THE OFFICIAL REVIEW: "A KIND OF HUSH" (SP-4581)
- Thread starter Chris May
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Hammerandnails
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AFTER seeing this cd is getting lukewarm remarks (& i DO agree!)I've "reinvented" the "A Kind of Hush" for my own collection with songs that Richard had ready and could've possibly been a more commercial and upbeat album. I have been playing THIS selection all afternoon :
1, a kind of hush - of course, put the title track first
2. goofus - alot of people dislike this song, but i honestly believe if this was not buried as the 4th cut on side one - i think fans would've seen this as more of a new direction - also it would have shown that karen and richard were somewhat "excited" about doing this tune - surely not a single but a great new diversion for them -an experiment in updating a strange old song
3. tryin to get the feeling again - outtake from "horison" - now that we know THIS was recorded, it surely would've been the 3rd single AND could've been on this album - this would've beat manilow's version hands down
4. you - alright ! a kickass new carpenters ballad! this is what they were known for! and possibly a 4th single
5. breaking up is hard to do - end side one with a cover and a mild wonderful version of this song at best
side 2
1. i need to be in love - the new single at the top of the second side
2. ordinary fool - this recording/song is sooo good!! Richard even put it on the "from the top" collection - it should've been included on the original release!
3. can't smile without you - different order and i chose the second take ie - the b-side version of "calling occupants"
4. sailing on the tide - an outtake from "horizon" - this would have kept the pace of a more interesting collection of songs moving right along
5. one more time - beautiful - karen's voice and richard's piano song - end this album kinda like they did with "sometimes" (tan album)
yup - i HAD to get rid of "sandy" "i have you" and "boat to sail" - these were the least inspired songs on the cd (for me.......)
well, just my two cents & hey! this forum is great for venting these ideas!!!
1, a kind of hush - of course, put the title track first
2. goofus - alot of people dislike this song, but i honestly believe if this was not buried as the 4th cut on side one - i think fans would've seen this as more of a new direction - also it would have shown that karen and richard were somewhat "excited" about doing this tune - surely not a single but a great new diversion for them -an experiment in updating a strange old song
3. tryin to get the feeling again - outtake from "horison" - now that we know THIS was recorded, it surely would've been the 3rd single AND could've been on this album - this would've beat manilow's version hands down
4. you - alright ! a kickass new carpenters ballad! this is what they were known for! and possibly a 4th single
5. breaking up is hard to do - end side one with a cover and a mild wonderful version of this song at best
side 2
1. i need to be in love - the new single at the top of the second side
2. ordinary fool - this recording/song is sooo good!! Richard even put it on the "from the top" collection - it should've been included on the original release!
3. can't smile without you - different order and i chose the second take ie - the b-side version of "calling occupants"
4. sailing on the tide - an outtake from "horizon" - this would have kept the pace of a more interesting collection of songs moving right along
5. one more time - beautiful - karen's voice and richard's piano song - end this album kinda like they did with "sometimes" (tan album)
yup - i HAD to get rid of "sandy" "i have you" and "boat to sail" - these were the least inspired songs on the cd (for me.......)
well, just my two cents & hey! this forum is great for venting these ideas!!!
Hammerandnails
New Member
! nice harry
I would go along with the tenor of most of the postings. "A Kind of Hush" was a rather muted effort - the title says it all.
Speaking of the title, the title track to me will always belong to Herman's Hermits and in particular Peter Noone the lead singer. This is a typical English popular song, derived from the Music Hall tradition, that Noone and co understood so well. A bit like "Mrs Brown Youve Got a Lovely Daughter", "Leaning on the Lamp Post" and many other of their hits.
"Breaking Up is Hard to Do" was similarly superfluous - much the same as "Solitaire'. Why cover a song is you cannot find new depths in it?
Enough of the boring castenets - lets see what else I can find.
A number of bloggers refer to "One More Time" which for some reason is a song I can listen to. "You" has a certain appeal too.
But songs like "Sandy", "Boat to Sail" and the one from Bugsy Malone are rather shapeless and not especially flattering to Karen.
Funnily enough, "Goofus" as an album track (not a single) contained some of the goodies we heard in their earliest albums! It sounds out of place on this album because it is so different.
Did Richard and Karen have TOO MUCH control over albums such as this one and "Horizon"?
Well done reviewers.
Speaking of the title, the title track to me will always belong to Herman's Hermits and in particular Peter Noone the lead singer. This is a typical English popular song, derived from the Music Hall tradition, that Noone and co understood so well. A bit like "Mrs Brown Youve Got a Lovely Daughter", "Leaning on the Lamp Post" and many other of their hits.
"Breaking Up is Hard to Do" was similarly superfluous - much the same as "Solitaire'. Why cover a song is you cannot find new depths in it?
Enough of the boring castenets - lets see what else I can find.
A number of bloggers refer to "One More Time" which for some reason is a song I can listen to. "You" has a certain appeal too.
But songs like "Sandy", "Boat to Sail" and the one from Bugsy Malone are rather shapeless and not especially flattering to Karen.
Funnily enough, "Goofus" as an album track (not a single) contained some of the goodies we heard in their earliest albums! It sounds out of place on this album because it is so different.
Did Richard and Karen have TOO MUCH control over albums such as this one and "Horizon"?
Well done reviewers.
Harry said:
I appreciate the welcome Harry. Found you at last! I am very impressed with the thought that has gone into so many postings here.
For example I saw someone refer to "A Kind of Hush" as Horizon 2. Full marks. And "Passage" to me is "Horizon 3" in many ways. 3 albums that for various reason missed their targets, although I gather it was not for want of production input and studio time.
I played "A Kind of Hush" right through this afternoon and would confirm what others have said. They did themselves no favours by having "There's A Kind of Hush" as Track One, or by having "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" as the final track. Another blogger here has pointed out the agenda here (that would have possibly been promoted by A & M) - that it was an attempt to repeat "Please Mr Postman". Again I agree that this would have been a big fluke - some say the Mickey Mouse video was quite a factor for postman - sounds very possible.
But "There's A Kind of Hush" needs to be performed with some INTIMACY. I don't think it responds well to so much DOUBLE TRACKING of Karen's voice - remember, she was supposed to be one of the greatest singers at that time! Also the rollicking castenets set this album off on the wrong foot because look what followed.. a succession of intimate ballads!!
Of these ballads, songs like "You" and "I Need to Be Love" are strong enough to catch the ear and move the listener. Within a soft love song context, songs like "Ordinary Fool" and "Sandy" are satisfactory album tracks.
Would they have been better off to promote this as an album of Love Songs and replace Tracks 1 and Tracks 2 altogether?
Listening to those other tracks again - I am now thinking that "One More Time" may be one that stands up very well - a good illustration of Karen's expressive voice and quite a strong song, strong arrangement. It would not be out of place in one of their top albums pre-1974.
This was the first version of "Can't Smile Without You" (apart from a single release by David Martin the songwriter that I never heard). The Carpenters could easily have had a hit with this one but again I think Karen's voice is not heard to best advantage. Too much double tracking of the fine natural voice once again.
Has everyone read Hal Blaine's "missing chapter" on the Carpenters?
http://www.whizzo.ca/carpenter/blaine_auto.html
Regarding "Horizon" and what followed he said this:
'Well after so many hits and so many bucks, the Carpenters chose to start making their own records... as is the case with so many groups and statistically, this is usually the beginning of the end. "Why should we spend so much on producers and musicians when we can do it ourselves." They continued to do personals and they did their own records, but it seems like the top ten was now out of their reach.'
He was very close to the action, and had all the experience in the world to make this judgment.
From Wikipedia reference to the album Richards says this:
Richard Carpenter's review
'"As I have written elsewhere, I believe that the Carpenters’ explosive worldwide success in 1970 was too much, too soon for us; we were young, naïve and ultimately ill-equipped to handle properly all that was required of us. Karen, though 3 ½ years my junior, dealt with many career problems better than I, although some feel that these, combined with a perceived weight problem contributed to her developing anorexia nervosa. As a result of all of this, I inadvertently got myself addicted to prescription sleeping pills as early as 1975. As I did not take any of these during the day, I was able to function well for quite some time, but by 1976, and the making of A Kind of Hush – and the two albums that followed – I now feel I was not at my best, and am not pleased with some of the material chosen, such as 'Goofus', and 'Breaking Up Is Hard To Do'.
"Three songs, however, do stand out for me: 'I Need To Be In Love' with its soaring melody and melancholy John Bettis lyric; this became Karen's favorite Carpenters song. 'One More Time' by Lewis Anderson, a lovely combination of music and lyric, and 'Sandy', a lilting original that is perfect for Karen's voice." '
Richard agrees with us too!
After I had heard this album, I played "Lovelines" - and heard the brass, the funky bass, the improvising keyboard, all fired up by the jubilant sounding Karen - gosh this was her capability even so close to the end of her life.
George
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