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

Skip Touch Me When We’re Dancing? Sacrilege! :laugh:

I have to say that of all the tinkering Richard has done, this one really benefits the most. It sounds so new, like Karen is right in your lap. The original version is drenched in reverb and the new orchestration, whilst identical to the original arrangement, is really fresh. I’m glad Richard didn’t touch the sax solo though.

If there’s ever a volume II, I’m holding out for A Song For You. As I’ve said from the very beginning, that track is crying out for the RPO treatment.
 
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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.
I believe this is exactly why I like this song more than I have in the past. I actually hit repeat when listening earlier today...it’s amazing how she can sound more intimate just by tweaking the mix like this.
 
There was a lot of talk about Richard's tinkering and tweaking of the RPO tracks in the last few pages of posts. I saw this in another thread and I thought it summed up things pretty good. I don't know if I could of said it any better! Thank you "byline!"

I will point out a possibility that's easy to forget: Richard still yearned to arrange for his sister. There's no doubt in my mind that he loved arranging for her. Not just arranging in general, but arranging for her. When that was stolen from him with her death, his only way of doing it was to rearrange previously existing material. We can criticize it on a listener's level, but for Richard, it was an act of artistic expression ... and I don't think it's too much of a stretch to describe it as an act of love for Karen. I try to be generous of heart with Richard, as much as I can be. After all, we fans lost a voice we adore. But Richard lost that and so much more.
 
As we turn towards fall & the holiday season, has anyone heard talk of volume 2 of the Carpenters wit the Royal Philharmonic? I'd love to see a second edition. Any news or is this just a pipe dream??
 

I would also love to see a volume two as well. My concern is that this first volume did not sell as well as some of the other RPO "remake" albums with Elvis, Aretha, Roy Orbison, etc., and that may mean that Universal would not be interested in releasing a volume two. In hindsight, many things may have contributed to the album not selling as much as had been hoped for. First, the mixes, released as pre-album singles and on the first physical CDs sold are not the final mixes we have now. Had the mixes we have now been released back in December, there might have been a better response to the release. Also, I think Richard went to Japan on the day of release. I think it would have been better for UK sales if he had gone there on release day, and thus perhaps given a better chance for a volume two. I hope there will be a second volume.
 
I think Richard went to Japan on the day of release. I think it would have been better for UK sales if he had gone there on release day, and thus perhaps given a better chance for a volume two.

I’m also surprised he didn’t come to the UK first as well, given it was a collaboration with the RPO and done at Abbey Road Studios. Did he do any promotion for this album in the US at all?
 
Exactly, what ARE the sales figure for this release? And, how is it determined that it didn't "sell as well" as others? Sources?
 
"...not with a bang, but a whimper."

A year ago, folks were breathlessly trolling the Abbey Road camera site in hopes of seeing Richard cross the road. Now, in a few days, we'll all have the vinyl, eventually abandon this line of discussion, and be looking for whatever's next.
 
One might have thought the same about the release of the CDs.
Well I think what I was trying to say is that with the CD being released we knew the vinyl had yet to come so for me the album wasn’t officially done. The constant delay only confirmed that.

Now that the vinyl is released I think Richard is completely finished and he can now officially start working on volume 2. Ha. I think we’re lucky to even get a vinyl out of this release. I highly doubt any more mixing will be made to this album at this point.
 
Listening to the black vinyl now. Difficult for me to share all of the differences. I listened to the downloaded tracks on the computer when I first got them.
I don’t own a CD player anymore, so I’ve only listened to the Amazon cd and the Target cd in the car.

I cleaned the vinyl prior to playing. There are some static sounds but as I listen it seems to be getting better. Maybe needs another cleaning.

Harp intro into YOM.
 
Turned off my bass boost on the receiver. Album seems a little “basey”
Still hearing some “pops”

I will clean again later.
 
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