⭐ Official Review [Album]: "MADE IN AMERICA" (SP-3723)

[Jarred]

I, too disagree. Remember, there was another technological breakthrough happening during this time in the world of studio recording which typically leads to the over-recording and producing of material for just about any artist.

As I'm looking back through this thread, I think we're overthinking the whole album to be honest—mostly as a result of trying to analyze it by looking through the opposite of the lens called "life."

Karen and Richard made an album which reflected where each of them were as individuals, and as a partnership during that time. Richard had a new lease on life, and Karen was dying. It's a sad story, but both made their choices. Regardless of how it was handled, the label (A&M) supported them. The rest as they say, is history.

It's really not rocket science in the world of armchair psychology, despite the temptation to want to sensationalize all of this.

This “life” business is a useful lens to help us understand their musical mindsets, no matter how much Richard would likely deny it. Some posts back on this thread I quoted AllMusic’s comment that they were “a world unto themselves”, and I can’t think of an act that lived this ethos as much personally as they did musically. This is very likely why the conversation always veers into their oft forbidden personal lives here and elsewhere - it’s too closely braided with them literally off the record.

And, given all we do know I simply can’t imagine this album reflected where Karen was as an individual. Well, actually you could say that it does in the sense that most of her vocal work on this is detached and uninterested. Even if we knew nothing of the solo album messiness it’s clear from her work on this and interviews she gave at the time that her mind is elsewhere. If this album is reflective of where they are as partners during this time then it’s clear many changes needed to be made going ahead if she miraculously lived into older years. And of course A&M supported them, they would’ve supported anything Richard put out as long as it distracted Karen from the “sh!t” she made in New York.

 

[Jarred]

I'll disagree with everything above.

Yeah, didn’t see that coming.

 

[Harry]

Brandon, you are on a short leash.

 

[Chris May]

This “life” business is a useful lens to help us understand their musical mindsets, no matter how much Richard would likely deny it. Some posts back on this thread I quoted AllMusic’s comment that they were “a world unto themselves”, and I can’t think of an act that lived this ethos as much personally as they did musically. This is very likely why the conversation always veers into their oft forbidden personal lives here and elsewhere - it’s too closely braided with them literally off the record.

And, given all we do know I simply can’t imagine this album reflected where Karen was as an individual. Well, actually you could say that it does in the sense that most of her vocal work on this is detached and uninterested. Even if we knew nothing of the solo album messiness it’s clear from her work on this and interviews she gave at the time that her mind is elsewhere. If this album is reflective of where they are as partners during this time then it’s clear many changes needed to be made going ahead if she miraculously lived into older years. And of course A&M supported them, they would’ve supported anything Richard put out as long as it distracted Karen from the “sh!t” she made in New York.

I can assure you you're basing all of this on one-sided, third-hand context at best, Brandon. There is even MORE to the story than meets the public eye.

This thread has run its course, and is now closed.