Reviews (page 4 of 8)
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
Karen had a beautiful voice, some of the first music I remember
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.
Liefelijk plaatje met een goeie zangeres
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.
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 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
Such a beautiful voice, such a sad ending. This is Sunday afternoon on the porch and a book.
Beautiful music
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.
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.
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.
Nice.
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?
more certified bangers on a single album than most musicians have in three lifetimes
Easy listening
Enjoyed this more than anticipated considering it's an album of love songs, most of which aren't original
Nice
Close to you and never Fall in Love kennt denk ich jeder Schön arrangiert alles in allem natürlich sehr ruhig
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!)
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
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.
Thoroughly enjoyable Sunday morning listening.
4/5
Lovely stuff
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
Album is a little sappy, but killer vocal harmonies and sax.
Liked it more than I expected. Karen has a great voice
This was fun for sure. I liked the vocals and the covers were enjoyable
Soft rock, classic album. Pretty good, enjoyed listening to it.
Karen Carpenter's voice is the most comforting, lovely sound. Very fun, very 70s arrangements. I like this.
Close to You is one of the best love songs. Very pleasant album.
Great vocals by both members and a lot of unexpectedly fun compositions. As per usual, I like when they get a little strange with it Highlights: "Love is Surrender", "Mr. Guder", "Another Song"
This was very tender
No joke, here lies some monster songs from my sweet childhood. I probably had a “thing” for Karen back in ‘70, but there were so many on my puppy-love list. The music is a bit funny and odd now, certainly not unpleasant, but a bit sad. A pity, her death. I think we could’ve been buddies.
Let’s take inoffensive and turn it up to 11 These guys make just really safe music, where vocals are solid, they don’t try anything too crazy with instrumentation, and lyrics are pretty straightforward. I really don’t think there’s a single thing about this album that actively upsets me or that I’d really change; it kinda executes on its mission perfectly Unfortunately I think as a side effect it does get pretty boring at times. I don’t think there’s any real standouts for me on this album. It’s like the graham cracker of 70s music; not bad on its own but really just nothing to be excited about It’s always kinda interesting to see what constitutes as pure “pop” from older decades, especially as rock kinda dominated everything by this time. I would absolutely not complain if someone put this on in the car but I will certainly not engage with it much
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. 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.
Was a 4, but it gets kinda boring
karen carpenter has such a beautiful voice - very odd to realize i'm now older than she ever got to be :( i have fond memories of listening to this in the car with my mom as a kid.
Was pretty chill! Enjoyed the harmonies. Would like to check out more of their music as I know they had a lot of influence on folk/pop music at the time.
Wanted to like it more. We’ve only just begun and close to you are obv bangers
Goed maar wordt wat gezapig na een uur
Ihan ok, monia hittejä joita tunnisti. Ei ihan omaan makuun kuitenkaan. 3/5.
I'm kind of surprised to see this rated so low here. Not because I think it's particularly great, I'm not sure if I've even heard the whole thing, but because I always thought the Carpenters were kind of like Fleetwood Mac - they're just one of the bands that everyone is supposed to like. I don't really like Fleetwood Mac, we'll see about the Carpenters but from what I remember this is gonna be sweeter than a candy shop. And yeah that's exactly right. I have a few cavities now for sure. The music isn't bad and there are a few legitimately great songs here, though they didn't write them. And I'm always happy to see a female drummer, I know she didn't play much on the album but she did live and was one of the first well known female drummers. We need more of those for sure. And drumming while singing is pretty awesome. Rating this as a 3/5 because it's not really my thing but I do feel like it was done well and accomplished what they wanted. It is a good album but maybe not one I would listen to much.
Adore Karen Carpenter’s voice and there are some great songs on here, but they are a singles band for me. Listening to a whole album can be a cloying experience with Richard Carpenter’s technically good, but often too syrupy arrangements.
A little schmaltzy, but Karen Carpenter’s voice is undeniable.
An additional star because my Mum used to play this album all the time, and loved it. The most saccharine thing I've ever heard. Uggh.
it's nice, not too memorable for me tho Will I listen to again: 35%
Karen has a wonderful voice. That's the only outstanding thing about this album. The music is easy listening, nothing memorable.
They do have good vocals and harmonies. Couple of good songs on the album, but nothing too exciting.
You know what you are going to get
It’s fine. They sound good, it’s just pretty plain and boring imo.
Coming off the atrocious Kanye album yesterday-this is a breath of fresh air. Musically it’s nothing too exciting, but Karen has an amazing voice. Lot of depth & control
Not the best Carpenters album really. I find the Carpenters music interesting for how sad it is, and this one was a bit jolly for me. Karen Carpenter has, for me, perhaps the greatest voice of all time. Richard was also there. I'd have had Horizon or Now and Then or A Song For You on this list instead.
Fine!
Some bangers but also some that don't hold up as well.
I bit we biased, but it starts swell. Smoothest voice. Solid 4 stars.
We’ve Only Just Begun // Close To You // I’ll Never Fall In Love Again // Crescent Noon // 3.5/5
This music has almost become a cliche. It’s like a saccharine headache. It is so, so well done. This is all analogue, no digital tricks in sight. The vocals are spotless and she is such a good vocalist, the instruments and arrangement also. But overall it leaves me a little cold, a bit disengaged. Sure the familiarity with certain tracks gives a warm glow but it’s so, so smooth. It’s almost frictionless. Best summed up by the cover of Help! A pop song that is a call for, well help is rendered into a smooth, albeit well sung, but nevertheless schmooze sugar rush fest. Can’t give it lower than 3 because it’s so well done and such a part of western culture but can’t give it any higher because it’s just so sweet. 3 Star
Rv
soothinly bland, in a good way.
Talented and skillfull - if a bit bland - music. Karen can really sing, the harmonies are cool, good mix of songs, but left me wanting a little more. I'll go 3.5 with a round down.
gotta say, me gusto el writing de i'll never fall in love again como que no me encanto el cover de help, pero a la vez me daba cuenta que estaba tapping my foot y lo estaba siguiendo entonces no sé eh, el solo del final si me gustó
Flugelhorn. Oboe solo. Flute. The plushest deepest shag carpet of backing harmonies ever produced in the 70s. Honestly, not all the songs are great songs, but some are stone classics if you can enjoy them past the production. For someone who prefers the sound of a band playing live and loose, that might not be easy. The most remarkable thing though: the album closer, "Another Song," is an surprisingly weird song that seems to have come by its weirdness honestly. It definitely grabbed my attention, and I liked it. I can't speak to whether this is the best Carpenter's album to represent them on a list of Must Listens, but at least one of them does, and the one that has "Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun" definitely fits. You can't know what AM radio was like in the 70s without them.
Close To You really gets to me. I'm totally conflicted. On one side, it's undeniably amazing pop, and Karen Carpenter's voice? Seriously beautiful, haunting, and warm. The harmonies and melodies are just so soothing, especially on the hits. And there are even some cool moments where they try something different, like "Mr. Guder" or "Another Song," which are pretty cool. But then, it's also *so* sugary and overdone. It's like elevator muzak on repeat, too safe and bland. The music just suffocates any edge, especially their "Help!" cover, which is a disaster. So yeah, it's a frustrating listen, a testament to a great voice trapped in some seriously boring 70s arrangements. Also, while I'm here, Karen Carpenter was a killer drummer, top 5 of all time, but here she's been caged and forced to sing... Damn shame
Gets a lil weird and wild near the end. Before that it’s sweet 60s/70s pop classics. Great harmonies. Maybe a little too cute for me.
I have heard some of these songs a ton of times just through pop culture and I never knew they were performed by the Carpenters. It's not bad, pretty easy to listen to. Kind of reminds me of Joni Mitchell. The singer has a great voice that seems well trained. The music is kind of generic but works well for this type of album. Might not be something I would listen to regularly but if I am relaxing it would be nice to put on to set the mood.
I get that it's a good album, but it's one I feel I need to be in a certain vibe to properly enjoy, and I'm just not in that state right now.
2.5/5
Is what it is. Voices are pleasant and inoffensive. Just a bit cheesy and fluffy, isn't it? No complaints but I wouldn't want to be seen listening to it. And I wouldn't pick it.
En hirveästi saanut irti. Ihan hyvä taustalla.
Karen Carpenter's voice is amazing. The songs are ok, instrumentation at times feels a bit cheesy, but maybe this was the genesis of such cheese. There are a few amazing songs on this record, so I can appreciate it, particularly `Close to You`, but its just not really my bag, but this record does belong on the list.
Þetta fannst mér bara prýðileg skemmtun, sérstaklega tökulögin. Mér finnst reyndar nafnið á hljómsveitinni blekkjandi en það er allt annað mál. Mjög fín plata.
Karen is one of my favorite female vocalist of all time, easy. I had 3 copies of this record when I first started my collection (collected anything that was $1) and god damn is her lore so sad. Close to you is the stuff they play in mom stores at the mall. I’m looking at you Von Maur. It’s got such an elegant vibe, but there’s just nothing memorable here other than her amazing voice. It’s a super easy listening pop record, and I really like the Beatles cover. I don’t need to even mention the opener, we all know that one. Banger as well.
70s soft rock. Lovely but also slightly cheesy. Smooth and gentle.
Simple songs, beautifully sung. Had forgotten the Bacharach/David connection but makes total sense.
I guess I could call the Carpenters "vanilla" and leave it at that. But, in the words of songwriter Paul Williams, "what an exquisite flavor vanilla is".
Another addition to the 'popular album made up of covers to make sure the record companies cared' - their original works are much better and less smatlzey, but I guess without the Bacharat, it would have sunk without a trace like their first album.
Nice songs, cheesy cover of help. 3.5, but must’ve been big when it came out
Exactly what I thought it was. Easy breezy earlyish folk. 6/10
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this
Some good songs but a bit cheesy.
Well now, The Carpenters. The epitome, if not the very definition of, easy listening. There is nothing here that is objectionable in any way, shape or form. Its just so nice. And there in lies it's problem. It's too nice. Karen had an amazing voice, and Richard was a consummate musician. But there is nothing here to go "Oh, Wow!" about. This is a great album, with some brilliant songs, performed excellently. And probably deserves a 4. But..... It is just too middle of the road, sorry I just can't go higher than 3 (and I'm wondering about that).
It’s not that it’s bad, not exactly, just not my type.
Very nice
i was real iffy on this until i got to some of the tracks near the end, which feature more earnest vocals and fun arrangements. the first 3/4 of this album are too mellow — overly inoffensive. but i still enjoyed.
I don't always love the directions these songs go but the arrangements are so pretty that I enjoy them regardless Fav track: We've Only Just Begun
We've Only Just Begun - 3.5/5 Love is Surrender - 3/5 Maybe It's You - 3/5 Reason to Believe - 2.5/5 Help - 3.5/5 (They Long to Be) Close to You - 4/5 Baby It's You - 3/5 I'll Never Fall in Love Again - 3/5 Crescent Noon - 3/5 Mr. Guder - 2.5/5 I Kept On Loving You - 3/5 Another Song - 3/5 The instrumentation and production of this album is phenomenal. My only problem is that it is leaning way too much towards a Muzak aesthetic (or that I just don't really like adult contemporary/easy listening). Perfectly fine but not for me. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: (They Long to Be) Close to You
Deeply nostalgic memories of the 1970s swirl around this one. In the 80’s it was cool for punk rockers to hate this kind of music but after reading that Sonic Youth were big fans my opinion softened up. Kim Gordo. References Karen many times in her work and listening to the lyrics they are all kind of dark and unhappy. Weird for bubblegum soft rock. Considering she starved herself to death I think she was filled with pain that no one understood. I just wish it was more 60’s folky and less 70’s violins and breezy production
just not my thing it's clearly well-written, well-performed and well-produced. but this type of music I just find so corny and I don't enjoy it it's getting a 3 because it is good from an objective standpoint and I don't find it abrasive at all - if it were playing in the background in a shop or in a movie I wouldn't be put off, but I wouldn't choose to listen to it And rest in peace karen carpenter I think also their music depresses me because it makes me think about her favourite song: mr guder
A nice pop record - it all feels well known, even though I’ve only heard the hits before
a classic
Karen has one of the most beautiful voices ever. I’m less crazy about a lot of the instrumentation on this album.
Sweet. 3.5
6.0/10 Too sappy for me...
Crescent Noon and Another Song are interesting but everything else is just sorta fine. Karen has a lovely voice though.
Beautiful voice. Really good production. It's a bit like eating cake. It really sweet at first but eventually you know you've eaten too much and don't want any more. 3 stars
Beautiful harmonies
It was OK. Nothing really stood out to me, but it was all pretty chill. Overall, I would give this a 3.4/5!
Pleasantly nostalgic.
Honestly think I'm preferring A Song For You. This one really only has (They Long to Be) Close To You as far as stuff that really interests me. Everything else is fine, but not really doing much for me. Too easy listening.
Whimsy, wholesome, and sweet. Nothing to hate
Love Karen Carpenter’s control of voice, the instrumentation is great. When you get layups like Beatles, Bacharach and Williams songs to cover so so softly it’s hard not to like . We’ve Only Just Begun is a great song
Tuneful but a bit boring
While Karen Carpenter's voice was delightful, the album was too sweet to really have much personality. Something great to listen to if you want no edges.
Mr Gouda was a cheesy number. I’m not a fan of ballads
Love is Surrender is one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard, but the rest is pretty solid. The arrangement for Help is amaze-balls and the title track is wonderful. Weird that songs titled Baby it’s Me and Maybe it’s Me are on the same album. Some high highs on this album, and some low lows…. Settles in the middle.
I understand the talent, their music though is not my cup of tea.
1970 流行乐 软摇滚 巴洛克流行 美丽流畅的旋律 悠淡的迷惘和惆怅 和声有氛围感
Vilken röst hon har! Och fina låtar. Kompetent och tidlös singer song writer. Den urusla och onödiga covern av Beatles Help dead ner betyget. Så det blir bara en trea.
Childhood nightmare fuel admittedly, but fairly inoffensive wholesome early 70's TV show music your Nanna loved ⭐⭐⭐
This is a tough one to rate. Pop heads, and people born post-1990, will probably have an easier time. But I’m a rocker (obvs), and I was alive at a time when squares were trying to shove this soft-ass treacle down America’s throat and it was on the radio and tv constantly when us rockers were trying to rock and roll all night and party every day. On the other hand, Karen Carpenter’s voice is as great as everyone says. Technically proficient while also sounding so forlorn and vulnerable. The cheesy lyrics and arrangements almost make it sadder because there is no way for that sadness to be expressed except through her voice. It’s like holding your thumb over a hose to make the water come out faster, but your thumb is soulless 70’s up-with-people-style cheese and the water is despair. Setting all that aside and rating this album purely on the “do I want to put it on?” scale, I have to give it a three. It’s worth hearing, and I think you’d be doing yourself a disservice never to be exposed to Karen Carpenter’s voice, but it’s not something I would typically find myself wanting to listen to.
Good emotional vocal performances but not my taste in any way
Hmmm... 70's sugary goodness. For "a drummer that sings," Karen has a fantastic, memorable voice! When I saw this pop pup, I thought "Yuck. Boring!" Having not heard anything from the Carpenters in over 20 years, I had just a vague memory of that trite, old sappy 70's crap. Since I'm playing this game, I gave it a shot and... I was right! It is just 70's, sappy love songs! But here's the thing. Her voice is amazing and it just works for this stuff. The music is inoffensive and solidly produced. I don't imagine I'll ever come back to listen to this whole album again, But "We've Only Just Begun" and "Close to You" are on some playlists now! Classic songs that are beautiful. If you haven't listened yet Or gave up before the end, I want to recommend "Another Song" to you. I have no idea how they managed to sneak this on the album, but it's a great nugget, worthy of you hearing it. It starts kind of the same as some of the others, but it's this whole jazzy, improv-y ride that I had to listen to a few times and then made my wife listen to it, too! While most of this is too syrupy to have playing as background music because your teeth will rot, there are at least three tunes here worth having pop up once in a while. I'm giving this a 3. One star for each of those three tracks.
Released in 1970, Close to You is about as close as you'll get to a genuine retrospective of the sixties, I mean one that acknowledges that for every Hendrix, Joplin, & Grace Slick there was a Lulu, a Sonny & Cher, & a Petula Clark. I love the latter 3, if not as much as the former 3 visionaries, then w/ no amount of white guilt whatsoever. B/c the Carpenters are white, really, really fucking white, but not distractingly, vulgarly white like Lawrence Welk but charmingly, authentically white like Randy Newman or The Walker Bros. No, Karen Carpenter is neither Bobby Hatfield nor Dusty Springfield - she simply isn't as memorable or as dynamic a vocalist - but she can no doubt sing, & sings w/ soul. I think she's especially masterful on 'Crescent Moon.'
It's not offensive.
Not bad if digested track by track. Karen’s got a nice voice, and even though none are outstanding, the songs have some kind of quality to them. As a complete album, it’s way too sugary sweet and bland.
Me: "Mom, can we have The Mamas And The Papas?" Mom: "No, we already have The Mamas And The Papas at home" At home: "Carpenters" I already made that joke about at least one album on this list before, but #YOLO as the kids say. Jokes aside, that comparison is probably unfair. I think Carpenters stand well on their own legs, even though it seems to be an album with quite some covers. The album was pretty sweet. The opening track is really soothing and nice. And it just continues along that track for the whole record. This is probably something you should listen to when you're either in a certain mood, or want to be. But I enjoyed it! The only real downer was 'Help!', which wasn't a particularly good cover. Strong 3, maybe weak 4.
Couldn't shake the feeling that this was just bland and uninteresting. Everything is well put-together and nice - it's just all a bit too sweet. It feels overproduced. I’m not sure when I would prefer this in front of other similar acts honestly. “Close to You” is the standout track of the record. Weak 3.
Great voice. Great songs. A record of its time. #johnsvinyl
What a calming, soothing very listenable voice. I can listen to her sing all day. I always thought these brother sister combos were weird. Poor Karen carpenter. Died way too young from anorexia. There is a clip of her floating around as a drummer - apparently she was world class. Boring record.
Can't escape those fuck ass Beatles, no matter where I go... Aside from Help, it's a charming album. Very late 60s-early 70s soft bubblegum-y rock.
Smooth
I don't think that this album is as boring as people seem to be saying it is? I thought it was pretty peaceful. Not my favorite type of music, but I enjoy it. I think my favorite songs are "(They long to be) close to you" (obviously and reason to believe. I find it a little annoying how some of the songs are named, but what can you do. I thought that "I'll never fall in love again" was kinda funny.
I mean, I'm not into this kind of music but it really feels good at some points. There is a transition: GOATED. I saw the other reviews but they're single dudes in their fourty's so who cares. It still isn't a no skip but some instrumentals are really interesting to hear and it has some iconic titles. Mr. Guder and Crescent Noon are Light Years over the rest.
The last song was a wild ride! Most of the others were a bit ho-hum.
damn they put this whole album on here because this shit played in the simpsons
Super album dans l'ensemble, des super changements de rythme et de ton, mais manque un peu de punch. Note : 3 À réécouter : Oui
Whilst nothing offensive about any of the music is there anything exciting or amazing about any of it either no, it sits exactly where I feel it was designed to be in the middle, which is exactly what I will give it.
On Close to You, Carpenters double down on a kind of lush, hyper-orchestrated pop that feels beamed in from an earlier, cocktail-lounge decade — think early-’60s Burt Bacharach and easy-listening radio rather than the ragged dawn of the Seventies. The arrangements are pristine to the point of suffocation, all sweeping strings and polite brass, and more than a little on the cheesy side, as if 1970’s cultural upheavals never happened. Still, Karen Carpenter’s warm, aching alto remains the duo’s secret weapon, elevating even the most syrupy material. “Love Is Surrender” glides by on pure craftsmanship, while the title track — written by Bacharach and Hal David — is rescued from total schmaltz by Karen’s intimate phrasing and that flugelhorn solo that practically winks at you through the AM haze. Their take on “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” is faithful to a fault, though “Reason to Believe” only invites comparison to Rod Stewart’s grittier hit version — this one feels almost aggressively goopy. And when “Another Song” slips into a funky instrumental coda, you half-expect Shaft to kick down the studio door. Polished, pleasant, and stubbornly square, Close to You is a time capsule that doesn’t seem to realize what time it is.
Perhaps a definitional album of ‘easy listening’. The gentleness of it does make this appealing on one level (fitting with the genre it’s an easy listen!), but it also makes the album fairly uninteresting. This is music with the flavour taken out. Not awful, but not one that leaves a great impression either.
The iconic tunes are beyond any reproach, but 2/3 of the album feels like filler songs. A mellow one, but I will stick to the greatest hits compilation instead.
I love her voice. The songwriting isn't anyways the best and his voice isn't always my thing, but it's a nice album to put on for a relaxing time.
Amazing harmonies and sound but does get a bit boring at times - the cover of help was a highlight though
yeah it's got that one song. And that one's a Beatles song. The rest is fine I guess?
It was fine
Familiar with these guys from a tv movie I saw nearly 40 years ago. Perfectly bland 70s pop. 3 Heard before? Some Owned: No 48/207 (23%) Will I get: No
Idk but it was too mellow for me 🥲 if we’re going to the 70s at least let’s have some glam rock I got a bit bored because it all sounded very similar
01) We've Only Just Begun - 7,5 02) Love Is Surrender - 7,5 03) Maybe It's You - 7,0 04) Reason to Believe - 7,0 05) Help - 7,0 06) (They Long to Be) Close to You - 8,5 07) Baby It's You - 7,5 08) I'll Never Fall in Love Again - 7,0 09) Crescent Noon - 8,5 10) Mr. Guder - 7,5 11) I Kept On Loving You - 7,5 12) Another Song - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,46 (75/100) Current ranking: 355/822
Easy listening at it's easiest. What a voice, relief on covers though.
Look, my angsty 10 year old son didnt absolutely hate this. Which says it must be pretty okay if a 10 year old thought it was fine. 3/5
Я не американец, мне понравилось. Довольно приятный альбом.
Pleasant
The cover of The Beatles “Help!” was painful to listen to. Ugh! I think I only liked one song on the entire album: (They Want To Be) Close To You. That said it’s impossible to deny Karen Carpenter’s vocal talent (wow) or her talent as a drummer. The album as a whole is worth a (1); Karen’s talent a (5). So giving it a (3)
This is a tough one to rate. It's not aged particularly well, but it ruled the airwaves and influenced a lot of other acts. I wouldn't want to sit down and listen to it over and over, it certainly wouldn't make the rotation, but the musicianship is solid.
I mean...it's the Carpenters. Karen's voice is undeniably lovely. Sweet melodies. Happy music that makes boomers reminisce on better times.... Everybody knows "Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun". But I also enjoy "Maybe It's You" and "Reason to Believe", "I'll Never Fall in Love Again". Good listen on a Sunday afternoon.
I liked this less on 2nd listen than on the 1st. Fine line between crisp and sanitized. The cover of “Help” only serves to make the original songs (save the title track) seem weak by comparison.
There were a couple of songs I thought were pretty sweet but most of them were kinda forgettable.
C'est bien fait, la voix de Karen Carpenter est magnifique et en contrôle. C'est très léché par contre, et la plupart des chansons ne sont pas des chansons originales.
A album of two parts - the first half is a sickly sweet ode to love, with fantastic harmonies and beautiful if somewhat slightly uninspired lyrics. The second half touches on the darker side of heartbreak but do so in a even less developed way and a smudge too late for you to pay real interest. It sounds wonderful but it isnt anything that would stand out in your mind after the initial listen.
Not my favorite of theirs.
Album 18/1001. Listened 2/13/2026. Some classics on here, and really interesting to hear the originals that others have covered, but definitely not my genre. (I really did like this version of Reason to Believe.) Can't argue with their talent, but not my favorite album.
A very lovely album. Beautiful vocals and unobtrusive arrangements.
I'm picking up some weird signals from this album. The cover and band name is vaguely familiar to me, but I'm not sure if it's because of the many occasions where I've flicked through the book or if I'm actually familiar with their music. I'm going to assume the former, if only for the reason that I'm pretty sure this is a folk album. Guess I've nothing more to do than crack this one open. Yeah, not bad. Some nice, easy-listening music to aid me in my journey of getting back on top of this list. Truth be told, it's a little too easy on the ears. I liked the first, last and some of the middle tracks, but much of this album lost me. This music isn't bad, per se. It's just thoroughly unambitious and unremarkable. Still, there were some nice points in here. Karen's vocals are pretty golden across the board, and I like the sentimental, more traditional instrumentation on this album. The piano is the strongest instrument of the bunch, though I also quite liked the strings, harps and harpsichords as well. Overall, it's a fine release and one I may come back to when I want some R&R, but not in the immediate future. One of my lo-fi songs samples "We've Only Just Begun". Take a listen for yourself: https://youtu.be/lhFSUclRmIM (Bassti - To All the Ladies in the Place). I was not expecting to encounter a lo-fi sample here of all places, especially on a track which includes a Notorious B.I.G vocal sample. Anyways, good song. The vocals are the strongest aspect of the tune, especially in the beginning. I also like that leading instrument. I can't put my finger on it at the moment, but I'm pretty sure its a horn of some kind. I'm not too big on where the track goes thereafter - it sinks into being much more generic, but it's a nice song nonetheless. I've also heard the title track, too. Nice song. The vocal melody is pretty fantastic, and I like the slow, easygoing instrumental. The pianos are the second best thing about it, though some of the other musical embellishments (notably the harpsichord) are nice, too. I've never listened to other covers of this song, but I can believe that this is the best iteration of the song by a wide margin. Book time. Their breakthrough album. The title track was a big hit globally, which caused the rest of the album to be cobbled together under the pressure of that success. The album lingered on the charts for over a year. Carpenters have sold over a hundred million records - guess that explains why I have a vague sense of familiarity with them. Ignored by critics, but beloved by general audiences. I mean, sure. It has the chart success at the very least, right? I cosign this inclusion.
Better than the Beatles.
man, "help" sure hits different after you read the wikipedia page
= the Beatles
Solid.
I respect the hell out of Karen Carpenter. She’s one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. Having said that, she made grandma music.
I wasn’t expecting a cover of ‘Help’ on this. I also wasn’t expecting said cover to be quite fun and well done. Same with ‘Baby It’s You’. Obviously the highlight is ‘(They Long To Be) Close To You’, but the rest of the album is quite pleasant in its own right. The closer was also really damn fun, almost felt like a jam.
Couple of soft rock hits with great harmonies. Sad story about Karen Carpenter…
Pretty good old school album, never been a huge fan of the carpenters but this was a pretty good album
TLDR: Pretty enough, but kind of boring. I wanted to like this album, but besides it having that fun “old timey” sound I didn’t really connect with it. I obviously recognized ‘(They Long To Be) Close to You’ and I got excited when I heard ‘Help’ and had to do a quick Google to verify who sang it first (The Beatles). While I appreciate covers I think this version paled compared to the original. My feelings on the album were further solidified as I read more about the compositions, most of which did not originate or connect much to the artists themselves. Yes, they sound nice enough, but anyone can perform someone else’s work to varying levels of success. I did take note of Richard Carpenter’s three original compositions, the most interesting of those to me being ‘Mr. Guder’.
I really liked this. They’re a lot weirder sounding than I thought they’d be, it doesn’t sound like just one thing it’s definitely “dorky” sounding but still good. Interesting themes too not just really syrupy love songs like I thought.
This is a good record full of swooning pop songs and melodies. The music is layered in production and well crafted. It is enjoyable to listen to every once in a while.
This is syrupy '70s easy listening, dripping with schmaltzy production flourishes that underline every sentiment to avoid any understatement. I would love to hear these songs stripped down, because for all the thematic repetitiousness—love and wanting it, losing it, etc.—there's something to the compositions, and obviously Karen Carpenter had a singular voice. I want more "Crescent Noon" and less "I'll Never Fall in Love Again." Also more of the flute, organ, and drums jam at the end of "Another Song." (I also kinda like their cover of "Help"?)
Primeiro álbum pop, caramba, é um bom álbum, gostei bastante do cover de "Help", mas não sinto nada muito além disso. É tudo agradável de uma maneira agradavelmente agradável.
'Close to You' is ’70s easy-listening pop at its absolute peak. That said, with the benefit of hindsight, it’s a little strange knowing that Karen and Richard Carpenter were siblings passionately singing love songs, rather than a married couple or just two unrelated bandmates. Even so, I’ve always had a soft spot for The Carpenters. They were in near-constant rotation on the stereo at home, alongside Barry Manilow, Bread, Anne Murray, and George Benson—artists who all lived comfortably in that soft-rock lane that would eventually become the default soundtrack of doctor and dentist waiting rooms everywhere. Their gentle harmonies and ultra-polite love songs are impossible for me to separate from the memory of sitting in a vinyl chair, flipping through a 'Highlights' magazine, waiting for Dr. Garvey to call my name and fill my latest cavity.
This reminds me of riding to school with my Mom.... easy listening station in full force. Along with 80s pop country, this is definitely the kind of music my parents preferred and I heard regularly growing up. I can't say this will ever be in my regular rotation, but it's fun to revisit and reminisce about easier times. The music isn't anything interesting. It sounds like I am standing outside the mall organ store listening to an organ self-playing a demo song. Also wow, I had no idea Karen had such a vocal range until Crescent Noon came on.
Packed full of hits that you know. Very nice to reminisce and enjoy them however not sure I would listen again.
An album that throws in an all vocal harmonization track is usually amazing. An album that’s only tracks like that is, well…
A very calm listen, I enjoyed it.
Despite The Beatles’ Help! not being on this list, I have already listened to 2 albums in which the title track is covered, and I wouldn’t say it’s impossible I will hear another cover somewhere in the next 900 albums. This album is extremely 70s, schmaltzy, corny, and sickeningly sweet. However, that’s not an inherently bad thing in my book. Karen Carpenter has such a sweet voice and the harmonies throughout the album are beautiful. 3/5
Too many fillers between the classics to score high enough to match her amazing voice.
Nice
Karen is wearing open-toed shoes and you can see her ankles on the album cover, so it’s impossible to say this record doesn’t take ANY risks. Musically, it’s a little more challenging to pick out the spicy* choices, but they’re there. For instance, I don’t remember “We’ve Only Just Begun” going quite so hard - maybe I’ve always immediately glazed over when that first harmony kicks in around the 40sec. mark, but that horn punch at the start of the verses kinda slaps! As much as I don’t want to admit it, "Love Is Surrender" isn’t spiritually dissimilar to a lot of Bossa Nova records that I love, it just centers more English vocals than I'm accustomed to hearing. If you made the horns more prominent in the mix and/or put the lyrics in Portuguese, I’d probably love this track. The Beatles cover, “Help”, is actually pretty good; the harmonies do the song justice and it provides a good "Hey, I know this song" moment. The first 7sec of “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” are like fresh-cracked black pepper on mashed potatoes. A quick burst of flavor you’ll look for, but never get, in every subsequent bite. Surprisingly, this record contains two songs that don't seem to be about love at all - “Crescent Noon” and “Mr. Guder”. I would have never guessed. This is like a 2.5/5 for me so it'll get a soft 3 (not the first time that's happened while this album is playing, I'm sure). *spicy is a relative word
a love album! It definitely leans pop with some of the instrumentation, but I think there are some lovely harmonies and lyrics here. Maybe it's you and (they long to be) close to you are such repeatable tunes.
Ganske greit egentlig
To saccharin and light to get excited about, but too capable and pretty to be mad at. Pretty much a 3 by default.
I was poised to dislike this originally but to my surprise I found parts to like in here. Its still hokey as all hell and not that interesting as a whole package but there are moments. I likr that they hit you with a beatles cover. Thats wild. And its different enough than the original that it doesnt just sound like a retread. The beatles were broken uo for what? Like 3 weeks at this point. They weren't the legacy powerhouse they are now. And the classic song close to you is still kinda goofy but its a good song at the end of the day. Its the best song here. But even at this point I would probably have given this a negative review but then another song come sin and that is legit good. Not what I expected at all but its cool. And thats another thing. If Karen Carpenter would have made it longer than she did I could see her being a really cool lady who would have had a some sort of Renaissance in her later years. Big if, she could have made it through all the bullshit. Sad we never got to see that. And I dont know the future or all future possibilities but I think thats how it could have played out here. Anyway i was happier than I expected on this one though its still kinda dweeby
??? lustig so spießig heteromormativer Pop? wie nannte man das den damals?, läuft aber gut durch hahah help Beatles cover includes super!. c
Improves a bit when they divert from the more twee music, very well produced as well 3*
Some decent songs on here. Enjoyed the cover of "Help!". A little too ethereal at points, but overall a good album. 3/5 Might listen again
3.5
Not a bad album. Nothing I would want on my everyday playlist mix, but some gems in here. We've Only Just Begun is excellent, and Close To You is the big single off of this, but check out Karen's drumming skills on Another Song. Love it! 3.25 / 5 stars because there's some real boat anchor songs on here, too much sap.
Fine enough soft pop album with some soothing vocals. Not terribly remarkable but a decent listen. B side is noticeably weaker than the A side. Top tracks: We've Only Just Begun, Help, (They Long To Be) Close To You
Every song is so samey
Easy listening. I mean, this is safe music for old people in the 60s that couldn’t handle the protests and revolution. That’s fine. But leave the Beatles, Tim Harden, and even the Shirelles alone. Please. I mean, they didn't just ruin Help. They didn't understand it. Which is ironic, because Karen needed help!
Decent stuff. Fairly generic at times and a few covers rather than originals does drop the rating a bit
This album is a mixed bag for me. You have some great songs in ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’ and ‘(They Long To Be) Close To You’ but also have some questionable and borderline cheesy songs such as their version of the Beatles song ‘help’. However, there is no denying Karen Carpenter has lovely vocals throughout all the songs which shouldn’t be overlooked. Overall, I think it was a well-produced album with some highlights but at other moments can feel a bit off and too one-dimensional. Unrelated information: The song ‘I’ll Never Fall In Love again’ made me chuckle as it reminded of the Peter Kay misheard lyrics routine. Favourite tracks: (They Long To Be) Close To You and We’ve Only Just Begun My rating: 3/5
I can appreciate the hits here, as well as Karen Carpenter’s talent, but this is too much stuck in time for me to really want to come back to.
Older love songs. Kinda hippy vibes. A famous song (the title of the album) and Mr. Guder is kinda the same starting vibes as a Glass Animals song.
A definitive 1970s album, I say having not heard many
Sigh. This is painful for me because I hate it. I am one of the whitest white boys on Earth, but this is just too white for me. Totally vanilla, zero flavor, no fun to be had. It was a huge deal, but I'm not into evangelical revivals or conservative rallies. Okay, maybe I do have some soul for a white dude. Influence 4. Quality 3. Intangibles 4. Hits 5. It's not for me 1.
Can’t hate on this, too wholesome
It's alright, kinda 3 stars for one song but can't hate it
The last song is pretty cool and not the easy listening the rest of the album is.
Eh
Extremely cheesy, but some of the songs are pretty well written...
good
Downy soft but pleasant enough.
Reminds me of a tea party with a little kid. It's bright and fun and delectable but also a bit silly or embarrassing. Just gotta embrace the joy of it.
She has a beautiful voice and some classic songs. Her cover of Help was certainly interesting. The end of the album kinda lost me
Simple, pretty songs with gorgeous vocals. Some extremely cliche love songs, that became cliche for a reason. Nice album, I could listen to her sing all day. Most of the songs didn't quite reach a second level I was looking for, that maybe some kind of unique bridge could've brought. Enjoyed it for sure
Not my taste, but it's beautiful.
Early carpenters. OK, but better to come.
new 3, fine
A pretty good collection of easy-listening baroque pop songs. Nothing especially groundbreaking, but it's really carried by Karen Carpenter's gorgeous vocals.
Very soothing. Maybe too soothing cuz I almost fell asleep while driving.
Perfectly acceptable and cute little album but unremarkable.
Hmmmmmm, what to say ... She had a beautiful voice. And they had some hits from this album. I probably could sing along with them. But alas, it's not anything I would put on my turntable on purpose. She died too young.
Pretty catchy, but not quite my thing. I wouldn’t seek this out but I would likely hum along if it played in the grocery store. Ron Burgundy vibes overall. Or is it more accurate to say Ron Burgundy has Carpenters vibes?
Syrupy and schmaltzy and honestly not like terrible but not really my thing. I think they do the best but I don’t really need it.
Some OK songs. A good song or two. Some songs I did not like. I think this is overall fine. It’s pretty much as 3 of an album as I can think of.
In the recent sea of shite on here this comes across as charming and refreshing! I’ll never listen to it again although I know most of the tracks anyway
It's cute as hell
This wasn't bad. We've Only Just Begun is a great song. The Help cover is pretty weird.
What a voice
3.75 / Musica de gente que se drogra con hongos y acido
Overall: 6/10 This isn't necessarily my thing, but it was pretty decent for what it was! The best drummer in the world had a beautiful voice as well. The title track is very pretty and they have an interesting cover of Help by those liverpool brats. It's also really cheesy but that didn't bother me as much as it normally would. Fav Song: (They Long to Be) Close to You
Very soft rock, but listenable
I really love "(They long to be) Close to you" so I was very hyped to give the album a listen, but it was not it. I'm very dissapointed.
Good songs. Great last song. Surprising instrumentation. Barely a 3.
Ah, de Timmermannen. Ik heb er laatst nog een LP van gekocht voor het luttele bedrag van €2,30. Als de zombies komen maar er is nog wel stroom dan kan ik die lekker gaan zitten luisteren. Gezapig en zoetsappig. Wat verouderd wel. Tegelijkertijd is het nog steeds best mooie zondagochtendmuziek met mooie harmonieën, een lief pianotje, enzovoort. Een megahit, een Beatles covertje, totaal 40 minuten. Ik kan het redelijk goed hebben, al heb ik na de hit halverwege eigenlijk wel genoeg zoetigheid gehad. Tussen de 2 en 3 sterren, beetje afhankelijk van de vorm van de dag.
Some good tunes on here but quite slow and boring at times. Great voice though.
An album where the singer can actually sing is always worth at least 3 stars. But this isn’t that good, so that caps it at most 3 stars.
Honestly pretty solid, if not just for the nostalgia of this music having been in most of my favorite childhood movies (RIP Chubs)
Good to hear all those old school songs from like every movie ever
It’s a decent album, and I never found myself hating. Yet this album is white I’m pretty sure my credit score rose just from listening to it.
Difficult one. It’s so cheesy…so “nice”…. I dont know if I like it, love it, or just hate it. Depended on the day and my mood. I’ll go mid on it. 3/5
Some great songs others ?
A soft-pop rock paragon with the Carpenters as masters of harmony and lush, cinematic arrangements Favourite Tracks: Love to Surrender, We've Only Just Begun, Baby It's You, They Long to Be (Close to You)
classic. thought the sound recording was bad, realized it was my bluetooth speaker after listening to the whole album.
3,1 - Schönes Album, was am Anfang die Hits raushaut und dann leider in ganz komische Richtungen abdriftet, die nicht mehr wirklich schön anzuhören waren. Highlights: (They Long to Be) Close to You, Baby It's You
Some very sweet songs in here
Old school soft sunday feeling. There's a couple songs that I remember and enjoyed well enough. I liked some of the similar songs spotify started queuing up after as well
I wish I could rate this higher. This isnt a unique sentiment but I love Karen Carpenters voice and she deserved the best songs and arrangements. I don't love the music as much.
It was nice
There was a trend when rock started of white groups performing black music in order to “appeal” to white audiences. The Carpenters take white music and make it somehow even whiter. They are the anti-soul singers.
This is something I never would’ve listened to otherwise. I mean I know about the Carpenters and can maybe recognize a song or two, but would never imagine listening to a full album. Anyway it’s pretty cool. I mean it’s very much a pop record but it’s not entirely obvious. Karen’s voice is great and actually pretty unique. It’s not an overly sweet pop voice and she also doesn’t try to fake some Motown soul vocal. Kinda Lennonesque I guess. I also love her lower register. The arrangements are also cool in that they usually keep sparse and not try to create this overly lush atmosphere. The last few songs try to be a bit more… more, and it doesn’t work as well imho. Anyway classic songs of heartbreak by a classic duo three stars.
Very pleasant and well-put together album (except the Help cover. Didn't need that). She has an amazing voice, and the music isn't hateful, but it's also incredibly simple. 3.0/5.0: Good
this was incredibly average. she has a good voice there was some good instrumentation on some of the songs but otherwise it was pretty bland.
Lush and evocative. Also revoltingly saccharine, production wise. Sunday morning music. One or two songs on a mix are outstanding, but an entire album sends me from the room silently screaming (in attempted three part harmony).
Really beautifully written songs. Harmonies galore.
Está bien. No me voló especialmente la cabeza y hay momentos en que tanta azúcar termina por cansar, pero se escucha rápido y tiene buenos hits.
I didn’t expect to like this as much as I’ve grown to. It’s so clean and polished Mr.Guder, Help, Crescent Noon take the cake
Sickly sweet 70s pop done well. Amazing voice but too sweet for me. Help cover is poor, but certainly not the worst Beatles cover I've ever heard. I'm looking at you Tina! Also, I prefer Deacon Blues version of "I'll Never Fall in Love Again".
Löytyy parempaakin tuotantoa
Odotin enemmän… ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was the breakthrough LP for the Carpenters, including mostly covers (some written by Burt Bacharach). Carpenters have lost much of their relevancy over the years, although they still can be heard occasionally on oldies radio. The Beatles version of “Help” is much better than the Carpenters version. I felt the Dionne Warwick and Carpenters versions of “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” are comparable. The last track was less easy listening and more rock. Overall not quite up to four stars. I did enjoy the Wiki anecdote about the Carpenters being fired from Disneyland for playing modern music instead of old time music.
They're SIBLINGS?! Why so many love duets? Very Folgers. Anyway, here's another tragic death I didn't know about 'til now. Thanks a lot, album project. At least we'll always have this hilariously dated album cover. The singing and harmony is good, but it is also very old sounding, and not in a peppy 50s way, but a sleepy 60s way. 'Love is Surrender' is a little bit nefarious. I like that the saxophone is played by a Mr. Jim Horn. Our second go-around for 'Reason to Believe' (previously: Rod Stewart), but it sure didn't make an impression on me either time. Probably our second go-around for 'Help' (no exclamation here, for shame), and I don't like this version one bit. Sounds like a Casio keyboarded demo track.(However, it did reveal to me the Beatles' US "picture sleeve" for 'Help'-the-single where they are wearing funny outfits at the beach, and I enjoyed that very much.) '(They Long to Be) Close to You' is great. Why do I like this one so much? Ah, of course, it was in the classic Simpsons episode "The Way We Was". (Also a plot device in the 1989 film..... Parenthood. Parenthood mention #5!?) It's a sweet song though. Even if it's about siblings. This whole album really evoked being in a dark, empty department store in 1994. Of course that implies they're playing the hits from 2001 in dark department stores now, but that can't be right. Maybe I'll do some field work on this, since I just read that "Ames is in the process of a comeback, with the plan to reopen 35 stores starting in June 2026"! Sorry, I got a little off track here, but that's because the album is so boring. The small bit of pep on 'I'll Never Fall in Love Again' made me sit up real straight though. Easy Listening is the correct genre for this. Another group where I thought they had a "the" in their name but apparently don't. (That makes #10 after Beastie Boys, Pretenders, Pet Shop Boys, Beatles, Talking Heads, Eagles, Pixies, Cocteau Twins, & Fugees!) Highlights: '(They Long to Be) Close to You', the song title 'Crescent Noon', 'Mr. Guder' (initially the title, but actually the song's relatively catchy also. Lil flute and acapella, plus silly lyrics!)
karen, você merecia tão mais... :( voz de anjo, uma pessoa linda tanto por fora, quanto por dentro, um talento inesquecível. para sempre em nossos corações, querida! o album em si tem altos e baixos, mas ele é bem nostálgico pra mim, pois cresci ouvindo algumas músicas. 3,5.
It was okay. Close to you is a nice song
There's something about (They Long to Be) Close to You, that I think it must be Karen's vocals, that gives me the same feeling as Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely. As much as I would like to write this off as some jazz-influenced easy listening music, I do think there's a little bit more than that going on here - if not still within the realms of pop music. Crescent Noon is also a nice track.
As Happy Gilmore said, “It ain’t over yet, McGavin. The way I see it, we’ve only just begun.” And so launched an epic comeback. This wasn’t as epic, but the first track is a banger. 3 stars.
Back to the seventies. The Carpenters feel like easy listening but the musicianship and harmonies and everything are great. I won’t rule out listening again. Three and a half stars.
I’m not a musician but guessing behind the scenes what sound like simple melodies were incredibly hard to write and play. Very pleasant.
Sweet pop album, almost gave me diabetes
i read a book about Karen Carpenter like a month ago but hadn’t actually spent any time listening to the Carpenters music. it was pretty cool. i got hints of abba in a lot of places. their whole thing was wholesomeness and perfection, which i think this album is a great representation of. but it also makes for music that is just ever slightly dull. it’s good, but it’s not always interesting - which can sometimes be even better than good. high 3
It's alright. They are a distinguishable band. Easy listening but I noticed too many covers
I’m not a fan of the soft sound so much, but I found this album really enjoyable.
Pop, soft, schön, 1970 -> 3
I seem to have outgrown my hatred of The Carpenters as this was far more listenable than when I used to hear it weekly as a kid. She always had a beautiful voice though
Quite delightful
Saccharine but with a lovely voice
I was softly disappointed in this one. I love the title track - maybe just because I like The Simpsons. But the rest of this album I found rather dull. Not bad by any means just kinda boring. Also that cover of “Help” was not it
It started off strong, and then just became a bit too repetitive. Oh, and this is the whitest album I've ever heard in my life. Favorite Track: "We've Only Just Begun".
Great singles, weak in places. But Karen could sing the dictionary and I'd swoon
For an easy listening album, this is surprisingly difficult to listen to, but not for the reasons you might expect. It opens with the syrupy-sweet ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’ which weirdly enough was written as an advertising jingle for a real estate company to sell mortgages to newly weds. Things pick up a bit after a while with Karen Carpenter’s gorgeous vocals being perfectly suited to the three Burt Bacharach songs on this album, and a haunting cover of Help by the Beatles. Reading the back story to this album revealed a tragedy waiting to happen. Karen was an extraordinarily talented drummer (just search for clips of her playing on YouTube) but her pushy parents and somewhat controlling older brother Richard forced her into the spotlight as lead vocalist, singing sappy songs instead of the upbeat numbers she preferred. Karen managed to play drums on a couple of tracks on this album, and it’s interesting to hear the jazzy, progressive sound on the final track ‘Another Song’ as maybe the style that she preferred. Karen Carpenter was only 20 when this album was recorded, and her struggles with anorexia and the demands of being in the public eye are well documented. She recorded a solo album, fronting the $400,000 costs, and was devastated when the studio (and her brother) refused to release it. She also suffered in an unhappy marriage to a much older man and passed away from a heart attack aged only 32. In retrospect, her recording of Help seems painfully prescient. Rest in peace Karen.
Pleasant enough. Close to you is a lovely song that was played at my Auntie's funeral. Interesting cover of Help! The album is beautifully arranged and she's got a lovely, calming voice. Very easy listening. Won't be top of my playlists, but I might pop it on when my mum and dad next come over for a meal.
3.5. Quite enjoyable
Good good. 3.4
A real choad slapper
Surprisingly not bad, especially the second half, where they put some of their more adventurous songs. Some cool Beach Boys style vocal harmonies. I expected to hate this, but I'll give it a generous 3 stars.
Good Album. Very nice melodies, some nice arrangement and some great chord progressions. Those high horn parts can come across as very stale, though.
Not bad album but definitely not for me.
Beautiful voice but... Yawn
This is extremely yacht club/rich white people music. Karen (how appropriate) can certainly sing though; she has a really nice voice with a lot of range and she never struggles to hit low or high notes or really strains to hit anything. She's the real star of this album, and when her brother comes in you can see why. His voice is fine but it's always double tracked to hide something it seems. Instrumentals are fine, nothing terribly challenging, but that's what this is, very unchallenging pleasant music. Unless you like her voice a lot there's no reason to really listen to this over and. It's "nice".
Classic easy listening for a reason. The Carpenters have a sound that everyone can sit with. Will I choose to listen to this again? Is this one of the most important albums of all time? I think not.
I think it’s just not my thing, but was alright
I wasn’t expecting a Beatles cover. This is not what I would usually listen to. It’s not really my thing. But it’s perfectly OK. Not really exciting as such - although I quite liked Another Song right at the end. But it doesn’t deserve the hate it gets. And there are albums from the early 70s on this list that are a lot worse.
3/3.5
Why we should listen to the Carpenters. The Police and Carpenters were both signed to A&M. One day, Sting (I believe it was) was whinging to the label boss about the amount of attention given to Richard and Karen. Label head’s response? Thanks to Richard and Karen, we were able to sign you lot and stick by you. Stop whining and at least pretend to be grateful. (Full disclosure - I fact checked this on an AI platform and it claims that I am hallucinating. Fairly sure I’m not, though…) I don’t mind the Carpenters at all.
70s am radio for sure.
That voice, it’s a winner for me because of Karen’s amazing voice. But the schmaltz production of pop from that era hurts its listenability many years later.
Legalzinho. Tem uma música incrível
Alguna canción icónica. Buena música, pero muy monótono.
The highlights are enough.
Karen's voicings are magical. Too bad the album seems to be a 70s machine-produced exercise with no originality beyond the aforementioned voicings. I love Reason To Believe. The Help cover is an abomination (sorry Karen). This album has only one thing going for it and that's her voice. Otherwise it doesn't belong.
During college, I had a best of Carpenters album which I played to death. I absolutely love those harmonies and arrangements and all the great songs were on there. I did question the covers on here - they weren’t that good but Karen‘s voice is always phenomenal. And the hits were superb. Mr. Guder (Gouda) fit in with with the total cheese theme brilliantly.
this was a really sweet album, really nice songs, some songs were really good as well
★★★½
The harmonies in this album are quite good. A very consistent easy listening album so far. The second half of the album is much more experimental(?). It does not sounds as much like "Carpenters" as I expected, but it was not unpleasant. Crescent Noon was quite interesting. Another Song was epic and full of these beautiful broken out harmonies. So many changes in tempo and style, all while staying similar enough to be in one song. The second half of the album really props it up, a solid 3 star. I wouldn't consider it a bad album, but not particularly memorable other than a few songs.
Sympatoche.
Boring and unoriginal. Best track is a Beatles cover… 3/5 Highlights: Help Mr. Guder Another Song
Kitsch Pop at its finest. Contains their hits "We've Only Just Begun" and "(They Long to Be) Close to You"; also contains an insipid version of Tim Hardin's "Reason to Believe" (which was covered so much better by Rod Stewart), a cover of the Beatles song "Help!", and several Burt Bacharach songs.
3 decades there was a joke that went A musician dies and as he wakes up he finds himself ina studio with all the instruments set up. Guitars, keyboards, a drum kit, basses and a horn section. Slowly he focuses and sees Jimi Hendrix, Eddie van Halen and Jeff Beck and John Lennon walk in and plug in and start tuning up. Jaco Pastorius follows and plugs in his bass. Dizzy, Louis, Coltrane and Miles Davis makes up the horn section. Freddie Mercury walks up to the piano and adjusts the microphone. Meatloaf, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin take their spot at the backing singers microphone. Our hero, wide eyed seeing all his heroes in a band can’t believe it. He turns to Hendrix and says ‘I can’t believe that heaven is so great!’ Hendrix says ‘who says we’re in heaven?’ Just then Karen carpenter sits at the drum kit and ‘ok boys, Close to you in G’ The hipsters have since realised that indeed Karen Carpenter could sing and drum and Richard was a top notch composer and arranger. Maybe not Bacharach level or Goffin King but certainly up there in the first rank. Yet another band that would be better served by a greatest hits rather than an album that is half brilliant half filler and doesn’t really show the full range. 3.5
39/1089 i know the title track of course, this first track is definitely familiar too. Karen’s voice is very distinct and reminds me a lot of Weyes Blood, an artist I really like. not the biggest fan of his voice/the production of it it’s very pleasant and twee but it’s not really hooking me. Close To You does naturally feel like the clear stand out Baby it’s You is my definite favourite so far, it felt the most timeless and least dated i think hearing the flute on Mr Guder and realising i’ve heard the song before in the form of Mama’s Gun by Glass Animals was a fun revelation the “jam session” style at the end of Another Song was pretty cool overall this album was decent and fine background music but not one i’ll go back to really besides mybe my faves faves: Baby It’s You and Mr. Guder least faves: can’t pick one out 3 stars
Memories of my parent’s listening to this on their 8 track player.
There's a golden, trapped-in-time quality to this album that, while a bit schmalzy, is undeniably warm and charming.