Current Album

[Rick Henry]

Which Carpenters/ Karen album are you currently stuck on?

Right now when I want to listen to a Karen's voice the album I seem to pick to listen to most is "A Kind Of Hush". It's not neccesarily my favorite album, but I really like the overall feel of it. Karen's voice only got better as the years went on, she became more refined and she sang her notes even more clearly and with greater ease.

"There's A Kind Of Hush" is one of my favorite C's singles just because it's upbeat and nothing, just good listening. "Goofus" in my mind is one of Richard's most interesting arrangements. "Boat To Sail" is an alltime favorite. "One More Time" is a wonderful song where Karen's voice comes to the forefront - kind of reminds me of her solo recording of "Make Believe It's Your First Time".

I also listen to "As Time Goes By" mainly because the songs are newer and it's nice to have something newer to listen to. I really love "Leave Yesterday Behind", it's amongst my favorites of C's songs.

[beaner]

I've been playing my Voice of the Heart CD over and over in my car. I love "Now" and "You're Enough". It's a memorable CD for me because when I went to see Karen's grave in 1984, this album cover was sitting up in front of the grave right below her epitaph.

[BethMosior]

Right now I'm listening to 'As time goes by' and keep hitting repeat on the medley: superstar/ rainydays and mondays, then listen awhile and just can't get enough of it and Leave yesterday behind and dancing in the street ok almost the entire album really I do this with every album, sometimes I start at the 1st one and keep going to the last they are the greatest

[enigma]

At the moment I find myself listening to their early material I am starting to rediscover some gems of the Offering/Ticket to Ride album. It is not their finest work by far and is kind of rough but it was definately a sign of things to come and the songs are not as well known so it is not as overplayed as their later work; it does have a charm of its own as well. I am also listening to the first CD in the From the top compilation and I like to hear the prgression in the sound and in Karens voice on this disc it is a truely cool voyage.

[Sammy]

Ever since Rick posted the Randy Sparks interview about A Place To Hideaway I've been listening to the tan album titled CARPENTERS. I especially like the Bacharach David Medley. Ofcourse the three hit For All We Know, Superstar and Rainy Days and Mondays are favorites forever. Let Me Be The One and Sometimes are also great. I just can't get enough of this album.

[Peteruk]

At present 2 sets :

More recent As Time Goes By .....brilliant collection of rarities / outtakes and specials tracks

Older album : Close To You ....still magnificent .....you feel the impact CARPENTERS SOUND made in 1970 and how different / unique this was and STILL IS

Peter

[Song4You]

Right now I'm stuck on "Horizon," especially the song "Love Me for What I Am." That song has a powerful message. I think it should have been released as a single along with the other songs on this album.

Laura

[BethMosior]

Hi Song4you, AKA Laura , I really, really, really love that Album, it is on the way top of my list of favorite, favorite, favorite, ect.........( a kind of hush is also in the same level ) albums and I agree with you that ' Love me for what I am ' should have been a single

[Dave]

I'm so spoiled because thanks to AM 620 and 770 I get to listen to about five Carpenters songs every day! Sometimes more. And to think I used to think that AM radio was only good as a lightning detector...

[Moe]

I am listening to the "Gold" CD's. I will listen to one disk for a while and then try the other for a few days. I love "Rainbow Connection" on the first disk, and "Merry Christmas Darling," "I need to be in Love," and "I just fall in love again" on the 2nd disk.

[ThomB]

As Time Goes By and Gold: 35th Anniversary.

[Boat2Sail]

Horizon is my current favorite. ONLY YESTERDAY has me hooked. DESPERADO is such an awesome song, it should have been a single, but any one of the songs from Horizon could have been a single.

[cam83]

Hey Guys,
I was reading some posts on the A&M Corner, and there are several fans who love VOICE OF THE HEART. Their second choice is LOVELINES. I think that is so neat. VOICE does not get much recognition, but I think this album is probably their classiest album. It has a gorgous cover shot of Karen. The other day, I was in a second hand book-music store and found a LP still unopened...VOICE OF THE HEART and Karen looked so lovely. I have always loved that picture, her straight white teeth, nice nose, fluffed hair, white sweatshirt, and beautiful brown eyes. Of course, her eyebrows look lovely too. That was one thing I liked, was her eyebrows(except the 1973-1974 very tweezed eyebrow look)she took pretty good care. Anyways, getting back to VOICE OF THE HEART. The song selection is awesome. Great songs. Even MAKE BELIEVE IT'S YOUR FIRST TIME is an AWESOME song! I don't think of Karen's solo song, because when I first heard this album, back in 1988(June 1988, to be exact), because all I knew at that point was this poignant, tender ballad. I also adore NOW, and LOOK TO YOUR DREAMS...I am so glad Karen recorded that song. She did a fine job with that song, and was apparently Agnes Carpenter's fave song.

Cameron

[BethMosior]

Hi cam83, I agree with you, Voice of the heart, I think is an all time classic for me too. when it came out I could not stop crying so I didn't hear all of it but wow what an album with the song Now, Boat to sail, Two lives, ok you all know me by now all of the songs are just gems in their own right and I also love the picture of Karen on the front cover, Karen looks relaxed, confident and ready to take on the world again, just lovely

[Dave]

Hey Cam, now you know why us old-timers liked the vinyl albums: you can see more detail in the pictures. I hope that you picked that album up, especially since it was still in its plastic wrapper! What a treasure. And I'm also glad that you know so much about the Carpenters lives and that you share that knowledge with us. I look forward to reading your posts and learning something new. I also admire the detail that you've put into your story. It's really great! I never paid much attention to their careers when it mattered and now I'm here with questions no one can answer.
"All of the answers you seek can be found
In the dreams that you dream along the way"
"Part Of The Plan", Dan Fogelberg.
If that's true, why have my dreams given me more questions than answers? At my age, it should be the other way around. At least that's what I hoped for.
I will always think of Karen as a big sister.

[Rick Henry]

Reading some of the posts in this thread made me think of the Carpenters Online voting polls on the Trivia, Etc page. The first poll on the page is FAVORITE ALBUM 1969-1981. Due to the fact that the poll only allows a certain amount of choices I kept the album choices at the ones that were completed while Karen was still alive. This is the result of the poll to date:

1. HORIZON 183 votes 21%
2. A SONG FOR YOU 182 votes 21%
3. CLOSE TO YOU 152 votes 18%
4. CARPENTERS 128 votes 15%
5. NOW & THEN 74 votes 9%
6. A KIND OF HUSH 58 votes 7%
7. MADE IN AMERICA 41 votes 5%
8. OFFERING / TICKET TO RIDE 21 votes 2%
9. PASSAGE 13 votes 2%

If "Voice Of The Heart" were to have been included it most likely would rank at about #6 with 50 votes, as it's generally about as popular as "Made In America". I figure "Lovelines" would be around the same about 50 votes. I love both "Voice Of The Heart" and "Lovelines", but felt that since the end result was done without Karen's input and also several of the songs on both albums are outtakes from previous albums, they really did not belong with the list original studio albums. although in retrospect I should have included "Christmas Portrait" in this list, that album would certainly have garnered quite a few votes.

Anyway "Lovelines" is another disc I currently pull to play, it's such a great collection of songs. My favorites are "Honolulu City Lights" and "Kiss Me The Way You Did Last Night"

Another current favorite of mine is "Karen Carpenter", this such an excellent album, I love every song, especially "Make Believe It's Your First Time", "Guess I Just Lost My Head", "If I Had You", and "If We Try".

[BethMosior]

Amen to that Rick I agree with what you said and on Lovelines those songs you picked are my most favorite songs, along with You're the one, The univited guest, little girl blue ect... and the picture on the cover is one of my favorites

[enigma]

Interesting poll the ranks are almost identcal to my rankings on Carpenters records. The omissions are justified in my view because Karen had no say in the albums after MIA (obviously) and they are more compilations that Richard gave as gifts to Carpenters fans rather than official albums even if the material was still strong. The album(s) I find myself listening to are not necessarily my favorite Carpenters/solo records sometimes I listen to their lesser known material for something fresh to listen to. Like Rick I also find myself listenig to the KC solo record and unreleased tracks they are different but good-great songs I quite enjoy them.

BTW Rick I know I should know this but what is that background picture and who is in the picture besides K&R and the parents; Karen looks beautiful in that picture.