Touch Me When We're Dancing: Love It or Leave It

[Rick Henry]

karen69roland said:

I think the album was, in some ways, fitting with the general pop market.

I agree Roland, the album did have an 80's sound to it - without a doubt. The musicianship on MIA was excellent and the vocals were as always outstanding but the songs themselves just didn't catch on with the general public. This fact is proved by how lukewarm the album and it's singles performed on the chart. Even "Touch Me When We're Dancing" which was the first new release in years only made it to #16.

Put a song like "Beechwood 4-5789" next to "Harden My Heart" by Quarterflash. Or "Those Good Old Dreams (which I love this song) next to "Fire And Ice" by Pat Benatar. Put "(Want You) Back In My Life Again" next to "Slow Hand" by Pointer Sisters. It's easy to see the Carpenters' sound in 1981/82 did not have a chance.

karen69roland said:

and, what I think The Carpenters future would have been like in the '90's and 2000's years is classic *Walt Disney* type of songs like *Because We Are In Love (The Wedding Song)* and *Somebody's Been Lyin'*..., that's what I picture them doing if Karen was still alive.

Had Karen lived, Carpenters would have done some of the Disney type tunes as you mentioned. But they would have also continued with doing a variety of sounds. Such as country tinged tunes like "Sweet Sweet Smile" and "Top Of The World", Smooth jazz like "This Masquerade" and "Guess I Just Lost My Head", power ballads like "Goodbye To Love" and "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again", Eclectic sounds like "B'wana She No Home" and "Boat To Sail" and an addition of Dance pop such as "Making Love In The Afternoon" and "Still In Love With You". And with the inclusion of effects and electronic sounds in today's music I'm sure Carpenters would have incorporated this into a song or two on current albums.

I don't think Carpenters would have evolved into doing just one sound, they've always been known for variety in styles and genres.

[JIM]

;)Rick I am shacking my head! I agree with you on every point we just keep rewriting the same views!

No Laughing Roland

Jim

[Rick Henry]

jgh said:

;)Rick I am shacking my head! I agree with you on every point we just keep rewriting the same views!

No Laughing Roland

Jim

Funny how we do that isn't it. It's like speaking in person sometimes we say the same thing but in different ways.

Anyway, as a Carpenters fan I do love MIA it may not be my favorite album but I do love the fresh sound of some of the songs like "(Want You) Back In My Life Again", "Strength Of A Woman" and "Those Good Old Dream".

[YesterdayOnceMore]

I'm thinking along the same lines as Rick and Jim, and I agree with some of what Roland has had to say as well.

I don't think MIA is a "best" for Carpenters in terms of their music, but I do think it was intended to be a change over for them, and I was delighted when it came out. I like a lot of the songs on it - a lot, in fact. However, when one compares it to the other sounds of that day/time - I think "sideways" definitely says it best. I just don't think the direction they took was going to get them back on the pop charts. But, what about other stuff? I mean, they could definitely have done a jazz album - they could have done some serious more opera type music, with Richard's classical background, and we kniow Karen could have sung any type of vocal music she wanted. So, I believe they may have wanted to try to continue in the pop vein, but when all is said and done, I don't think MIA was the right attempt for that time in the history of pop music.

Just some thoughts.
Tim

[YesterdayOnceMore]

It's a great song, but not one of my all time favorites. I enjoy listening to it when it comes on. I don't, however, enjoy watching the video. In the first place, it's sort of silly to see the little people dancing on top of the piano, and Karen looks in quite poor health.

I do like the song itself, however - it's a fun, upbeat number, and gets ya going as one listens to it. Some nice background vocals in this one, too.

Tim

[JIM]

I know it was way out of step with the times as Rick mentioned but since the Carpenters were so well known for there remakes i.e. Mr Postman. I wonder how well Beach45789 would have done if it had been released as a single in 81


Jim