Nowadays Clancy....

I heard the TTR album about fourth or maybe fifth in order... I think I picked it up after A Song For You. I've always liked "Clancy," although it probably wouldn't make my top ten.

I do remember being shocked that a Carpenters record had the word "damn" in a lyric!
 
Is one of my favorite tracks on the entire album! Gotta love the Wurlitzer model 140-b... classic 1960s
 
I like the version on Your Navy Presents. It is a good solid track but far from a favorite. To me, it sounds like a cover a local band would do mixed with originals. Good, solid, performed well, but not a song that puts the group on the map.
 
I rather enjoy this cover - it's quite a dynamic performance compared to the languid Buffalo Springfield original. My only complaint (and this is the case for a number of tracks on Offering) is that Richard's vocals sound a bit muffled on it.
 
Big favorite here. The whole album has always grabbed me and "Clancy" is the capper.
 
I have to confess, a great re-imagination of the song by Carpenters.
Now, I lately listened to a few other versions (Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young),
and I have to admit,
the Carpenters' version comes out (any surprise ?) as my favorite.
They simply did their own thing with the song, I like that.
The Offering LP is a favorite.
 
I’ve loved the Offering/Ticket to Ride album since I first heard it.

At the time, I only knew the Carpenters’ big hits but wanted to hear more, so I decided to listen to their back catalog chronologically. The first album came as quite the surprise, but I loved it straight away. I still like playing it to people who only know a few Carpenters songs and seeing the look on their faces as they listen.

I think their version of Clancy is great :)
 
I love the song and the album. The sound is very much of the period, which is fine with me. Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow is another great album that captures the same sound and mood.
 
:rimshot::rimshot:I LOVE this track. The Navy version is even better. I have used the Navy medley as a way to try to hook in newbies. And to think, she could sing like that while playing the drums. Just...
 
I agree that ‘Clancy’ is quite a record! Richard and Karen both sound awesome and the arrangement is also great.

Richard’s keyboard solo is stellar. I remember playing that song for my Mom when I got the album for my 10th birthday (1972), and saying, ‘I hope I can play like that some day’. Sadly, that didn’t happen. Lol.
 
Big fan of "Clancy". Love the harmonies and Richard's lead on it! Nice showcase of Richard's keyboarding and Karen's drumming. :)
 
It's muffled vocals and lack of technical quality are the only drawbacks but otherwise I love the flow and the adventurousness of the arrangement.

Mom and Pop must have had a conniption fit upon hearing "Damn".
 
I've always loved the song, but I have absolutely no idea what in the world it's supposed to be about. I've never been able to make any sense out of they lyrics, either literal or figurative.
 
Like with most songs, I never considered the lyrics or what they meant!
 
I always try and get a grasp on the lyrics of a song I begin to like, it's secondary after the music usually but it can add a whole new emotional dimension and appreciation for the song for me.
 
Best Clancy ever. I liked the original, but, this is so much better. I continue to be amazed by the Carpenters even attempting to arrange a song like this.
Neil Youngs version is just so angry, with out any point. Or maybe the hole point was the melodramatic angst of sixties life. Who knows.
Richards jazzy version strikes some mild frustration without being angry. The jazz organ ending I just love. Its on my phones current playlist. Wish he had done more hard stuff. You know what I mean.
 
Just listened to the original which I had never heard. I'm surprised how close Richard's take on it is. Good song. It's hard to see any meaning at all in the lyrics, outside of an air of disillusionment with 'the establishment' which all the kidz were into back in those days....
 
I went back and listened to the "Offering" version of this song. Karen was complicit. She was there with her "damn". I can tell by the way her harmony flowed with Richard. His "damn" drowned her out, but she didn't break stride on that verse. Pure, innocent, 19 yr old Karen...:angel:!
 
"Clancy" is a track that reminds us that the Carpenters were firstly a band of the sixties--and as affected as any young group by the tenor of those times. It also reminds us that Karen, as one of the greatest singers ever, was also one of the greatest backing singers ever: while Richard is certainly more than serviceable on the lead, she's the catalyst of the harmonies here--sometimes sweet, sometimes clashing--harmonies that are bold and exciting and haven't lost any of their bite in fifty years.

And it reminds us just what a hot, flashy, and world-class pianist Richard was (he's still got his chops today, but like many of us here he's no longer hot and flashy--just sayin'!): that closing solo is an indelible reminder of his improvisatory skills and his gift of sheer speed. "Dick" Carpenter could have sat in with a bunch of veteran jazz giants and more than held his own--"Clancy" is one of the precious few instances where we get to hear that uber-talent in uninhibited action.

Great to be reminded of those wild and woolly young Carpenters--thanks to Proudofyou for resurrecting them (and "Clancy") for group discussion!
 
This song really stands out as an almost edgy folky song. The Jazzy tinges and those smooth harmonies really draw you in. Richard’s vocal delivery is first class. Like others I wish the track could be cleaned up using today’s technology advances.
 
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