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Post by Rick Henry on Oct 31, 2006 21:31:52 GMT -5
 Carpenters have many beautiful songs. Which are some that you feel are their most beautiful? |
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Post by wisejester7 on Oct 31, 2006 22:17:07 GMT -5
'Heather' and 'Karen's Theme' are beautifully constructed and performed. The melodies are soft and carry great emotion.
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Post by Rick Henry on Nov 1, 2006 11:24:45 GMT -5
There are so many beautiful songs by Carpenters - though some that really stick out in my mind are:
"Maybe It's You" - this song is utterly beautiful. The way the music is arranged and the sound gives this feeling that you really are there walking by the ocean waves as the waves come up to your feet. It's such a lovely tune and the lyrics paint a beautiful picture of love. Karen's voice is as always near perfection on this one.
"Aurora" and "Eventide" - the bookend pieces from "Horizon" are two shimmering pieces of beauty. Short but quietly beautiful. They paint a picture of sunrise and sunset. |
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Post by Ming on Nov 1, 2006 11:25:21 GMT -5
There are many beautiful songs, but I will choose 'One love' as the most beautiful one. It is just so Karen, so beautiful.
Ming
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Post by YesterdayOnceMore on Nov 1, 2006 15:00:20 GMT -5
 Wow - Rick, this is quite a HARD topic, because there are SO many beautiful songs. One I feel is quite beautiful from the very early days is "All of my Life" - it has a very sad feel to it, but it is stunningly beautiful with Karen's vocal and Richard's arrangement.....quite lovely. Later, say on Voice of the Heart, I would consider "Now" quite a beautiful song. It's flowing, it's compelling, and it's gorgeous! Karen puts so much of herself into the reading of this song. Wow - sometimes Karen's "beautiful" voice can just take my breath away. More later, but for now, there's one for beginning and end.....so I'll come back with some choices for in the middle. Wonderful topic. Thanks for posting it. Best, Tim 
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Post by Rick Henry on Nov 2, 2006 3:14:41 GMT -5
A few more songs I think are just absolutely beautiful:
"One More Time" - In it's simplicity and intimacy Karen really brings all soul and emotion to the forefront.
"(I'm Caught Between) Goodbye And I Love You)" - The blend of soothing acoustic and electric guitars really give this song a beautiful effect.
"Make Believe It's Your First Time" (From Karen's solo album) - This is one of Karen's most honest and intimate performances - a real beauty.
"I Just Fall In Love Again" - A true masterpiece of beauty. I love the swirling orchestration. |
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Post by YesterdayOnceMore on Nov 2, 2006 11:19:03 GMT -5
 Oh wow, Rick - yes - I couldn't agree with you more on these choices. Each is totally beautiful. Tim
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Post by wisejester7 on Nov 2, 2006 12:25:51 GMT -5
Little Altar Boy is one of the most beautiful renditions of a Christmas song I have ever heard.
Karen's voice evokes deep emotional pathos. She delivers the message straight to your heart and soul. Karen's compassion is worn like a heart on her sleeve. You can't help but get involved in the song...and with it's beautiful singer.
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Post by Rick Henry on Nov 2, 2006 23:40:09 GMT -5
Oh wow, Rick - yes - I couldn't agree with you more on these choices. Each is totally beautiful. Tim Tim... Truly, truly beautiful. I really liked your choices of "All Of My Life" and "Now" from the begining to the end Karen gave us pure beauty from the heart.
And let's not forget the lovely and moving "Love Me For What I Am" the Palma Pascale written classic. I love the pure soul and emotion in this one - it's sheer beauty. |
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Post by YesterdayOnceMore on Nov 3, 2006 0:24:25 GMT -5
Right, Rick...you get no argument from me on Palma's "Love Me For What I Am." Karen's reading of this beautiful song is something that is truly lovely....pure gold. With her wonderfully deep alto voice, she makes this song come to life in her ability to tug so right at all of those emotions. When she sings "...and if you're only using me to feed your fantasy, you're really not in love so let me go, I must be free..." I believe she truly captures the entire essence of the song right there. Ah, truly beauty at it's finest. Tim |
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Post by ps11932 on Nov 3, 2006 17:40:38 GMT -5
All great choices; I reckon a good 30% or more of the Carpenter's music could easily fit this category. A thought that was in my mind earlier today, relating to "Make Believe" (listed above)- among the first lyrics is the line "but then is then and now is now". The prounounciation of the first "now" is done in such a way that it almost sounds like a two sylablle word, and has a beautiful effect. Is there a musical term for this effect? I bet it was no accident.
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Post by YesterdayOnceMore on Nov 3, 2006 17:53:39 GMT -5
All great choices; I reckon a good 30% or more of the Carpenter's music could easily fit this category. A thought that was in my mind earlier today, relating to "Make Believe" (listed above)- among the first lyrics is the line "but then is then and now is now". The prounounciation of the first "now" is done in such a way that it almost sounds like a two sylablle word, and has a beautiful effect. Is there a musical term for this effect? I bet it was no accident.  O.E., you've good ears. Did you also notice on the first "now" there is more than one "note" sung, as well? Karen often used this technique in her vocal phrasing. I do not, unfortunately, know the technical jargon fot this type of vocal phrasing, but you're right - it was no accident. As I said, when one is specifically listening for this little characteristic, you can hear it a lot. Listen to Yesterday Once More - As Karen sings "When I was Young I listened to the radio waitin' for my favorite songs...when they played I'd sing along, so much has changed." Listen to just that much of it, and see how many times you hear Karen singing what sounds like one note, but in reality, she has either "slid" into it, or phrased it much the same way she did "now" in Make Believe it's Your First Time", therefore singing more than just the one note it sounds like. It's a subtle thing, and that's part of the beauty of it; Karen used this particular technique extremely well in my opinion. Best, Tim |
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Post by GoodOldDreams on Nov 3, 2006 22:09:34 GMT -5
All great choices; I reckon a good 30% or more of the Carpenter's music could easily fit this category. A thought that was in my mind earlier today, relating to "Make Believe" (listed above)- among the first lyrics is the line "but then is then and now is now". The prounounciation of the first "now" is done in such a way that it almost sounds like a two sylablle word, and has a beautiful effect. Is there a musical term for this effect? I bet it was no accident. O.E., you've good ears. Did you also notice on the first "now" there is more than one "note" sung, as well? Karen often used this technique in her vocal phrasing. I do not, unfortunately, know the technical jargon fot this type of vocal phrasing, but you're right - it was no accident. As I said, when one is specifically listening for this little characteristic, you can hear it a lot. Listen to Yesterday Once More - As Karen sings "When I was Young I listened to the radio waitin' for my favorite songs...when they played I'd sing along, so much has changed." Listen to just that much of it, and see how many times you hear Karen singing what sounds like one note, but in reality, she has either "slid" into it, or phrased it much the same way she did "now" in Make Believe it's Your First Time", therefore singing more than just the one note it sounds like. It's a subtle thing, and that's part of the beauty of it; Karen used this particular technique extremely well in my opinion. Best, Tim Hi O.E. and Tim, I wonder if the term you are looking for might be "vibrato," defined by Wikipedia as: "a musical effect where the pitch or frequency of a note or sound is quickly and repeatedly raised and lowered over a small distance for the duration of that note or sound. Vibrato is naturally present in the human voice, and is used to add expression and vocal-like qualities to instrumental notes." I notice this type of effect in more pronouced ways in the last syllable of "We've Only Just Begun" ("...and yes we've just BEGUN-HUNNN") and "Rainy Days and Mondays" ("...rainy days and Mondays always get me DOWN-HOUNNN") where Karen sustains the note with a vibrato and stretches out the last syllable with resurgent strength (or a second wind) as if it were actually two syllables. |
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Post by YesterdayOnceMore on Nov 3, 2006 22:44:07 GMT -5
O.E., you've good ears. Did you also notice on the first "now" there is more than one "note" sung, as well? Karen often used this technique in her vocal phrasing. I do not, unfortunately, know the technical jargon fot this type of vocal phrasing, but you're right - it was no accident. As I said, when one is specifically listening for this little characteristic, you can hear it a lot. Listen to Yesterday Once More - As Karen sings "When I was Young I listened to the radio waitin' for my favorite songs...when they played I'd sing along, so much has changed." Listen to just that much of it, and see how many times you hear Karen singing what sounds like one note, but in reality, she has either "slid" into it, or phrased it much the same way she did "now" in Make Believe it's Your First Time", therefore singing more than just the one note it sounds like. It's a subtle thing, and that's part of the beauty of it; Karen used this particular technique extremely well in my opinion. Best, Tim Hi O.E. and Tim, I wonder if the term you are looking for might be "vibrato," defined by Wikipedia as: "a musical effect where the pitch or frequency of a note or sound is quickly and repeatedly raised and lowered over a small distance for the duration of that note or sound. Vibrato is naturally present in the human voice, and is used to add expression and vocal-like qualities to instrumental notes." I notice this type of effect in more pronouced ways in the last syllable of "We've Only Just Begun" ("...and yes we've just BEGUN-HUNNN") and "Rainy Days and Mondays" ("...rainy days and Mondays always get me DOWN-HOUNNN") where Karen sustains the note with a vibrato and stretches out the last syllable with resurgent strength (or a second wind) as if it were actually two syllables.   Well, Dreams yes -- Karen has a natural vibrato....however, this is something different. This would be more of an actual singing of two notes on one syllable...and what you're you're defining like on Begun-hunnnn, or in "What do you get when you fall in love", they sing "Don't Tell me what it's all a bou-ou-wout." They actually go down on "Bou-ou" before they get to the "wout" making it three syllables rather than just the two it sounds like it will be....so it's not a glissando slide, or a vibrato slide - but it is a slide from one note into another. It's interesting, and as I said before, Karen does it well. Okay you vocalists....what is this called technically? I think vibrato is too non-specific for this, as I think of vibrato as that natural part of the voice that goes up and down, but not slides up and down......maybe I'm all wet, eh?? What do you know that I don't??? Please share it. Thanks, Dreams. Perhaps you are right....let's see what we can discover. Tim |
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Post by wisejester7 on Nov 4, 2006 9:39:35 GMT -5
All of the songs we have singled out ... and many more we have yet to discuss ... are made beautiful by the professional musicians who played them. The Carpenters band, to each individual, were hand picked for their advanced skills and musical accomplishments. Most of them, if not all, could also sing tight harmony. This isn't easy to do.
What takes the songs to their elevated status far beyond what these talented musicians could achieve are the superior lead vocals. Karen's vocals ... and the wide range of vocal nuances she mastered ... are unmatchable. Karen is the 'pizzazz'. She is the one irreplaceable ingredient that makes Carpenters superior.
Richard arranged the music around the one thing that couldn't miss ... Karen's voice.
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Post by Rick Henry on Nov 4, 2006 10:23:26 GMT -5
Well, Dreams yes -- Karen has a natural vibrato....however, this is something different. This would be more of an actual singing of two notes on one syllable...and what you're you're defining like on Begun-hunnnn, or in "What do you get when you fall in love", they sing "Don't Tell me what it's all a bou-ou-wout." They actually go down on "Bou-ou" before they get to the "wout" making it three syllables rather than just the two it sounds like it will be....so it's not a glissando slide, or a vibrato slide - but it is a slide from one note into another. It's interesting, and as I said before, Karen does it well. Okay you vocalists....what is this called technically? I think vibrato is too non-specific for this, as I think of vibrato as that natural part of the voice that goes up and down, but not slides up and down......maybe I'm all wet, eh?? What do you know that I don't??? Please share it. Thanks, Dreams. Perhaps you are right....let's see what we can discover. Tim I know the term you're speaking of Tim, but can't remember it right now. I love that vocal slide which Karen does - she does it quite a bit. You can hear it in the first verse of "Rainy Days And Mondays".
As for vibrato... Karen truly had a most beautiful natural vibrato. Donovan (Mellow Yellow) was quite famous for his natural vibrato.
Another most beautiful song is "Two Sides" from "Passage". I just love the relaxing sound the trio of guitars produces - what a lovely song.
Another beauty from the fantastic album "Horizon" is "Desperado" - this has to easily be one of Karen's most alramingly intense and beautiful vocal performances and that harmonica just sets the mood of the song.
Since "Make Believe It's Your First Time" was mentioned I just want to add that I love the sparse keyboard parts on Karen's solo version (from her solo album). The keyboard is so delicate and intimate - really adds to the beauty. Does anybody know who played keyboards in that one. I think it was Greg Phillanganes or possibly Bob James. It even sounds a bit like Rob Mounsey (who did keyboards on "Guess I Just Lost My Head" - also on Karen's solo album). Anyone know? |
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Post by GoodOldDreams on Nov 5, 2006 12:19:25 GMT -5
...Since "Make Believe It's Your First Time" was mentioned I just want to add that I love the sparse keyboard parts on Karen's solo version (from her solo album). The keyboard is so delicate and intimate - really adds to the beauty. Does anybody know who played keyboards in that one. I think it was Greg Phillanganes or possibly Bob James. It even sounds a bit like Rob Mounsey (who did keyboards on "Guess I Just Lost My Head" - also on Karen's solo album). Anyone know? [/b] [/center][/quote] I, too, love the sparkling keyboard work on Karen's solo version of "Make Believe It's Your First Time." Given how the credits for the keyboards are ambiguously presented in the CD booklet notes, Richard Tee could be a fourth possibility as well. Since Bob James is specifically credited for arranging and orchestrating this song, it would seem not a far fetch that he played the keyboards for it as well. |
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Post by GoodOldDreams on Nov 5, 2006 12:47:23 GMT -5
...This would be more of an actual singing of two notes on one syllable... In music notation, an arc-shaped mark is placed around two or more notes that are meant to be sung together as one syllable. The term for this is a "slur." Clearly demonstrated in the song "Crescent Noon" as an example, there is a slur around the notes for the word "led" in the phrase "... Bare November led to December's frozen ground..." As in slurred speech, where words are run together, what you are referring to might be called a syllabic slur in vocal music. |
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