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Subject: Viewpoints on the Karen Carpenter solo album


Author:
R1229
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Date Posted: 22:00:52 12/17/02 Tue
 I have read many different views on Karen's solo album. Many people feel Phil Ramone did Karen's voice injustice. Several people are also apalled by the so called "mature" nature of some of the songs. Some people feel the songs are not proper material for Karen Carpenter to have recorded. Other's find the album engaging and a very welcome addition to their CD collection. For these reasons the album could be considered somewhat controversial.

I feel the album is quite spectacular. I also like the nine unreleased tracks. With Phil Ramone, Karen stretched her voice into territories which Richard Carpenter wouldn't allow her to attempt. One of the most intriquingly mysterious vocals of her entire career is on the unreleased track "Something's Missing", the song is classic.
As for the supposed "mature" content. These songs were hand picked by Karen herself, with the help of Phil Ramone. She really wanted to record these particular songs. She wanted to convey her emotions and desires as a young woman at the age of 30 years old. She didn't want to hide behind the image that had been carved for her by the media anymore. She wanted to say what she wanted to say. And I can respect her for that.
I think Phil Ramone did an excellent job producing Karen Carpenter's album.
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Replies:
[> Subject: Re: Viewpoints on the Karen Carpenter solo album


Author:
beaner
[Edit]
Date Posted: 13:28:52 12/21/02 Sat
I agree with you that Karen's solo album was terrific. I have and always will love the sound of the Carpenters but when Karen decided to do a solo album I feel it came out great. I just think it would have been spread around a lot more and gotten a lot more attention if she had Richard's approval, sad but true. She relied on his decisions too much. He's a great musician too but I feel so sad every time I think about what Karen could have done on her own. She had so much talent.

I even think she would have gotten back into her drumming a lot more too because there is no shame in women drummers now like years past. Her voice is a voice I will never forget and will always be a part of my music collection.

I would like to see many more unreleased songs especially those you spoke of. I've never heard them and would love it.

beaner

[> Subject: Re: Viewpoints on the Karen Carpenter solo album


Author:
jim
[Edit]
Date Posted: 12:42:53 12/28/02 Sat
From what I understand, there is another cd in the works featuring all the tracks recorded in New York. I've heard the producer of the original tired of the bootleg versions of Karen's solo and decided to go legit. I really hope this is a truthful statement, again, I'm conveying a rumor. I think Richard has gone as far as he can go preserving the Carpenters legacy and is willing to "loosen"up a little. Karen's voice does indeed deserve to be shared and experienced, no matter the subject of the music. >I have read many different views on Karen's solo
>album. Many people feel Phil Ramone did Karen's voice
>injustice. Several people are also apalled by the so
>called "mature" nature of some of the songs. Some
>people feel the songs are not proper material for
>Karen Carpenter to have recorded. Other's find the
>album engaging and a very welcome addition to their CD
>collection. For these reasons the album could be
>considered somewhat controversial.
>
>I feel the album is quite spectacular. I also like the
>nine unreleased tracks. With Phil Ramone, Karen
>stretched her voice into territories which Richard
>Carpenter wouldn't allow her to attempt. One of the
>most intriquingly mysterious vocals of her entire
>career is on the unreleased track "Something's
>Missing", the song is classic.
>As for the supposed "mature" content. These songs were
>hand picked by Karen herself, with the help of Phil
>Ramone. She really wanted to record these particular
>songs. She wanted to convey her emotions and desires
>as a young woman at the age of 30 years old. She
>didn't want to hide behind the image that had been
>carved for her by the media anymore. She wanted to say
>what she wanted to say. And I can respect her for that.
>I think Phil Ramone did an excellent job producing
>Karen Carpenter's album.
[> [> Subject: Re: Viewpoints on the Karen Carpenter solo album


Author:
BOAT2SAIL
[Edit]
Date Posted: 21:15:33 12/29/02 Sun
I really like Karen's solo album, although on some of the tracks here voice is not as full sounding especially in her higher range, such as on "Still Crazy After All These Years".

This rumor about the outtakes being released is interesting. It would be very nice to have better sounding finished versions of these songs.
[> [> [> Subject: Re: Viewpoints on the Karen Carpenter solo album


Author:
jim
[Edit]
Date Posted: 15:14:23 12/30/02 Mon
Agreed. One song I didn't like is the unreleased "Jimmy Mack." It's so out of her range she must have been clutching her throat to hit the notes. I've read somewhere a version of Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good" exists. I use Linda because Karen's version closely resembles hers, so they say.
[> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Viewpoints on the Karen Carpenter solo album


Author:
R1229
[Edit]
Date Posted: 10:27:00 12/31/02 Tue
"Jimmy Mack" is awkward for Karen. Though I do like the overall sound of the song. I've heard of "You're No Good", and I've done a few searches for it but have been unable to find it. That's one song I'd like to hear. I wonder why that one hasn't surfaced like the rest of them did.



>Agreed. One song I didn't like is the unreleased
>"Jimmy Mack." It's so out of her range she must have
>been clutching her throat to hit the notes. I've read
>somewhere a version of Linda Ronstadt's "You're No
>Good" exists. I use Linda because Karen's version
>closely resembles hers, so they say.
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