⭐ Official Review Carpenters Royal Philharmonic Review and Comments Thread

How would you rate Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra?

  • ⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕ (Best)

    Votes: 38 36.5%
  • ⁕⁕⁕⁕

    Votes: 47 45.2%
  • ⁕⁕⁕ (Average)

    Votes: 16 15.4%
  • ⁕⁕

    Votes: 1 1.0%
  • ⁕ (Worst)

    Votes: 1 1.0%
  • Did not listen to this album yet

    Votes: 1 1.0%

  • Total voters
    104
Thanks John! Do you have any idea when he’ll be done with these updates and if the physical media will be re-released with updated versions?
All of these updates were done last fall before the release of the album.

I wonder how the RPO players would feel knowing their contributions have been deleted and replaced. It all seems a bit unnecessary to me.

Richard didn't completely replace the woodwinds nor did he completely replace the strings. He just touched up a few spots and also changed his mind about some of the writing he had done and revised it, some of it because he felt he had altered the original a little too much for his and the fans' taste. The vast majority of what you hear is from the RPO.
 
Thought this thread needed a "bump." :)

I'm listening to the current digital version of the RPO album. "Yesterday Once More" has had so many changes, that I can't decide what I like best! The vocals (in general) are so much dryer sounding than in all the remixed versions. Another thing I really noticed is how strong Karen's vocals were early on, like on "For All We Know and Baby It's You." How wonderful the orchestral flourishes are on the big hits, and how natural they exist with the original arrangements. "Ticket To Ride" really benefits from the electric piano and orchestra. It's sounds like the definitive ballad version. It's amazing how -modern- a track like "We've Only Just Begun" can sound!

I do wish that they would of segued "Hurting into Postman" with more orchestral flourishes to Postman's beginning. My other request would of been using the 1978 vocal of "INTBIL" and orchestrated the crap out of it! That, and just Karen would of made it completely timeless. But overall, my gosh it's Classic Carpenters! Plus if you personally don't think so, all the originals and remixes are still there to enjoy............
 
I just listened again and there are many changes, even more than listed above, or from what I read. To me, the biggest added difference is Dobly Surround on everything. Before it felt as if the interludes were only in surround. Not only is Karen’s voice more prominent but so are backup vocals with attention given to certain parts usually only easily heard on headphones. Even some of our issues were heard and fixed. I think self discovery is more fun, so enjoy as I did!
 
Looks as if Universal Music updated some of the RPO songs 4 days ago.
Overture and Yesterday Once More ....for example are improved.

For now, I only listen to the album on Youtube.
Too bad, I prefer cd format.

Anyway, for a second RPO, a request:
go ALL out with orchestral flourishes Richard !
 
Until I am saturated with these new changes - this will be my go to album! I can’t tell how the changes intrigue me into goal bliss. After 50 years I still get goose bumps! Her tone and quality of voice was like no other, still today!
 
My originals downloads of course are the same. I guess I’ll have to wait to hear the differences on the vinyl....... 😂
 
I can’t think of a single other album in existence that has been released and then subject to continuous tweaking and facelifts in subsequent months which are then slipped onto the new online version of the album.
 
I’m a bit late but all these changes sparked my interest. I have the original digital downloads from UME and the target and Japan CDs but none of these had the changes.

So I ended up placing another order for the white vinyl from UME but this time not the expensive one. With that comes the downloads thinking it would get the updated downloads, I was wrong so Jonathan your right, even the digital downloads UME is giving out with purchase is still the older versions. (Not updates) so now I have the original downloads from UME earlier this year and now after re purchasing the white vinyl I got an email with the downloads again and there both the same both are the original versions.

So then I went to iTunes and downloaded the CD for 9.99 since I had never downloaded them from iTunes I am happy to report those are the new updates versions.

I immediately can tell stuff has been added to Yesterday Once More. There is a added drum at around 50 sec into the song that’s not on the original. Also about 2:30 into the song there is a new instrument added that you hear clicking like a castanet or something. I’m not sure how I feel about all these changes. I mean when does it stop? It’s all confusing and now since hearing it with my own ears makes me understand why the vinyl keeps getting delayed.

I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of the changes later today.
 
At some point, it has to stop and it's not exactly fair to us to continue tweaking when we've already given up our money. I already bought the Target CD. I'm not paying any more money nor should I have to. The Target CD really does sound good and I'm glad we have it but that's as far as I'm going. Who knows if we'll actually get the LPs and I'm not spending any more money to listen to the apparently endless tweaking.

Ed
 
I’ve never spent so much money on a single Carpenters release as this one.

I will say that I’m going to take John Adams advise and push these recent iTunes downloads into a playlist so that if more changes occur I will have these to compare against. I’ve done the same for the original UME downloads as well. That was good advise I was not aware of in keeping them separate without fear of them being over written.
 
What makes matters worse is that UMe is not pushing out the most recent digital download updates when you make a purchase. So what they are pushing out is not the same as what iTunes is pushing out.

UMe allows you to download the digital files up to 10 times so maybe they will eventually update their files but as of last night there the original versions.
 
I think more than irritating, I find it fascinating that this release is still being updated! It's kind-of fun to check in and see what's been changed.

I guess in the end if you are fortunate enough to have digital files of the different updates you can make your own RPO album that fancies your listening experience. I have several versions of the RPO album with original and updated tracks that I've mixed up for myself. It's kind of fun actually......... Maybe this is practice for the upcoming Vol. II, available sometime..........next decade! lol
 
Richard should have just left the original released version out there, and then tweaked if for a year, and then come out with Carpenters with RPO: The Remixed Version and everybody would have happily bought it again. Now, he's just irritating everybody.

...or just left it alone after he did it. Deadlines are what they are but this is just silly at this point.

Ed
 
Just redownloaded this on iTunes today. So far it seems like every song has some kind of update or enhancement. Including...the original lyric for “I Believe You” has been restored (“when you say that everytime that we make love” as on the original single and MIA album version, not “when you tell me every time that we make love” as in the alternate take on previous versions.) To me this is almost like listening to an entirely new album.
Wow your right. I just heard the updated mix and sure enough Richard changed the lyric on I Believe You.

I agree with John above that it’s kinda exciting to see what’s being changed but at the same time it’s flustering deciphering which one is suppose to be the correct one. 😂
 
I agree with John above that it’s kinda exciting to see what’s being changed but at the same time it’s flustering deciphering which one is suppose to be the correct one.

Deadlines are what they are but this is just silly at this point.

It’s great to hear nuances in remixes but this is remix after remix after remix. What’s the point of an additional one-second drum fill or a new one second oboe line that 0.1% of listeners will ever hear or care about? Pointless, endless tinkering. If he’s going to do any more remixes, the awful chorale needs to go, it totally spoils the final track. And who’s paying for these additional sessions now that the album is already released?
 
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We are paying for it! I have duplicates of almost every album in all shapes and sizes. Casettes, records, cd, digital.....lol.
 
And who’s paying for these additional sessions now that the album is already released?
John E. can probably clarify it, but I doubt any more sessions were done after the album was first completed. What may be happening is, Richard is substituting different "takes" of the existing sessions.
 
The FAWK interlude now features English horn, clarinet and a touch of strings in addition to the original piano and guitar.

I also believe the IJFILA interlude has been rerecorded. The tempo appears to be slower and this version is now enhanced with harp and string embellishments. I also noticed that a few things were absent from the new version including the guitar, a rustling noise that appeared at the beginning of the first pressing track and Richard's piano part has now been redone to remove the little grace note that originally appeared when the piano theme was repeated on the first pressing of this song.

I hope this makes sense.

I have to admit...as little of a difference it is...the interlude before FAWK with the opening change by adding in the English horn at 10-17 seconds in makes a big difference and for the better in my opinion. It connects to the song better.

Your also right that the interlude before IJFILA is slowed down and listening to the original now I can fully understand why Richard slowed this down and I love the slowed down version better. The original now sounds like the interlude was rushing to get to the song which is already a slower tempo song, so this change makes perfect sense. It could be me but I'm thinking that this whole interlude was not only slowed down but a whole new recorded interlude. Yeah it's definitely a whole new recorded interlude, even the ending of the interlude is longer than the original.

I didn't think I would be so excited by all these changes but I'm actually glad he did this.
 
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