⭐ 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
What's weird to me is how they keep releasing these tweaked-up things. I can see him wanting to tinker and then do an updated version, but why keep releasing it? Just hang onto it and then let it go when he's really, really, really done. You would think at some point Universal would say "Enough already!" because it's gotta cost them big bucks to keep remastering it (or whatever they do these days).

I'm not sure they'd say that. They allowed much of his life's work to be burned up in a fire that didn't need to happen. They're not gonna lower the hammer. It'd be a very bad idea.

Ed
 
Maybe not in that many words, but they'd find a way to say it if they wanted to. Remember, at the end of the day it's all about $$$. It's not really about "feelings" even though that's the facade they like to put on. Remember this IS the music business we're talking about. :/
 
Wow, this might be the first post of the day, and it's the middle of the afternoon on the mainland! I wish more music would get released too, of course most of us do, but I don't mind if Richard tinkers with the RPO mixes. After all it's his music and his vision.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend or vacation. Don't forget to listen to some Carpenters today in your travels! :)
 
When I download from I-tunes, I put it on a "playlist." Then when I download it other times I put it on a playlist. The playlists don't update, so whatever the download files contained "at that time" they stay true. So you can play and compare them. So for example the file I downloaded on Dec. 7th is different now, as it has been updated several times, and is very different from the original upload. So unless you saved or burned past RPO digital files you will only have the updated version.

Someone feel free to explain it better! lol

I have a question about this so I fully understand. I downloaded the iTunes files on July 21, 2019 and I made a playlist I also created a playlist from my original digital files from UMe I downloaded on Dec 7, 2018. That part I understand.

So hypothetically speaking, if iTunes updated any of these files after July 21, how would I get them, would they automatically update from my iTunes library downloads (not the playlist I created) OR do I have to re-download them again, if it's the latter how would I re-download from iTunes, the only option I see from the iTunes Store is Play since I've already purchased the album. I don't see any option to re-download them a 2nd time.

Could anyone clarify this for me?
 
Good question Rick. Others have said that too, and I don’t know how to redownload them either. Any help would be appreciated. I got the new version 2 weeks ago from iTunes. Thanks to anyone who can tell us the way to do it.
 
I have a question about this so I fully understand. I downloaded the iTunes files on July 21, 2019 and I made a playlist I also created a playlist from my original digital files from UMe I downloaded on Dec 7, 2018. That part I understand.

So hypothetically speaking, if iTunes updated any of these files after July 21, how would I get them, would they automatically update from my iTunes library downloads (not the playlist I created) OR do I have to re-download them again, if it's the latter how would I re-download from iTunes, the only option I see from the iTunes Store is Play since I've already purchased the album. I don't see any option to re-download them a 2nd time.

Could anyone clarify this for me?
On a Mac computer, use Finder to navigate to your iTunes downloaded files (Home/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music/artist name/album name). Now, copy the album folder (in this case, the RPO album) to a flash drive, or external hard drive. After the folder copies over, eject the external drive (now you have a copy of the original files, that can't accidentally be deleted by iTunes). Open iTunes. Click on "Library", double click on the RPO album cover. To the right of the artist name, is a circle with three dots in it. Click on that, and the first choice on the dropdown list is "Remove Download". Once you've removed the download and restarted iTunes, you'll be able to download the album again, and you'll get the latest version. Easy peasy! :laugh:
 
On a Mac computer, use Finder to navigate to your iTunes downloaded files (Home/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music/artist name/album name). Now, copy the album folder (in this case, the RPO album) to a flash drive, or external hard drive. After the folder copies over, eject the external drive (now you have a copy of the original files, that can't accidentally be deleted by iTunes). Open iTunes. Click on "Library", double click on the RPO album cover. To the right of the artist name, is a circle with three dots in it. Click on that, and the first choice on the dropdown list is "Remove Download". Once you've removed the download and restarted iTunes, you'll be able to download the album again, and you'll get the latest version. Easy peasy! :laugh:
Thanks Murray!
I had never clicked on those 3 dots before, appears to be shortcuts to actions although mine doesn't say Remove Download, mine says Delete from Library and it's at the bottom. I'm on iTunes 12.8.2.3 maybe that's why.

It's too bad we don't have the exact date that these changes occurred or what date iTunes first pushed the updates.
I mean I downloaded them July 21 but I was late to the game so I know it had to be before that time.
It had to be somewhere between Jan-July 2019.
 
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.

That's probably right. I'm not aware of any new recording sessions, but then again, Richard doesn't need me if he decided to do more. I doubt there have been any new recording sessions, though.

In fact, all this discussion about tinkering is news to me. I haven't talked to Richard in person or on the phone (only email) since the pickup sessions last fall. I knew nothing about it until reading it here.
 
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I would be happy if he'd just release his unreleased Christmas album! Maybe all his "tinkering" time could be better spent preparing this for release in a few months. After all, I am so lost, at this point, as to what versions I have where (one Target CD and one iTunes download). I barely catch the nuances anyway, soooo.....
 
I am listening to the RPO track on UMG Youtube this morn.
Can someone tell me if
For All We Know

has been revised, "updated, " from what we got on the original cd release ?
Seems as if I I enjoy it more today, compared to the cd version.
 
Can you imagine if the LP’s have the original CD mixes? I think I’m more excited to find out what version the LP’s contain than having the LP. I’ll specifically be looking for footnotes inside the gatefold that says *(track name) Mixed & Tinkered)
 
I am listening to the RPO track on UMG Youtube this morn.
Can someone tell me if
For All We Know

has been revised, "updated, " from what we got on the original cd release ?
Seems as if I I enjoy it more today, compared to the cd version.

The oboe and piano parts in the intro have been replaced. The string part at 2:18 that "responds" to Karen's line "I knew you well" is also either re-recorded or mixed louder (I can't decide which).
 
listened to the album yesterday while driving home from vacation. Family sing along.

Was thinking how it might have been cool at the end of Goodbye to Love to have an orchestral play off. I was remembering in Chicago 16...I think it was Love Me Tomorrow when the music started fading and the strings came in with an almost Bach-ish fugue. I could hear something like that as the voices start to fade out.

But Richard is you are reading this don’t feel you have to do that and then push the vinyl back to December..lol
 
Admittedly not a big fan of "Touch Me While We're Dancing," I have to say that the last tweak to this RPO song in I-Tunes gives this song a vocally more satisfying listen, along with dialing down the excess background vocals. Even though Karen's voice is not as strong in 1981, it is much preferred to burying her in the mix, as previously heard. I just might be won over!
 
Admittedly not a big fan of "Touch Me While We're Dancing," I have to say that the last tweak to this RPO song in I-Tunes gives this song a vocally more satisfying listen, along with dialing down the excess background vocals. Even though Karen's voice is not as strong in 1981, it is much preferred to burying her in the mix, as previously heard.

If that first RPO version, for some inexplicable reason Carolyn Dennis was mixed louder on the choruses than Karen!
 
I am a little late to the most recently tweaked mixes of the RPO album, just having purchased a Hi-Res download. Comparing this version to the first CD is quite a revelation. Many of the mixes are much more interesting now. There is more contrast to the original 70s versions. Each of the changes I heard, I have liked, especially the additional clarity of the drums on several cuts. Plus, it seems that Richard has listened to the fans' comments of the earlier mixes and addressed them with some of these tweaks. I for one welcome the further tweaking, though I hope there will be a volume 2. There is plenty of great material for a "2" and a "3."
 
As we anticipate the release of the vinyl...I listened to the updated iTunes version of the album today.

What if we get shortened versions of the interludes between songs in order to make the songs fit properly on each side of the vinyl set? Do you think that's possible?

If some tracks flow differently into one another on the vinyl, than that's another possibly that more mixing was done exclusive to the vinyl and yet another version we will own. We know the track order won't change just because it's on vinyl but adjustments mostly likely will have needed to be made. Did Richard know beforehand when recording with the RPO that a vinyl would be issued and he took that into consideration about how tracks would flow and interludes would fit OR was this not considered and mixing adjustments would be done later after the CD was completed. We know the vinyl was not due anyway until 3 months after the CD was first released. Some interesting questions I hope we can answer someday.

I know some here wish the tweaking would stop but look at the song "Touch Me When We're Dancing" it sounds so much better on the updated iTunes version than the way it sounded before. I'm not a huge fan of the song but I know some here love it and for that we should be happy Richard tweaked this project to get the most out of Karen's performances. The slower interlude before IJFILA is simply a beautiful....enhanced tweak in my opinion.
 
I know some here wish the tweaking would stop but look at the song "Touch Me When We're Dancing" it sounds so much better on the updated iTunes version than the way it sounded before. I'm not a huge fan of the song but I know some here love it and for that we should be happy Richard tweaked this project to get the most out of Karen's performances.

Compared to the original version, it sounds as though Richard has almost completely erased the reverb on her lead as well as the backing vocals, which is especially noticeable in the final couple of choruses. The change actually makes Karen sound much more intimate in the verses.
 
For me TMWWD goes from a production heavy, almost annoying chorus part, to now something I look forward to hearing. There was something always overbearing to me in the original version, and I even found the first RPO version to be the same. I longed for some change in this track, and I'm so thankful that something was ultimately done with it. I now consider it a pleasant listen! For the first time ever!!!

Although many tracks benefited from the RPO tinkering, in my ears this track has been saved from the *skip* option.
 
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