FAVORITE CARPENTERS ALBUM COVER?

[Trevor]

Thank you, Harry for posting that website.

To me, it appears that Jim McCrary brings out the "glum" in whom he photographs. And the less than glum look on the "Now and Then" cover.

I wonder what Jim McCrary's thoughts are on the "Now and Then" photo shoot.

And what are Richard's thoughts about Jim McCrary still selling the prints from their various (less than successful) photo shoots...

 

[Actorman]

WOW! I am definitely at the opposite end of the spectrum (no pun intended) than most everyone else on the board!!

My favorite cover is "Made In America" for which (as of right now) I am the only vote. I've always loved this cover and actually have it framed on the wall of my library at home.

The current champion of the poll, "Horizon", is a cover I've never really cared for. I've just always thought it was a terrible picture of Richard and Karen, but I am clearly in the minority on that opinion.

Karen looks gorgeous on "Voice of the Heart." In fact it's probably one of the best photos of her from that period, but I don't particularly like it as an album cover. It's just too plain or something.

My second favorite is probably the "Christmas Portrait" cover. I love the whole Normal Rockwell thing they did with it and the paintings of R&K. The concept really captures the feeling of season and the music.

The covers for "Carpenters", "A Song For You" and "The Singles: 1969-1973" are all pretty boring in their 12" album format, however I think they translate very, very well to the smaller 5" CD format. Of course, they do prominantly feature the logo which I think is one of the classiest, most iconic (and just plain coolest) logos of all time.

"Offering", "Ticket to Ride" and "Close to You" are all pretty lame. Bad photos, boring design, lack of any style, but probably pretty standard for the time. Fortunately, the music inside was so incredible it more than made up for the cover.

"Passage" is kind of pretty, but again, not as an album cover. And the fact that they didn't use that awesome logo just boggles the mind. Add that to the fact that there is no picture on it either, makes you wonder what A&M's marketing department had in mind since it's completely devoid of any "brand" that had been established up to that point.

"A Kind of Hush" is really cool and would probably be my third favorite, if I had to rank them. It's really the only cover (along with the custom label) that looks like someone really put some time into it and the whole "package."

"Now and Then" is okay. I like the trifold design and the artwork itself, it just loses points for, again, not having a clear, prominant image of R&K.

"Lovelines" and "As Time Goes By" are nice, but have a "compilation" look to them, which is understandable considering that's essentially what they were. I don't think of them (for the purposes of this poll) as part of this ranking since Karen was gone and the covers were more representative of what they "were."

Just my thoughts. That's one thing I love about this board... the way we can all love the same thing, yet be completely different at the same time.

Scott

 

[Mike Blakesley]

It is surprising to me, as many Carpenters fans as there are here, that we don't have more votes in this poll.

 

[Mark-T]

Love everything about Hush as far as visuals go. Horizon #2.
VOTH is beautiful- but I counted it out since its only Karen.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I voted for "Offering" because it's a splendid horror and I love it for that.

Ed

 

[JMAR5]

I voted for Horizon, but I also like A Song for You 2nd.

 

[Chris_Sydney]

'Horizon' all the way.


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[Dave]

--In no particular order...:

The plain brown Carpenters cover--for the photo of Richard & Karen (which sort'a looks like ME and My Sister) inside...

A Song For You as an "envelope" still retains its kitschy value after all these years...

Now And Then easily stands out in ANY collection of LP's, and also a real novelty, among collectors--not counting the pic's of R&K inside...

Horizon seems to also have a good, candid shot of the two, too...

Offering, NO! Ticket To Ride, YES! --'Nuff said...

Close To You --Surely should go down in History as "The Best LP Cover", period...!!!



Dave

 

[DJS]

Okay

1. Horizon hands down for me , closely followed by
2. As Time Goes By.
3. Now and Then, just real life somehow , car, house etc etc.
4. Made in America, this album did so much better in the UK than America and I remember thinking how great it was to see Karen & Richard back in the charts after quite an absence.
4. A Song For You.
5. Lovelines
6. Voice of The Heart.

My Thoughts.

Passage was a surprise I am sure to most people, it may have done better sales wise if the Carpenter logo had featured prominently on the front. From a glance it could easily have been a cover from the likes of E.L.O, Pink Floyd or The Who.

In those days before internet shopping I'm sure many albums were bought simply by recognizing the artist on the front cover. Therefore the albums with a photo of Karen and Richard or those with the superb Carpenter logo immediately told the potential purchaser what they were buying.

I have omitted A Kind of Hush which I know is favoured by many, it is I admit beautifully crafted but somehow is just too sweet for my liking. I love Horizon and also like Lovelines for the photo.

I agree the logo is one of the best of all time (has Richard still got one of the big ones they used on stage in his Auto Museum I wonder)

As for the first few albums,

Ticket To Ride, - Photo okay, package design bland.
Close to You - I agree with Richard "Its one crappy cover"
Carpenters - In the UK this did have a photo on, but like Close to You its just too nice !

These covers had had a lot to do with the image that dogged the duo for so long and A&M's publicity & marketing people have a lot to answer for. In my book, when you look at some of the album covers its a miracle
they sold as well as they did.

 

[Chris_Sydney]

I'm bummed that not one person has selected 'Ticket To Ride'! Next to 'Horizon' I think it's my favourite. It's such a perfect photograph, I was almost certain it was a painting or heavily, heavily doctored. The sky, the sails, the water... beautiful.


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