Completing my Carpenters collection

[Kevin Van Horn]

I want to get a complete, or nearly complete, collection of all of the Carpenters' music on CD. I'd like to do it with the least amount of duplication and least expense possible. What do people recommend?
I currently have the following on CD:
- Carpenters
- Now and Then
- A Kind of Hush
- A Song for You
- Ticket to Ride
- Lovelines

I have other Carpenters albums on tape (in various stages of deterioration -- one is 25 years old), but I'm looking to replace them with CDs.

[cam83]

HI Kevin!
I think that CLOSE TO YOU album is very good to have. Actually all the studio albums would be great. Or get the ESSENTIAL COLLECTION, which is a 4 cd box set, with rarities, the hits, and some strong album tracks, demos, tv appearances, live concert material. Another good album set to get is READER'S DIGEST of THE CARPENTERS: THEIR VERY BEST PERFORMANCES.

My thoughts,
Cameron

[Rick Henry]

"Horizon" is a must have Carpenters album. Considered by many fans to be their best. Check out ebay and Amazon.com for lower prices. If you live near a Circuit City or Best Buy check them out they have slightly lower prices on discs.

[ThomB]

I have to go along with what Cam83 says, all the studio albums are worth getting, they are all solid and have excellent strong songs.

What are your favorite song from the C's?

[Kevin Van Horn]

I guess I should rephrase my question. I heard something about there being some sort of CD set that is nearly a complete collection of everything the Carpenters ever did. Does such a thing exist? Is the ESSENTIAL COLLECTION something along that line? Or would I be better off just trying to get all of their albums piecemeal? On that note, where can I find a complete list of the Carpenters' works?

ThomB:
> What are your favorite song from the C's?

Ooh, you like to ask hard questions, don't you?

It's hopeless to try to pick a favorite; but some that I especially like are "Because We Are In Love," "Baby It's You," "Road Ode," "Crescent Noon," "Crystal Lullabye," and "One Love." The last two are especial favorites of my twelve-year-old daughter, who still has me sing them to her at bedtime.

Oh, and then there's that delicious political satire, "Your Wonderful Parade"...

[cam83]

FROM THE TOP box set is great. It has the early performances of C's in a jazz trio where they perform CARAVAN and ICED TEA. THE PARTING OF OUR WAYS, YOU'LL LOVE ME are from Karen's first solo MAGIC LAMP Label in 1966. The Beatles GOODNIGHT is performed as well as TICKET TO RIDE. From their first group SPECTRUM are a few ditties...and also from their first album OFFERING(later TICKET TO RIDE) are SOMEDAY, EVE, YOUR WONDERFUL PARADE, ALL I CAN DO, DON'T BE AFRAID. ThenYOUR NAVY PRESENTS...with the interview and song GET TOGETHER performed LIVE... CLOSE TO YOU, WE"VE ONLY JUST BEGUN, MAYBE IT'S YOU, MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING, FOR ALL WE KNOW round up the first cd...1965-1970

CD 2 is SUPERSTAR, RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS, TOP OF THE WORLD(origional A SONG FOR YOU Album cut), YESTERDAY ONCE MORE, SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN TO TOWN (slow version), BLESS THE BEAST AND THE CHILDREN(Academy nominated song for 1971), THIS MASQUERADE, HURTING EACH OTHER, plus the YESTERDAY ONCE MORE medley(complete with dj), some out takes as well as a Spanish version of SING with some English lyrics in there as well...

CD 3 is PLEASE MR POSTMAN. ONLY YESTERDAY, SOLITAIRE, the Ma Bell jingle GOOD FRIENDS ARE FOR KEEPS, ORDINARY FOOL, I NEED TO BE IN LOVE, a LIVE version of FROM THIS MOMENT ON. THe 2 Japanese soft drink radio jingles...for SUNTORY POP drinks. ALL YOU GET FROM LOVE IS A LOVE SONG and CALLING OCCUPANTS(with radio dj), and 4 classic Christmas songs...CHRIST IS BORN, WHITE CHRISTMAS, LITTLE ALTAR BOY, and the spine chilling AVE MARIA...completes CD 3...1974-1978

CD 4 is from 1979-1982...LITTLE BOY BLUE( I think), Karen's solo masterpieces IF I HAD YOU, STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS and the mad disco romp MY BODY KEEPS CHANGING MY MIND, Karen's MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC closing medley(Knowing When to Leave, Sing, We've Only Just Begun, Someday, Make It Easy On Yourself), Because We Are In Love(Karen's wedding song), TOUCH ME WHEN WE'RE DANCING, WHEN IT"S GONE, NOW(from Karen's last vocal session in 1982).


These are some of the songs I remember. Now the ESSENTIAL COLLECTION is basically a repackaging, with a few new songs...and others ommitted. Newer songs I believe are SANDY, KAREN'S THEME, MR. GUDER, SWEET SWEET SMILE( I think) and quite a few others including the KAREN/ELLA MEDLEY from the 1980 TV special. I don't own this collection but would like to. Here in Canada, this 4 cd boxset is priced at about 105 dollars. A lot of money.

[Boat2Sail]

Essential Collection is a great collection, I own it. But I think you're better off buying every Carpenters album. Just from your favorite songs you listed, you seem to like album cuts better, and albums like Horizon, Passage, Close To You, etc have more than their share of excellent album cuts. I'd buy all the albums along with Essential Collection.

[Moe]

I don't know if you could still find it,but there used to be a huge release that had all the original CD's. Since you already have several, I would just start buying the individual CD's. Start immediately with the "Christmas Collection" and then "Horizon." Ebay would be a cheap way to find these and so would the used CD stores. They sell both new and used at a good price. You have a wonderful experience ahead of you. I loved it when I repurchased the old albums on CD. Put on your head phones and turn it up. There is something incredible about Karen's voice, turned up loud and in head phones.

enjoy...

[Rick Henry]

Moe said:

There is something incredible about Karen's voice, turned up loud and in head phones.

enjoy...

Yes you can hear every beautiful nuance in her voice.

[Kevin Van Horn]

Thanks everybody. This will help.