Carpenters Top 10 Albums

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Another example (and probably a better comparison than Bette) is Barry Manilow. His Hot 100 hit singles dried up around 1983, most likely a casualty of the Thriller/MTV era you mentioned above. His 1981 album If I Should Love Again was his last album to make the Top 20 until 2002's Ultimate Manilow compilation hit #3. During the 21 years in-between, he released 11 studio albums, only 3 of which peaked at #40 or higher. Then, between 2006 and 2011 he released FOUR studio albums that made the Top 5 (including one #1) and one that hit #7. His Vegas show also does huge box office...A "Manilow" career trajectory is what I truly believe Richard and Karen would have had if Karen were still with us. They would probably have never had another Hot 100 hit single (although they probably would still have hit the AC charts regularly), but they would have continued to release albums every year or two that sold enough to keep them under contract but probably didn't climb too high on the charts. Then at some point, with the right combination of timing and marketing, they would have become "cool" again enough to snag a couple or three big selling and high charting albums.

Great points, all, Actorman. In fact, I think you make a sound argument, particularly the Manilow analogy. I could see that being the case for Carpenters. Manilow, no matter the musical zeitgeist (i.e., he's survived disco, new wave, dance pop, hip-hop, grunge, and the current deluge of 15 year-olds currently dominating the airwaves), never gave up. I perceive that K&R might have had the same level of commitment to their careers, hanging-in there through the lean years and enjoying the inevitable resurgences of interest vis-a-vis the well-placed movie theme song and/or flukey hit album (to wit, Manilow's, Greatest Songs of the... series). Thanks for your post!
 
1. Horizon...my most often playedalbum containing my favorite song of all time, "Only Yesterday".
2. Christmas Portrait...makes my Holidays 35 years and counting.
3. Singles...the thought put into this collection shows what class acts K & R are(were).
4. Close To You...the first album that I purchased, leading to the first sheet music I ever purchased.
5. A Song For You...burned this one out and drove my family crazy.
6. Now And Then...even if just for "I Can't Make Music".
7. Carpenters...I was hooked at this stage.
8. Time...love the sound and direction of this album.
9. Karen Carpenter...love the sound and direction of this album.
10. Voice Of The Heart...because I had to choose a tenth.
 
I'm sorry, but this makes no sense to me. What comparisons? Of course they have different genre. After Karen's first solo album material, I could absolutely hear Karen sing something like "Make a Move on Me" on her 2nd solo album. So you saying Olivia could not sing and record a track like "Ordinary Fool" or "Masquerade"? huh? I'm not following this....these are ballads, Olivia excels in ballads, even with Olivia's pop/rock albums that were a huge sucess she always left room on the CD for a ballad or 2.
Yup, I think that because of Olivia's Grease and Physical stardom, a lot of people forget that singing country tunes, including ballads, was how she got her foot in the Top-40 door. Does no one remember "I Honestly Love You"?

As for my personal Top 10 Carpenters album list:
1. Close to You – An astonishing chart-topping debut (if not their true album debut), this was the one that showcased their amazing talents to near-perfection. The variety of stylistic material, combined with Karen's one-of-a-kind voice and Richard's stellar arrangements (including their singular vocal overdubs), set them miles apart from anyone else at the time who was trying to smooth rock's rough edges with a pop flavor. The Carpenters nailed it.
2. A Song for You – In terms of creativity, this was the duo at their height. They were still pushing new ideas (Tony's fuzz guitar solo on "Goodbye to Love"), while "Road Ode" and "A Song for You" rank up there among Karen's greatest vocal achievements. Stunningly intimate and soulful. I'll forgive them for "Top of the World" because, even though I've never really cared for that song, it gave them a cross-genre popularity that dramatically widened their listening audience.
3. Horizon – In some ways it sounds like they are trying too hard ... but at least they are trying, still pushing the envelope with ways to expand and enrich their sound. "I Can Dream Can't I" shows a direction that Richard and Karen could have (and, going by Linda Ronstadt's example, should have ... but, of course, hindsight is 20/20) followed. Any album that used a backup chorus, rather than Karen and Richard's overdubbed vocals, bugged me, but here at least the chorus is kept at a discreet distance, with Richard employing a subtle minimalism rather than having the voices swell to saccharine heights. (It's why, as good as Karen is, Christmas Portrait will never make any of my Top 10 lists.) I love the "Aurora" and "Eventide" bookends.
4. The Singles – Who'd have thought that a collection of hits could be turned into a concept album? My husband refuses to buy "greatest hits" albums and doesn't understand why anyone would. When I explained the meticulous thought and care that Richard put into connecting the songs musically, creating a nearly seamless stream of sublime sound, he agreed that it was a brilliant approach. (Reminder to self: Must add this one back into my collection!)
5. Carpenters – While Close to You introduced the duo to the world (not literally; that happened with its predecessor, but certainly in terms of chart popularity), Carpenters solidified their standing as pop artists to be reckoned with. The album feels a bit truncated, like it was rushed into production to maintain their chart prowess ... which it did. But even an album that's a song short can easily be forgiven when it includes such incandescent, inimitable standards as "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Let Me Be the One" and "Superstar."
6. Ticket to Ride – Truly their debut, I would rank this album higher but for Karen's mixed vocal renderings. She was still finding her voice, and you can hear that so clearly on the title track as compared with its near-perfect remake on The Singles. But both Richard's and Karen's creative energy abound here, and we get a glimpse into a different musical path they might have taken, had their popularity not been based so squarely on the ballads. The musical sophistication of the "Invocation" and "Benediction" bookends, along with "All I Can Do" and "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing," is impressive ... and with the latter two songs they revealed the potential they had to jazz/rock a little. Richard's slowed-down arrangement of "Ticket to Ride" (to match, as my husband has observed, the song's downbeat lyrics) show us his emerging arranging prowess, and Karen gives us a glimmer of her still-developing voice in "All of My Life" and "Someday."
7. Now and Then – This album gets a lot of flak for its '50s medley, but I like it ... mainly because I still think of it as an LP. Back then, albums were typically produced with different Side 1 and 2 styles. And, even though the stress of non-stop touring and maintaining a chart presence was already taking its toll on their creativity, they still managed to pull off a concept album, with Side 1 being devoted to songs that covered their many stylistic strengths (including "I Can't Make Music," one of Karen's most remarkable performances), and Side 2 being devoted to the wonderful "Yesterday Once More" followed by the oldies medley, then concluding with a "Yesterday Once More" reprise and fadeout. Not bad for an act that was running short on time and ideas.
8. Passage – OK, I like this album, but I also know that it carried a hint of desperation to reclaim their radio-friendly audience. The only problem was, that audience wasn't the same one that embraced them in the mid-'70s. "B'wana She No Home" gets mixed reviews from the fans, but I love the arrangement and so wish they could have done more of this Gene Perling/Singers Unlimited-style vocal arrangement; it was jazzy, sophisticated and had a kick to it. The rest of the album is a mixed bag, and seems to rise and fall in opinion based on what we, as individual fans, like. I think someone else in this thread noted that it's no wonder their career stalled. They kept trying to figure out what people wanted to hear, but we all like something different. Still, this album has some gems, not the least of which is "Two Sides" ... which, in retrospect, seems eerily autobiographical for Karen. Not in a literal sense, but if we look past her facade into what little we know of her interior life, all her inner demons acted out in her eating disorders, then we hear the song in a very different way.
9. A Kind of Hush – I dislike this album about as much as I like Passage. For me, it signalled a true passage into unwanted territory, revealing a lethargy and disconnect with their own sound that, at least to my ears, was a first. I had no idea what was behind this. And knowing what I know now, I suppose I should be more forgiving. But it's difficult to let go of first impressions, and for me this will always be a "filler" album, one where they showed up and did their job, but nothing more. I'm not as disenchanted with "Goofus" as many are; I saw it as an attempt at humor, but also with an intricate, musically demanding Spike Jones-style arrangement. Releasing it as a single? Not the best career move. On the flip-side, we have Karen's wonderful rendition of "One More Time." Thanks to this song, I can forgive them for all the rest ... though it's really the only song I was (and still am) drawn to.
10. Made in America – My least-favorite of their studio albums. The sleepy, Muzak-style choral arrangements really grate on my nerves, and so many of the songs feel mannered, cookie-cutter, a sort of "paint-by-the-numbers" approach that, at least for me, falls far short of what I love most about their music. Thanks to Karen's voice, I appreciate "Those Good Old Dreams" and "When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)" far more now than I did on first listen, but those are the only songs I replay.
 
Harry, I just heard "Still Crazy" today after not hearing it for awhile. I think I have to disagree with your assessment. I think Karen and Phil reinterpreted the tune, taking it from a stark number to a sultry, jazzy, rich one. Sounds like an entirely different song with just as much oomph behind it. Certainly one of my favorites on her solo album. Just one man's opinion.

I'd compare it to Carpenters recording "Desperado" for "Horizon". Doesn't matter that "Desperado" had never been a hit single; it was, is, and always will be identified with the Eagles. It's not my favorite "Horizon" track but I like it and respect that Richard selected a song of that caliber for the project, regardless that it would never be a signature Carpenters tune. Ditto Karen and "Still Crazy". Of course it will always be associated with Simon, but as "Bridge Over Troubled Water" proved, a great Simon song interpreted by a great vocalist is something extra-special. Believe it's mentioned in "Little Girl Blue" that Simon even suggested Karen record "Still Crazy". Opinions are going to differ...I like it for what it is and don't worry that it may not have overshadowed the original in public perception.

I probably did overstate my dislike of the chorale on "Christmas Portrait". Its abundance on the LP was way more than I expected when I bought the record, but it is also the one Christmas album I always listen to each year.

People here write very articulate and interesting posts. Always enjoy hearing your thoughts.
 
I had the same reaction when I first heard "Christmas Portrait" in 1978, Toolman. I remember being frustrated by all the verses that the O.K. Chorale would take (most prominently on Side One). Thankfully, I got used to it, but it took a while. Now, of course, I love the whole thing start to finish.
 
Another example (and probably a better comparison than Bette) is Barry Manilow. His Hot 100 hit singles dried up around 1983, most likely a casualty of the Thriller/MTV era you mentioned above. His 1981 album If I Should Love Again was his last album to make the Top 20 until 2002's Ultimate Manilow compilation hit #3. During the 21 years in-between, he released 11 studio albums, only 3 of which peaked at #40 or higher. Then, between 2006 and 2011 he released FOUR studio albums that made the Top 5 (including one #1) and one that hit #7. His Vegas show also does huge box office.

Tony Bennett is another example. After his 1968 Christmas album Snowfall peaked at #10, only 4 of his next 26 studio albums charted highter than #100 (a #67, #96, #50 and #41) with 11 faling to chart at all. Then in 2006 his Duets album goes all the way to #3, followed by Duets II (#1 in 2011) and Viva Duets (#5 in 2012).

Also, look at Barbra Striesand. She was pretty much radio poison after about 1982, yet still managed a few one-off hit duets with Don Johnson ("Till I Loved You" #25 in 1988), Brian Adams ("I Finally Found Someone" #8 in 1996) and Celine Dion ("Tell Him" #5 AC in 1997). However, her album sales have always been strong with number one albums in 1985, 1993, 1997 and 2009. Artists (especially older, well-established ones) can still have great careers without "hits." Hits aren't the only measure of success.

It's a testament to the old school recording labels and artists that they stick with it for so long. These days, if a new artist's debut album bombs, they're given one more chance at best before being dropped. The music industry landscape has changed beyond all recognition. Still, I'd love to know, in the intervening 21 year period of Barry's career, who kept signing off the next album, after album, after album...when clearly very few of them were selling? Is it a case that the older artists' records are funded/supported as long as they're coining it in with successful concert/tour schedules (which he does)?
 
So you saying Olivia could not sing and record a track like "Ordinary Fool" or "Masquerade"? huh? I'm not following this....these are ballads, Olivia excels in ballads, even with Olivia's pop/rock albums that were a huge sucess she always left room on the CD for a ballad

"This Masquerade" and Ordinary Fool" aren't ballads,they are torch songs-that require a considerable amount of vocal improvisation."This Masquerade" is particularly difficult to sing,and only a select few artists have recorded it (for that reason).Even listening to George Benson's version,he's really struggling to get through the "rugged terrain" of the five-minute track.Of course ,Karen pulls it off effortlessly.

Olivia would've never attempted to record "This masquerade",and I doubt MCA would've even let her.She might have been able to handle a straight pop ballad like "Your the One" or "I Need To Be In Love",but she doesn't have the qualifications for jazz singing.
 
Always thought Olivia to be a better singer than she usually got credit for -- of all the "pop" vocalists who took a stab at "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", hers to me seemed one of the best. I remember watching her on Dinah Shore's talk show once (think it was Dinah) and the host brought out Olivia's father as a surprise. Some surprise...Dinah raved about his daughter's talent, and Dad proceeded to explain how Olivia lacked sufficient projection to be anything more than a pop singer. Imagine Karen and Olivia had some pretty interesting conversations about their mom and dad, respectively.
 
Olivia has a very "pretty" voice,and she does well in her own genre,singing pretty pop ballads like "Suddenly" and "Hopelessly Devoted To You".And,while I'm not an Olivia fan,I enjoy listening to "Magic" or "Twist Of Fate" on occasion.But,would I want to hear Olivia singing Cole Porter,Duke Ellington,or Antonio Carlos Jobim?-don't think so.
 
Olivia Newton-John (or Malaria Neutron-Bomb as my mother used to lovingly call her) has an absolutely amazing voice. Take a listen to "Magic" for starters. Her approach to that tune is relentlessly melodic. She could take dubious lyrics (and let's be real: John Farrar's tunes are full of those) and put them across. This woman has chops!

Ed
 
Couldn't agree more on Karen's solo album. Maybe the album I've most wanted to love, but I could never get into it. Richard and Herb nailed it. Mediocre songs and ill fitting for Karen. Can you imagine what would have been had she not tried so hard to be "hip" and recorded an album reminiscent of Norah Jones' debut? Sigh...it wasn't meant to be. Thanks again for your good comments.

You want mediocre and ill-fitting, Richard put "Say Yeah!" on his album. It doesn't get much more desperate than that, IMHO. Richard would have needed throat replacement therapy to capture that song and I'm not sure why he even bothered with it. It may very well be the worst tune any Carpenter ever recorded. It's worse than Javors' absolutely ridiculous "Still In Love With You". Actually, "Want You Back..." is likely more desperate than Karen's turn at disco too.

Ed
 
I cannot comprehend how anyone could listen to Karen's entire solo album, and not find something to love if you're a Karen Carpenter/Carpenters fan. "If I Had You", "If We Try" and "Make Believe It's Your First Time" are far from mediocre. In fact, they're stellar songs and stellar performances. Karen brings more conviction and soul to "Make Believe It's Your First Time" than anything on "Made In America"....period.

I'm not saying the album is the best thing ever recorded, but it certainly has more than its share of strong moments.
 
I cannot comprehend how anyone could listen to Karen's entire solo album, and not find something to love if you're a Karen Carpenter/Carpenters fan. "If I Had You", "If We Try" and "Make Believe It's Your First Time" are far from mediocre. In fact, they're stellar songs and stellar performances. I'm not saying the album is the best thing ever recorded, but it certainly has more than its share of strong moments.

I agree, Retro. On my iPod playlist, I included "If I Had You" (yeah, ok... the LOVELINES remix was better, so I chose it instead), "If We Try", "Making Love In The Afternoon", "Make Believe" (which I enjoy far more than the syrupy VOICE OF THE HEART version), "Still Crazy After All These Years" and the incredible [I think it was a demo...?] "Last One Singing The Blues". Don't care for heavy disco? Simple solution: omit those tracks. "All Because Of You" puts me to sleep. So I omitted it. Eat the meat, spit out the bones. And after "Last One", chronologically, the playlist goes right into "Good Old Dreams" from MADE IN AMERICA. At this point, some 30 odd years after it was all recorded, we all have our opinions. But let's be honest. When you're out there living your life, do you really care whether it woulda/shoulda/coulda been a hit single? Do you debate arrangements in your mind? Probably not. Personally, I just want to hear good music. And bias aside, Karen's solo album has at least half an album worth of good music. As for the other half? It's still on the CD if I ever get in the mood to hear it.
 
I am not good at ranking because from time to time my opionion changes on the albums and songs. I get tired of one and don't listen for a while or haven't listened to one in a while and start listening to it again....


10:A Kind of Hush - although there are a few songs that I do really like on this album, I very rarely listen to this album...only hearing songs from it on other compilations. I do really like "You" and "One more time"

9:Made in America - Although I do like some songs, I don't like the way that Karen was recorded/mixed. So light and almost lost in the mix. I prefer her voice with "presence"

8: Passage - I have started to listen to this more. I listened to the vinyl when I first got it and then sort of put it away. With songs from this album coming out on compilations, I started listening again and it has grown on me.

7:Voice from the Heart - I couldn't wait for this one to come out when it was announced in the fan club. Very sentimental for me. I don't like "Your Baby..."

6:Close to You - Great album. I think there could have been a couple more singles off of this album.

5:Carpenters - Get rid of Drusilla Penny and I could say that I really like every song on this album....the medley gets a little old though...

4:Christmas Portrait - LOVE this. I don't even mind the choir on this album ( and that is saying a lot since I am a choral director), but I love the flow and Karen's voice.

3:Singles 69-73 - This was my first album...got it for my 16th birthday in 1981. LOVE it!!!!

2:A Song for You - #2 and #1 are interchangeable, depending on what I want to listen to or mood, etc. Love many of the songs on this one, but LOVE the way Karen was recorded/mixed in Horizon. I do think there could have been another single from this album.

1:Horizon - LOVE the sound of this album. Wish there had been another song or two and more uptempo songs.

Jonathan
 
Agreed, toeknee. 'Last One Singing The Blues' is an amazing song and a killer performance. The nuances in Karen's interpretation are so different from anything else she recorded. And it's spot-on, as always. She was so talented, it's scary.
 
Oh MY!! I did some cutting and pasting and lost an album.

LOVELINES is my # 7, so everything else would move down and "Hush" would be kicked off. I really like this album and enjoy listening to it. I remember calling the record store several times checking to see when it would be released. I bought it in vinyl since I had all of the albums in vinyl.

JOnathan
 
Oh MY!! I did some cutting and pasting and lost an album.

LOVELINES is my # 7, so everything else would move down and "Hush" would be kicked off. I really like this album and enjoy listening to it. I remember calling the record store several times checking to see when it would be released. I bought it in vinyl since I had all of the albums in vinyl.

I, too, remember being through-the-roof excited when I saw the ad for this album in Billboard magazine. I was a first-year college student and, literally, pulled together all the loose change I could find to save up for/purchase this cassette. I was playing it in my dorm room that winter, and my friend commented that the song, “Lovelines,” sounded like the theme to The Love Boat. While I bristled at the comparison, at first, I couldn’t deny the similarities (and always loved that theme song, anyway!).
 
Great thread! Also, an incredibly difficult endeavor, for me at least.
Firstly, regardless of my rankings, everyone has made incisive commentary accompanying their own rankings. Applause to all!
And, before I continue, I should preface my list with the caveat that I appreciate all of the Carpenters recordings.
Number One has been, and remains, Horizon: The first full album of the duo that I ever listened to. Regardless of which song, Karen's vocals
on this album are simply incredible. Her voice enveloped me that day,with this album, and her grip has remained forever with me. So, no
matter what the quibble with any of the songs on Horizon, it doesn't matter: that voice captivates. (Only Yesterday:tongue:op Masterpiece) Great Photos in &out.
Number Two (already difficult) is Close To You: The arrangements, in particular, are superb (Another Song, We've Only Just Begun, Close To You:
as Bacharach said "..Karen's voice clear as a bell" and "..Richard really nailed it". The album, a sure pointer to the unique talents of the duo.
Number Three (a toss up, but..) is A Song For You: (If not for Piano Picker and Flat Baroque, this would be the #2). How does one surpass songs
as brilliant as...I Won't Last A Day Without You, Goodbye To Love, A Song For You, Crystal Lullaby, Road Ode, Hurting Each Other..?
Guitar solos(GTL), fantastic overdubs(CL) great vocals (ASFY),and for the most part strong lyrical content on each of the "cuts".
Number Four , well here it comes, everybody scream at me, is Passage: Yes,a few songs are clunkers--but, great clunkers they are!
Always love(d) Two Sides (briliant..."...goodbye" at songs' end),Calling Occupants had me with "..all hit radio!" and then it soars into space!
Thoroughly enjoy Sweet,Sweet Smile and All You Get From Love is a Love Song. Argentina, beautifully sung as only Karen can do.
(Love the album artwork,also).
As Richard said, they utilized many different instruments, and it shows.
Number Five (and, this is difficult!) is Now & Then, considering Richard's comment regarding too much touring and not enough time to
put an album together, I believe he produced a masterpiece. Tripe?(Roget's Thesaurus:nonsense),hardly. Karen's vocals on I Cant' Make Music
and This Masquerade, alone, make this a worthwhile endeavor. Karen is utterly superb on the side two Medley, Yesterday Once More kicks it into gear.
Richard calls the album"..very good" .
Number Six is the Tan Album Carpenters : Classics galore with For All We Know, Superstar, Rainy Days and Mondays coupled with superb
songs like One Love, Hideaway, Let Me Be The One. A bit longer and this album would be higher on the list. And, The Logo-lovely.
Number Seven will be Lovelines, for me. A combination of old and new, classic and contemporary.Love the Cover. Karen's vocals and
Richard's arrangements shine on Your'e the One, Where do I Go From Here, Uninvited Guest, and Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night.
Placing four of Karen's solo songs on the album is " icing on the cake".
Number Eight is back to the future with Offering: Karen drumming on each song is a selling point, her vocals are rough around the edges,
but,she is "finding her voice". Youthful playfulness coupled with soulfulness. As Richard says "..soft- psychedelic, Southern
Californian mini-oratorio".
Number Nine is Christmas Portrait, a great Christmas album.. Of Course,Karen's vocals have matured like creamy chocolate.Perfection.
But, I realized at the time that Richard's arrangements were not part of the finished product,and learned that he had
turned the arranging over to Peter Knight and Billy May. Ave Maria (LP version) is simply Heavenly.
Number Ten is A Kind of Hush, it tends to get picked on, but there will always be I Need To Be In Love. This is a pretty album, but coming off of
the previous Horizon in 1975, the album sounded devoid of strength. But, I usually attribute that to Karen's poor health at the time.

That's my top ten, but, really that was an incredibly hard list to compile, and if I close my eyes and come back to it after a while,
I could arrive at another permutation with all types of differing commentary.
By the way, I purposely did not include either Karen or Richard's solo albums as part of my tabulation.
Given the autonomy of those two enterprises, I do not compare either solo album with a" Carpenters album".
Nor did I consider the brilliant The Singles 1969-1973. (An aside:Coleman Biography devotes nary a line to the album-Why?).
Unfortunately, Made in America is my least played album of the duo, and Voice of The Heart gets to be too emotionally painful.

So many roads to choose...indeed!
 
I really rate 'Offering' stand out songs'Eve and 'Your Wonderful Parade' Richard's finest.
Really hard to compile a top ten.
I would say their album continuty ie; early /later. The last couple of albums seemed a bit clinical/digital. But thats not to slight them as Karen's voice seems more prominent, which is a good thing.
 
I took a few minutes to read through my previous post regarding my Top 10.
A few minor alterations, as of today:
Offering (from 8 up to 7) and Lovelines (from 7 up to 6), and the tan album moves down (from#6 to#:cool:.
Christmas Portrait, the original 1978 incarnation, really is in a class all its own.
But, who am I fooling, I listen to them all and each possesses its own , unique, charm.
 
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