🎄 Holidays! THE OFFICIAL REVIEW: "CHRISTMAS WITH THE CARPENTERS" (TIME-LIFE R105-19)
- Thread starter Chris May
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tomswift2002
Well-Known Member
Maybe this thread could be merged with the other review thread of this album.
Working on it! I'm a total dork and didn't realize that the conversations we'd had previously about tracks here were on a thread specific to this album - just didn't pay that close of attention! Once I get it figured out, things will look right. Sorry about that!
There definitely has been a lot of reverb added to the mixes. The original tracks had a lot of submixing to them - which simply means that many instruments were combined onto individual tracks because of the size of the production. So what the reverb provided was a way for the album to open up even further into the stereo mix. When you had tracks that had a lot going on with them, especially back then with the limitations of the multitrack technology, it was harder to just pan a track to the left or the right without a whole submix of instrumentation going with it. The reverbs Richard added in the early 90s were more advanced stereo and provided a way to create that.
tomswift2002
Well-Known Member
Reverb makes sense as well, since Richard may've originally recorded 12 violins in one session on seperate tracks, but then mixed it down to a single stereo mix, and rerecorded over the violins with 12 viola's. Kinda of like what happened with the Beach Boys and how a lot of their 3- or 4 track recordings only had stereo for the vocals and a mono mix for the instruments. The seperate recordings for the instruments only partially exist today, or do not exist, so to create new stereo recordings requires using computer programs to pull certain instruments from the mono mixes.
Another Son
Well-Known Member
This is my first post on A&M Corner. It's good to be here!
After hearing 'Christmas Portrait' two million times since 1978 and 'An Old Fashioned Christmas' a million times since 1984, (and I love them both), it's nice to hear selected tracks in a slightly different order and mix on Time Life's 'Christmas with the Carpenters'. I like the fact that 'White Christmas' stands alone on this compilation, whereas on 'Christmas Portrait', it's joined with 'Winter Wonderland' and 'Silver Bells'. I must say, I never liked 'Silver Bells' much. (It doesn't have Karen on it). I also like the way that, on 'Christmas with the Carpenters', Richard has recorded some new little piano snippets to join some of the tracks; for instance, the snippet that leads 'Ave Maria' off is different from that on 'Christmas Portrait'. Speaking of 'Ave Maria', I prefer the mix of this song on the original 'Christmas Portrait' to the one on 'Christmas with the Carpenters'. I LOVE Karen's performance of 'Ave Maria'. The mix included on this compilation has the choir on it where she is singing high. If there's one time Karen sounds as beautiful as when she's singing low, it's when she's singing high, (and all the notes in between). Therefore, I prefer the mix that doesn't have anybody else detracting from her performance. All of Karen's performances on 'An Old Fashioned Christmas' are brilliant, so it's good that the Time Life compilation includes most of her recordings from this 1984 album. I also enjoy Richard's solo piano playing a lot, (usually, I don't think much of his solo singing), so it's nice to have a couple of his piano pieces here. Personally, I think I like Karen's 1970 reading of 'Merry Christmas, Darling' better than her 1974 one. I do like the prominent piano in this remix of the 1974 version, but I don't like the way the wonderful background vocals aren't as clear as in earlier mixes. By the way, in Australia, those of us who celebrate Christmas are used to hearing songs about snow and log fires during our often sweltering hot Christmases. The Carpenters' music plays a part in leading up to my Christmas day every year. All-in-all, I reckon the 'Christmas with the Carpenters' CD set is pretty good. It's nice for the Carpenters' completist to have, anyway, for something different to listen to.
After hearing 'Christmas Portrait' two million times since 1978 and 'An Old Fashioned Christmas' a million times since 1984, (and I love them both), it's nice to hear selected tracks in a slightly different order and mix on Time Life's 'Christmas with the Carpenters'. I like the fact that 'White Christmas' stands alone on this compilation, whereas on 'Christmas Portrait', it's joined with 'Winter Wonderland' and 'Silver Bells'. I must say, I never liked 'Silver Bells' much. (It doesn't have Karen on it). I also like the way that, on 'Christmas with the Carpenters', Richard has recorded some new little piano snippets to join some of the tracks; for instance, the snippet that leads 'Ave Maria' off is different from that on 'Christmas Portrait'. Speaking of 'Ave Maria', I prefer the mix of this song on the original 'Christmas Portrait' to the one on 'Christmas with the Carpenters'. I LOVE Karen's performance of 'Ave Maria'. The mix included on this compilation has the choir on it where she is singing high. If there's one time Karen sounds as beautiful as when she's singing low, it's when she's singing high, (and all the notes in between). Therefore, I prefer the mix that doesn't have anybody else detracting from her performance. All of Karen's performances on 'An Old Fashioned Christmas' are brilliant, so it's good that the Time Life compilation includes most of her recordings from this 1984 album. I also enjoy Richard's solo piano playing a lot, (usually, I don't think much of his solo singing), so it's nice to have a couple of his piano pieces here. Personally, I think I like Karen's 1970 reading of 'Merry Christmas, Darling' better than her 1974 one. I do like the prominent piano in this remix of the 1974 version, but I don't like the way the wonderful background vocals aren't as clear as in earlier mixes. By the way, in Australia, those of us who celebrate Christmas are used to hearing songs about snow and log fires during our often sweltering hot Christmases. The Carpenters' music plays a part in leading up to my Christmas day every year. All-in-all, I reckon the 'Christmas with the Carpenters' CD set is pretty good. It's nice for the Carpenters' completist to have, anyway, for something different to listen to.
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ABBAFANUSA
New Member
Hey there! I'm currently uploading my CD's to my own personal cloud device and I always attach the artwork to each CD. As I was scanning this Time Life CD booklet I noticed that the logo is different to the official one. I'm very curious as to why the would make a new one rather than use the proper one.
Most likely due to what you've pointed out - the fact that it wasn't released through A&M, but rather a Time-Life release. I'm not sure why they were allowed to use a replication of the logo, yet not be simply given the original artwork.
tomswift2002
Well-Known Member
I was just listening to this album on New Year's Eve, which was really nice, since when Karen sang "Maybe it's much to early in the game, ah, but I thought I'd ask you any way. What are you doing New Year's Eve?" I was like, "No, it's not to early!"
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
Thanks Harry for re-opening this thread. We should sticky this to the top with the others, let the public know this release exists.
I gave it 4 stars. I play it every year and was playing it just this past weekend. I still stand behind that it’s a terrific release. As much as I appreciate all the interludes from Christmas Portrait, it’s really a fresh new take to hear these being played back to back as stand alone tracks. It allows you to hear them without blending into the next track with a segue.
If you never heard this collection and you are so use to hearing Christmas Portrait. It might take some getting use to hearing Merry Christmas Darling and then Little Alter Boy right after. I always associate MCD going right into I’ll Be Home For Christmas. They just go together. Ha
Then with Little Alter Boy, I’m just so use to hearing the next track being Do You Hear What I Hear but on the Time Life it’s I’ll Be Home For Christmas.
So it’s a bit mixed up but in a good way, Richard really did a great job by keeping most of it the same but switching it up a bit and it WORKS!!
I also think the red logo lettering on silver CD’s is a classy touch to the holiday season.
I miss being surprised by new releases like this.
I ordered mine over the phone from the tv advertisement when it was shown.
Wow times have changed since then.
I gave it 4 stars. I play it every year and was playing it just this past weekend. I still stand behind that it’s a terrific release. As much as I appreciate all the interludes from Christmas Portrait, it’s really a fresh new take to hear these being played back to back as stand alone tracks. It allows you to hear them without blending into the next track with a segue.
If you never heard this collection and you are so use to hearing Christmas Portrait. It might take some getting use to hearing Merry Christmas Darling and then Little Alter Boy right after. I always associate MCD going right into I’ll Be Home For Christmas. They just go together. Ha
Then with Little Alter Boy, I’m just so use to hearing the next track being Do You Hear What I Hear but on the Time Life it’s I’ll Be Home For Christmas.
So it’s a bit mixed up but in a good way, Richard really did a great job by keeping most of it the same but switching it up a bit and it WORKS!!
I also think the red logo lettering on silver CD’s is a classy touch to the holiday season.
I miss being surprised by new releases like this.
I ordered mine over the phone from the tv advertisement when it was shown.
Wow times have changed since then.
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
I just noticed that if you click on the Holidays tab (only) it will give you a list of ALL the Holiday official threads. The same works for Official Review. So if your looking for a certain Holiday or Official Review thread if you find one just click that word and all of them show up.
I just accidentally clicked on the word and found this out. It would have helped save me time when I was looking for this thread lol.
Cool feature.
I just accidentally clicked on the word and found this out. It would have helped save me time when I was looking for this thread lol.
Cool feature.
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