What can I say about them except for the fact that I looove them! Karen I think, had the most purest sounding voice in pop music. Her voice was flawless, as was their songs. Again, ever since I was a little kid, as far back as I can remember, I loved The Carpenters. Besides The Carpenters, the Jackson Five is the only other music that I can honestly say that I have adored all of my life. Here are some of my favorite songs by them.

We've Only Just Begun
Your Wonderful Parade
(They Long To Be) Close To You
Superstar
Bless The Beasts And The Children
Yesterday Once More
Hurting Each Other
Rainy Days And Mondays
Solitaire

blackguitaristz said:

Love all these tunes!!

This is crazy. I was totally going to start a thread devoted to this woman's music.

She had the purest and most honest voice. That voice. Wow. Her death is such a tragedy. It still makes me so sad when I think about it. Just when she was starting on the road to recovery, she had done so much damage to her heart it just gave out.

She is one of my favorites and I'm very happy that she left a beautiful legacy of sound to remind us all of the beautiful gift God gives to some people.

Sing.....sing a song

blackguitaristz said:

You are not alone in this sentiment!

Carpenters are one of my favorites as well. It's breaks my heart to hear these songs that are so beautiful yet so haunting at the same time.

Along with your pics above....

I also love

TICKET TO RIDE-I really think this is one of the few occasions were a Beatles cover was as good or better than the original! It's almost a whole different song. It gives it a whole new meaning!

SING-The 'Sesame Street' song....many think's it's probably cheesy but I just adore this one too.

FOR ALL WE KNOW-A standard that Karen again made her own. There are few vocalists today with that kind of gift.

ahhhh...pulling out my Carpenters GOLD right now!

Top of the world!!! I just mixed a CD with this as the leading track

Yes Karen had one of those voices that was so smooth...so pure. I discovered them as an adult. Blown away by most of their songs. We truly lost a voice when she passed.

Wonder why they never get any air time on the radio even now. Then again there hasn't been a re-embracing of that kind of music that she, anne murray, linda ronstat and Carly simon laid ground to.

I hate to admit it but I love the Carpenters also. My favorite is "Masquerade". I love both their version and George Benson's. If anyone asks though I will only admit to George Benson's. Please destroy this thread and the evidence.

I love the Carpenters too. I'm not too keen on the cheesey stuff but I think that Richard Carpenter is a genius whom should be revered for his arrangements in the same way as Brian Wilson and George Martin are.

'Goodbye To Love' basically invented the whole power-ballad genre but it still sounds unbelievably fresh. I get goosbumps everytime that guitar solo starts.

Their version of 'This Masquerade' is sweeping, cinematic and haunting.

If you've never heard the album track 'Another Song' try and download it. It's on the Close To You album and its damn-near ethereal. It's musically dense. It starts off as just piano and voice and turns into a bongo-thumping, hammond-stabbing, orchestral freak out.

In fact another one of my faves, 'Crescent Moon' is on that album. k.d. lang should cover 'Crescent Moon' right now. It sounds like it inspired 50% of k.d.'s Ingenue album.

one of the VERY few tribute albums i've ever liked all the way through was the "if i were a carpenter" compilation, which was a fabulous intro for me to the music of the carpenters. i have a great carpenters box set that i got for christmas a few years back, and every now and then i gotta bust that sucker out and get my karen fix...she had the most gorgeous voice.

Anxiety said:

Actually, that goes the same for me. I was surprised at how many songs I knew...but I did not know they sung...ie Close to you. Their music has certainly transcended time.

I have played a track or two when I dj and I always get "I love Karen Carpenter" each time.

How can u Not Love the Carpenters... karen's voice was from the heavens sung like an angel...

Anxiety said:

I love Sonic Youth's 'Superstar' cover. I bought the CD single.

TheRealFiness said:

Well, I really can't stand them. My girlfriend loves them, and one of my best friends in the world is a HUGE fan. I've tried to like them, I really have, but I just can't get past the schmaltzy stuff. Karen had a wonderful voice, but their stuff is way too sacharrine sweet for my taste. Sorry

It's a shame they became like the "standard" for elevator music, cuz they really are well written songs.

Alot of their songs have been so insanely overplayed and adored by so many, that they're kind of difficult to appreciate at times.

I just remeber hearing them every time I waited at the orthodontists office, every time I was shopping in a department store, every time I was on the phone and put on hold... after a certain point, all I could think was "Jesus Christ make it stop!".

But now that theyve been out of the limelight for so long, I think its easier to appreciate them.

BinaryJustin said:

thurston is SO HOTT in that video, oh my goodness.

This thread reminds me...I need to get a better Carpenters compilation than the one i have right now.Or maybe I'll just go ahead and get the box set.