Week #15: Album Cover Art, Part I: “The Karen Years”

Favorite Album Cover, Part I:

  • "OFFERING"

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • "TICKET TO RIDE"

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • "CLOSE TO YOU"

    Votes: 1 3.0%
  • "CARPENTERS"

    Votes: 1 3.0%
  • "A SONG FOR YOU"

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • "NOW AND THEN"

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • "HORIZON"

    Votes: 13 39.4%
  • "A KIND OF HUSH"

    Votes: 4 12.1%
  • "PASSAGE"

    Votes: 1 3.0%
  • "A CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT"

    Votes: 2 6.1%
  • "MADE IN AMERICA"

    Votes: 1 3.0%
  • "VOICE OF THE HEART"

    Votes: 4 12.1%
  • "AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS"

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • "LOVELINES"

    Votes: 2 6.1%
  • "AS TIME GOES BY"

    Votes: 4 12.1%

  • Total voters
    33
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Chris May

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Part I: "The Karen Years"

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offeringt.jpg
tickettoridet.jpg
closetoyout.jpg
carpenterst.jpg
asongforyout.jpg
nowandthent.jpg
horizont.jpg
akindofhusht.jpg
passaget.jpg
christmasportraitt.jpg
madeinamericat.jpg
voiceoftheheartt.jpg
oldfashionedxmast.jpg
lovelinest.jpg
timegoest.jpg

All thumbnails provided by http://www.grantguerrero.com/carpenters/carindex.html
 
I'd have to go with Horizon, with Passage my second-choice pick. I like the former because I've always liked album covers that are photographs-of-the-artist sans any kind of printing or lettering, and I like the latter because it's the "art cover" of R&K that I think works the best as a regular painting.

Jeff F.
 
OK, I'll be the first. :D I went with Passage. I have always been attracted to photography or art that uses bold primary colors and abstractions.

Runners-up for me would be Horizon and As Time Goes By, since both are very solid photographs. A lot of those early albums were proof that someone had no clue on how to present Carpenters to the world. Of the early ones, I'd say the Ticket To Ride sailboat cover is a favorite...and even that is not an original. :wink:
 
I'm 3rd, I think the first time I have been this early on the polls. :D

This was a no-brainer for me, Voice of the Heart is my vote. If a photo can speaks words this one tells me a story of Karen, just her. Although it is technically a Carpenters album cover. For me personally, I always considered it her solo cover. But in any case, it is with this cover that I simply adore. I have this 24x24 size poster of this cover that graces my music room & Karen warms my heart, she was & will forever be a ...Voice of the Heart"

My close 2nd is Horizon, of which I think will this poll. :)
 
Look at my avatar, and then guess how I voted! :D Yes, my favorite cover is none other than VOICE OF THE HEART. This is one of the best photos of Karen. Looking into her big brown eyes can still make me weak in the knees! :love: I also like the back cover, with its photo of Richard alone at his grand piano.

My second favorite is HORIZON, followed closely by A KIND OF HUSH.

Murray
...who thinks that NOW & THEN is the absolute worst cover. The window frame goes right through Karen's face! :rolleyes: ...
 
Eh, believe it or not, I chose A Kind Of Hush; the two sitting in front of the misty window doesn't match what's actually inside, but it's the first Carpenters album I actually acknowledged and took a long, hard look at in the Inner-Sleeve Gallery of then-current A&M LP's. And saw various shots of their earlier LP's on other Inner-Sleeves, too.

Now And Then would be my second-favorite, but it is very hard to see Karen & Richard in the car driving by the (their?) house--which looked to me at one time, like...A&M Records...! :freak: :confused: :shake:

Everyone, so far, voted for Horizon, and rightly so... Can't beat the two of them there...Brother & Sister...and Rock Group...!! :goofygrin:

Both Christmas LP's were a bit of a toss-up, though... :bigsanta:

And the plain, tan packaging of Carpenters, reveals a good photo... Shockingly resembling me and my sister... Really...! Sorry, I don't have a scanner... :badteeth:


Dave
 
For sheer simplicity, I think I'd like to go for the CARPENTERS album, the tan one. It's the one that introduced the now-famous logo, and its clean simplicity is what appeals to me. There are no syrupy-sweet photos to get in the way, and the original envelope packaging was unique.

For a photo cover, I'd probably pick HUSH. I always liked that whole package concept with the matching label on the record itself.

For a more abstract and different cover, PASSAGE was good.

Harry
 
Horizon gets my vote as best cover art. I love this picture of Karen & Richard. It is a great one and moves them away from the "valentine" type pictures of "A Song For You" and "Carpenters" and "Close To You".
 
I chose Horizon as well. It is the best album cover by far in my opinion. I may be reading too much into this but I believe the Carpenters were making a statement with this cover and Richard and especially Karen never looked better. I agree that this was a nice change from the "valentine pictures" of previous records. When I first saw this cover(back in 1975) I could not believe that it was the Carpenters it was so much more real and gritty compared to their previous records it was a pleasant surprise as was the amazing collection of music that it housed. :thumbsup: :love: :D
 
VOTH is actually my favorite but I thought Hush best represented their years as a true duo- thus a photo of the duo. The whole artistic angle and packaging of this album was fantastic. Especially the inside "wallpaper". Horizon is next in line.
(Clearly the best match of visual art and audio art in their catalog.)
Honestly, in the visuals department, there is not much to pick from. A&M clearly did not know what to do with them.
 
I picked "As Time Goes By". Second choice would have been "Lovelines".

I tend to be a sucker for more serious covers, something that reflects the quality that lies within that album or artist as a whole. When I first saw "As Time", I really kinda felt like Richard let us in on something personal with that one.

Call me crazy, but given the fact that Karen appears to be sleeping in the pic, Rich looking straight-faced and almost puzzled makes for the reality that Karen is gone and Richard has gone on with his life and career. Both his life and part-time career are still greatly influenced by Karen's legacy and their legacy together as a whole. -Chris
 
I vote for Horizon cover. I'm never fond of green but this one has got me into some sort of sublimity and calmness...Kenny
 
HORIZON

Karen's photograph here bears the closest resemblance to how she actually appeared upon meeting her in Feb '78. Lovely and quite vibrant. No sign of despair. I loved this cover upon release and sentimentally continue to appreciate it as time passes. I now have an OVER-abundance of HORIZON albums. In an earlier post I mentioned that I was on a quest to obtain at least 25 copies for some yet to be determined art project. Originally I had intended to stop at 25 copies creating an album cover effect. However the Pacific NW is still offering her bounty and my objective has oozed into mammoth proportions.

I'm curious to know how many copies of HORIZON others may possess around here?

With goal obscured,

Jeff
 
djn said:
I'm curious to know how many copies of HORIZON others may possess around here?

Well Jeff, I can certainly say that I personally do not own (25) copies :), but at the moment have (3):

A) Remastered Classics
B) Japanese Mini-LP
C) Autographed (Richard AND Karen) original U.S. release LP

-Chris
 
I have several HORIZON LPs, too, though my reason is different. This one escaped me in my early 80s quest for all the LPs. When I did find it new (1984), it was a reissue without the flap or inner sleeve. The next one I found was used...with the flap, but without the sleeve. Then I finally found one with both flap and sleeve. I also have the orginal issue cassette, bought new 'back in the day,' and finally the remaster CD.

Mark

P.S. - I voted for HORIZON, because of the FLAP! :D
 
Usually would select fav covers / art work as :

Horizon / Now & Then / VOTH / Christmas Portrait / Ticket To Ride :cool:

But recent new fav As Time Goes By ....with stunning photos ....secures this vote this time around ... :D

Peter
 
Conceptually, I think the "A Kind of Hush" album is fabulous (in fact, it's almost my favorite album cover of all time; the only one I liked better was Robert Palmer's "Pride"). The cover is wholly captivating with the look of condensation and the glint of sunlight silhouetting trees from a red-orange sky. I love the way that the silhouetting "edges" the image of the duo. But then turn it over and (wow!), it's a mirror image of the condensation and a now empty the sky (except for the earth suspended overhead -- almost as if seen from Mars). Just too cool!
 
AS TIME GOES BY, because at last Karen and Richard aren't faking a smile here like on many other pictures!

Second choice would be VOICE OF THE HEART.

Bruno
 
Hi All,
I went with CLOSE TO YOU, which was the first CARPENTERS lp that I obtained in Fall of 1988. I fell in love with that voice, and when I saw this album, I felt she looked pure, so beautiful, so irrestible. And when I heard that album...well, consequently, it's my favorite album of theirs at Number One.

Cameron
 
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