🎶 Album Sides THE ALBUM SIDES [Poll]: "CLOSE TO YOU" (SP-4271)

[Chris May]

“CLOSE TO YOU”

​

Catalogue Number: A&M SP-4271
Date of Release: 08/28/70​

Side 1:
1.) We've Only Just Begun 3:04 (Williams/Nichols)
2.) Love Is Surrender 1:59 (Ralph Carmichael)
3.) Maybe It's You 3:09 (Richard Carpenter)
4.) Reason To Believe 3:02 (Tim Hardin)
5.) Help 3:02 (Lennon/McCartney)
6.) (They Long To Be) Close To You 4:34 (Bacharach/David)

Side 2:
1.) Baby It's You 2:50 (Bacharach/David/Williams)
2.) I'll Never Fall In Love Again 2:56 (Bacharach/David)
3.) Crescent Noon 4:09 (Richard Carpenter)
4.) Mr. Guder 3:17 (Richard Carpenter)
5.) I Kept On Loving You 2:13 (Williams/Nichols)
6.) Another Song 4:22 (Carpenter/Bettis)

 

[John Tkacik]

With "We've Only Just Begun" and "Close To You" on the same side, this was an easy choice for me.

 

[theninjarabbit]

Side 1, with Close to You's exciting extension as its conclusion, is my choice. I have to say though, I love "Mr. Guder", "Baby It's You", and "Another Song" -- hidden gems tucked away on side 2.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

This is a tough one for sure, the album is very well balanced. I have big-time favorites on both sides.

I even counted up the songs I "like the least" on both sides and there are really only two songs I wouldn't put on a best-of-Carpenters collection (Reason to Believe, and Baby It's You) so....it's a real tossup for me.

If I HAVE to make a choice, I'd probably go with Side 1 because of the two hits (even though I'm fairly sick of "Begun") and the presence of "Help," which is one of my all-time favorite Beatles covers. I don't think their version of that song gets enough love.

By the way, what happened to the singles polls? They seem to have stopped short.

 

[newvillefan]

With "We've Only Just Begun" and "Close To You" on the same side, this was an easy choice for me.

Echo that! Along with Love Is Surrender, a favourite album track, this was an easy choice for me as well.

 

[Toolman]

Side one, although I am also very fond of the #2 and #5 tracks on side two. Never particularly liked "Help", although I can appreciate that their almost-shrill treatment is perfectly in keeping with the song's theme. Reaction is probably too influenced by the original being one of my Beatles favorites.

 

[Harry]

I too have to go along with Side One. I can still recall playing the album the first time and being TOTALLY amazed at Side One. It's like I needed a rest before I tackled Side Two. The side began with their then-current "We've Only Just Begun." Then comes a duo of songs segued together, the uptempo "Love Is Surrender" and the sumptuous ballad of "Maybe It's You". Neither of those were hits, but they were occasionally anthologized together on various compilations over the years.

If I have a least-favorite on Side One, it would have to be "Reason To Believe", but I am far from disliking it. The song gave Carpenters an early excuse to get a little-bit country in their early concerts. Next up is "Help!" and I too have been amazed over the years in regard to the dislike of this track. Until the "Just Begun" lightning struck, I believe it was scheduled to be their followup single to "(They Long To Be) Close To You". I love the arrangement, the harmonies, everything about it - and it blows the Beatles version out of the water in the same way that "Ticket To Ride" did.

The final track on Side One looked like it was going to be the ho-hum first single placed on the album, but boy were we all surprised at about the 3:35 marl when the song refused to fade and had a whole "bonus" ending. THAT was sheer genius and capped of the album side with a round of goosebumps.

It's almost unfair of this poll to pit Side One against Side Two, because that one too is almost as amazing, IMHO. And album side that can contain the final four tracks like this one deserves just as much praise.

 

[Chris May]

By the way, what happened to the singles polls? They seem to have stopped short.

Oh they haven't gone anywhere! I just decided to take advantage of the momentum here and start posting the 'sides' thread along with

 

[GaryAlan]

Was there any doubt, for me ? We've Only Just Begun...
Side Two has (my dreaded) Mr.Guder.....which I rarely play....
But, still loving the Album over-all.....even that Cover !

 

[Mark-T]

Side One. Absolutely perfect, but I don't particularly care for "Help".

Side Two is almost as good, but there, "Mr. Guder", though it sounds great, is ruined by lyrics I don't care for.

(My original review of the whole album here. But it's next in line for a "Revisited" look.)

 

[K.C. Jr]

I'm the only one who's chosen side 2. I chose it due to my love for "Baby It's You", "Another Song", and "I Kept On Loving You." I know it's odd, but I felt more drawn to this side. Maybe because, at the time I heard it, there were more songs I didn't know on this side. Still, it's so hard to choose because I love them nearly equally.

 

[natureaker]

This was probably one of the toughest decisions I've had to make in a long time. But, I'd have to say Side 1. I absolutely adore We've Only Just Begun and Close To You. I actually really like Help. I absolutely love Side 2, and especially because of Crescent Noon. It's personally one of my most favorite songs ever. But I absolutely love both sides!

 

[Don Malcolm]

Chris, I love Matt's idea, and it creates another fantastic way to elicit spirited interaction. I do think it would be valid, however, to add the "cop-out" option of calling it "even-steven" for both sides of an LP. I wonder how many voters would opt for it if it was available--I'm guessing about half of 'em.

That would be my choice, particularly since in our Top 20 poll, I have 7 of the album's 12 tracks in my personal Top 20. And when I rank the individual Close to You tracks on a 1-10 quality level (10 being best), the two sides of this LP do indeed come out in a virtual dead heat.

What stands out on Close to You is the incredible depth and versatility of Karen's singing--wonderful as she is on Offering, we see her mostly in ballad mode on that LP, with Richard taking the leads on virtually all of the up-tempo tracks. Here she leaps into immortality, making use of every note in her vocal range, with what seems like an endless supply of nuance and tonal variety. That tonal variety is wider on Side 1, deeper on Side 2, thanks to the inclusion of two unique Spectrum-era tracks, "Crescent Noon" and "Another Song."

The first side shows that the C's could legitimately hold their own in the time frame in which the Close to You LP appeared; they pay homage to their sixties roots with "Reason to Believe" and "Help!" (with Richard's amazing organ outro that starts out stately like Procol Harum, echoes the "repeating triplets" motif in church hymns, and builds into a funky "flying fingers" finale that floors me every time I hear it).

The second side is the C's taking that place in the present day and gear-shifting into a kind of timeless realm of their own, as Karen takes her vocal stylings up another level of passion ("Baby It's You"), and spunkiness ("Never Fall in Love Again"). And then she and Richard take aim at the heavens with "Crescent Noon," with harmonies that would make even Brian Wilson slack-jawed with wonder. "Mr. Guder" might just be a little too arty and overdetermined, but the singing is simply superb--and we get Karen's first audible "Matt Munro moment" (with the way she sings "moment")!! Richard delivers a beautifully realized change-of-pace with "I Kept On Loving You"--and then we have "Another Song," the most unique song in C's history, a "dark morning of the soul" suite that is gloriously overwrought in all the right ways and takes us into a singular, beguiling, mystical sonic landscape.

I'm making sure that KC ain't alone, but it's sort of a "protest" vote--while the two sides are different, they really are equally great. My goodness, how can the world at large not realize that this is one of the top 50 LPs in pop music history??

 

[Toolman]

The first side shows that the C's could legitimately hold their own in the time frame in which the Close to You LP appeared; they pay homage to their sixties roots with "Reason to Believe" and "Help!" (with Richard's amazing organ outro that starts out stately like Procol Harum, echoes the "repeating triplets" motif in church hymns, and builds into a funky "flying fingers" finale that floors me every time I hear it).

Procol Harum, eh? Now I have to go give "Help" another listen -- you may have just opened my ears to something I hadn't heard before. Thanks.

 

[Guitarmutt]

....and I am number 3. For me, choosing side 2 is a no brainer. I do actually put on side 2 quite often skipping over the first even though I like it (this is my favorite Carpenters album, btw).

There is just a magic to side 2, for me, I cannot resist. Just listen to the range of expressions Karen's voice goes through from the depths of "Crescent Noon" to the power of "I'll Never Fall..."!

Plus, I love great musicianship and challenging arrangements. We have that in spades here as well. I never get the dislike for Mr. Guder. That's just me. Sure it's a bit rebellious, but why not? They were young. Richard could be pretty scathing with his humor back then too. Plenty of us were actually rebellious by liking this very band in the face of attacks both verbal and physical. It's a strange way of putting it, but there you go.

Another interesting thing for me is the part here where Richard's song of infidelity and saying he's back for good is followed by the song of a woman waking up to a cold bed alone and sad after her (lover/husband?) has left her. To me, it could be a concept single of broken promises and regret and despair that gradually grows more hopeful for the future as the instrumental passages progress towards the end. The entire side is a roller coaster ride, and I love it.

I once expanded upon Richard's "A Song For You" concept to about twenty songs from across the albums, and many of these songs were on it. It's on my computer.

This makes me want to put on "Close to You" side 2! Happy Sunday everyone.

 

[Murphy]

Probably the toughest album to pick a side on...both are so good. However, I'll go with Side 2, because I absolutely love their version of Baby, It's You.Also, I love Karen's vocal gymnastics on Another Song, and even though I usually can't stand Richard's vocals, I must admit I Kept On Loving You is a perfect fit for him. On the down side, Crescent Noon is the most depressing song I've ever heard in my life.