Carpenters: Now And Then CD Track Listing

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Carpenters Now And Then (1973)
Originally Released May 1973\nCD Edition Released \nRemastered CD Edition Released December 8, 1998\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: It was with the release of Now & Then that the Carpenters lost any pretense of being even dorky-cool . The album jacket was a giveaway, depicting them in a car in front of a suburban home. The problem also laid in the relentlessly cheerful childrens' chorus on "Sing," which seemed to come out of every public music outlet that spring and summer; the silly version of "Jambalaya" on side one; and the oldies medley on the second side, which at least predated Happy Days' going on the air but still botched its job, mixing Karen Carpenter's haunting rendition of "Johnny Angel" and her spirited version of "One Fine Day" (anticipating her white-bread but effective version of "Beechwood 4-5789") with filler like "Fun Fun Fun" and "Deadman's Curve," all interspersed with Tony Peluso doing his best (i.e., worst) imitation of an obnoxious disc jockey. Whatever the reason, from the moment of the release of Now & Then, anyone under 30 buying a Carpenters album would have good reason to go to a neighborhood where no one knew them to make the purchase, and hide it from their friends. The pity is that the medley paled next to its framing song, the wistful "Yesterday Once More," the last really memorable song that the duo introduced, which summed up in four minutes all of the emotions and sensations that the medley took 15 to deliver. And that song was botched in its album edit, which, instead of giving it an ending, made it part of the medley, with an annoying segue into the latter. -- Bruce Eder\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nStill Blossoming But With A Hiccup Or Two...., January 25, 2007\nReviewer: Maestroh "A.A., A.A.S.,B.M.E.,Th.M." (Ph.D. Textual Criticism)\nAfter the phenomenal success of "A Song For You," which was still burning bright into 1973, the Carpenters had to come up with something new. The previous years had seen a sudden 'revival' of oldies, partly an outgrowth of the infamous Ricky Nelson "Garden Party" incident. Doing their part, the Carpenters made their contribution on both sides of this classic LP. \n\nI note a number of five star reviews, and I considered doing that myself. The reason I didn't can be summed up in two words: opening song. The opening song of a recording sets the stage - at least on a well-done album - for all that is to follow. The Carpenters opt for another Leon Russell tune to open the album but, unfortunately, "This Masquerade" - while a good song and done in fabulous Carpenter fashion - is just not the kind of tune to open an album. It segues into a number three hit, "Sing," from the TV show "Sesame Street" - the source of countless number one songs like "It's Not Easy Being Green." \n\nWe then get the first taste of Carpenter greatness with an abbreviated version of "Yesterday Once More" - and by abbreviated, I mean only the first verse and the closing chorus. Following the successful pattern of "A Song for You," we get another Richard Carpenter instrumental, "Heather." \n\nThe upbeat "Jambalaya" is another remake, this of a 1952 Hank Williams classic. But the Carpenters make it their own with a great performance capped by the traditional Carpenter overdub sound. "I Can't Make Music," a melancholy melody by Randy Edelman closes out the first side. Karen's vocal carries it well. \n\nThe second side is an ode to the oldies. Starting with Richard's new composition, "Yesterday Once More," the Carpenters go on a twenty minute tear of rock 'n' roll classics. They start with "Fun, Fun, Fun" by the Beach Boys and are interrupted by a 'hip' DJ (Tony Peluso, author of the "Goodbye To Love" guitar riff). It segues into "The End of the World," the Skeeter Davis Classic. Following are "Da Doo Ron Ron" (Crystals), "Dead Man's Curve" (Jan and Dean), "Johnny Angel" (Shelley Fabares), "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes" (Bobby Vee), "Our Day Will Come" (Ruby and the Romantics) and close out with a rapid fire acceptable version of "One Fine Day" (Chiffons). Interspersed are the DJ interacting with his audience including a 'Guess The Golden Goodies Group Contest.' The caller, Mark Rudolph, gets it wrong and the DJ mocks him. \n\nThe second side is, in its own way, a classic. Rather than a note-for-note remake of these songs, the Carpenters put their stamp on some of the classics and all of the versions are more than acceptable. Indeed, they make the album a must hear classic for all Carpenter fans. \n\nThe cover art is also, in my view, the best of all the Carpenter albums. You probably can't see it on the screen, but Richard is in the driver's seat and Karen in the passenger side. \n\nTwo smash hits and an entire side of Carpenter versions of classics? What are you waiting for? Get it today. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\n"Now and Then" a Must for Your Carpenter Collection!, July 22, 2005\nReviewer: James Koenig "Konedog4" (Fergus Falls, MN United States)\n\n"Now and Then" is the Carpenters salute to the golden age of rock and roll, the hits of the 1960's. This is the music that both Karen and Richard Carpenter grew up listening to and in this album, they make it their own. \n\nThe album begins with the "Now", by presenting their new smash hit of 1973, "Sing". Although criticized and condemned by rock purists of the day, "Sing" (originally written for Sesame Street!), captured the public's attention and became a big hit for the Carpenters. Also in the "Now" section is "This Masquerade", a haunting song about the break-up of a relationship, of course interpreted and performed flawlessly by Karen Carpenter. It amazes me how Karen, at just 23 years old, could put so much appropriate emotional inflection into her lyrics! \n\n"Jambalaya", the hit 1952 Hank Williams song, lifts the mood with it's infectious foot stomping beat. Karen once again renders a flawless vocal rendering, which became a huge Carpenter hit in Japan, Germany, England, and Mexico. \n\nThe "Then" portion of the album begins with the colossal hit "Yesterday Once More", setting the stage for the eight 1960's classics songs that follow. Each song is an absolute delight in itself, with the band's Tony Peluso royally hamming it up as a 60's radio dee-jay introducing each song and hosting the all-too familiar "Guess the Song and Band Contest", that all of us (oldsters) once heard on AM Top-40 radio. It all comes together so neatly thanks to Richard Carpenters' inventive and unique musical arrangements. \n\nThis is an album that will have you laughing, smiling, and inflecting. It is as good a Carpenters album as any of their million sellers and will charm you endlessly. I highly recommend it. -- Jim Konedog Koenig \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nFun Under The Covers, April 9, 2002\nReviewer: JAMES W FENOS (COLUMBUS, OHIO United States)\nIt's clear to me the Carpenters had a blast recording this album. The introductory song "Yesterday Once More" gives us a clue as to what comes next, as does the song listing. This album contains the classic aforementioned track along with international favorite hit single "Sing" and the ultimate album cut classic "This Masquerade" which was covered and turned into a radio staple by George Benson. Leon Russell penned the classic track, the first cover the Carpenters did of Leon was "Superstar" and we all know what covering that tune led to. Karen's vocal delivery of "This Masquerade is best described as smooth. Her breathing is perfect, modulation is minimal. Love the solo flute. Richard is a whiz at instrumentals, "Heather" fits like a glove. The medley is what both fasinates and irritates me. The vocal delivery from both Karen and Richard is, as always, perfect. The vocal overdubbing on the "group" songs like "Johnny Angel" with Karen doing all the parts gives these pieces an unusual and welcome warmth. If the originals sounded more like the treatments they are given here, I may have liked the sixties a little better. All the songs were recorded seperatley and then segued together, bridged with a really annoying DJ thing voiced by Tony Peluso. It's supposed to be a radio show. Now, if interested there exists a remix of this medley, sans DJ, available on an anthology from Readers Digest, along with an exclusive to that release only live medley of Burt Bacharach tunes, one of which is "Any Day Now" later covered and turned into a pop crossover hit by Ronnie Milsap. One song on "Now And Then" which is a personal favorite is "I Can't Make Music." Karen really opens up on that one and a stripped down version that showcases her lead vocal is available on "Treasures" and in remastered "Treasures" version on the 2000 release "By Request." For lack of a better term, the remix is breathtaking.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nNow & Then Begin Again, April 2, 1999\nReviewer: A music fan\nFor those fans considering purchasing this newly remastered version of 1973's commercial "Now & Then" album, allow me to say it IS worth the investment; I already own all of their original albums and have been impressed with the remasters I have purchased. This album, from an audio standpoint, has gotten the best result from the remastering. The former hiss on tracks such as "I Can't Make Music" & the sprightly "Sing" are thankfully absent; the overall sonic quailty has greatly improved, and for anyone interested in the original studio recording of the classic "Yesterday Once More". it's here. For what it's worth, this is not my personal favorite Carpenters album, but for fans, it's just what was needed to keep this "oldie but goodie" alive and singing.\n\n\nHalf.com Details \nProducer: The Carpenters \n\nAlbum Notes\nThe Carpenters: Richard Carpenter (vocals, keyboards); Karen Carpenter (vocals, drums).\n\nAdditional personnel: Tony Peluso (spoken vocals, guitar); Gary Sims (guitar); Buddy Emmons, Jay Dee Maness (steel guitar); Bob Messenger (flute, tenor saxophone); Earl Dumler (oboe, bass oboe, English horn); Tom Scott (recorder); Doug Strawn (baritone saxophone); Joe Osborn (bass).\n\nDigitally remastered by Richard Carpenter.\n\nFeaturing a surprisingly poignant cover photo of a suburban house--not unlike the Downey, California homestead in which Karen and Richard Carpenter grew up--NOW AND THEN is a concept album about the music that inspired Karen and Richard in their childhood. Besides the hit single "Sing" and a charming take on Hank Williams' "Jambalaya," the centerpiece of NOW AND THEN is Richard Carpenter and John Bettis' nostalgic "Yesterday Once More.\nThe song opens and closes a side-long medley of early-'60s pop hits that includes the Beach Boys' "Fun Fun Fun," Skeeter Davis' "The End of the World," the Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron" and Jan and Dean's "Deadman's Curve." Also included are Shelly Fabares' "Johnny Angel," Bobby Vee's "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes," Ruby and the Romantics' "Our Day Will Come," and the Chiffons' "One Fine Day." Given Karen's immense skills as an interpretive singer, not one of the covers is less than interesting, and most are flat-out wonderful.\n\n\nROLLING STONE REVIEW\nThe Carpenters--a couple of hot-rod honchos? You'd better believe it, bub, 'cause it's right there on the cover. Now some may find the idea of Richard and Karen out cruisin' for burgers to be just this side of screamin' lunacy, but shit, we all gotta get down sometime.\n\nSide two's the big time here, where America's foremost schmaltzrockers get back to da rootz, pay their dooz and cop just about all them other similarissimo cliches. Skeeter Davis, Bobby Vee, Shelley Fabares--all them early Sixties musical institutions get whole heaps of homage paid to 'em. And hot damn, there's even this creaky old Top 40 DJ type running all this vintage AM gobbledygoop down yer throat. You're supposed to get the idea that it's comin' out of a car radio.\n\n"Fun Fun Fun" has got some badass Chuck Berry guitar that really gets on the case. I'll be damned if it didn't blow me right off the stool first time I heard it. And while Karen's version of "Johnny Angel" ain't exactly running Blue Oyster Cult off any of the local turntables, at least it does get me feelin' sorry for myself whenever I hear it. A great song to get drunk to, and pretty good downer music too!\n\nAnd humor, hell, this stuff's an endless guffaw when you're wrecked. Two Buds and you start noticing how Karen sings real funny, sorta like she's turning up her nose at the material. Real proper-like (on "Dead Man's Curve"?)--reminds me of the time I saw a newsreel of Pat Nixon eating an ice cream cone--with a spoon.\n\nSide one (the Now side) ain't quite as exciting, but it's got its moments, including that runaway blockbuster AM smash of a hit called "Sing," where the Carps are joined by this viscerally homogenous boys' choir singing in the higher ranges of castrato. This song's got that Lawrence Welk feel from start to finish, so you just know it's gonna be getting tons of ink come Grammy time.\n\nNow & Then covers the present and the past--what about the Carpenters' future? Well, rumor has it that their next album's titled The Carpenters Go Slumming, and if you think this one's ace, Slumming will absolutely burn yer eyeballs out. (RS 138 - Jul 5, 1973) -- \nGORDON FLETCHER
This rock cd contains 15 tracks and runs 37min 58sec.
Freedb: db08e40f
Buy: from Amazon.com

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