Close To You

“Close to You” by The Carpenters (1970) I’m embarrassed to say how familiar I am with this album. For most of my adult life these delicacies topped the grocery list of songs ‘most likely to make me change the station’. With starchy and otherwise unremarkable instrumentals, lyrics and melodies mostly snatched off the plates of others, and a compulsion to sample everything on the arranging buffet, these siblings offer high calorie fare for mass indulgence. Karen’s voice, a syrupy contralto, is spiced with touching croaks. Richard’s easy-to-imitate keyboards and backing vocals are like gravy on quaaludes. The opening track, “We’ve Only Just Begun”, is sugar-coated sugar, played at way too many weddings while bride and groom stuffed into each other’s mouths all that cake with extra frosting. The message is so unrealistically idealistic that many marriage veterans must have felt the urge to purge. The other super-hit from this high carb collection is the title track, “Close to You”, which should be banned for metaphor abuse. The rest is ear candy at best, if not intravenous sonic glucose. This is an album that, unfortunately, will stay with us forever, like middle age paunch. 1/5

An absolute masterpiece of an album. Every track on the record is laced with intricate instrumentation and lovely vocal harmonies, and to top it all off, you get Karen Carpenters stunning voice. Fantastic stuff👌🏽

I absolutely love Carpenters, esp. Karen Carpenter whose vocals are hauntingly beautiful, but have to say I have never listened to a full album. 'Close to You' is a beautiful record, with the title track and 'We've Only Just Begun' as highlights. Of course it wouldn't be a Carpenters album without a Beatles cover ('Help') and some slower ballads to pad out the tracklist. 'Crescent Moon' and 'Another Song' were intriguing additions; especially the latter with its movement from pop to jazz in one song. If I wasn't such a big Carpenters fan I'd probably give this a 3, but as I love them so much and as the title track is just so stunningly gorgeous, it's gotta be a 4 from me.

It's hard not to love the Carpenters. Karen has a gorgeous voice, and their songs just have such a beautifully wholesome and melodic quality to them. Some of the duo's biggest hits, 'We've Only Just Begun' and 'Close to You' are here, but every track is worth listening. Their cover of The Beatles' 'Help' is inspired, and I've always been a fan of their somewhat less popular but still fairly well-known track "I'll Never Fall in Love Again".

Warm, elegant, jaunty and sophisticated pop. Beautiful.

Sickly sweet twee bullshit. This album lasts 2340 seconds and for ever single one of those seconds I wanted to switch this off. Devoid of any redeeming qualities. Wank.

Nope, they should have stuck to carpentry.

Great! Mostly the songs are very sweet, but also interesting. What struck me most was the drums and percussions and the use of weird instruments like flutes.

Oh man I loved this album, such beautiful chords and harmonies.

Just beautiful music and lyrics with perfect harmony, no biggie.

The Carpenters is always a good one. It was nice to have an album I like on my birthday. ;)

Saved Prior: None Not Saved: 12. Help (Hard to outdo the Beatles) 11. Crescent Noon 10. Baby It's You Cutting Edge: 9. (They Long To Be) Close To You (Crazy that this was their huge hit. I'm sure it'll grow on me) Off Rip: 8. Reason To Believe 7. I'll Never Fall In Love Again 6. Another Song 5. Maybe It's You 4. Mr. Guder 3. I Kept On Loving You 2. We've Only Just Begun 1. Love Is Surrender Overall Notes: This album made me go :). Happy music. Can't wait to take some summer drives to this.

Sarah’s Mum’s favourite album 🤗🥰

3 songs added to playlists

Karen's voice & vocal range is amazing! Richard's musical skills are legendary! What a wonderful album!

It was memory lane

This is the beginning of superstardom for the Carpenters. Their mix of pop, soft rock and folk with some sweet harmonies is undeniable here. That being said, is this the best Carpenters album? Probably not. Will I constantly come back to this one? Also probably not. However, the influence of the Carpenters can be heard throughout the rest of the 70s and Karen Carpenter is a badass. Her story is a roller coaster if you’re ever interested. Favorite song: Help (good Beatles cover) Least favorite song: Mr. Guder

Was really surprised by this one, ended up liking it a lot more than I thought. While not a fan of the sort of soft rock of the 70’s that they make, it pretty undeniable the level of talent there, and I honestly say it’s music that is catchy and sticks with you. I think I’d give it a 3.5 Standouts for me were We’ve Only Just Begun, Love Is Surrender, and (They Long To Be) Close To You

No doubting the voice but god it’s so twee and sweet. I can still acknowledge that it contains some very well crafted songs though

I can’t do this kind of ethereal saccharine music. It is what it is though, and it’s not inherently bad per se.

Best carpenters since Jesus

Absolute shit. Hated every second

During an interview with Time Magazine in 1982, Karen Carpenter revealed she had a major crush on upcoming football prodigy, Nigel Spackman. When asked about the revelation, Spackman is quoted as saying "I'd fuck the shit out of her ass 'til kingdom come, but unfortunately I'm dating my own uncle right now". It remains unknown as to whether the two did eventually fuck the shit out of eachother, but a close source tells us to "get out of my house you lunatics, before I call the police".

Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple all owe royalties to The Carpenters. We were forced to listen to The Carpenters' dribble when AM stations were the only option. They are the main reason that our Christmas and birthday lists were full of requests for The Coop, Sabbath, etc. Karen Carpenter's story is tragic and I sincerely hope that she rests in peace. But the music still sucks.

Que gran disco. Wholesome. Me parece que nunca había apreciado lo conmovedor que suena el hitazo close to you, no tanto por la letra, sino que la instrumentación y la voz están muy chidas. Además de esa, me gustó bastante Mr Guder que contrasta con el resto del disco pues llega sonar algo creepy y el energético final another song, suena como a que un estado de felicidad tranquila y movidita a la vez al final del disco. Mood: el día en el que tú naciste (the angels got together?) nacieron todas las flores

Mejor que cualquier disco de Fleetwood Mac cocainómano pop.

Expectedly pleasant.

Really enjoyed it. Best album this generator has provided thus far. Karen’s vocals are immense 👍🏾 One of them albums where you’ve heard the songs already

Loved the Beatles cover.

Ша ла ла ла и ОУОУ

Fav songs: - Maybe It's You - Help - (They Long To Be) Close To You) - Crescent Noon

4.5

Finally some real stars

i mean... it's the carpenters

slaps

Perfect winter album.

The album is psychedelic pop. It has elements inspired by the Beatles. My favorite tracks are “Help” and “Another song.” It’s very experimental.

Whoa! These harmonies. There's also an interesting balance of these very familiar timbres paired with more challenging songwriting. It's like a really intimate, heavy ballet. Favorite Tracks: Love is Surrender, Mr. Guder, I'll Never Fall in Love Again

you can see the flares, and the inserting of the cassette into the beat up car heading on the road trip, and the singing of the school choir and it seeming a bit naff but the songs are great and its jazzier than you think

Mom is wrong the Carpenters are good

Naprawdę mi się podobało. Nie tylko głosy 2 wokalistów fajnie się łączyły, ale wiele piosenek miało niesamowicie chwytliwe melodie. Do tego te skrzypce niekiedy. Spoko albumik, myślę że nawet dam 5, bo choć muzycznie to nie jest rewolucja, to słuchało się bardzo przyjemnie

A wonderful record. Beautiful voices and upbeat music make Close To You radiate with joy and optimism of the early 70s. Splendid. Highlight: whole album, really

I really enjoy the soft sound, catchy writing, and the combo of the pair's vocals. Plus, Help was a very welcome surprise well executed.

For some reason I never seem to think "Oh boy, I really want to listen to The Carpenters today," but every time I do they draw me in like no other. The arrangements are just perfect, every texture and layer absolutely decadent. And Karen herself is a magnificent gem, of course. This was simply a delight.

As the two singles compilations are perfect, I usually do not listen to regular albums of the Carpenters. However, some of these are excellent too, like this one. First half is perfect (5*). Second half has a decent share of 5* moments, but is perhaps a little inconsistent. Overall: 5*.

Trop bon. Une decouverte pour moi aussi fou que ca peut l'être. 5*

Great album. Loved every song. The vibe of this album was immaculate. I am glad I listened to it.

5 I just love this album. "Close To You" has been with me for a long time, and always makes me think of my mom, like a lot of other music on this list, but this song beats most. Also "Reason to Believe" caught me off guard. I've listened to Tim Hardins song A LOT especially Karen Daltons and Rod Stewarts version and it hit me so hard the first time I heard it in "Every Picture Tells a Story". Hadn't heard "Help" and "Another Song" before, and they both really positively surprised me. I was scared the whole thing was going to be way too sweet, but you can really feel both their musical presence, and it's so endearing.

Close to You is one of the best love songs. Very pleasant album.

Karen Carpenter's voice is the most comforting, lovely sound. Very fun, very 70s arrangements. I like this.

Soft rock, classic album. Pretty good, enjoyed listening to it.

This was fun for sure. I liked the vocals and the covers were enjoyable

Liked it more than I expected. Karen has a great voice

Album is a little sappy, but killer vocal harmonies and sax.

Este me parece un disco muy apropiado, por sus sonidos, para un locus amoenus. La voz, siempre dulce, de Karen Carpenter le da a algunas canciones un toque casi sublime y la instrumentación acompaña esta impresión. Por ahí se escuchan flautas, aunque el piano, las percusiones pues y las cuerdas, todo se usa creo de forma que se construye este mood. Quizá muy cursi a momentos, pero tiene el rolonononón "(They Long To Be) Close To You", eso sí, el cover de "Help" me parece un poco inane. Las otras favs son ese gran inicio "We've Only Just Begun", muy fastuoso para lo que viene después, y "I'll Never Fall In Love Again". 9/10

Lovely stuff

4/5

Thoroughly enjoyable Sunday morning listening.

Да это ж почти полностью кавер-альбом, что за подлянка! И это что, каждый раз теперь проверять надо, в каждом ли альбоме исполнитель не поленился хотя бы большинство треков запилить сам? Благо, это были те странные времена, когда кавер-версии затмевали оригиналы и оставались в веках. В случае с Help, конечно, тягаться с оригиналом смысла особо не имело. В шоу "Хованский разрулит" мы слышим именно версию The Beatles. Ну а с заглавным треком фортануло, именно эту версию мы несколько раз слышим в Симпсонах. Несмотря на разброс авторов, в целом альбом чувствуется цельным. Ладно, разве что та же Help! для уха выбивается. Но собственные треки, что есть, интегрированы гладко. Да и звучит всё славно. Как раз тянский вокал сюда давно не завозили.

Интересно. Ну в целом не то чтобы сильно выделяется на фоне поп-музыки того времени (хотя уже 70 год, уже это все на спад шло, и всякие Walker Brothers клитором не командовали), но душевно и кропотливо сделано, видно что с саунд-дизайном работа хорошая проведена. Про Карпентерс я раньше слышал в основном в разрезе того, что Sonic Youth на них надрачивали, и это мне сильно портит восприятие, ибо их творчество теперь воспринимается практически исключительно в разрезе довольно трагичной смерти Карен Карпентер (впрочем, если там в комментах на ютубе посмотреть, то не у меня одного). Вот есть у этих песен какой-то такой привкус, какое-то ощущение, что больной человек переживает нервный срыв, и тебе не следует на это смотреть. Действительно же очень грустные песни по сути, даже в целом мажорная Help битлов звучит как-то зловеще и безнадежно. В общем эмоционально не самый простой альбом, не уверен, что захочу слушать его ещё раз когда-то. Но песни сами по себе хорошие, голос сильный, аранжировки более чем приятные. 8/10

This is actually truly fantastic pop. And I'll admit I have a huge soft spot for Karen Carpenter. (By the way, check out videos of her playing drums...amazing!)

Close to you and never Fall in Love kennt denk ich jeder Schön arrangiert alles in allem natürlich sehr ruhig

Nice

Enjoyed this more than anticipated considering it's an album of love songs, most of which aren't original

Easy listening

more certified bangers on a single album than most musicians have in three lifetimes

On one hand this isn't really my preference but it's undeniably great as inoffensive easy-listening and who doesn't know at least some of these songs?

Nice.

Good stuff, they have a special place in my heart because my mom was a fan when I was young and would play them sometimes.

VERY good. I was surprised at how much I liked it. It could get a little schmaltzy, but I didn't really mind. I'm almost tempted to give this a 5. I'd probably give it a 4.5 if I could. It's pretty solid. Karen Carpenter is a great singer, and Richard is an amazing arranger.

Hi: Crescent Moon Lo: Help The Carpenters has such a definitive 70's sound that their music frequently mistaken for commercials and TV theme songs of that era; vocal harmonies, sweeping violins, mellotron, and lazily strummed guitars. It's makes you want to sway and is carefree and peaceful. Radio hits like We've Only Just Begun and Close To You are present and accounted for, but Crescent Moon is deep and brooding, absolutely the standout performance on this album. Unfortunately, the cover of Help, however well executed just feels out of place, and I'm not a fan. There really isn't anything bad here, it's a competent, and fairly well executed album from start to finish.

Beautiful music

Such a beautiful voice, such a sad ending. This is Sunday afternoon on the porch and a book.

I was very much enjoying this album until that awful Help cover came on and then Baby It's you. Close to you is pretty cute of course. Rest of the album was ok

VERY good. I was surprised at how much I liked it. It could get a little schmaltzy, but I didn't really mind. I'm almost tempted to give this a 5. I'd probably give it a 4.5 if I could. It's pretty solid. Karen Carpenter is a great singer, and Richard is an amazing arranger.

I could only remember a couple songs by the Carpenters and they were both well done on this album. As I listened I realized how much of them I had heard over my life and they were really good. I would put this as a solid mellow album, great for easy listening or background music, but certainly not one to rock out to. Maybe not the best for a long boring car drive because it was so mellow, but that is also its strength. I’d listen again.

Liefelijk plaatje met een goeie zangeres

Mellow 70s pop. - Think Burt Bacharach ... who incidentally, wrote a couple of songs on this album. (They Long to Be) Close to You is great. So is I'll Never Fall in Love Again. On the other hand, the Help - Cover doesn't seem to quite work, and there are one or two songs that are just OK. Still, Karen Carpenter phantastic voice carries this album throughout. I'll give it 3.5/5.

Karen had a beautiful voice, some of the first music I remember

Hella pleasant. Everything about this album is just soft. Karen’s voice is angelic and the sounds are just so nice and comfortable. A few strange ones within the track list but still a very chill listen. 7/10

Perfectly composed if not a bit sickly sweet

a Lovely collection of songs

Some covers. Soft voice. Not great for parties.

Enjoyed it but don’t know if I would seek out. Still gets a 4 because clearly it is good

Huh. So I assumed I was not going to like this, because the bits of individual Carpenters songs I've heard have done nothing for me. However... I find myself liking this over the full listen. I guess hearing them in the context of the album is a different and better thing. Beginning of We've Only Just Begun - reminds me of Carole King, but then the chorus goes in a brighter direction, which is sorta cheesy, but I don't hate. I prefer the non-chorus portions of the song, but overall I like it. Love is Surrender - just ok, but not bad. I like the organ and background more than the singing in this one. Sorta a Charlie Brown vibe. Maybe It's You - nice melancholy song. Sorta reminds me of Beach Boys - Pet Sounds. I like when the woman sings on her own, more than the vocal harmonies, I think. She has a nice lilt. Reason to Believe - reminds me of a chill country song. It again has a Carole King quality that's sorta nice, but overall this song is just ok. Help - this song is a banger and a surprise. I like it. (They Long to Be) Close To You - everyone's heard this song. It's basically a meme at this point. I did find myself enjoying it more than I expected. The twinkly keys in the background reminded me of something from like Willy Wonka. It's a chill song. It also has lots of just the woman singing (I should find out her name. Karen). Baby It's You - Just ok one. Not much to say. I don't like "sha la la la la oooh" portions in songs though. I'll Never Fall in Love Again - More Carole King vibes. Like, quite a bit. I like this song for that reason. More of just Karen singing, except a few overdubs. Crescent Noon - more of a jazzy number. I like it. Not in the instruments so much, but in the singing. Again, sort of a melancholy, moody song, which is my style. Mr Guder - weird song, which makes me like it. It has the "ba da da da" stuff, but in a weird way and I dig it. I Kept On Loving You - Ken(?)-led song. That's my least favorite part about it, but the rest has that Belle and Sebastian quality I noticed. The instrumentation is quite nice. Another Song - more Carole King feel. I am realizing these guys preceded Carole King in general, so probably I should be saying it the other way around. I like Karen's singing a lot by this point. The instrumentation is really nice on this song too. I like the harpsichord and the drumming, especially. Weird song to end on, and apparently it's the least-listened song on the album, according to Spotify numbers. Overall: I'm realizing that a lot of the background sounds that I'm liking are similarly represented in Belle and Sebastian's happier music. I think without that touchpoint, I might find this more cheesy than I did. Didn't expect to like this, but I did. 4/5

Lovely and definitely of its time. Makes me once again feel sad about how Karen Carpenter died.

I was surprised by how many covers they do. Actually enjoyed Mr Guder

Very solid, very *very* soft rock. The title track and "We've Only Just Begun" are clear standouts.

Love a bit of Carpenters, it's cheesy and sugary but it's good!

Easy listening gold. Smooth from start to end.

Enjoyed this album, it was very relaxing to listen to.

Strangely enjoyable and lots of variety. Good listen.

Karen Carpenter can SING. Such a simple sound with some easy to listen to harmonies. I loved the cover of Help! and Crescent Noon was a standout for me. I wouldn’t listen to this to get fired up but definitely had me relaxed!

Karen Carpenter's voice is so clear and gorgeous. This album had great variety and it's fun to hear a lot of songs that I know from oldies radio or movies/show soundtracks. Just an all around pleasant listen!

Suavemente agradável o vocal da Karen.

Beautiful if a little contrived

Karen Carpenter’s ethereal voice sells the soft rock fantasy with ease. You’re getting iconic songs delivered by a voice too pure to exist. It gives me chills.

W niektórych przypadkach nie jestem pewien czy to na nich się wzorowali, czy sami ściągnęli, ale ogólnie podało się.

Bra

Why is it called soft rock when it goes so hard?

Very niice

Hold me and sing me to sleep Karen

Earnest love songs never make a big splash. Unless they do. And these are deserving of the hype. Carefully composed like they used to do, wistfully delivered by a magnetic voice (except for that so-so one when her brother had a go).

Great time. Calm and lovely

I never paid close attention to the harmonies or Karen's vocal rage, so this album was a treat. I had already enjoyed their music & I know a fair deal about Karen's demise. In all, this is a beautifully composed album & is now part of my "chill' playlist.

08/31/2022 Karen Carpenter, I will always love you. Been finding a lotttt of comfort in soft 70s music lately, this album was so amazing. I really love the carpenters a lot and it’s a shame that they don’t always get taken seriously just bc they’re aren’t perceived as “hard” by society. I hope I still have the record of this laying around somewhere??? Crescent noon was amazing. — Damn, today SUCKED. I felt off from the second I walked into studio. Today was just one of those days where shit just piles on and continually gets worse. We worked w Rhino today and since my understanding is so very basic, I was having a really hard time moving as quickly and efficiently as my other classmates. I’m struggling a lot. I feel like I don’t have anything special or useful to bring to the table like literally any of my other classmates do. Feeling super incompetent tonight…. Got drunk to try and numb some of the bad feelings, but it kinda just led me to wallow even more. Idk if how I feel on a day to day basis is normal, because by the end of every day I feel super panicky and nervous. Doubtful that I’m even making the right decisions in life. Hopeless bc I struggle to find motivation to keep moving forward sometimes. I’m really hoping that all these feelings are just hormone related.

karen carpenter i miss and love you. - today was kinda horrible 💀💀 i feel so lonely in all my classes. i feel like everyone’s just kind of forgotten about me/doesn’t feel the same :0 feelings they felt for me in the past. been contemplating just playing the game and getting back on socials, i just don’t want to compromise my values/interests for some bs/childish stuff. mom and dad noticed i was upset and had a talk with me. it seemed like mom was annoyed more than anything. she was saying something along the lines of “why do u need validation so bad 🤨😒” which was not at all what my dilema was but i didn’t feel like correcting her. dad always knows how to subtly support me. he’s done it ever since that one point in my life last year. he took me to cut some wood at the field where we used to hunt before the guy started calling the cops on us 💀 he took the chainsaw. mom also came but she stayed in the car. it took me a while to recognize the place bc everything is flat. it really broke my heart for some reason. dad showed me a tree that had been cut that looked at least 50 years old. it was a very melancholic day/moment.

Den Titel kennt man. Hippie Musik

If there was ever an album that was a product of its time, this is it, in good ways and in bad. The Carpenters mostly worked in the old style of easy listening orchestral pop, which might not resonate with you if you're more inclined to more rock/soul/hip hop genres. You're missing something special though if you dismiss it. If you just lean into this music, it's so lovely to hear. Karen Carpenter's sweetly melancholy vocal is incredibly engaging and just elevates every song, even the less interesting ones. On the flip side, I'm not a big fan of Richard Carpenter as a vocalist. I will say that, coincidentally, three of my favorite songs on this album happen to be Richard Carpenter compositions. He has an unusual ear for instrumentation and arrangement that we probably don't talk about enough. There's a level of talent and craft that you just don't see in pop anymore. Fave Songs: (They Long to Be) Close to You, We've Only Just Begun, Another Song, Mr. Guder, Crescent Noon

7/10. Quite old fashioned, but very pleasant

Youthful innocence and optimism is found here which seems rare these days with increasing cynicism and irony. Good songs and vocal harmonies. The key changes in Crescent noon is perfect.

Quite a mix of songs with interesting arrangements. Sometimes the harmonies are too cloying. Above all it's the voice that elevates.

It's not bad it's just very... safe. Dull, edgeless, kind of boring. I can't say I dislike it (cos the harmonies are gorgeous), but I can't say I remember a whole lot from it either. Favorite tracks: "Help", "(They Long to Be) Close to You", "Another Song"

it's fine. Kind of dull and sappy.

Irgendwie zu fröhlich... Viele blumige Komplimente, die sich beiläufig anfühlen. Schöne Stimmen. Insgesamt angenehm zu hören, obgleich auch noch nicht unmittelbar für mich in eine Gemütsstimmung einordbar. Ich bin mir noch unschlüssig darüber, ob ich sie nochmal hören würde. Vielleicht überzeugt mich ja der Rest ihrer Discography. Ich werd mir mal die restlichen zwölf Alben anhören... irgendwann...

Eh. I like the carpenters, sort of just went by. Good stuff though yep

Fun. Love and game show style music

Not my style, but I can appreciate it.

Not my thing, but beautiful vocals.

Ziemlich kitschig. Nur "Help" verhilft zu drei Sternen

well this certainly is the carpenters

Nice

p good

Exceedingly smooth. It's amazing how many of these songs I've heard before and how ingrained they've become in American society.

very....nice--for better and worse

Very easy listening-ish, but you have to love Karen Carpenter's voice. 3 stars.

Very pleasant easy listening, with lots of the songs familiar from film soundtracks or adverts... Fave track - "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" - great lyrics!

I frickin hate it when people sing just for the sake of singing! But it's not that horrible in this one. The texts are pretty dull (borderline hippie stuff), but at least the singing is melodic and fits the music. I listened to the album while reading on wikipedia article about the rather tragic career of the band and premature death of Karen. It was a good read, and with the background music I felt thoroughly entertained. Then again, I still have to deduct two stars, because in the end it wasn't much more than pleasant background noise.

Bastante flojon, harta de que siempre el mismo sonsonete y tonada

I didn't expect to like this, but it was calming, pleasing and melodic. I liked the Beatles cover of Help.

That was pleasant to listen to. Well put together and a real cruisy vibe. Liked it more than I thought I would.

Oh Marge... por vous. Close to You is a classic. I remember listening to ‘I’ll never fall in love again’ on the Austin Powers Spy Who Shagged Me cassette tape, but I think that was the Burt Bacharach original/remake. Single folk must hate this album. Baby It’s You- just the right amount of sax 👌. Some cool classics, intertwined with some dull

Está bien, pero no es mi estilo de música

"We've only just begun" and "(They long to be) close to you" are by far the most popular songs. Super soft album. 6/10.

im not German

Smatlzy. I def know some of these songs. Not my style at all, but I can see how it would be influential. I did enjoy listening, Help and I'll never fall in love again are the standout tracks

not in the mood

Suave. Buenas voces. No me ha llamado especialmente la atención

good music, slightly psychedelic and a big rip off of the beatles but nice

Easy listening is not generally my go-to genre, but this is really well done. The harmonies are tight, the arrangements solid. I doubt I'll come back to this on my own, but I wouldn't be upset if I heard it on the radio.

.

Corny? Yes. But who doesn't need nice and smooth music from time to time. Great singer, and an underrated drummer.

Very singsongy and 70s, but I liked this for casual listening. Mr. Guder sample was fun to identify and track down Saved: We've Only Just Begun, Mr. Guder

Good vocal performance. Easy to listen to, not special.

We’ve only just begun: very good Love is surrender: good Maybe it’s you: excellent Reason to believe: good Help: good Close to you: very good Baby it’s you: below average I’ll never fall in love again: average Crescent noon: excellent Mr. Guder: above average I kept on loving you: average Another song: good 6.5/10

Outside of the hits, there’s not much here

Pretty good, the lead singer is very talented. Kinda cheesy 70's romance pop. 3.5

3.5 Cool drums

So. This album is considered "easy-listening" and while I don't think I've ever really considered exactly what that genre entails I feel like I got a crash course in it today. A very comfortable, gentle crash. I've actually heard a few of these songs before (even beyond the title song), so it was interesting to be able to put an artist to them - particularly since I've also heard the group's name so often and somehow completely avoided listening to their music; I have my music snob parents to than for that, I suppose. All said, decently poppy, non-challenging music that was a suitable fit for a long bike ride on a windy day.

Pleasant folk/poppy album. Some of the songs sounded familiar, and some were definitely covers. Not bad, just not my style.

Fun.

Agreeable easy listening, although mostly a bit bland. Close to you is absolutely legendary though.

Enjoyed this much more than anticipated...still ultimately kind of boring but less so than I thought it would be. 3 🌟

I’ve always had a thing for The Carpenters, so I’m disappointed when their less notable singles fail to match the unique quality Karen's voice offers. Delightful to listen to, with a couple of hits if you’re into feeling somewhat dismal, but not an album I’m floored by. Favs 1. We’ve only just begun : I listen to this — what I assume is a classic — at least a couple times a cycle because of the wistful sunset feeling it gives, optimistic with a tinge of sadness, or apprehension, but when the trumpets kick in, the song becomes almost reassuring to listeners who are beginning new endeavours-relationships-etc.. because “we’re sharing horizons that are new to us”.. a line I’ll never get tired of. A compelling, sentimental introduction to the album, which could have easily been made a track in the film “Brooklyn” (2015). lol. 2. Close to You — I’m kicking myself for never listening to this before, because apparently it’s a HIT (oops) but uH yeah I guess this lives up to its 90 000 000 + plays on Spotify. This was stunning … and although I’m no instrumental connoisseur … I’m a little awed by the breadth of instruments covered in this … with any other artist this could have been overwhelming but Karen’s voice somehow makes it all acceptable. My only issue with this song is trivial , just that the lyrics were repetitive, too obsessive for my liking and didn’t exactly hold a lot of meaning (see: Why do stars fall down from the sky/Every time you walk by?/Just like me, they long to be/Close to you). As for the rest, nothing stood out to me as memorable, although Maybe It’s You and I’ll Never Fall in Love Again were pleasant enough. I thought their cover of Help was unnecessary and honestly annoying… Mr. Guder was a odd tinkly ballad mix (but I can’t deny the tasteful instrumentals); see I just think most of these arrangements are too soft and ill-fitting to support the melancholy typical of her voice . Like, I’ve always found the intoxicating flute solos in their cover of This Masquerade a beautiful match.

In terms of a pop album, I enjoyed this a lot more than the kinks. Good use of percussion and great vocal harmonies. Especially loved the atmosphere of the last song.

Lots of love-themed ballads and two harmonized vocalists. Like what they would play on the Partridge Family or something. Bonus point for Burt Bacharach showing up.

Pretty nostalgic, liked most of the songs

Not my cup of tea. Some covers, some family-friendly songs, but nothing special in my view.

Not my cup of tea

Very chill. Enjoyed their Help cover.

WHY DO BIRDS?! Glad to hear where this song came from.

3.5/5 A lovely collection of lovely love songs. Standout Tracks: Love Is Surrender, (They Long To Be) Close To You, Crescent Noon,

reminds me of the jetsons Did they make a song for Willy Wonka? They did the "shalalala" thing from Hercules in Baby It's You

This album started out okay. We've Only Just Begun is a more interesting song than I remember it being. I was surprised by how many of these songs I knew, though I didn't care enough to look up how many of the songs are covers. After a while, though, it just starts to feel very samey and very very saccharine. The cover of The Beatles's Help is insipid. It's not bad, and I understand why people like this album so much, but I found it cloying. A little bit of human misery would have gone a long way toward improving this album 3/5

I've heard OF these guys but couldn't name any songs off the top of my head. Looking at the cover I'm going with folk rock, maybe a bit poppier. Chick will be the singer. Ok a bit off the mark - mostly pop, almost disco in a way. I can see why it's here on the list, it has that 70s charm to it, couldn't place it in any other time. It makes easy listening sound like heavy metal, but it's pretty relaxed and everyone plays/sings well. Naturally, none of it was written by the band themselves beyond one or two secondary credits for the brother. But that seems to be the norm for bands until like the mid 70s. My main criticism is that it's beyond inoffensive, almost indescribably sickly sweet. In that sense it's aged far more than music 20 years older than it. And for better or worse, it could never survive in the pop music world today - there's no sexual overtones, not an innuendo in sight. It's family variety show fodder, but we don't have variety shows anymore (at least not in Australia). But swipes at how squeaky clean it is aside, this was an enjoyable listen. Maybe a bit frustratingly, the last minute or so of the last song was the most exciting bit haha. Still, 3/5.

Simple, I liked it.

Just relaxing, easy listening vibe. Music to build furniture to.

fleetwood mac vibes

Was OK. Can appreciate why it's a noted release but not really my thing

My listening journey arrives at a lake of early 70's treacle. As many have commented here, it's a sickly sweet listen... but who cares? The commitment is sublime. After listening a few times, I found Karen Carpenter's pure, warm velvet vocals- and the skill behind the harmonies and arrangements- were enough to sell the most trite of material that would sink other artists. The maudlin love songs are the most dated on offer here, and "We've Only Just Begun" is the worst of all, with lyrics saccharine enough to induce diabetes. But even here, the harmonies are lush, controlled, even enchanting. ​"Reason to Believe" is an upbeat highlight from the first side, and it's fun hearing their take on Beatles classic "Help." Then, the run of Bacharach tracks started to stretch my patience- "Close to You" feels parodic, cloying, irritating through all the over-exposure the years have given it. But then came Mr Guder. One of the most intriguing songs on offer both harmonically and lyrically, it also has an incredible a-capella section that completely caught me off-guard and knocked me out. From there I was completely sold to go and listen again. It's a shame we don't hear much more original material across the album- potentially because it's early days for the Carpenters and covering standards ensured more commercial appeal. Although "Crescent Noon" is a bit shapeless, the other originals on offer- "Maybe It's You" and closer "Another Song" with its extended instrumental- show great promise. It's by no means perfect and the songs themselves are often questionable, but it's all very well packaged there's certainly much worse out there. Critics of this record have been out too long in the cold- they need to grow into this woolly jumper of an album, spend more time by its fireside glow, and feel the warmth.

This is average. Kinda bland and boring, but also good.

A lot of covers and that birds appearing song all in good production and good voices, it’s not all that relevant but what’s not to like?

Low key and pretty enjoyable. Very casual and inoffensive. At the same time, I didn't find a lot that drew me in.

Not bad. Good vocals and some good songs. Help cover was awful. Nothing too groundbreaking or interesting

6/10

A few well-known songs, decent enough.

Everyone needs some kind of 80's flashback songs some days during the year. Ok, this album is just it.

I love Karen Carpenter and some of the Carpenters greatest songs are on this album but also some of their worst. Overall it is an average album not helped by the worst cover version of a Beatles song of all time.

I'm not convinced this is a great album - some of the songs are great, but with The Carpenters I think their greatest hits compilations are enough.

Close To You will always remind me of that Simpsons episode with the doorbell. It's so over the top that I just have to love it? I recognised no other songs on this album, except of course the Beatles covers (which I was not impressed with). There's no doubt that Karen's voice is great, but overall this album is too sweet for me.

An easy listen. I knew a lot of the song (or covers of the songs). It's not going into heavy rotation.

Saccharine and syrupy, but also, in like, kind of a nice way?

Heilt ok

Karen Carpenters voice is divine but in the end the album just doesnt soar.

Impressive variety of instruments, definitely different music, nothing super memorable though 3/5

Not my thing BUT I can appreciate the instrumentals.

Most of this LP is what one would expect from the Carpenters, but there are a few curveballs in here that eschew the long ballad structure for more exciting uptempo jaunts. A decent (if not entirely memorable) listening experience

Not as white-dove-flying-through-pristine-forest as I thought it would be, but still not really for me. A bit saccharine and samey. Some individual great songs though.

3.5

I know that there has been recent rehabilitation for the Carpenters, and I want to give them their fair shake. I distinctly remember one quote Todd in the Shadows shared in his Trainwreckord video of their alien album. It came from an interview with the band right after their decline in popularity, and Karen basically said “okay, you don’t want our old stuff anymore, but you also don’t want our new stuff. What do you want?” That stuck with me, and made me feel bad about them. But no, I’m sorry, I can’t get into their music. Light, tempoless rock tends to be useless to me unless you’re kings of harmony, which imo they’re not. Karen is a nice singer and drummer, and there are solid hooks and production here, but I could live without it. D

Very sweet sounding soft rock. Some good harmonies and songwriting but also doesn't really resonate much with me emotionally. It's fine. The "Help" cover is pretty great though and really transforms the song into their own.

The opening track is one I've never really been a fan of, but many of these are just catchy as fuck. Reason to Believe has a great opening Rhodes riff and the rolling country feel after that is hard not to bop along to...until the violins at least. Their cover of Help makes me like this Beatles tune even less than I already did. I like the zaniness (jazz flute!) on the final track Another Song. All in all not too bad; not really my cup of tea, but I enjoyed much of the album.

Another album that was hard to rate due to having heard most songs before in different contexts (adverts etc). I guess it was OK but no more. A low 3.

I was looking forward to this blast from the past but it wasn’t exactly what I expected. I enjoyed most of the tracks and she did have a beautiful voice. High 3*

Un peu trop mou pour moi mais ça paaaaasse ça vaaaaa Prefs: Love Is Surrender, Reason To Believe, Help!, Baby It's You, Mr. Guder Moins pref: Another Song

So many of these songs I know- maybe from early 80s AM radio? Probably from movies, shows, etc. anyway Karen has a lovely voice but dang those strings get old song after song. Pure schmaltz.

Muy melódico. Suena bien, pero no es mi gusto

'Close to You' is overall pretty corny, but there is no denying that it is well-crafted and relaxing. I was really only familiar with the Carpenters through Todd in the Shadows' video on 'Passage', an experimental album from later on in their career. It was clear that they were attempting to break away from their style on that album so it was interesting to go back to one of the earlier releases in their discography to see what made them famous. It was pretty much what I expected, but it did have some pleasant surprises throughout that kept me engaged. First off, I just want to say that Karen Carpenter's voice is excellent and soothing. It fits this genre perfectly, and while it is not necessarily the most unique voice out there, it is overall great and hard not to like. I also found the instrumentals and production pretty much spot on for the calm atmosphere they were going for (although 'Another Song' had an ending that went harder than I would have expected it to based on the rest of the album). I thought that the title track very enjoyable and really appreciated the unique takes on both Beatles songs they covered here (the 'Help!' cover was especially good considering most Beatles covers are pretty bad). Some of the songs did start to blend into one another at certain points, but it was overall pretty good and had lots of aspects I enjoyed. 3.5/5.

I only like this because well it's dashboard music, meaning the first time I heard I couldn't see over my parents dashboard. I mean it's 70's AM pop it's not bad in small amounts but a whole album. Although the last song Another Song get's kinda jammy.

I’ve herd of the name and like one song but other than that nothing… The album starts with we’ve only just begun a definite cover but I don’t know who it’s by. Its alright I really like the layered vocals but it just feels a bit poppy for how I’ve herd the song. Next is the song love is surrender it’s okay. Just really short filler to be honest. 3rd is maybe it’s you it works really well off love is surrender, just a nice slow pop song that doesn’t do too much but still works probably my favourite out of the first three songs. Reason to believe is nice very poppy and nor my favourite still okay. Well help is one of my favourite Beatles songs and this. Eh.. I don’t think it really works with the carpenters style. Also the intro bit’s probably one of my favourite bits so to just take it out is a stupid decision. Out of the Beatles songs they’ve apparently tried before I think nowhere man or ticket to ride would’ve been better. Then is ( they long to be) close to you, it’s a very good middle of the road pop song that I think everyone would at least know the chorus, yeah it’s probably the best so far. Then is the second to last cover on the album the first song off side two baby it’s you, the song feels a bit too slow to start off a new side, but it does work better with cd’s and streaming as it does work well off the last one. Overall decent! Now is the last direct cover I’ll never fall in love again, it’s alright just a normal pop song in my opinion would be better starting off side two. Crescent noon is so slow, I don’t know how the album ends yet, but this sounds like the kinda song you would want to close off your project but still good. Mr Guder is probably the most interesting, instrumentally but the lyrics aren’t the best still up as one of the best. Then has this odd ending.Great! I kept on loving you Is a lovely pop song probably not a revisit for me but it’s still nice. Another song is really cool to be fair, I think crescent noon would’ve worked better as an outro to the album but it’s still nice. I don’t know though over the course of this I’ve just felt that especially the older artists put the most interesting songs last without actually bringing the albums to a satisfying stop. It’s nice enough ( but a bit cover heavy) middle of the road pop. My biggest issue is the sequencing of side 2 should really be: I’ll never fall in love again -> mr guder -> baby it’s you-> I kept on loving you-> another song-> crescent noon Still okay though.