Disco de Carpenters: “As Time Goes By”

I bought this CD today......and I absolutely love it! I don't understand the previous bad reviews. Any true Carpenters fan will love this album. There is lots of Karen here, and a bit of Richard as well. I have always enjoyed Richard's talent as well as Karen's and this CD has that balance that all of their older original albums have....they were a duo, after all, still are in my opinion and I am thankful for whatever recordings I can get. I enjoy Richard's arrangements and piano virtuosity. The movie score medley on this album will take your breath away; Rich does a splendid job here and will send chills down your spine. I have been buying Carpenters records since the 1970's; have all the single vinyl releases and LP's...(first strikes) and most of the CD's as well. I was honored to see them live in concert twice while I was still in high school. It has always been a tradition for me to wait for the next release and this one is a thrill. I had not heard most of these selections before today; the medley with Karen and Ella is haunting and made me cry. There is a lot of Karen on this album and serves to keep her memory alive and is sort of like she is still singing new songs. I love Carpenters dearly. K&R, you have a special place in my heart and thank you Richard for continuing to bring us exciting new cuts and arrangements. I don't know how this album slipped by me but I'm glad I found it today!

Richard Carpenter has arranged another superb album of Carpenter songs. Taking a variety of previously unreleased Carpenter renditions and original recordings, Richard Carpenter has given all Carpenter fans a the continued gift of their music, and especially one more chance to hear and appreciate the lovely voice of Karen Carpenter.

The songs in this album have been silent for almost 20 years and longer, as many of the tracks came from the Carpenter's last TV performance, "Music, Music, Music", in 1980. There are also several tracks that had served as "draft" vocals for the band to lay down their sound, but Karen's voice is so superb, the draft vocal was used as the main vocal with good results. Carpenter fans will be delighted to have this album in their collection. It is not another compilation of standards mixed together in a new way - this is music that will be new to most listeners. Fans of the Carpenters have long requested Richard Carpenter to put together all the previously unreleased and TV recordings of Karen Carpenter. This is Richard's answer, "As Time Goes By", and he states that after this album there are no more unreleased songs.

Highlights are many, but songs that especially charmed me were "The Rainbow Connection", "Without A Song","You're Just In Love","Nowhere Man", and the Karen-Ella Fitzgerald Medley. All are superb recordings and highlight the rich and talented voice of Karen Carpenter. I guarantee after listening to this album a few times, you'll catch yourself humming several of the melodies outloud. The album has over an hour of music on it and I beleive you will be very pleased with it.

I highly recommend this album! It will become one of your favorite Carpenter albums.

Jim Konedog Koenig

The songs in this album have been silent for almost 20 years and longer, as many of the tracks came from the Carpenter's last TV performance, "Music, Music, Music", in 1980. There are also several tracks that had served as "draft" vocals for the band to lay down their sound, but Karen's voice is so superb, the draft vocal was used as the main vocal with good results. Carpenter fans will be delighted to have this album in their collection. It is not another compilation of standards mixed together in a new way - this is music that will be new to most listeners.

Highlights are many, but songs that especially charmed me were "The Rainbow Connection", "Without A Song","You're Just In Love","Nowhere Man", and the Karen-Ella Fitzgerald Medley. All are superb recordings and highlight the rich and talented voice of Karen Carpenter. I guarantee after listening to this album a few times, you'll catch yourself humming several of the melodies outloud. The album has over an hour of music on it and I beleive you will be very pleased with it.

I highly recommend this album! It will become one of your favorite Carpenter albums.

Konedog

This album is long awaited by ardent fans, unfortunately it can't be made available in the states due to copyright laws, thanks to Borders/Amazon, however, this cd is available as an import.

Unlike the other postumus albums produced by Richard, this one is sequenced chronologically, which leads me to believe Richard is moving on with the next phase of his career. The arrangements of the unfinished songs show the great work that went in the construction of this album, however the arrangements suggest the orchestral work was done in one day. There is an unusual samenesss in the arrangements complete with harmonica, the inclusion of that instrument reminds me of Richard's 1997 solo instrumental album.

There are repeats of songs, those repeats however are here in medley form recorded for television appearances, where the bulk of the material presented is from. "Without A Song" is not in it's original version, it's not the short one released on "Interpretations," it's a version recorded for the Carpenters private collection, Karen and Richard doing all the parts.

The most interesting and stunningly beautiful songs are the re-built Nowhere Man, Leave Yesterday Behind, California Dreamin', and The Rainbow Connection. Nowhere Man is incredible. Richard took a mono lead vocal, ran it through a 48 track recorder, and built a new arrangement around it so carefully not one word is lost from the lead. Karen's reading on this and the only surviving stereo take from Magic Lamp studio "California Dreamin' is for lack of a better term, breathtaking.

The two outtakes here recorded as work leads "Leave Yesterday behind" and "Rainbow Connection" could have been hits, "Leave Yesterday Behind is reminisent of "For All We Know" and "Rainbow Connection" has such a tender reading.

On all of the unfinished studio recordings exist the arrangements that have the aforementioned sameness. I believe the songs were arranged this way to give this collection a cohesiveness, to better segue the television produced soundtracks and instrumentals (there are a few here, Richard wouldn't be Richard without one.)

After all these years of not having such a glorious voice grace us with new songs, this collection reminds us of what we lost and how wonderful Richard is willing to share these unheard masterpieces.

Initially released a few years back and until recently very hard to find, this CD contains songs previously unreleased, with the exception of a few that came out on the Gold Collection earlier this year. Most are from master tapes of their TV specials. A quick run down:

1. Without a Song: Complete! 4*

2. Medley: Superstar/Rainy Days and Mondays: "OK" 3*

3. Nowhere Man: Beautiful. Dates back to the sixties; similar in vain to their take on Ticket to ride 5*

4. I Got Rhythm: Not bad 4*

5. Dancing in the Street: "OK". Mercifully short 3*

6. Dizzy Fingers: For Richard fans 3*

7. You're Just in Love: Great classic Carpenters sound 5*

8. Karen/Ella Medley: Very good 4*

9. Medley: Close Encounters/Star Wars: Another for the Richard fans 2*

10. Leave Yesterday Behind Fantastic! 5*

11. Carpenters/Como Medley "OK" 3*

12. California Dreamin': The other song dating back to the sixties. Nice interpretation and again similar to the songs on the "Ticket to ride" CD 5*

13. Rainbow Connection, The: Fabulous 5*

14. Hits Medley '76: Unnecessary 3*

15. And When He Smiles: Now one of my favorite Carpenter's songs of all time! Would have fit right in on the "Carpenters" CD 1971 5*+!

Bottom line: There's enough "new" Carpenters songs (previously unavailable) for any even slightly Carpenters Fan.