Carpenters: Love Songs CD Track Listing

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Carpenters Love Songs (1997)
Originally Released March 24, 1998\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: There may be too many Carpenters compilations on the market -- there are certainly enough to confuse the average neophyte -- but Love Songs is a welcome addition to the clutter, since it offers 20 of the duo's very best love songs, including "We've Only Just Begun" and "Top of the World." Anyone looking for a collection of the duo's romantic songs should definitely consider this fine collection, even it does leave off some of their poppier, rock-inflected material. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nThere was a time, before Karen Carpenter was born, when most American female popular singers, even the black ones, sounded a lot like the way she would one day sound. The music of singer-drummer Carpenter and her piano-playing brother Richard came to be called soft rock, but it's really just good, straight American pop. This CD, released in March 1998, is a collection of greatest hits, with a special emphasis on romance. Paul Williams, Burt Bacharach, Sam Lewis, and Victor Young provide lovely melodies, and Carpenter's expressive voice makes each song genuinely affecting. --Stanley Booth \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSong for Karen, March 29, 2002 \nReviewer: Barry Gahan from Oxford, UK \nI first discovered the Carpenters through indie/alternative group Sonic Youth. They had a "Song for Karen" on an album a few years back and also did a hauntingly good version of Superstar.\n\nAt first, I was a little sceptical of the Carpenters soft-pop and being honest i can't listen to the album without cringing at times. But there are many moments of brilliance here and Karen has a beautiful, perfectly pitched voice that takes these songs to an altogether higher level than they might merit. "Superstar", "Rainy days and Mondays", and "Solitaire" are good examples of the range and angelic like quality of her voice and these songs do grow on the listener. She is reminiscent of Billie Holiday anf Edith Piaf in the way her recordings and her voice capture emotion and pain from her own life. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nKeep Love Songs Close to You, October 23, 2001 \nReviewer: A music fan from New York, United States \nI am almost willing to bet the house that this album has brought a hefty percentage of its listeners to tears. It's almost impossible not to cry when you hear Karen Carpenter sing. It's near heart-wrenching to imagine this lovely, attractive woman whose vocal chords emitted perhaps the sweetest, purest sound of her day -- and, perhaps of today -- starving herself to death. In each track on this album, one can't help but hear the agony in Karen's voice. Her misery was our gift, for her ability to emote through music can stir the emotions of even the most cynical among us. In Karen's music, she's often expressing the emotions that so many feel but never admit: longing, lonliness, love, desperation, hurt, and the list goes on. Much like the illness anorexia nervosa which claimed her life, the depth of this particular musical compilation can be overwhelming. One cannot help but wish, "If only someone could have done somethingt to help her." While that's a moot point, her talent should serve as motivation enough to be understanding and supportive of those who battle with eating disorders. When Karen Carpenter died, the world lost a musical wonder. Yet, her genius lives on in the form of her music, and this album in particular, showcases her gifts to tremendous effect. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe best compilation I've seen of the Carpenters., June 27, 1999 \nReviewer: A music fan from Minneapolis, USA \nFinally, a compilation album with the great song "You're The One." Karen really outdoes herself on that one. Although I used to make fun of the Carpenters in the 70's, I find that with time I have come to appreciate them quite a bit. I still think some of the songs are kind of syrupy, like "Top Of The World." (though it is undeniably catchy) Karen sounds most real to me on the downbeat songs, which makes sense because of what we now know about her life. And when she hits those low notes, she sounds so clean yet incredibly sexy at the same time, and that is hard to do! (And love may grown For All WE KNOW-she sounds so sexy on the WE KNOW!) I have listened to a lot of their albums now, and there is a lot of material that doesn't fit what Karen's voice, but this album is very consistent and a great collection overall. I wish they would have put in "Ticket To Ride," another song where Karen hits those sexy low notes! And Richard really does do the best arrangements for Karen-that album where who is it Phil Ramone? produces really shows little respect for Karen's gifts. Karen and Richard proved to their generation that clean cut, goody two shoes music can be vital, even though the Carpenters life, like the rest of ours, is always complicated and full of contradictions. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nOne Of The Finest Compiliations, March 17, 1999 \nReviewer: Jim Fenos @ iwaynet.com from Columbus, Ohio \nAssembeled not by Richard but by the A&M label, "Love Songs" was conceived before the idea of the Carpenters remasters and released as a "completer" for the "Interpretations" set. Although some of the songs present makes appearances on most of their "hits" compilations, some haven't been heard from in years. Usually Carpenters albums are available in music stores only, this album was made available everywhere, including department stores such as Target and Kmart. Television was used and a whole media blitz was created, making this compilation not only accessable by almost any means, but the most successful Carpenters album to date. The marketing of this product was pure genuis. The selection of song is excellent, the remastering superb. This cd could be used or percieved as a sampler of all Carpenter albums, except the "Christmas" and "Ticket To Ride" albums. Everything is present, from the whisper reading of "Close To You" to the tear-invoking "You're The One." The long out-of-print album "Passage" is represented here with the power house reading "I Just Fall In Love Again" and the high-stepping "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song." The album befittingly closes with the Carpenters standard "Goodbye To Love." Richard is known as the king of remixers, most of the songs here use their original vocal leads, slightly remixed. Overall, this album represents the absolute best of the Carpenters and if any recordings by them are sought by the casual fan, this one is a fine representation of their work. Understand that previous reviews stated some of Karen's solo work is present, they are not and if some of her work was present, it would be out of context with the overall theme of this album. Enjoy this nicely packaged compilation. \n\nHalf.com Customer Review\nA good collection but not the best. \nby boat2sail | 12/17/1999 \nPros: Excellent CD quality. \nCons: Not the original versions. \nRecommended: No \n\nThe Carpenters were the Number One act of the Seventies, and very few outside of diehard fans, realize that many of their album cuts are just as great as their mega hits. This album contains a few of them, like "This Masquerade" which won a Grammy for George Benson as Record of the Year in 1976. Therefore it would seem that this would be an excellent CD to purchase. Yes and no. Karen & Richard's mega hits such as "We've Only Just Begun," "Top of the World," and "I Won't Last a Day Without You" to name a few, have been remixed by Richard Carpenter. In other words, these are different versions and not the originals. If you're a music fan who doesn't like the trend in remixes by major artists, this is definitely a $17 CD you don't want to waste your money on. For others where remixes don't matter, they may enjoy hearing a slight difference in the hits of the Carpenters. Overall, I do not recommend "Love Songs." You're better off buying "The Singles 1969-1973" album that contains the original versions.\n\nHalf.com Album Notes\nThe Carpenters: Karen Carpenter, Richard Carpenter.\nProducers: Richard Carpenter, Karen Carpenter, Jack Daugherty.\nIncludes liner notes by Paul Lester.\nDigitally remastered by Roger Wake.\n\nFew pop song catalogs have been as underappreciated as that of the Carpenters. Though many of their best songs ("Rainy Days and Mondays," "We've Only Just Begun") were penned by equally underrated songwriter Paul Williams, pianist Richard Carpenter got his compositional licks in too, and it was his vocalist/drummer sister Karen whose sweet but unaffected vocal style cemented these tunes' popularity and helped place them in the '70s pop canon for all time.\n\nThis collection, though essentially a functional "best of," focuses, as the title makes plain, on LOVE SONGS. Of course, it doesn't hurt that such tunes happened to be the duo's stock in trade. From the achingly evanescent "Close To You" to the uplifting, jubilant "Top Of The World," these songs celebrates the ups and downs of romance. Lend an ear and be reminded of the grace and beauty that existed in the musical world of Richard and Karen Carpenter.
This rock cd contains 20 tracks and runs 76min 34sec.
Freedb: 3b11f014
Buy: from Amazon.com

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