Carpenters Album: “Close to You [Remaster]”

Close To You is an excellent album by Karen and Richard Carpenter. They made outstanding music together and it still stands the test of time. Hearing this music brings back so many fond memories for me as I heard so many of these tunes originally on the radio. The quality of the sound on this CD is very good; and I really like the artwork, too.

"We've Only Just Begun" begins the album with a smash hit for Carpenters; they play and sing this beautifully and the number is very sensitive. Karen sings this with so much passion; you truly feel that she is singing to you and only you as you hear her sing. In addition, Karen sings so sweetly about the joys of starting a love affair or a marriage while still managing to acknowledge in the lyrics that there is still some uncertainty about the road that lies ahead for her and her one true love. Great! "We've Only Just Begun" is truly one of their greatest hits ever; and I could never tire of listening to this ballad. "Maybe It's You" is a number that stuns me with its beauty; Karen sings this with panache and Richard's music is perfect to go along with Karen's vocals. The lush musical arrangement makes "Maybe It's You" a classic Carpenters song.

"Reason To Believe" is a soft pop number from the early `70s that still holds its own very well even today all these years later; and "Reason To Believe" puts Karen and Richard Carpenter squarely front and center--and that's wonderful. "Help" is a sublime cover of this Beatles song; Karen sings this with heart and soul. You can really hear Karen's delving into the song to bring out her personal emotions that, as she sings this song, make this a wonderful rendition of this number second only to the rendition by The Beatles themselves. Wonderful! In addition, "(They Long To Be) Close To You" charms me with its beauty; and I cannot understand why anyone would think that music like this is "corny." "(They Long To Be) Close To You" is a very sweet tune and we really see Karen Carpenter open up and let herself perform this ballad with her heart and lots of feeling. "(They Long To Be) Close To You" is clearly a major highlight of this album.

"Baby It's You" has a very sensitive arrangement; and listen for "I'll Never Fall In Love Again." "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" is a Burt Bacharach/Hal David number that Dionne Warwick made so famous; when Karen and Richard do their cover of this classic ballad Bacharach must have surely been proud! Karen sings this to perfection; and her uncanny sense of timing impresses me, too.

"I Kept On Loving You" has that early `70s flavor to it; and the number works very well. "I Kept On Loving You" is a solid number and those chorus lyrics fit in well, too. The album ends with "Another Song;" "Another Song" is a very special number and it makes a fine ending for this album.

Overall, Carpenters fans will love this album if they don't have it already. This is also great for people who enjoy contemporary pop vocals.

Carpenters....what else can I say?...A wonderful group from Downey,California.....Karen Carpenter is the best female vocalist of our time...Nobody can sing like her...This is an amazing album...Including there two signature hits (They Long To Be)Close To You and We've Only Just Begun.......Both hits....Make sure you pick this album up....Another highlight is Love Is Surrender and Maybe It's You.....

this album may have been a rush job to capitalize on a hit, "close to you", but it is simply wonderful. To me all of the songs resemble a suite and show just how wonderful Karen Carpenter's voice really was and what a huge void she left behind. I find it totally amazing that she was only 20 when this album was recorded. The carpenters truly made music for the soul and I find this album is able to transport me to a place that is wonderful every time I hear it. I was originaly was going to give this album 4 stars but I'll give it 5

With their second CD, the Carpenters take their music to new heights. Two singles off the album scored it big - "Close to You", a #1 single for 4 weeks and "We've Only Just Begun", a #2 song and the Carpenters signature tune. These, of course, are the best points on the album. Several others are very well-crafted though. "Help," "Maybe It's You," "Love is Surrender," and the often underrated "Baby It's You" are big highlights. This is a superb step up from their previous album, "Ticket to Ride", and although, there is still weak lyrics, the album is melodically strong, and Karen's voice is able to capture the magic in anything. For the new Carpenters fan, save this one until you're interested. For the tried and true fan, you'll wear this one out!

We took this album on our honeymoon on a wobbly old cassette tape. [In those days, the tapes sold in shops were worse than the ones you made yourself from a gramophone record!] It is terrific to have the remastered CD! The Carpenters' arrangements are so clever, highlighting Karen and Richard's talents perfectly.

I love the old-fashioned electric piano featured on Reason To Believe and Love Is Surrender.

There are some fantastic heart-felt lovesongs here. You still can't beat Maybe It's You, We've Only Just Begun, I Kept On Loving You and of course, Close To You.