I love her dearly. One of my all time favourites.

rdhull said:

Let me say someting that may get me court marshalled.

The Carpenters were the complete and entire shit.

Everybody liked them even Keith Richards with his rude buhind.

And as far as Im concerned Karen's voice was just as good as Whitney Houston and even had more depth to and feeling to it. Just because Whitney wailed like an overthetop female Tarzan at times doesnt mean shit imo. If anything Houston was technical and Karen had warmth.

Okay, you think the Carpenters were the shit and I think they were maudlin dreck

at best. Your like for them is justified, in part, because Keef Richards liked them -

suit yerself. It's all good..

But to say that Whitney Houston was nothing but technical wailing - I mean, that has

to be betray your disdain for her on a personal level, right? "You Give Good Love" is

hardly "technical," is hardly "overthetop female Tarzan" and has runs and technique

that Karen Carpenter couldn't pull off even if Jesus touched her vocal cords himself.

Houston was able to express warmth more adroitly than Carpenter because Whitney's

voice was more dramatic. Carpenter had nuance and subtley; but that's only because

her small voice could only handle as much. Whitney, through no fault of her own, was

blessed with a bigger voice and because of it, had warmth, style, taste, control, pitch,

in spades because of her devotion to her craft (songstress-ing). "I Will Always Love You"

is a perfect example of everything you say Whitney is, as not being at all true.

Runs does not a singer make. But Carpenter's dovey voice compared to that behemoth

that is Houston's and how Houston was able to always control that monster voice of hers;

how she transcended music with her National Anthem rendition back in the early 90s -

I'm sorry, but Karen Carpenter could do none of those things. Another way to jduge a

singer's abilities is to judge their effect. After Whitney Houston comes Mariah Carey,

Celine Dion, Fatina Fattilera - Houston was a blueprint for female recording artistanship.

You better ask somebody.

Placing Karen Carpenter in a top ten female vocalists of all time list, well, sure; whatever

gets you through the night. But I still think that MJCarousal got caught up in the moment

and if s/he hadn't seen that documentary, woulda NEVER placed Karen Carpenter on a

best of list.

duccichucka said:

rdhull said:

Let me say someting that may get me court marshalled.

The Carpenters were the complete and entire shit.

Everybody liked them even Keith Richards with his rude buhind.

And as far as Im concerned Karen's voice was just as good as Whitney Houston and even had more depth to and feeling to it. Just because Whitney wailed like an overthetop female Tarzan at times doesnt mean shit imo. If anything Houston was technical and Karen had warmth.

Okay, you think the Carpenters were the shit and I think they were maudlin dreck

at best. Your like for them is justified, in part, because Keef Richards liked them -

suit yerself. It's all good..

But to say that Whitney Houston was nothing but technical wailing - I mean, that has

to be betray your disdain for her on a personal level, right? "You Give Good Love" is

hardly "technical," is hardly "overthetop female Tarzan" and has runs and technique

that Karen Carpenter couldn't pull off even if Jesus touched her vocal cords himself.

Houston was able to express warmth more adroitly than Carpenter because Whitney's

voice was more dramatic. Carpenter had nuance and subtley; but that's only because

her small voice could only handle as much. Whitney, through no fault of her own, was

blessed with a bigger voice and because of it, had warmth, style, taste, control, pitch,

in spades because of her devotion to her craft (songstress-ing). "I Will Always Love You"

is a perfect example of everything you say Whitney is, as not being at all true.

Runs does not a singer make. But Carpenter's dovey voice compared to that behemoth

that is Houston's and how Houston was able to always control that monster voice of hers;

how she transcended music with her National Anthem rendition back in the early 90s -

I'm sorry, but Karen Carpenter could do none of those things. Another way to jduge a

singer's abilities is to judge their effect. After Whitney Houston comes Mariah Carey,

Celine Dion, Fatina Fattilera - Houston was a blueprint for female recording artistanship.

You better ask somebody.

Placing Karen Carpenter in a top ten female vocalists of all time list, well, sure; whatever

gets you through the night. But I still think that MJCarousal got caught up in the moment

and if s/he hadn't seen that documentary, woulda NEVER placed Karen Carpenter on a

best of list.

siddown ducci

Addendum: You can hear the 50 million takes in You Give Good Love just to get it so technically perfect.

As with many of her other technically tarnished hits.

Such sterile music gussied up as pop soul for the masses.

"small voice"

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

This thread brings up an interesting point: what people consider "singing".

It's been like that for a minute here at the Org. They don't understand voices and think they know singing because someone's singing like she just got out of a Pentecostal church.

Timmy84 said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

This thread brings up an interesting point: what people consider "singing".

It's been like that for a minute here at the Org. They don't understand voices and think they know singing because someone's singing like she just got out of a Pentecostal church.

Timmy - you are SO correct!

duccichucka said:

rdhull said:

Let me say someting that may get me court marshalled.

The Carpenters were the complete and entire shit.

Everybody liked them even Keith Richards with his rude buhind.

And as far as Im concerned Karen's voice was just as good as Whitney Houston and even had more depth to and feeling to it. Just because Whitney wailed like an overthetop female Tarzan at times doesnt mean shit imo. If anything Houston was technical and Karen had warmth.

Okay, you think the Carpenters were the shit and I think they were maudlin dreck

at best. Your like for them is justified, in part, because Keef Richards liked them -

suit yerself. It's all good..

But to say that Whitney Houston was nothing but technical wailing - I mean, that has

to be betray your disdain for her on a personal level, right? "You Give Good Love" is

hardly "technical," is hardly "overthetop female Tarzan" and has runs and technique

that Karen Carpenter couldn't pull off even if Jesus touched her vocal cords himself.

Houston was able to express warmth more adroitly than Carpenter because Whitney's

voice was more dramatic. Carpenter had nuance and subtley; but that's only because

her small voice could only handle as much. Whitney, through no fault of her own, was

blessed with a bigger voice and because of it, had warmth, style, taste, control, pitch,

in spades because of her devotion to her craft (songstress-ing). "I Will Always Love You"

is a perfect example of everything you say Whitney is, as not being at all true.

Runs does not a singer make. But Carpenter's dovey voice compared to that behemoth

that is Houston's and how Houston was able to always control that monster voice of hers;

how she transcended music with her National Anthem rendition back in the early 90s -

I'm sorry, but Karen Carpenter could do none of those things. Another way to jduge a

singer's abilities is to judge their effect. After Whitney Houston comes Mariah Carey,

Celine Dion, Fatina Fattilera - Houston was a blueprint for female recording artistanship.

You better ask somebody.

Placing Karen Carpenter in a top ten female vocalists of all time list, well, sure; whatever

gets you through the night. But I still think that MJCarousal got caught up in the moment

and if s/he hadn't seen that documentary, woulda NEVER placed Karen Carpenter on a

best of list.

I don't think it's true that watching a documentary meant that someone got caught up in the moment. I have always liked her voice; and compared to Whitney, who I've never felt either, Carpenter's voice just exuded something that drew me in. I don't know if it was the softness, the fact that she just has a very "honest" voice, i.e., she's just singing. It just hit me when I saw the documenatary as well. As far as Whitney, she didn't have that "something" in my opinion. It's like comparing Prince's guitar playing to say, Eddie Van Halen. EVH definitely has the techincal aspects of playing down to a tee. But Prince is able to elicit something from his guitar that conveys lots of emotion, which speaks to me much more than lots of guitar players that are better at the technical aspects of guitar playing. The same thing holds true for me when I compare say, Whitney Houston to Carpenter.

Timmy84 said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

This thread brings up an interesting point: what people consider "singing".

It's been like that for a minute here at the Org. They don't understand voices and think they know singing because someone's singing like she just got out of a Pentecostal church.

lol you mean Baptist?

BlackandRising said:

Timmy84 said:

It's been like that for a minute here at the Org. They don't understand voices and think they know singing because someone's singing like she just got out of a Pentecostal church.

lol you mean Baptist?

That too.

Gunsnhalen said:

I like Karen to!

But GOD forbid someone give an opinion on a vocalist who in THERE OPINION think's is one of the best.

Lord people really wanna start fights over this? it's someone elses opinion so why get sand in your vagina about it.

not like MJ is like karen carpenter is top 10 & u basic bitches need to learn & deal with it.

Preach it

Let me state that my favorite singers of all time are (not necessasrily in this rank):

1. Jennifer Holliday

2. Whitney Houston

3. Mariah

4. Luther

5. Patti Labelle

I don't own any Carpenters albums.

That said..... you cannot deny that Karen Carpenter had one of the most beautiful voices on the planet. I dont know if the technical term is "tone", "timbre", whatever it's called, but the quality of her voice, the sound and resonance of it, was just angelic and beautiful.

I would never have thought to put on a Carpenters song, but when I heard one, the sound of her voice is totally MOVING.

So, yes I think she did have one of the best voices on the planet. And this is coming from someone who goes for the Whitney/Jennifer Holliday style in general.

And Ducci I think you're being quite rude to the OP in many of your comments.

^ Much respect.

mynameisnotsusan said:

This clip is a perfect example of just how rich and smooth, Karen's tone was. Her opening lines to this song were.....LAWD!!!

Yes!!! I absolutely adore Karen Carpenter. I think she had one of the most beautiful, purest and most haunting voices of all time. I'm a fan of The Carpetners in general. I love their music. Karen's voice however was so special. Such a beautiful tone she had to her voice very unique.

Such a shame that she passed so young. From what ive read about her, she never really seemed to find true happiness.

Her voice lives on though. Ive yet to hear anyone who sounds like her.

Cinnamon234 said:

Yes!!! I absolutely adore Karen Carpenter. I think she had one of the most beautiful, purest and most haunting voices of all time. I'm a fan of The Carpetners in general. I love their music. Karen's voice however was so special. Such a beautiful tone she had to her voice very unique.

Such a shame that she passed so young. From what ive read about her, she never really seemed to find true happiness.

Her voice lives on though. Ive yet to hear anyone who sounds like her.

Yeah. Even though Richard, her brother, said that he could find no connection with her life and the songs she sing (the ones where the ballads always begin and end on a sad note), I always thought there was... you can't think of "Rainy Days and Mondays" or "Yesterday Once More" or "Superstar" without imagining that Karen really meant those words as she had lived those words probably.

Richard has gone on record saying this was her favourite song of theirs. I can't imagine her not being emotionally connected it.

And to the op - The Carpenters have the second best selling album of all time in Japan by a non-Japanese artist - her voice is loved around the World.

^ Exactly.

Karen Carpenter's life is an example of the power of unworthiness. You can have all the gifts in the world, yet if you are unable to accept your own worth they are totally useless.

I think the Carpenters got a bad rap during the 70's & 80's because they were so much AM radio schmaltz. But since her death I feel like she's definitely gotten the respect she deserves. She had a beautiful voice, and somehow the pain of what she was going through makes hearing her all the more poignant. It adds a new layer to her style.

I don't know about her as "top whatever" vocalist, but she was certainly gifted. She was as good as she could have possibly been for the material she was doing.