⭐ Official Review [Album]: "NOW & THEN" (SP-3519)

[Matthew S]

Karen's voice had reached full maturity by age 22 or 23 or 24, but it wasn't the fading voice of a 40 year old. It was a voice that had slam-dunked RAINY DAYS and SUPERSTAR. Yes, it deserved better material than JOHNNY ANGEL. But somebody had to show the the world how good the song could sound if sung by a world class vocalist, rather than a low-talent actress with absolutely no musical ability. It was like an older sister showing her sibling how it's really done. Who would you rather hear sing this teenage angst song? I can't imagine anyone listening to Karen sing this (or any song) and wondering how old she sounds. When Karen sings one doesn't think or contemplate or wonder - one listens and feels.

All the same things that you say about Karen sounding too old to sing JOHNNY ANGEL could easily be said about her singing CLOSE TO YOU, with its longing, pineing teeneybooper lyrics about girls stalking an angel come true boy in town.

I think, contemplate and wonder all the time.

 

[STEVE@ENGLAND]

I think, contemplate and wonder all the time.

I know ... She made it all look so effortless.

 

[JohnFB]

I think, contemplate and wonder all the time.

Even while Karen Carpenter is singing? If so, congrats!

I would imagine not many could do that. Her voice is so mesmerizing that most people just close their eyes, listen up intensely, leave all their worries behind and go for the magic carpet ride...

 

[Geographer]

I like the Now & Then album, but, for me, it has two very dubious song selections.

Re: Jambalaya (On the Bayou) ... I've never liked the song (Light and fluffy. Lacks what I
call 'emotional clout'. Compare it with, say, Yesterday Once More - and the contrast is
painfully obvious.)

I always thought Jambalaya felt "out of place" on Now & Then. To me, it would have fit better on A Kind of Hush. Probably should have stayed "in the vault" until that album came along.

 

[STEVE@ENGLAND]

I always thought Jambalaya felt "out of place" on Now & Then. To me, it would have fit better on A Kind of Hush. Probably should have stayed "in the vault" until that album came along.

I've never even liked the Hank Williams version ...

... Maybe, like Harry said, it's something to do with me living in "gloriously sunny"
England (We don't often sit around having Jambalaya on the Bayou).

 

[Harry]

I've seen a lot of posts in my time here where people place a great deal of emphasis on a song's lyrics. That's something that kind of escapes me since I always listen to the "sound" of a song, how it's musically structured, how its melody goes, what the bass line is doing, where the percussion fits in, how the strings, if present, augment the sound, and how the harmonies fill in the sound. I've gone my entire life never paying any attention to the lyrics of some songs, so when I listen to a "Jambalaya" or a "Goofus", I like the way the record sounds. I guess I "like rustic harmonies..."

 

[Mark-T]

I've seen a lot of posts in my time here where people place a great deal of emphasis on a song's lyrics. That's something that kind of escapes me since I always listen to the "sound" of a song, how it's musically structured, how its melody goes, what the bass line is doing, where the percussion fits in, how the strings, if present, augment the sound, and how the harmonies fill in the sound. I've gone my entire life never paying any attention to the lyrics of some songs, so when I listen to a "Jambalaya" or a "Goofus", I like the way the record sounds. I guess I "like rustic harmonies..."

I lean more toward the "sound" side of things too- but if lyrics are great, it's a huge bonus. I guess that's why I appreciate Sting so much.

 

[byline]

The thing that impressed me most about Karen's rendition of "Jambalaya"? Find me another singer who could make those lyrics as intelligible as Karen does. I've listened to Hank Williams' original, and while it's a classic, Karen gives the superior vocal delivery.