⭐ Official Review [Album]: "OFFERING"/"TICKET TO RIDE" (SP-4205)

[newvillefan]

I never thought that opening the Singles album with a brief snippet of CLOSE TO YOU and then transitioning into WE'VE ONLY...was an inspired idea.

I’ve loved it as it is - always have. It trickles from the first song, into remnants of ‘Superstar’ and on into ‘Begun’.

The bit I really like is where Karen sings the words “every time/you are near” - on the word “time” she is ever so slightly under pitch - but it works beautifully. Whenever I hear the overture, I can picture in my mind the photo of that huge billboard of the Carpenters logo on the A&M building that was seen in the opening sequence of the 1985 video compilation. I’ve never seen that photo produced anywhere else.

 

[Nemily]

I just got curious about "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing." I'd never heard any other version except the Carpenters one, so I looked it up on Youtube. The original single by Buffalo Springfield is really good, not all that different from Carpenters really, except guitar-based rather than piano-based, and male vocals of course. It's one of the most unique songs, you just don't hear 3/4 time on a rock song very often.

Both of the first two Buffalo Springfield LPs are pretty amazing. I have them both and they still sound great. The third and last of their LPs was kind of a collection of previously recorded music because they had already split up by then. The song (They Long to Be) Close to You is what turned my attention in Carpenters direction, but they had me on Clancy/Offering

 

[Nemily]

I never thought that opening the Singles album with a brief snippet of CLOSE TO YOU and then transitioning into WE'VE ONLY...was an inspired idea. It should have opened with the full version of CLOSE... and closed with their "signature song" WE'VE ONLY...

I like the UK idea of bookending these two songs, but what the way they opened the Singles album was a chill factor for me the first time I ever heard it and it still is even today all these years later

 

[Harry]

The only drawback is that it wasn’t released until 1978. Great collection though, I have one somewhere. It even features the full Singles Overture version of ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’, so ends up effectively as a bookend album, with ‘Close To You’ as the closing track on side B. I wish this was available on CD.

There's also something "special" about the copy I have. It has a really nice warm tone about it - a very smooth vinyl pressing by EMI.

 

[Harry]

Whenever I hear the overture, I can picture in my mind the photo of that huge billboard of the Carpenters logo on the A&M building that was seen in the opening sequence of the 1985 video compilation. I’ve never seen that photo produced anywhere else.

Taken from the DVD:

 

[JohnFB]

I like the UK idea of bookending these two songs, but what the way they opened the Singles album was a chill factor for me the first time I ever heard it and it still is even today all these years later

Well, I get you on the "chill factor" - I have a lot of my own when listening to their music- too numerous to list - and, believe it or not, this cantankerous, hard-bitten old codger still gets "moved" by many of the wonderful things people of many different stripes have to say about them in the Comments section of their music videos - another kind of chill factor.

Which reminds me - I've read in several places that Frank Sinatra is alleged to have said that Karen was the only singer he would ever pay to see. But, I have seen no confirmation of this anywhere. Is this another Urban Legend? I tend to doubt it's authenticity - not because he didn't like her - but simply because, with his connections and power and influence, I'm sure he never had to pay to see anyone...what's the real scoop on this?

 

[newvillefan]

^^^ Thanks Harry 👍

I’ve studied this photo and identified Richard and Karen’s old office. You can see that the pretty courtyard was then the parking lot where Richard and Karen parked their cars.

Then:



Now:

 

[newvillefan]

What looks very different in the photo though is where the door is to the recording studios that we saw in 2019. It’s not there in this photo. All I can see is a connecting door to the huge warehouse (or is that the building that actually housed the recording studios?).

Then:



Now:

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I’m sure this was posted before but didn’t see it on this thread.
So I am assuming this was Karen’s handwriting? If so this is early handwriting from Karen (19), so detailed with written date.
This album would be given to Frank Pooler and his wife Marie? Correct?

 

[Chris May]

What looks very different in the photo though is where the door is to the recording studios that we saw in 2019. It’s not there in this photo. All I can see is a connecting door to the huge warehouse (or is that the building that actually housed the recording studios?).

Then:



Now:

That’s the door to the (small) lobby that leads directly to the hallway. Studio B is immediately on the right as you go down the hall, followed by Studio C on the left, A on the right across from C, then to the end of the hallway, hang a right and go all the way down to Studio D.

 

[newvillefan]

I’m sure this was posted before but didn’t see it on this thread.
So I am assuming this was Karen’s handwriting? If so this is early handwriting from Karen (19), so detailed with written date.
This album would be given to Frank Pooler and his wife Marie? Correct?

That's a gem of an item!

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Nice Concert Review From A Teen Writer
Oakland Tribune July 10, 1971

I did not know they ever performed “When He Smiles” live in one of their concerts. I thought it was only performed on the BBC.
This reviewer must not have know the correct song title and just went off the chorus.

 

[newvillefan]

Nice Concert Review From A Teen Writer
Oakland Tribune July 10, 1971

I did not know they ever performed “When He Smiles” live in one of their concerts. I thought it was only performed on the BBC.
This reviewer must not have know the correct song title and just went off the chorus.

It always amazes me that ‘Rainy Days And Mondays’ was released in the UK and didn’t even chart. Makes it all the more surprising that it went over so well with audiences.

 

[Simon KC1950]

It always amazes me that ‘Rainy Days And Mondays’ was released in the UK and didn’t even chart. Makes it all the more surprising that it went over so well with audiences.

I was thinking about that the other day. A song that didn't chart, yet was well known by everyone as if it was a big hit.

Obviously not being around back then, I wonder whether it got loads of radio play in 1974 when The Singles was forever at No1?

 

[H2OGuy]

I was browsing through the 'Legacy Book' again, and i can't belive what i found there. Richard said that no other song should be on the 'Offering/Ticket To Ride' except: 'Invocation', 'Benediction', 'Your Wonderful Parade' and 'Ticket To Ride'.


I think Richard critics himself too much (i mean pretty much all of the songs he wrote with Bettis are very, very good) there are other very good songs besides the onces that he mentioned like:


'Someday' sung beautifully by Karen and played by Richard.

'All Of My Life' i love this song with all of my life, it's such a good Ballade song, i love the key change at the part 'of having someone' (at about 0:37)

'Eve' a beautiful original written ballade, i love the darker, serious tone of it. I like everything about it, from the beginning to end.

'Nowaday's Clancy Can't Even Sing' it might be just me, but this song is in my Top 10 Carpenter songs, i love everything about this song like:

The overdubbed 'Sing'.

The vocals of Karen and Richard blended together at the Chorus.

And i especially love the background instruments that you can hear in the second Verse, it really sounds like it's out of this world (at about 1:01)


There are some not-so-strong songs on the Album though like 'All I Can Do' or 'What's The Use', but they still have their charm and good parts.


This Album is in my Top 5 Carpenters Albums, it's amazing for their first Album.

 

[JohnFB]

It always amazes me that ‘Rainy Days And Mondays’ was released in the UK and didn’t even chart...

Bloody Hell !!!

One of the most surprising, aggravating and inexplicable facts about the public's reaction to a Carpenter recording - their taste in music was about as dreary as their weather & dispositions over there, suffering thru too many miserable foggy, rainy days...

This is all just as unforgivable as the fact that the song only reached no. 2 here in the US - I mean given the superior artistic totality of the words and music and brilliant arrangement and stellar vocal performance this recording should have been ensconced at no. 1 for months - in both countries...

We're talking here about the Carp's best (no, it's not arguable) and one of the finest recordings of the whole Rock Era.

 

[JohnFB]

I was browsing through the 'Legacy Book' again, and i can't belive what i found there. Richard said that no other song should be on the 'Offering/Ticket To Ride' except: 'Invocation', 'Benediction', 'Your Wonderful Parade' and 'Ticket To Ride'.


I think Richard critics himself too much (i mean pretty much all of the songs he wrote with Bettis are very, very good) there are other very good songs besides the onces that he mentioned like:

Yes, this statement jumped off the page when I first read it - couldn't believe he said that - couldn't believe he would have the audacity to include one of his own third rate vocals in the preferred list to remain included - in fact, can't believe he included any of his vocals, let alone 5 of them - he must have been having a serious senior moment when he made this remark...

 

[Harry]

It always amazes me that ‘Rainy Days And Mondays’ was released in the UK and didn’t even chart. Makes it all the more surprising that it went over so well with audiences.

It's OK. You guys made up for it by voting it Number Four in the NATION'S FAVORITE program and album.

 

[newvillefan]

It's OK. You guys made up for it by voting it Number Four in the NATION'S FAVORITE program and album.