THE OFFICIAL REVIEW: "A SONG FOR YOU" (SP-3511)

[Chris May]

“A SONG FOR YOU”​

Catalogue Number: A&M SP-3511
Date of Release: 06/13/72
Chart Position- U.S.: #4; U.K.: #13; JAPAN: #5
Album Singles: "Hurting Each Other"/"Maybe It's You"
"It's Going To Take Some Time"/"Flat Baroque"
"Goodbye To Love"/"Crystal Lullaby"
"Top Of The World"/"Heather"
"I Won't Last A Day Without You"/"One Love"
Medium: Reel/Vinyl/8-track/Cassette/CD​

Track Listing:

1.) A Song For You 4:42 (Russell)
2.) Top Of The World 2:56 (Carpenter/Bettis)
3.) Hurting Each Other 2:46 (Udell/Geld)
4.) It's Going To Take Some Time 2:54 (King/Stern)
5.) Goodbye To Love 3:50 (Carpenter/Bettis)
6.) Intermission 0:22 (Carpenter)
7.) Bless The Beasts And The Children 3:07 (De Vorzon/Botkin, Jr.)
8.) Flat Baroque 1:45 (Carpenter)
9.) Piano Picker 1:59 (Edelman)
10.) I Won't Last A Day Without You 3:47 (Williams/Nichols)
11.) Crystal Lullaby 3:58 (Carpenter/Bettis)
12.) Road Ode 3:50 (Sims/Woodhams)
13.) A Song For You [Reprise] 0:53 (Russell)

Album Credits:

Arranged and Orchestrated by: Richard Carpenter
All vocals: Karen and Richard Carpenter
Keyboards: Richard Carpenter
Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Hal Blaine and Karen Carpenter
Tenor Sax, Flute and Alto Flute: Bob Messenger
Bass Flute: Tim Weisberg
Guitar: Louie Shelton
Lead Guitar: Tony Peluso
Steel Guitar: Red Rhodes
Oboe and English Horn: Earl Dumler
Bassoon: Norm Herzberg
Engineered by Ray Gerhardt, Assistant: Roger Young
Special Thanks to Ron Gorow
Intermission inspired by Crucifixus - Antonio Lotti ca. 1667-1740
Baldwin Piano, Ludwig Drums, Wurlitzer Electric Piano
Art Direction: Roland Young
Photography: Front Cover, Jim McCrary; Sleeve, Bill Hennigar
Produced by Jack Daugherty Productions

Additional Notes:

Shortly following the release of this album, the cover art was changed ever so slightly, much to the dismay of Richard Carpenter. It was then changed back to the original per his request. It is also notable that this album made the cut for Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's "Original Master Recording" series in 1989, available on 24-karat gold CD format, with the 2-channel mixes having been taken from the original source, thus improving the playback quality. Several of the tracks on that release were actually remixes, however the overall quality on the whole was superior to that of the previous
release(s).

 

[aaflyer98]

My first Carpenters album I ever owned! A great album...every song on this album is superb! My Favorites being "Goodbye To Love", "Road Ode", "Crystal Lullaby" and "Top Of The World". Loved it when it came out...and still love it today.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Yup, this is the Carpenters pinnacle. Not a bad track here -- the singles are all among their very best work, and even the "filler" is great listening.

 

[Dave]

"The Sum is Less Than Equal Of It's Whole": Nearly every song on here is available on a '45'! The 8-Track I saw actually LACKED "Intermission"! And "Goodbye To Love" is the "Birth of The Power Ballad"--replicated by Boz Scaggs, Rita Coolidge, England Dan & John Ford Coley, even Barry Manilow--an "easy listening song, featuring a GUITAR SOLO!!!" The "tearjerkers" here are "It's Going To Take Some Time", "Road Ode" and "Crystal Lullabye"...and even the title-song...

After the "sleeper" quality of the experimental & still interesting Carpenters, 'A&M's Newfound Supergroup' makes the more galvanized A Song For You very First-Rate!


Dave

 

[thestitch]

Those of you who know me already know what I'm going to say--this is the quintessential Carpenters album! It's the Best!!

A very predictable,
Marilyn

 

[Chris May]

MARILYN!!! It's nice to see you here again! You've been hiding out, have you? Well, at least now I know what it takes to get you back on board when life gets too busy for ya--We'll just whip out ASFY thread topics...heehee... Glad to see you! -Chris

 

[hierogryph]

Well, yes of course. But Lovelines . . .

 

[enigma]

One of the best Carpenters releases a great record top to bottom every song is a classic superbly done and just plain great songs. 6/6 stars just perfect!!!!

 

[Harry]

Many artists have that one special album that defines them. For Carpenters, it's A SONG FOR YOU in what has to be their 'signature album' even though it doesn't contain their 'signature' tracks of "Close To You" or "We've Only Just Begun".

As an album, A SONG FOR YOU is about as perfect as it gets, starting with the sublime title track (bookended at the conclusion of the album with a reprise), and going through the seemingly endless procession of big hit singles. If the album hadn't generated the number of hits that it had, then I can't imagine that "A Song For You" wouldn't have been one of those big hit singles for the duo. It's a great track that still gets attention all these years later - no small feat for just an album track. It's even on the latest and greatest 'hits' compilation, GOLD.

The album's multiple incarnations, from the original LP, through the remixed versions on CD from both A&M and MFSL and back full circle to the 1998 Remastered Classic version with all of the original LP album mixes intact, give fans a great choice of which version they prefer. Personally, I'm partial to the original tracks, so I can't rave enough about the Remastered Classic version.

Start to finish, this is one classic album.

Harry
...from sunny Florida, online...

 

[Mark-T]

A Perfect Ten...

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I voted BEST. It's a 10 for me all the way. This album has sooo many hits it's amazing. It's almost like a signature album for them, although TTR & CTY are really considered that.

I have always dreamed of attending a Carpenters concert and the title of the concert be called "A Song for You", special booklet given out at the door. Karen siinging for 2 hours to the audience and you walk away feeling refreshed, adoration and with hope. I can only imagine what it must have felt like to have been in an audience with Karen on stage and her voice resonating the arena, not just hearing it from a tape or record or CD but with your own ears in person. It would be magic. Sadly this dream will never come true for me. But one I have had none the less.

 

[Murray]

Add me to the list of people who think that this album is the BEST! The Carpenters at their finest for sure. I was extremely disappointed that the original A&M CD contained so many remixes, so I made a point of importing a copy of the Remastered Classic version when it became available (something I didn't do with any of the other albums).

 

[thestitch]

Thanks for the "welcome back", Chris! You're right, life has been truly "nuts" lately!

Marilyn

 

[Jeff]

To me ROAD ODE stands out. The singles represented here are many however repeated listenings can make this album ear-weary. At first listen in '72 I was mesmorized. However 200,000 listens later I still appreciate the record but it's not the first spin I look to anymore. The cover art and the inner sleeve's design and the special paper that it was printed on were too cool...and still are. It's the pic of K&R that I found most enchanting. The whole "and when my life is over" thing in ASFY is hard to listen to. Perhaps that's why I shy away. No, that is why.

Nice to see you guys again,

Jeff

 

[jfiedler17]

There's so many Top 20 hits on this album (and at least one more should-have-been-a-single (the title cut)) that it almost plays like a greatest-hits album!
Just about the only complaint I could make about the album is that I've always felt that "Intermission" - especially after the high from "Goodbye to Love" - kinda kills what might otherwise have been the most perfect album side in early-'70s pop. But that's just my opinion ...
I can't say I listen to Side Two nearly as much as I do Side One, but it nonetheless still has some superb material ("I Won't Last ...," of course, but "Crystal Lullaby" comes really close to matching it, and the reprise of "A Song for You" was an absolutely brilliant way to end the album.)
I don't know that any other Carpenters album has more of a "must be experienced as an album" feeling than this one!

Jeff F.

 

[no1kandrfan]

This is the best of the best, for me, as far as albums go. I enjoy each and every song, but I do prefer the single re-mix of Top of the World, and subsequent re-mix of It's Going To Take Some Time, versus the album cuts.

I recently had installed an SACD system - new receiver, speakers - the whole works, and this album would be my first choice for future SACD remixes, should there be any more; and, by the way, listening to The Singles in SACD is an incredible experience!

Road Ode would be my choice for favorite non-single cut - I always enjoyed that one; and Intermission, however 'strange', is also a favorite - great vocal work, and pretty funny too.

Mike

 

[AudiophilePhil]

I consider this one of the top three Carpenters albums. The other two are "Carpenters" (self titled album from 1971) and "Close To You."
With no filler song, this album is very consistent in terms of the quality of the song materials. I considered this also as one of the best albums of the Rock Era.

My favourite tracks are "Road Ode", "Crystal Lulluby", the title track with its superb sax solo and "Goodbye To Love".

 

[AudiophilePhil]

Their best album.

 

[CraigGA]

I totally agree with Harry and it cannot be stated better. My vote also goes for the 1998 Remastered Classics.

Craig