Is Richard's "Sound" oudated?
- Thread starter Mark-T
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bluevelvetkev
New Member
I am not sure I have heard of what Richard is working on......
Sure, some think it is outdated. I just think it ( being Richard's muse of writing, arranging and producing = HIS SOUND) has to be reinvented by means of collaboration with some current artist or artists have that been in the top twenty within the last three years if it was to be not "outdated". I would just hate to hear that he is working with an artist and is using synthetic strings or (c)rap beats. It he does anything new - I would suggest returning to his basics with simple arrangements and using real instruments. (Gosh - I miss the oboe!)
If Richard were to return to recording, lets hear a collaboration with kd lang doing a Bacharach/David album. She did "Valley of the Dolls" on her album, "Drag" and it was brilliant. It definately had Richard's fingerprints all over that arrangement........Plus - she is a HUGE Karen fan! I know there are thousands of legalities with the record labels on getting so and so to work with so and so, but COLLABORATION was what he and Karen started from!
How about a soundtrack song with Diana Krall?? Or a standards album with Elvis Costello??? Or how about nailing Celine Dion to do a ballad that is no longer than 3 minutes??? I sure hate these overproduced vocal gymnastics of "easy listening" that clock in at 5:12 when Richard could get to the meat and heart of the matter of the song at 2:46!
How about a Norah Jones collection using Joe Osbourn, Bob Messenger, Hal Blaine and himself on piano and using only 16 tracks??? He should just let her sing and weave his instrumentations around that voice???
Richard's sound to some may be "outdated". It is only because he hasn't hit the top twenty in years. Its timeless - clean and simple. With a lot of heart behind it.
I Can Dream Can't I?
Blue Velvet Kev
Sure, some think it is outdated. I just think it ( being Richard's muse of writing, arranging and producing = HIS SOUND) has to be reinvented by means of collaboration with some current artist or artists have that been in the top twenty within the last three years if it was to be not "outdated". I would just hate to hear that he is working with an artist and is using synthetic strings or (c)rap beats. It he does anything new - I would suggest returning to his basics with simple arrangements and using real instruments. (Gosh - I miss the oboe!)
If Richard were to return to recording, lets hear a collaboration with kd lang doing a Bacharach/David album. She did "Valley of the Dolls" on her album, "Drag" and it was brilliant. It definately had Richard's fingerprints all over that arrangement........Plus - she is a HUGE Karen fan! I know there are thousands of legalities with the record labels on getting so and so to work with so and so, but COLLABORATION was what he and Karen started from!
How about a soundtrack song with Diana Krall?? Or a standards album with Elvis Costello??? Or how about nailing Celine Dion to do a ballad that is no longer than 3 minutes??? I sure hate these overproduced vocal gymnastics of "easy listening" that clock in at 5:12 when Richard could get to the meat and heart of the matter of the song at 2:46!
How about a Norah Jones collection using Joe Osbourn, Bob Messenger, Hal Blaine and himself on piano and using only 16 tracks??? He should just let her sing and weave his instrumentations around that voice???
Richard's sound to some may be "outdated". It is only because he hasn't hit the top twenty in years. Its timeless - clean and simple. With a lot of heart behind it.
I Can Dream Can't I?
Blue Velvet Kev
P
phoenixfan4
Guest
Hiya Blue Velvet Kev - Nice to make your aquaintance.
I've been ruminating over your post about Richard's 'style' of music, and I have to say that I agree with you.
Richard is both 'dated' and at the same time a stand alone class act. Richard is without question the architect behind the Carpenters sound of multi-voice over dubbing with jazz/classical benchmark layering. I myself have wondered what would come of Richard coupling his music with some of today's artists and I always find myself undercutting the final outcome knowing that whatever singer he comes up with simply will never be up to par with the magic that he had with Karen as his 'voice' for the music that he composes.
Damn. What an awful wall Richard has in front of him without Karen in the studio to sing his music.
Some of the people on this website (you for example Kev) have suggested artists such as K D Lang and Diana Krall, and I think that either one of these magnificent artists would be a wonderful match for Richards compositions. However, I always find myself going back to 'hearing' Karen's voice in anything that Richard has released for our listening pleasure since Karen's death and I always come away finding myself wanting to hear karen's voice singing the song that I have in my head, much like Richard must have.
Point in fact: Richards 'TIME' CD.
Richard chose several top notch recording artists that have stood the test of time with their own releases, wonderful pieces that only they could have sung. They own those musical pieces simply due to their signature sound coupled with the song. Great stuff without question. No matter how many times I listen to those awesome artists perform those songs on Richard's 'TIME' LP, I still find myself wondering how much better they would have come across if Karen herself had been singing the songs. Not fair of me to equate these other artists with Karen, I know - but I'm pretty sure that all of us as fans have done it - and that is why Richards "TIME' LP did not sell anywhere near where it should have because of that fact.
A fact that Richard is all too painfully aware of himself.
God - what a horrible position that must be for Richard to be in. Something tells me that he has moved beyond Karen's death more than we as fans have simply because he has had no choice. She was his musical/business partner as well as his sister. How does anyone fill a void like that ?!
Therein lies Richards unfortunate musical jail cell. We as fans find it hard to accept 'second best' voices for his music because we know that Karen was the one meant to be the person singing his music. What a terrible truth for Richard to have to live up to. Once you've had the best, it's got to be terribly difficult to settle for anything less than the real deal. And that is what Richard has been facing since his sisters death.
But on he goes God bless him. His sisters voice may be silent now but his own music is still very much alive and he is STILL trying to satisfy all of the fans and newcomers to the Carpenters sound by continuously going back into the studio 'refining' Their musical legacy. In spite of us griping about the compilations. I must admit that I am probably one of the worst in bitching about that.
In a nutshell: Is the sound dated? No. It is a sound that will outlive most of us because of it's intricate layers of harmony and pure musicality.
Thank you Richard and Karen for giving us your personal love of music. I can only wish the best of everything for Richard in his life. He'll come back - of that I have no doubt. You can't stifle brilliance.
I've been ruminating over your post about Richard's 'style' of music, and I have to say that I agree with you.
Richard is both 'dated' and at the same time a stand alone class act. Richard is without question the architect behind the Carpenters sound of multi-voice over dubbing with jazz/classical benchmark layering. I myself have wondered what would come of Richard coupling his music with some of today's artists and I always find myself undercutting the final outcome knowing that whatever singer he comes up with simply will never be up to par with the magic that he had with Karen as his 'voice' for the music that he composes.
Damn. What an awful wall Richard has in front of him without Karen in the studio to sing his music.
Some of the people on this website (you for example Kev) have suggested artists such as K D Lang and Diana Krall, and I think that either one of these magnificent artists would be a wonderful match for Richards compositions. However, I always find myself going back to 'hearing' Karen's voice in anything that Richard has released for our listening pleasure since Karen's death and I always come away finding myself wanting to hear karen's voice singing the song that I have in my head, much like Richard must have.
Point in fact: Richards 'TIME' CD.
Richard chose several top notch recording artists that have stood the test of time with their own releases, wonderful pieces that only they could have sung. They own those musical pieces simply due to their signature sound coupled with the song. Great stuff without question. No matter how many times I listen to those awesome artists perform those songs on Richard's 'TIME' LP, I still find myself wondering how much better they would have come across if Karen herself had been singing the songs. Not fair of me to equate these other artists with Karen, I know - but I'm pretty sure that all of us as fans have done it - and that is why Richards "TIME' LP did not sell anywhere near where it should have because of that fact.
A fact that Richard is all too painfully aware of himself.
God - what a horrible position that must be for Richard to be in. Something tells me that he has moved beyond Karen's death more than we as fans have simply because he has had no choice. She was his musical/business partner as well as his sister. How does anyone fill a void like that ?!
Therein lies Richards unfortunate musical jail cell. We as fans find it hard to accept 'second best' voices for his music because we know that Karen was the one meant to be the person singing his music. What a terrible truth for Richard to have to live up to. Once you've had the best, it's got to be terribly difficult to settle for anything less than the real deal. And that is what Richard has been facing since his sisters death.
But on he goes God bless him. His sisters voice may be silent now but his own music is still very much alive and he is STILL trying to satisfy all of the fans and newcomers to the Carpenters sound by continuously going back into the studio 'refining' Their musical legacy. In spite of us griping about the compilations. I must admit that I am probably one of the worst in bitching about that.
In a nutshell: Is the sound dated? No. It is a sound that will outlive most of us because of it's intricate layers of harmony and pure musicality.
Thank you Richard and Karen for giving us your personal love of music. I can only wish the best of everything for Richard in his life. He'll come back - of that I have no doubt. You can't stifle brilliance.
CraigGA
Well-Known Member
I think that Richard has a way of offering a refreshing sound that echoes the popular sound of the time. Tryin' to Get the Feeling from Interpretations has a clever orchestration, esp. with the violin section that was not part of the sound of the 70's, but was in several songs of the early 90 alternative rock bands and Richard's influence from these songs is apparent with this interpretation.
Craig
Craig
The fact of the matter is, fans of The Carpenters cannot see Richard Carpenter as a solo artist, which is unfair and I think answers the question why he didn't release any pop albums following TIME. He is one of the world's most underrated artists.
He keeps releasing Carpenters "previously unreleased" compilations because that's what the public seems to want. His PIANIST/ARRANGER/COMPOSER album consists of classical versions of Carpenters songs because people are interested in the past instead of looking ahead to the future. (I would not buy or listen to this album by the way, since I am not a Classical music fan).
I would say if he isn't able to get on the Top 40 Charts, a jazz album may not be a bad idea with some backing by Kirk Whalum or Rick Braun. Might get airplay on CD 101.9!
I'm not bashing The Carpenters as a duo, their music, or Carpenters fans. Everybody has their own favorite music and I may not like a certain type, but if it's their thing, great! The point I'm trying to make is, here is a discussion of what solo direction Richard should take in his career, but no one so far as been able to accept him as a solo artist.
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He keeps releasing Carpenters "previously unreleased" compilations because that's what the public seems to want. His PIANIST/ARRANGER/COMPOSER album consists of classical versions of Carpenters songs because people are interested in the past instead of looking ahead to the future. (I would not buy or listen to this album by the way, since I am not a Classical music fan).
I would say if he isn't able to get on the Top 40 Charts, a jazz album may not be a bad idea with some backing by Kirk Whalum or Rick Braun. Might get airplay on CD 101.9!
I'm not bashing The Carpenters as a duo, their music, or Carpenters fans. Everybody has their own favorite music and I may not like a certain type, but if it's their thing, great! The point I'm trying to make is, here is a discussion of what solo direction Richard should take in his career, but no one so far as been able to accept him as a solo artist.
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