⭐ Official Review Carpenters Royal Philharmonic Review and Comments Thread

[bcat]

What does the copyright notice on the CD say? Is it "Compilation Copyright 2018 A&M Records/UMG" or just "Copyright 2018 A&M Records/UMG"? The Beach Boys RPO just had a regular Copyright, not a Compilation Copyright.

i dont have the cd so i dont know that. not sure how that relates to what i said but ok. it sounds like amazon.ca knows its a diff release then whats online. whoever made that happen or when ?? no idea, :/ not a huge deal but it makes me wonder.

 

[LondonRobert]

I really love this cd.
I much prefer the mono piano on TTR, it fits with the song better I feel, after listening to the stereo version it almost sounds as if some notes are out of tune!
The harp for intro of YOM would have been good as it sounds a bit clumpy without it, but it's fine without.
I adore IJFILA - it confirms to me that on the original Karen sounded like she had a cold but it was an effect Richard added to the vocals to give them an 'edge', on this version her vocals sound just SO beautiful - I think i will compile a cd for the passage album and include this version ( although it will be a bit louder than the other tracks which will bug me, I'm such a perfectionist! )

 

[lotus]

I have been listening this album through Deezer.

Today, I went to Tower Records and bought a Japanese CD.
I just wanted to know what's happening.
Now, I can tell you something from my own experience.

I say, this CD is NOT a flawed CD at all. This is just a version 1.
And Download/Streaming album is a version 2. That's all.
Richard gave us these two versions. What a wonderful gift!

If you want a physical CD of version 2,
download FLAC files from Tidal (or any other Hi-Res site).
Then, you can burn your own CD. That's easy.

If you don't like Postman at the end,
push the button "STOP", before Karen say "Stop!"

Let's enjoy this beautiful album...

I believe Richard loves human voices rather than any other instruments.
But now, Karen is gone, and he is 72 years old,
He must find someone else to sing. And he found young ladies.

If they could not sing, he must have deleted the Chorale part.
But, the Chorale is there. That means they have achieved the standard of Richard.
Congratulations, ladies! You got the gold prize from Mr. Perfectionist!!

"This is the best album Karen and I've done..."
Richard said on Japanese TV show. (Dec. 11, 2018)

I totally agree. This is their BEST album.
When I listened to this album for the first time, tears were falling down.
And then, all the feelings in my youth were coming back.
It's a miracle.

Thank you Richard, RPO, and all the people who worked for this album.

 

[CraigGA]

I really enjoy all the different versions. The Universal download has Yesterday Once More with the harp opening and Karen sounds more front and center and Ticket with the new piano. I like the old piano in the older/new downloads to from iTunes that are now updated. My head is spinning trying to differentiate them all, but they are all good, so my listening list just gets longer so I can hear all of them. What a treat, and my feels like its had so much sugar my head is spinning. Just listening here, feeling like I live in paradise with all these new versions. I listen at home, in my car and at work. I am addicted to Carpenters music.

 

[byline]

I've listened to it twice now and both times I hate it...wish there was a way I could remove it. For me, it takes a sad song and sticks in a happy, bright, joyful instrument where it doesn't belong. I want my sad songs to remain sad. It too bad because I love everything else.

It's interesting, because I never considered "Goodbye to Love" a completely sad song. It starts out sad, but then I felt, with the powerful fuzz guitar and massive overdubbed vocals, that it ended on a triumphant note. The person in the song is resigned to her fate and moving on. She'll find love if it comes her way, but in the meantime she's getting on with life. In that context, the piccolo trumpet solo fits because it signals a lifting of the burden of waiting.

 

[newvillefan]

This complete oddity has just shown up on the Carpenters VEVO channel on YouTube:

 

[byline]

And he left in the sitar too! I always look forward to that little treat.

You know, I've never been able to hear the sitar before. How neat to hear it rise to the surface in this mix!

Also, I love the little growl in Karen's voice when she sings "never, NEVER been true" on "Baby It's You." I love Karen's younger voice and missed that quality as she refined her delivery in later years.

 

[CarpentersToYou]

Wow! Kind of like getting a "Ticket to Ride" music video!

 

[CARPENTERS-COLLECTOR]

Wow! Kind of like getting a "Ticket to Ride" music video!

me too, it`s `different` .

 

[motownboy]

I love the final version of the album. The version with the earlier mixes of YOM and TTR is almost as good. I now have a download and the Target and Japan CDs. I am hesitant to buy the vinyl until it is confirmed that the newest versions of all songs are on it. I am hoping that Universal will at least provide replacement CDs with the later versions of those tracks for those of us who purchased them. To me it is like buying a book only to find out that some chapters had been rewritten. As a consumer, I do feel that those of us who bought the CD should be respected and provided replacements, just as those who had issues with the recent vinyl editions of the older albums. However, I am still enjoying the album immensely and it is the highlight of this year musically for me.

 

[Song4uman]

You know, I've never been able to hear the sitar before. How neat to hear it rise to the surface in this mix!

Also, I love the little growl in Karen's voice when she sings "never, NEVER been true" on "Baby It's You." I love Karen's younger voice and missed that quality as she refined her delivery in later years.

Where is the sitar?

 

[David A]

This complete oddity has just shown up on the Carpenters VEVO channel on YouTube:

Thanks for catching this @newvillefan - What the heck I like it though. Would really like to know how this came about, who created it.

 

[scottb]

Correct, if they fix the CD pressing you want to be able to identify the packaging in the stores or even online retailers. Good point.

Unfortunately I think it will be difficult to tell which is the newer pressing with the final tracks. Also I have no idea how many CD's were made and how many have been sold. This sort of thing is really very tricky. Since the labels don't value CD's like they did say 10 years ago I don't have hope of any kind of identifying the newer/correct pressing. If this were 10 years ago I think Universal would get it corrected quickly and set up an exchange program where you send in your disc and they send you back the corrected CD. Look at it this way it's only on 2 songs so it could have been a lot worse.

 

[Darthskyguy]

Quick observation/question. On IJFILA, during the last chorus and after the guitar solo, there seems to be some kind of fade out / fade in between the existing arrangement and the new orchestra mix. Does anybody else hear this, and if so, what is your take on what was happening during the mixing process?

 

[Song4uman]

Anyone know sales of the new album or updated charting

 

[Darthskyguy]

Unfortunately I think it will be difficult to tell which is the newer pressing with the final tracks. Also I have no idea how many CD's were made and how many have been sold. This sort of thing is really very tricky. Since the labels don't value CD's like they did say 10 years ago I don't have hope of any kind of identifying the newer/correct pressing. If this were 10 years ago I think Universal would get it corrected quickly and set up an exchange program where you send in your disc and they send you back the corrected CD. Look at it this way it's only on 2 songs so it could have been a lot worse.

Well, we don't know if it is only 2 tracks. We know that people have noticed these 2 because these are the ones everyone listened to over and over prior to the album release. There may be various other variations in each of the songs that we don't know about yet because most of us are listening to one version or the other. Not both.

 

[Simon KC1950]

Anyone know sales of the new album or updated charting

The official charts are updated on Friday but on the update mid-week UK chart it is at #5 which could mean it'll debut in the Top 3

 

[GaryAlan]

The question from the subsequent venue is "Can I expect part 2 of this work ?
(Richard Carpenter) "I hope so, depending on the result of part 1 (laugh)" ,
....the hall was surrounded with applause with expectation for part 2.


"And Richard gave a grand piano prepared for the stage
"We've Only Just Begun",
"I Need To Be In Love",
"Yesterday Once More" ....



Richard in Japan, Universal-Japan webpage (do the... 'translate-page'):
www.udiscovermusic.jp/news/richard-carpenter-bookin

 

[Nawvish74]

I really enjoy all the different versions. The Universal download has Yesterday Once More with the harp opening and Karen sounds more front and center and Ticket with the new piano. I like the old piano in the older/new downloads to from iTunes that are now updated. My head is spinning trying to differentiate them all, but they are all good, so my listening list just gets longer so I can hear all of them. What a treat, and my feels like its had so much sugar my head is spinning. Just listening here, feeling like I live in paradise with all these new versions. I listen at home, in my car and at work. I am addicted to Carpenters music.

That's exactly how I feel. I'm going to have to just listen to one version for a while though, my head is a bit bamboozled

 

[MorningOpensQuietly]

The question from the subsequent venue is "Can I expect part 2 of this work ?
(Richard Carpenter) "I hope so, depending on the result of part 1 (laugh)" ,
....the hall was surrounded with applause with expectation for part 2.


"And Richard gave a grand piano prepared for the stage
"We've Only Just Begun",
"I Need To Be In Love",
"Yesterday Once More" ....



Richard in Japan, Universal-Japan webpage (do the... 'translate-page'):
www.udiscovermusic.jp/news/richard-carpenter-bookin

Ok, I've held off until now, trying to savor the moment and not be greedy, but is it too much to ask that Richard produce a Part 2 with the RPO? After multiple listening sessions of this wonderful compilation, I am hungry for more and longing to hear various hit tracks left off this release, most notably for me "Only Yesterday" and "I Won't Last a Day Without You"! Can we start a campaign?!?

 

[Kyle Thomas]

Ok, I've held off until now, trying to savor the moment and not be greedy, but is it too much to ask that Richard produce a Part 2 with the RPO? After multiple listening sessions of this wonderful compilation, I am hungry for more and longing to hear various hit tracks left off this release, most notably for me "Only Yesterday" and "I Won't Last a Day Without You"! Can we start a campaign?!?

There are plenty of great songs that would sound terrific (and a number of big hits) with an RPO2:

Only Yesterday
I Won't Last a Day without You
A Song for You
Desperado
Because We Are In Love
All You Get from Love is a Love Song
Bless the Beasts and the Children
Sometimes
I Can Dream, Can't I
Ordinary Fool
I Can't Make Music
Sing

But my biggest hope would be for a Carpenters Christmas with the RPO...

 

[CarpentersToYou]

Wouldn't that be wonderful if we got another one? This project has been wonderful for the Carpenters fan world. I am trying to savor these moments the best that I can.

 

[Simon KC1950]

Richard clearly says that he "hopes so" !

If pt1. does well, which it should do, he'll be asked to make a second.

Just think of the songs that still could be used:

-Only Yesterday
-I Won't Last A Day Without You
-Sing
-It's Going To Take Some Time
-Solitaire
-Jambalaya
-Calling Occupants
-A Song For You
-Let Me Be The One
-All You Get From Love Is A Love Song
-Bless The Beasts And Children
-Desperado

 

[motownboy]

The question from the subsequent venue is "Can I expect part 2 of this work ?
(Richard Carpenter) "I hope so, depending on the result of part 1 (laugh)" ,
....the hall was surrounded with applause with expectation for part 2.


"And Richard gave a grand piano prepared for the stage
"We've Only Just Begun",
"I Need To Be In Love",
"Yesterday Once More" ....



Richard in Japan, Universal-Japan webpage (do the... 'translate-page'):
www.udiscovermusic.jp/news/richard-carpenter-bookin

Ok, I've held off until now, trying to savor the moment and not be greedy, but is it too much to ask that Richard produce a Part 2 with the RPO? After multiple listening sessions of this wonderful compilation, I am hungry for more and longing to hear various hit tracks left off this release, most notably for me "Only Yesterday" and "I Won't Last a Day Without You"! Can we start a campaign?!?

If you look at the post above by GaryAlan (also quoted here), Richard alluded to a "Part 2" at an event depending on response to this first one.

 

[no1kandrfan]

Well, we don't know if it is only 2 tracks. We know that people have noticed these 2 because these are the ones everyone listened to over and over prior to the album release. There may be various other variations in each of the songs that we don't know about yet because most of us are listening to one version or the other. Not both.

I listed to the 'new' download this morning, and besides the two obvious tracks, I have noticed little things here or there. I'm going to have to compare the two further.