Carpenters Songs that make you go "WOW"

[Rick Henry]

What are those Carpenters songs that really make you go WOW after listening to them?

[JIM]

All of the Capenters songs make me go wow!!! Since I need to pick my fav wows, I would have to say #1 Only Yesterday #2 Song For You #3Road Ode #4 Merry Christmas Darling

Jim

[BethMosior]

I have alot of WOW songs , it would take me toooo long to try and type them all so here are a few of my :oWOW songs " Leave Yesterday Behind " , " Only Yesterday " , " I Have You " , " One Love ", " For All We Know ", " Good Old Dreams ", ok I really just should put ever song down LOL yes I'm a Carpenter nut

[Ming]

All of them. Because the Carpenters are great.

[Moe]

Now
I Just Fall in Love Again
Solitaire
You're the One
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)
From This Moment On
Rainy Days and Mondays

and many others........

[smoothie2]

:oYes, same here...they all make the wow list...but, the main ones: A SONG FOR YOU
yOU'RE the One
For all We Know
The End of the World, Only Yest.
Solitaire, and many more....
And I must add: Rainy Days and Mon. and Superstar

[Rick Henry]

Like the rest of you all Carpenters songs make me go WOW! They were just that good. And Karen's voice was outstanding. But the one's that give me that superWOW are:

(Listed in order by recording date)

Rainy Days And Mondays (1971)
Road Ode (1972)
This Masquerade (1973)
Desperado (1975)
Solitaire (1975)
Love Me For What I Am (1975)
He Came Here For Me (1978 - released 1984)

Only Yesterday is also another WOW song.

[beaner]

Most definitely "Road Ode". Always has and always will. Others are:

"Still crazy after all these years"
"Rainy Days and Mondays"
"Ave Maria"
"He came here for me"
"Little Altar Boy"

[YesterdayOnceMore]

Wow songs - great topic.

A Song For You, Reprise.

Now

Sailin On the Tide

This Masquerade

If I Had You

Without A Song

Gershwin Medley w/KC at the drums...

Mr. Guder

Bachrach Medley from the tan album

I Can Dream, Can't I?

You're The One

Lovelines

Rode Ode

My Body Keeps Changin My Mind

We've Only Just Begun

Those are some of my "super-WOW" tunes.

It's the beautiful harmonies. Stacked and stacked and stacked. I can't get enough. Never enough.

Best,
Tim

[Rob813]

Great topic Rick. This is really hard to narrow down. Karen was just so talented on every song.

Well here goes: My number 1 WOW would have to be Close To You because it was their first hit and just exploded all over the radio in 1970. I was absolutely blown away when I heard it in July of 1970. Others include:

We've Only Just Begun

For All We Know

Rainy Days and Mondays

Superstar

This Masquerade

I Just Fall In Love Again

You're The One

Now

Don't Cry For Me Argentina

Sometimes

A Song For You

Merry Christmas Darling

Little Alter Boy

[Rick Henry]

admin said:

Like the rest of you all Carpenters songs make me go WOW! They were just that good. And Karen's voice was outstanding. But the one's that give me that superWOW are:

(Listed in order by recording date)

Rainy Days And Mondays (1971)
Road Ode (1972)
This Masquerade (1973)
Desperado (1975)
Solitaire (1975)
Love Me For What I Am (1975)
He Came Here For Me (1978 - released 1984)

Only Yesterday is also another WOW song.

After reading Tim's post I have to add "If I Had You" from Karen's solo album. That song really packs a WOW for me. Especially that totally intense vocal mix at the end.

[cam83]

Hi All,
For me, it would be...SOLITAIRE....big WOW!!

ONLY YESTERDAY...WOW
A PLACE TO HIDEAWAY...WOW
CRESCENT NOON...WOW
MR GUDER...WOW
SOMEDAY...WOW
JOHNNY ANGEL...WOW
I CAN'T MAKE MUSIC...WOW
TWO SIDES...WOW
BECAUSE WE ARE IN LOVE...WOW
NOW...WOW
LOOK TO YOUR DREAMS...WOW
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS...WOW!

but SOLITAIRE is the BEST of the WOWS!!

My thoughts,
Cam

[Moe]

I forgot about "Little Altar Boy" and "Ave Maria"

[enigma]

So many to choose from so this list will be rather lengthy I also briefly put what makes the wow factor or the dominant elements that do it for me.

Dancing In The Street (from your American College Show?) - Karens drumming all the way

Whats The Use, Turn Away - Karens drumming is soo cool on these songs

Crescent Noon, Baby Its You - great chilling vocals
Another Song - Again with the drumming

Superstar, Rainy Days and Mondays - Vocals vocals vocals

Road Ode, A Song For You - Vocals arrangement

Yesterday Once More - Richards arrangement vocals drumming
End Of The World - Karens voice

Only Yesterday, I'm Caught Between A Goodbye and I Love You - Arrangement, vocals ...everything
Solitaire - Vocals all the way here

You - Vocals and arrangement

Two Sides - Vocals and arrangement

Ava Maria - Vocals all the way here

Making Love In The Afternoon - Arrangement vocals and backing vocals ...everything

Touch Me When We're Dancing, Those Good Old Dreams, When Its gone - Vocals and arrangement

Sailing On The Tide - Vocals and arrangement

Where Do I Go From Here - Vocals and arrangement

Nowhere Man, California Dreaming - Vocals and Karens drumming

Leave Yesterday Behind, I Got rythem Medley - Vocal and arrangement

Strike Up The Band Medley, Oldies Medley (from live in Japan 1974) - Karens drumming all the way

Bacharach Medley (1980 MMM verson) - Karens vocals

Most Carpenters songs have a wow factor but these are the top ones on their respective records.

[Rick Henry]

I must say Enigma I am completely impressed with your list of WOW songs. You obviously put some time and thought into it. And you bring up some points I didn't think of. So with this I want to add a few songs to my own list which is quoted below.

admin said:

admin said:

Like the rest of you all Carpenters songs make me go WOW! They were just that good. And Karen's voice was outstanding. But the one's that give me that superWOW are:

(Listed in order by recording date)

Rainy Days And Mondays (1971)
Road Ode (1972)
This Masquerade (1973)
Desperado (1975)
Solitaire (1975)
Love Me For What I Am (1975)
He Came Here For Me (1978 - released 1984)

Only Yesterday is also another WOW song.

After reading Tim's post I have to add "If I Had You" from Karen's solo album. That song really packs a WOW for me. Especially that totally intense vocal mix at the end.

Here are a few new additions.

"Strike Up The Band Medley" (from "Live At The Palladium") - Karen's drum solo is unbeatable. Karen really proves here that she is more than just a singer of love songs.

"Now A Days Clancy Can't Even Sing" - Love Karen's harmony vocals. The arrangement is outstanding and I love Richard's keyboard work at the end of the song.

"Crescent Noon" is such a dark and chilling song. I especially like the lyrics on this one.

"Making Love In The Afternoon" - eventhough I do feel "If I Had You" has more of that WOW factor. "Making Love..." is my favorite song from KC's solo. It's really quite an outstanding power pop song with excellent guitar chords and a straight forward yet catchy arrangement.

[makapip]

My favorite wow song is the early songs "All of my life". Try listening with headphones late
at night when it is very quiet.
Also for additional sweetening of the Carpenters music, i tried the Sonic Impact amplifier
($ 35 online) with my portable cd player, but later i am going to get a dvd player for full
frequency response and dynamic range.

[makapip]

my favorite song is from the early days "All my life"
try listening with headphones late at night when it is
very quiet.

Also i just got a Sonic Impact amplifier and playing
it with a portable cd player and it sounds very sweet
and musical which is perfect for Carpenters music.
Later i am going to get a dvd player for the full frequency response and dynamic range.

[Bruce]

Has to be Yesterday Once More for me.

The lines "Looking back on how it was in years gone by, and the good time that I had.. makes today seem rather sad. So much has changed".. just hits home!!!