mildly creative songwriting touch and a big part of what made the song distinctive - and these atypical melodic intervals more than likely broke up the tedium of the usual smooth, incremental note to note transitions in most of their songs - and they were nothing a singer of Karen's caliber couldn't easily handle in her sleep...

 

[Martin Medrano]

I can hear it. Some of the note spacing jumps are not necessarily "natural jumps"—I'm thinking of "the lovers, the dreamers, and me" (when she holds out "me" at around 3:07, or "a lonely man" in the intro of "Solitaire," or "I can't make music." However, I thought Karen handled all of these songs masterfully, and I know fans who swear by "Solitaire" as their favorite song on "Horizon" or "I Can't Make Music" as their top two or three favorites on "Now & Then."

Karen's singing talent and Richard's arranging talent really did complement each other, imho. The casual listener and even the avid fan would never be able to tell they never cared for some of these songs that were eventually released—two of them released as singles, no less.

You make a great point i honestly really enjoy rainbow connection along with i can't make music. I just feel that karen really brings out something special from the way she sings these songs. And solitaire i honestly did not like it at first but i gave it a second chance and now i like it much better. My favorite track from As Time Goes By has to be the carpenters/ como medley.

 

[tomswift2002]

Those Good Old Dreams, even when I first heard it on the Yesterday Once More album (1985) I didn't like. After hearing (Want You) Back In My Life Again & Touch Me When We're Dancing, which were the second and third Carpenters songs from the 80's that I had heard (after If I Had You from Interpretationss), Those Good Old Dreams was like 'man, did they ever screw up on this track---why is it on a greatest hits compilation?" Same with Because We Are In Love & Make Believe It's Your First Time. One way I was glad that they were on Disc 2, as I listen to Disc 1 more, but at the same time, I was angry that they were on Disc 2, interrupting the other great songs, and stopping the playing for such sub-par recordings. There were better tracks that could've been used that we've seen, like Beechwood 4-5789, Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore, The Uninvited Guest or The Rainbow Connection or I Got Rhthym.

As we saw with As Time Goes By & Lovelines, we got the post-humous album, MIA (Made In America, aka Missing In Action) before Karen died that was full of what should've been rejected tracks, while we got the albums that should've been released in her lifetime, after her death.

 

[newvillefan]

Those Good Old Dreams was like 'man, did they ever screw up on this track---why is it on a greatest hits compilation?" Same with Because We Are In Love & Make Believe It's Your First Time.

Even Richard has said VOTH didn’t have one track on it that was good enough to be pulled as a single. The album is made up of pretty, but bland outtakes. I think the only reason that song was ever chosen as the lead single was its nostalgic title - nothing more. And it certainly didn’t belong on any Greatest Hits compilation.

 

[GaryAlan]

I quote from above (tomswift2002): "There were better tracks that could've been used that we've seen, like Beechwood 4-5789..."
I do not understand how Beechwood 4-5789 can ever be considered a "better track" than Those Good Old Dreams.
Also, Because We Are In Love may not be to everyone's ilk, but it is beautifully enunciated by Karen.

I quote from another (newvillefan): "... The album is made up of pretty, but bland outtakes."
I find the songs At The End of a Song and Look To Your Dreams to be anything but "outtakes."
They are beautiful songs, beautifully sung and beautifully arranged.
Voice of The Heart has two duds (Now and MBIYFT, imho), but is an otherwise lovely album.
At the time of its inception and release, Richard did not consider those VOTH songs as outtakes.

 

[newvillefan]

I find the songs At The End of a Song and Look To Your Dreams to be anything but "outtakes."They are beautiful songs, beautifully sung and beautifully arranged.

That’s as may be, but they weren’t included on any albums during Karen’s lifetime for a reason. Look To Your Dreams was at least five years old by the time of Karen’s passing.

 

[Cuyler]

You make a great point i honestly really enjoy rainbow connection along with i can't make music. I just feel that karen really brings out something special from the way she sings these songs. And solitaire i honestly did not like it at first but i gave it a second chance and now i like it much better. My favorite track from As Time Goes By has to be the carpenters/ como medley.

The first time I heard “Solitaire” was on “Gold,” so it was the single mix with the guitar licks. After that, hearing the album mix feels like something is missing. The only critique I have about the “Gold” mix is that a lot of peak limiting was applied, so the wave form looks like a box rather than peaks and valleys. The effects of this choice are audible to me.

I also like the “Carpenters/Como Medley,” but my favorite on this album, ever since I first heard it in 2005, is “And When He Smiles.”

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Wrong thread but wow such disdain for the tracks from VOTH.
What did you expect after MIA...whose material failed to bring them back on the charts of their heyday. Did you think there was going to be some Close to You or We've Only Just Begun hiding...waiting for release on VOTH? Most of these were outtakes but far from being bland, album cuts yes. The same fans that complain we didn't get any new material or why is he holding tracks left in the vault are the same people who say the material released after Karen's passing was never going to be good enough for a Carpenters album.

Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore is a classic Carpenters song reminds me of the same feel of All You Get From Love Is A Love Song. Ordinary Fool is a hidden gem on the album. I completely get why Now gets to so many compilations, Karen interpreting an intimate song, she's so good at it. At The End Of A Song doesn't get enough credit in my opinion. The album completes itself with Look To Your Dreams which I find even more poignant than Now...a final send off...when I heard the album close with that song I got a sense that if I never heard another new Carpenters release...it was ok after hearing Look To Your Dreams...for me it's the most personal song on the album and a perfect closure to losing her voice.

 

[Mark-T]

I’ll admit it- I outright wept the first time I heard Look to Your Dreams and Richards closing solo piano.

 

[tomswift2002]

I quote from above (tomswift2002): "There were better tracks that could've been used that we've seen, like Beechwood 4-5789..."
I do not understand how Beechwood 4-5789 can ever be considered a "better track" than Those Good Old Dreams.
Also, Because We Are In Love may not be to everyone's ilk, but it is beautifully enunciated by Karen.

I quote from another (newvillefan): "... The album is made up of pretty, but bland outtakes."
I find the songs At The End of a Song and Look To Your Dreams to be anything but "outtakes."
They are beautiful songs, beautifully sung and beautifully arranged.
Voice of The Heart has two duds (Now and MBIYFT, imho), but is an otherwise lovely album.
At the time of its inception and release, Richard did not consider those VOTH songs as outtakes.

Beechwood 4-5789 had a lot more “punch” to the track and is more of an 80’s style arranged song, whereas Those Good Old Dreams just wandered (we’re they trying to go country? Easy listening? Even Top Of The World with its countrified sound had more “punch”) and didn’t have any punch to it. And it really sounded like someone was dragging their fingernails across a blackboard!

Now is also a terrible song. But Prime Time Love should’ve been issued as the lead 45 from VOTH. Really that’s got “Single” written all over it! But it’s kind of like year’s later, we got another album track issued as a single when Something’s In Your Eyes was issued as the single from Time when Say Yeah! or Who Do You Love? should’ve been the 45.

 

[GaryAlan]

^^It is quite surprising that your pick for a VOH Single release--"has single written all over it,"---
Prime Time Love, is NOT anthologized or included on any other succeeding compilation.

 

[newvillefan]

Prime Time Love should’ve been issued as the lead 45 from VOTH. Really that’s got “Single” written all over it!

They probably steered clear of a track like that deliberately when considering what to put out, because it’s a tad too upbeat for the first single from the first posthumous album.

I’ve never been that enamoured with ‘Prime Time Love’. It doesn’t sound finished to me; the sound is too dry, too “guitar, bass drums” only and Richard’s backing vocals do little to rescue it. The recording is lacking an inherent warmth for some reason.

 

[GaryAlan]

I was curious about Rainbow Connection, so I looked at the stats on Youtube--sorting through the title by "view count."
Now, including Kermit-the-frog's definitive version, Karen and Richard's interpretation falls easily into the top 10 "viewed."
Also, I note something regards the song itself--it is incredibly difficult to sing. Hardly anyone does it reasonably well.
Karen's version is truly a one-take wonder. Ed Sheeran and Sarah McLachlan try their hand at it.
Problem is, none of the other versions affects me in the way that Karen's vocals do !
I really do not care much for the song itself (regardless of who sings it: oh, I hate to shock everyone),
but, if I do listen to this song I want it sung to me by Karen, with Richard's arrangement !

 

[Murray]

This might be considered blasphemous on this forum, but If I had to choose which version of "Rainbow Connection" I prefer more, I'd go with the banjo-playing frog.


What is that faint scraping sound I hear in the distance? Could it be the sound of pitchforks being sharpened?

 

[Cuyler]

This might be considered blasphemous on this forum, but If I had to choose which version of "Rainbow Connection" I prefer more, I'd go with the banjo-playing frog.


What is that faint scraping sound I hear in the distance? Could it be the sound of pitchforks being sharpened?

Blasphemia!

 

[Harry]

I consider everything from VOICE OF THE HEART on thru AS TIME GOES BY as wonderful gifts of Karen's voice from the talents of Richard. Whether or not a song is "great" or "single-worthy" just isn't important. These were all gifts to fans and I cherish each and every one of them.

 

[Murray]

Blasphemia!

Should I expect a visit from the Spanish Inquisition?

 

[Cuyler]

Not at all — It's cool actually, I've been around these forums for long enough to know that discussions can get heated and sometimes no resolution comes to be, and that's okay. I think it's really great that, even if we are all passionate (or dispassionate) about different songs or aspects of the Carpenters' career, we are all, at the end of the day, fans of the Carpenters for one reason or another. I love the fact that this community is full of diverse opinions and isn't willing to subject itself to dogma.

I think the more respectful discussion can be generated, the better!

 

[Murray]

Should I expect a visit from the Spanish Inquisition?

Not at all — It's cool actually, I've been around these forums for long enough to know that discussions can get heated and sometimes no resolution comes to be, and that's okay. I think it's really great that, even if we are all passionate (or dispassionate) about different songs or aspects of the Carpenters' career, we are all, at the end of the day, fans of the Carpenters for one reason or another. I love the fact that this community is full of diverse opinions and isn't willing to subject itself to dogma.

I think the more respectful discussion can be generated, the better!

Cuyler, the correct response should have been:

 

[CraigGA]

I consider everything from VOICE OF THE HEART on thru AS TIME GOES BY as wonderful gifts of Karen's voice from the talents of Richard. Whether or not a song is "great" or "single-worthy" just isn't important. These were all gifts to fans and I cherish each and every one of them.

This is so well stated that if I could like it 100 plus times, I would!! And, Karen always sang interval relations that were difficult to achieve yet she always landed perfectly. And, Solitaire is a masterpiece. I have yet to hear a post on YouTube from anyone (professional or otherwise) singing their songs that come close to the magical perfection achieved in each song on any of their albums. One reviewer mentioned that they were magician musicians and I tend to agree.

 

[tomswift2002]

They probably steered clear of a track like that deliberately when considering what to put out, because it’s a tad too upbeat for the first single from the first posthumous album.

I’ve never been that enamoured with ‘Prime Time Love’. It doesn’t sound finished to me; the sound is too dry, too “guitar, bass drums” only and Richard’s backing vocals do little to rescue it. The recording is lacking an inherent warmth for some reason.

Maybe, but it probably would’ve done better on 80’s radio than Make Believe, which should’ve been kept as an album track.

But also Prime Time Love has the line “I’ll take my chances, this one’s from the heart” which would’ve tied in better for marketing (not to mention, but just like Make Believe, Prime Time also seems to be about sex, especially in the chorus where it goes “Don’t fight, what feels right, your looking in the face of prime time love”, so this was another departure from the goodie-two-shoes image that Karen was trying to shed).

This should’ve been a single. Double A-side “Prime Time Love/Your Baby Doesn’t Love You Anymore”. And PTL really needs to be anthologized!

 

[JohnFB]

This might be considered blasphemous on this forum, but If I had to choose which version of "Rainbow Connection" I prefer more, I'd go with the banjo-playing frog.
...

Only if Karen was doing the voice of Kermit that day...

As far as I can tell there is no "sonic alteration" of her voice on this recording, and hearing her sing anything unadulterated was always a supreme joy - and it didn't matter how nonsensical the lyrics of the song were - she could have been singing the provisions of her auto insurance policy or the items on her Things To Do Today list and the effect would have been the same...

 

[Cuyler]

As far as I can tell there is no "sonic alteration" of her voice on this recording, and hearing her sing anything unadulterated was always a supreme joy

Agreed! Poor Babs... someone chose to autotune her c. 1979 recording for Release Me 2. Itʻs a pity because Barbra, like Karen, is a legendary singer in her own right. Her voice doesn't deserve to be treated like that. I couldn't finish listening, it was so painful...

Again, so thankful to Richard for not autotuning Karen's voice. Agreed with John -- it's a joy to listen to Karen sing without her voice being manipulated on the lead.

 

[tomswift2002]

I just noticed, the first post in this thread says the release date was August 2002. I’m pretty sure this CD was out in Japan in August 2001 (and 2004 in the US). Also, it’s just one month until As Time Goes By, the Carpenters 1st studio album of the 21st century, turns 20!

I remember getting this album when I was still in high school in June 2002 when the first Tobey Maguire Spider-Man was in theatres! The local CD store was able to get it as an import. It was so great to have an album of new material by my favorite group in high school! Unfortunately, over the years I’ve lost the obi strip, but I still have the orange sticker that was on the plastic and the Universal Canada import sticker!

Anyway I had this album playing today. Really great album! 5/5. Even though the album spans about 20 years, it’s really cohesive. Without A Song the complete version opens the album with a really nice punch. Then we go into the Medley: Superstar/Rainy Days which just flows on. And as Richard mentioned in the booklet, the piano and drums were re-recorded in 1999 in stereo, since the 70’s/80’s recordings were mono as they were just recording for mono TV back then.

Then we get to Nowhere Man, an early demo that Richard finished in 1999 from a mono acetate transfer. I was thinking, if we ever get an RPO2, it would be nice for Richard to get Karen’s vocals lifted from the mono master, and then re-record the instruments without having to worry about tailoring strings to cover the spinet and Grand piano. The technology didn’t exist in 1999, but a lot has changed now to where he could get Karen’s vocal digitally extracted—-do like an Elvis Presley “Duets” recording.

I Got Rhythm, Dancing In the Street, Dizzy Fingers, You’re Just In Love, Karen Ella Medley & Medley: Close Encounters are great performances and are better than most of the tracks on Made In America. Why these weren’t released 40 years ago…

But it is really great to hear both Karen & Richard sharing lead duties and even dueting on You’re Just In Love. This was something that was really missing from the 1975-1989 albums, with the exception of the Christmas albums, and is one of the strong points of the 1969-1974 albums. It was “The Carpenters” not “Karen Carpenter”. The later albums needed at least a track an album where Richard did the lead, whether it be vocal or instrumental.

Then we get one of highlights of the CD: Leave Yesterday Behind. A work lead that Richard finished in 1999. After the energetic space medley, LYB gives us a chance to catch our breath before the album rockets into its final couple of tracks.

Then we get to meet with Perry Como in the medley from the 1974 Perry Como Christmas Show. It’s nice hearing Karen, Richard and Perry sharing vocal duties. Of course 12 years after this CD came out, we got the official video and mono version on DVD. (Has this medley or even the Ella one shown up on any Como or Ella compilations?)

Then we soar into California Dreaming, the only 4-track that Richard still had from the Magic Lamp days, so Karen’s voice was on its own track, as Richard gave us a real rocker of a tune!

Then comes a song that should’ve seen release in 1981…The Rainbow Connection! Very nice use of the toy piano and Karen really does a good job on this song! I still remember seeing online in 2001/02 that on a Japanese radio station, it had reached #5 on that local station’s Hot 20 or whatever chart it was.

Then the final track is the Hits Medley’76 & And When He Smiles which is a bonus.

All in all—-why were these tracks passed over for doozy’s like Strength of A Woman or Now? This is a FANTASTIC album that gels very nicely and it’s too bad that in North America in 2004, Universal didn’t pull a single from it like The Rainbow Connection or California Dreaming or Without A Song backed with You’re Just in Love or Leave Yesterday Behind or I Got Rhythmn or Dancing In The Street.

 

[Cuyler]

How interesting—per Discogs, there was a disc released in the US with a copyright date of 2001:

Carpenters - As Time Goes By

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2001 CD release of "As Time Goes By" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

And according to the Japanese release, the CD was released August 1, 2001 in Japan.

Happy almost 20th birthday, As Time Goes By!