⭐ Official Review [Album]: "PASSAGE" (SP-4703)

How Would You Rate This Album?

  • ***** (BEST)

    Votes: 10 9.3%
  • ****

    Votes: 55 50.9%
  • ***

    Votes: 35 32.4%
  • **

    Votes: 7 6.5%
  • *

    Votes: 1 0.9%

  • Total voters
    108
Found a better copy of the "Calling Occupants..." ad and it's posted in the resource under both the single and album:

Billboard-Passage-Ad-Oct-8-977.jpg
 
It makes me seethe when Don Weller refers to the Carpenters first seven years of recording as "mindless muck" and he writes that Karen's voice is "without any emotional tension or expression." There is a special place in Hell for smug bastards like Don Weller who are so artistically lacking themselves that they have to diminish others.
 
It makes me seethe when Don Weller refers to the Carpenters first seven years of recording as "mindless muck" and he writes that Karen's voice is "without any emotional tension or expression." There is a special place in Hell for smug bastards like Don Weller who are so artistically lacking themselves that they have to diminish others.

Right...the Carpenters could never get a break...it's like these writers couldn't wait to tear them apart musically on their next project. At least he gives some credit to Richard for the production and engineering of Passage which he deserves but Karen's vocals sound amazing on this album. This was right before Christmas Portrait so Karen's vocals are in top form in my opinion.
 
Produced by: Richard Carpenter
Associate Producer: Karen Carpenter, "We really had fun with this album."
"Exactly Three Months Labor" (Tom Nolan)
Engineered by: Ray Gerhardt, Roger Young and Dave Iveland
" Daring, innovative, surprising, serendipitous and satisfying."
I'd say, the liner notes for the album capture its essence perfectly.
Still, one of my favorites, sans Man Smart,Woman Smarter.
 
Don Weller refers to the Carpenters first seven years of recording as "mindless muck"
The mindless muck that won them numerous awards and gold records and had them laughing all the way to the bank? Then let's hear it for mindless muck! :laugh:

Karen's voice is "without any emotional tension or expression."
Was he listening to THE Karen Carpenter? The one whose talent has been admired by enormously talented artists as diverse as John Lennon, Barbra Streisand and K.D. Lange?

He must have been having a very bad hair indeed day to write such drivel.
 
The mindless muck that won them numerous awards and gold records and had them laughing all the way to the bank? Then let's hear it for mindless muck! :laugh:


Was he listening to THE Karen Carpenter? The one whose talent has been admired by enormously talented artists as diverse as John Lennon, Barbra Streisand and K.D. Lange?

He must have been having a very bad hair indeed day to write such drivel.
Don Weller had already formed his opinion and thought his snarky comments would win the adulation of other smug critics and musicians.
 
Recently purchased the cd Anne Murray Greatest Hits. Have had on vinyl for YEARS but didn't have digital. While driving was listening to I Just Fall in love again.... My 15 year old daughter said "I really like Karen Carpenter much better." :)
 
Here is a really interesting article that ran in Billboard April 01, 1978 talking about "Sweet Sweet Smile" being the Carpenters first Country Hit. This is the first time I have read that because of the impact this song made Richard is considering making an all-country album as the duo's 10th album for A&M.

Billboard%20Carpenters%20Country%20page%201%20April%2001%201978.png~original

Billboard%20Carpenters%20Country%20page%202%20April%2001%201978.png~original
 
I'd actually have really liked a country album from the duo (big Fan of Gilded Palace of Sin and Sweetheart of the Rodeo with Parsons).

It might have freed him from that restrictive "gotta get a hit again" mentality they had at the end of their career. In effect, it's pretty easy to hear TGOD, When It's Gone and Uninvited Guest fitting onto this proposed album.

Good find, Chris.

Neil
 
P.S. I realize the above albums are more crossover rock/pop/country so apologies to any country purists who are muttering under their breath.
 
I remember back in the day reading something about Richard considering a country music album. As a teenager I detested country music, even though many of my friends' parents listened to it in their homes. I was thinking wow - they already get knocked for being unhip and uncool. A country album will be the nail in that coffin. (I mean no offense to country music fans.)

These days country isn't the twang fest I thought it was in the 60's - 70's. I can see now that a Carpenters country album really would have been ahead of its time. They could have made country seem 'acceptable' for teenagers in the 70's. (We really thought a lot of ourselves back then, didn't we?) Now that I'm an adult with some life experience - translation, getting old! - I now appreciate more of a variety of music. And I'm still learning to widen out.
 
Here is a really interesting article that ran in Billboard April 01, 1978 talking about "Sweet Sweet Smile" being the Carpenters first Country Hit. This is the first time I have read that because of the impact this song made Richard is considering making an all-country album as the duo's 10th album for A&M.

Billboard%20Carpenters%20Country%20page%201%20April%2001%201978.png~original

Billboard%20Carpenters%20Country%20page%202%20April%2001%201978.png~original

K&R briefly considered the idea of a Country album in the Spring of 1978 when "Sweet Sweet Smile" was riding the Country charts-but A&M turned it down flat.

The statement in the article about a Country album being scheduled for release that Summer is erroneous.No work was ever even started on a Country album.

In all probability,"Sweet Sweet Smile" hasn't received any radio airplay stateside since 1978.
 
Given that, according to the Billboard Title...' Carpenters Cracking Country Charts Without Nashville Push',
one wonders what could have happened WITH a push by country- backers concurrent with Recording Company
raising their profile throughout the Country-Music scene.
Did the 2,000 promotional copies of the EP make a dent in that respect?
Seems as if that is a substantial number of promotional copies to be issued
to country stations '...and regional promotional men.".
"This is the first time we've gone all out after a country hit"....A&M National Promotion Director
Houston, Dallas, Kansas City...no small feat, at that time, for Carpenters and Sweet,Sweet Smile.
Why hasn't the Video of the song appeared on an official DVD release? It's a good one.

Mr. J. informs that "...A&M turned it down flat..." (Carpenters' idea of a country-album).

I'm no expert, but this was another missed opportunity.
Sweet, Sweet Smile, Two Sides, 1972 Top of The World, Jambalaya, Reason To Believe,
...and others...looks to be a great start to a great album.
(That's half an album, there, already!).
 
Given that, according to the Billboard Title...' Carpenters Cracking Country Charts Without Nashville Push',
one wonders what could have happened WITH a push by country- backers concurrent with Recording Company
raising their profile throughout the Country-Music scene.
Did the 2,000 promotional copies of the EP make a dent in that respect?
Seems as if that is a substantial number of promotional copies to be issued
to country stations '...and regional promotional men.".
"This is the first time we've gone all out after a country hit"....A&M National Promotion Director
Houston, Dallas, Kansas City...no small feat, at that time, for Carpenters and Sweet,Sweet Smile.
Why hasn't the Video of the song appeared on an official DVD release? It's a good one.

Mr. J. informs that "...A&M turned it down flat..." (Carpenters' idea of a country-album).

I'm no expert, but this was another missed opportunity.
Sweet, Sweet Smile, Two Sides, 1972 Top of The World, Jambalaya, Reason To Believe,
...and others...looks to be a great start to a great album.
(That's half an album, there, already!).
...I totally agree. Excellent analysis.
 
From Page 229, The Reader, May 1978:
Q: Have Country Radio Stations called you for interviews?
Richard: "We did one with Bob Mitchell in San Bernardino, KCKC."
Q: Do you see yourself going more into Country Music as a result of your problems with Top 40?
Karen: "We wanted to cut something else country. We discussed it with the Company. They said that
would be terrific, but, then all of a sudden everybody leaned on us for a country album, at which point
Jerry Moss almost lost his hair. I mean, let's face it, our first priority has to be to get a pop album. That
is the most important, but, we definitely want to try country again. We love and enjoy doing country music
."
 
I always enjoyed Sweet Sweet Smile and the playful ease Karen used in her phrasing. She was the best at phrasing making lyrics come alive with creative vocal technique with a clear balance of syllabic tandem as a poet would do in a poetry reading.

Craig
 
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