🎶 Album Sides THE ALBUM SIDES [Poll]: "CARPENTERS" S/T (SP-3502)

[Chris May]

“CARPENTERS” S/T (a.k.a. 'Tan Album')

Catalogue Number: A&M SP-3502
Date of Release: 5/13/71
Nickname: The "Tan" Album
​

Side 1:
1.) Rainy Days and Mondays 3:40 (Williams/Nichols)
2.) Saturday 1:20 (Carpenter/Bettis)
3.) Let Me Be The One 2:25 (Williams/Nichols)
4.) (A Place To) Hideaway 3:40 (Sparks)
5.) For All We Know 2:34 (Karlin/Wilson/James)

Side 2:
1.) Superstar 3:49 (Russell/Bramlett)
2.) Druscilla Penny 2:18 (Carpenter/Bettis)
3.) One Love 3:23 (Carpenter/Bettis)
4.) Bacharach/David Medley 5:25 (Bacharach/David):
a. Knowing When To Leave
b. Make It Easy On Yourself
c. (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me
d. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
e. Walk On By
f. Do You Know The Way To San Jose?
5.) Sometimes 2:52 (Mancini/Mancini)

 

[theninjarabbit]

I surprised myself: so far, this is the album that has been the hardest choice. I can honestly say that I love both sides very much (yes, even "Saturday"); even more interesting, when I pull this album at the turntable I don't tend to favor one side over the other (for instance, with TICKET I often go right to side 2 and CLOSE I play side 1). I'm sold from the stellar "Rainy Days" to the heartwarming "Sometimes".

I'm going to abstain from this vote.

 

[GaryAlan]

As much as I love some of these songs, this Album does not sit well with me over-all.
And, when I think about it, it may (mostly) be due to the song sequencing.
Although , I am not a huge Medley fan, this medley on Side Two would get my vote if:
(1) Any Day Now
had been included, and
(2) If had been performed at a slower tempo.

Of course, Druscilla Penny.....what a mess (IMHO).

Side One: I love Rainy Days,Let Me Be The One,Hideaway and For All We Know
Side Two:I love Superstar

The rest: Medley, One Love, Sometimes....all very good, though I wouldn't call it 'love' !

 

[K.C. Jr]

I had a hard time not choosing the side with "Superstar". But, here goes:

"Let Me Be The One", the single that got away, one of my favorites ever, "(A Place to) Hideaway", and the ever beautiful "For All We Know" claimed side 1 as my vote. Also, my love for "Rainy Days and Mondays" is undeniable, but I want to mention "Saturday"; I love it! So peppy, so reminiscent of the early Carpenter/Bettis songs..which, in truth, is what I love most about this album. It's mature, shows growth, but still eludes to the "beginnings".

 

[Toolman]

Same reactions as those above. Richard solo tracks are basically equivalent in appeal -- was that polite enough? Rainy Days, Let Me Be the One and For All We Know are all excellent. Superstar may be my favorite of all Carpenters songs, but the Bacharach/David medley feels a little like filler (although good, nutritious filler) and I'd rather hear "Hideaway" than "One Love". So, Side One it is. Bittersweet LP overall, as it was probably the most eagerly anticipated one they ever released and they didn't have time to do it up to their full creative potential. "A Song for You" -- that's what this album should have been.

 

[Mark-T]

Both sides are almost equal but "Saturday" easily bests "Druscilla", tipping the scales in Side One's favor.

 

[natureaker]

This was definitely a very hard decision for me to make, especially because of Superstar, as mentioned somewhere before me. I've always loved that song, but some other songs including "One Love" and "Sometimes" that made me vote for *dramatic drum roooolllllll*
Side 1
As much as I do love "Superstar" and "Druscilla Penny" (yes, I'm a genuine fan of the song), I also love "Rainy Days And Mondays", "For All We Know", "Saturday", and "Let Me Be The One".

 

[newvillefan]

I went with side 1. Both sides contain beautiful tracks but the first one has 4 gorgeous songs plus Saturday, which is a fun listen once in a while. I'm not that enamoured with the closing track on side 2 and I echo what was said earlier about the medley being far too fast. Honourable mention goes to One Love though.

 

[Harry]

Both sides contain interesting near-segues from track 2 to track 3. "Saturday" ends in a 7th chord that resolves with the opening of "Let Me Be The One", while "Druscilla Penny" ends properly on its own major chord yet carries through to the first notes of "One Love". These two actions, plus the continuous, flowing nature of the "Bacharach/David Medley" make the whole album a joy to listen to straight through, serving to keep things interesting between the big hits.

If I have to choose one side - and that's the purpose of these threads - I'd probably go with Side One. I prefer "Superstar" to "Rainy Days" just slightly, but not quite enough to nudge Side Two over the finish line.

Harry

 

[GATourist]

I surprised myself: so far, this is the album that has been the hardest choice. I can honestly say that I love both sides very much (yes, even "Saturday"); even more interesting, when I pull this album at the turntable I don't tend to favor one side over the other (for instance, with TICKET I often go right to side 2 and CLOSE I play side 1). I'm sold from the stellar "Rainy Days" to the heartwarming "Sometimes".

I'm going to abstain from this vote.

I didn't abstain, Ninja.....I voted for side A, but it pained me. "One Love," "Sometimes," and THE medley. Damn. Maybe I'll change my vote.

This hurts a lot.

 

[GaryAlan]

I must say, I feel like somewhat of an outcast regarding this album.
I took another listen this morning: the remastered classics cd.
And, while I agree there are some terrific songs on the album, it
seems quite a piecemeal effort to me. Especially when I compare it
to its immediate predecessor and its immediate antecedent.
That is, of course, comparing it to Close To You and A Song For You. (The "You" LP's).
This album does not flow for me. It appears to be an effort to create an
entire album anchored by some powerhouse hits (Rainy Days, Superstar,For All We Know).
So, that's my two cents. I can not rightly explain my emotions on this album,
maybe the "tan" (ugh !) color is leading me astray ! I love the interior photo, though.
I tallied the amount of time taken up by the songs I love, or like, on this album: 60%
(Side one comes to one second shy of 13 minutes. Side two is seven seconds over Sixteen minutes,
thus an album of 29 minutes and six seconds: Therefore, about seventeen minutes I enjoy totally !)
I always skip Saturday and Druscilla, so that already destroys the "flow" for me.....

But, I do enjoy the analysis of this album that everyone has laid bare !

 

[Mark-T]

It is definitely the "moodiest" album they made. I dislike the inside photo. It's great of Karen but a horrible representation of the duo.

 

[GaryAlan]

Regards the inside photo of this Album , isn't the dress (red/purple)
that Karen is wearing the same dress she has on in the video performance of Superstar ?

 

[GATourist]

It is definitely the "moodiest" album they made. I dislike the inside photo. It's great of Karen but a horrible representation of the duo.

.....but love me some "moody"......

 

[K.C. Jr]

I actually like the picture, just not the way it was making them look like a couple instead of brother and sister. I thought it was kind of cool how the LP cover turned into a standing frame.

 

[natureaker]

I actually like the picture, just not the way it was making them look like a couple instead of brother and sister. I thought it was kind of cool how the LP cover turned into a standing frame.

Same here. I think that it's a nice photo of the two.

 

[tomswift2002]

I'm not to sure what my favorite side is, but as a closing track I think "Sometimes" could've been left off, especially now in the CD era where there are no sides, "Sometimes" is probably the weakest track on the album, and doesn't do the album justice. It would've been better to have had an expanded medley finish the album, or its to bad Karen & Richard didn't think to maybe feature a remake (of course to most people it would've been a brand-new track) of their 1966 single "Looking For Love" or even redone "Someday" from the Offering LP. Really, after "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", which ends the medley with a bang, "Sometimes" is a rather quiet piece that seems out of place.

As for the inside picture, don't forget that some places, like West Germany and East Germany didn't receive the tan envelope cover, but the photo with the Carpenters logo.

 

[Rumbahbah]

It's a close contest but I'd have to go with Side 1 as the killer combo of 'Rainy Days and Mondays', 'Let Me Be The One' and 'For All We Know' is hard to beat, plus 'Saturday' is definitely the better of the two Richard vocal tracks on the LP. That said, 'Superstar', the Bacharach Medley and 'Sometimes' are a pretty strong bunch of tracks too. It just goes to show how much quality they managed to pack into what was a relatively short album and I think they managed a better balance of strong tracks across the two sides compared to A Song For You, which seemed a bit uneven in that respect.

I'd have to disagree about 'Sometimes' being the weakest track on the album (*cough* 'Druscilla Penny' *cough*). I love it and I'd say it's the best non-single on there apart from 'Let Me Be the One'. It's another one of those songs like 'One More Time' where all Karen needed was a simple piano backing to shine. It does provide a wistful ending, but given how ballad-heavy the album is and the resonance of the song's subject matter, this seems to fit perfectly as a closing track, rather like 'Look to Your Dreams' does on Voice of the Heart.

I do hate the picture that was used on the cover of the album in Europe though. I've seen other shots from the same photo session and they definitely picked the most anodyne and soft-focus one of the lot. And the colour combination of tan and brown for the sleeve couldn't be much more 1970s if it tried!

 

[newvillefan]

Really, after "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", which ends the medley with a bang, "Sometimes" is a rather quiet piece that seems out of place.

Spot on assessment. My thoughts exactly. Nice enough tune but out of place stuck at the end of a raucous medley.

 

[tomswift2002]

With "Sometimes" I wonder if it might've been better as a non-album B-side. Kind of like what the Beach Boys did with some songs, such as "The Lord's Prayer", where it was the B-Side of "Little Saint Nick", but never quite fit on their albums.

 

[newvillefan]

With "Sometimes" I wonder if it might've been better as a non-album B-side. Kind of like what the Beach Boys did with some songs, such as "The Lord's Prayer", where it was the B-Side of "Little Saint Nick", but never quite fit on their albums.

They were never a group into non album B-sides, which is a shame because having a B-side that didn't make the album was a great part of the fun of collecting 45s.

ABBA for example did it a lot, especially in their later career:

Chiquitita b/w Lovelight
The Winner Takes It All b/w Elaine
One Of Us b/w Should I Laugh Or Cry
The Day Before You Came b/w Cassandra
Under Attack b/w You Owe Me One

 

[Toolman]

ABBA for example did it a lot, especially in their later career:

Absolutely, those ABBA B-sides were always a treat. "The Name of the Game", though backed with "I Wonder" (also on "The Album"), used a live version that in my opinion was even better than the album cut. Thanks for the memory...

 

[Guitarmutt]

I always find the Medley tempo questions interesting as this was the live band playing it as they played it on stage in one take. I do prefer the full 12 minute version (fast one), but they played this version live many times, and this is it live: Carpenters.

And I even have a faster(!) live version of this short version (faster!). It happened.

I guess I prefer side 1 though Superstar is the best track! Track, Side

Any Day Now, would be a great album track.