I just finished watching the CBS depiction of her life and it was very heartbreaking what she went through. I also admired how immensely close she was with her brother and parents.

I just think she has such a beautiful voice which was so unique.

I would definitly place her in the top 10 best female vocalist of all time. Why do you think she never gets alot of credit in the vocal department? Before watching the movie, which by the way her brother helped in making, I had no idea she played the drums. She exactly played the drums exceptionally well.

I also really love the sound "The Carpenters" had which I felt went on to inspire alot of other singers and groups. It just seems like she along with her brother does not get alot of credit I dont know if it is because they were a brother and sister act or what.

What are your thoughts?

[Edited 11/18/12 7:26am]

I don't know why she's not revered as much as one of the greatest singers of all time... anything she sang was like fine wine to me. That voice was real sexy and soulful on those ballads. That anorexia she had is a monster though. Hope she's resting in peace. Great talent. She was a bad-ass drummer too.

her voice was amazing-one of the purest sounds I have ever heard. I think it really hurt them that they came out in the 70s-so much of that decade is just dismissed as cheese.

Well, there is at least one example of her being (arguably) overrated as a musician. Here is a quote from Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham (obviously Karen was still alive when he said this):

rialb said:

Well, there is at least one example of her being (arguably) overrated as a musician. Here is a quote from Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham (obviously Karen was still alive when he said this):

"I'd like to have it publicised that I came in after Karen Carpenter in the Playboy drummer poll! She couldn't last ten minutes with a Zeppelin number."

Well that was in 1975 when both the Carpenters and Led Zeppelin were hot. Nowadays, John Bonham gets the respect he deserves. You hardly hear anything about Karen. She was on Rolling Stone's greatest singers of all time list though.

rialb said:

Well, there is at least one example of her being (arguably) overrated as a musician. Here is a quote from Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham (obviously Karen was still alive when he said this):

"I'd like to have it publicised that I came in after Karen Carpenter in the Playboy drummer poll! She couldn't last ten minutes with a Zeppelin number."

She can play some drums... one can argue better than him. It was taboo to be a woman drummer during that period.

[Edited 11/18/12 11:18am]

Had a voice like, BUDDA.....

Timmy84 said:

I don't know why she's not revered as much as one of the greatest singers of all time... anything she sang was like fine wine to me. That voice was real sexy and soulful on those ballads. That anorexia she had is a monster though. Hope she's resting in peace. Great talent. She was a bad-ass drummer too.

I dont understand why she felt something was wrong with her.She seemed like a really sweet loving person.

Karen Carpenter was amazing. Definitely, definitely underrated. I don't know what doco you saw but there was a great one on the BBC a while back, it may be the same one....

Pump the brakes:

She had a nice voice, no doubt. But this thread is a kneejerk reaction

to a kneejerk reaction from watching some maudlin TV show about her

as there is no way in hell that Karen Carpenter is one of the ten greatest

female vocalists of all time.

Carpenter should never be mentioned in the same breath with Whitney

Houston and/or Aretha Franklin - is that what is really being said here?!

shorttrini said:

Had a voice like, BUDDA.....

"A big stick o budda"-Roseanne Barr/SNL skit

duccichucka said:

Pump the brakes:

She had a nice voice, no doubt. But this thread is a kneejerk reaction

to a kneejerk reaction from watching some maudlin TV show about her

as there is no way in hell that Karen Carpenter is one of the ten greatest

female vocalists of all time.

Carpenter should never be mentioned in the same breath with Whitney

Houston and/or Aretha Franklin - is that what is really being said here?!

No its not. Ive been a big fan even before watching the movie but I was unaware she played the drums and overall it was very informative.

I didnt say she was number one. I said I would put her in the top 10 and she definitly deserves it. She had a very unique voice and she was a very good singer.

[Edited 11/18/12 18:23pm]

Karen I don't think was underrated by her peers or the public; in spite of the counter culture she and her brother were able to hold their own on the music charts. From late 60's to the mid 70's you heard her singing up in down the radio. It's funny how some artist die young and they are forever revered while other artist though held in high esteem by their generation.... their importance becomes less so as younger generations come along.

TD3 said:

Karen I don't think was underrated by her peers or the public; in spite of the counter culture she and her brother were able to hold their own on the music charts. From late 60's to the mid 70's you heard her singing up in down the radio. It's funny how some artist die young and they are forever revered while other artist though held in high esteem by their generation.... their importance becomes less so as younger generations come along.

Currently I dont see where she gets all this praised. When has the music industry acknowledge her contibutions?

TD3 said:

Karen I don't think was underrated by her peers or the public; in spite of the counter culture she and her brother were able to hold their own on the music charts. From late 60's to the mid 70's you heard her singing up in down the radio. It's funny how some artist die young and they are forever revered while other artist though held in high esteem by their generation.... their importance becomes less so as younger generations come along.

Not underrated by her generation perhaps.

Timmy84 said:

TD3 said:

Karen I don't think was underrated by her peers or the public; in spite of the counter culture she and her brother were able to hold their own on the music charts. From late 60's to the mid 70's you heard her singing up in down the radio. It's funny how some artist die young and they are forever revered while other artist though held in high esteem by their generation.... their importance becomes less so as younger generations come along.

Not underrated by her generation perhaps.

No Karen wasn't.

Look... I don't know what people want others to say or act but like ever Jane or Joe, if you didn't tell people when they were alive how special they were to you does it really make a difference when they are dead? I remember when it was reported the Karen had past, the press covered it extensively. Richard, his mother and numerous friends did a number of interviews talking about the Karen they knew and her illness. In the end the music is the testament to her amazing talent. The music is their for everyone to listen to and to make up their minds whether they liked her or not. Its all about the music, her tremendous voice, and Richards arranging.... these artist didn't toil in obscurity.

mjscarousal said:

Currently I dont see where she gets all this praised. When has the music industry acknowledge her contibutions?

It's not exactly current but there was a tribute album released in 1994 which featured a lot of "hip" "alternative" bands covering the Carpenters. In 1994, which was probably the peak of the "alternative" movement, the Carpenters weren't considered "cool" by a lot of folks and that album was probably the first time a that generation of music fans first heard their music.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_I_Were_a_Carpenter_(tribute_album)

mjscarousal said:

duccichucka said:

Pump the brakes:

She had a nice voice, no doubt. But this thread is a kneejerk reaction

to a kneejerk reaction from watching some maudlin TV show about her

as there is no way in hell that Karen Carpenter is one of the ten greatest

female vocalists of all time.

Carpenter should never be mentioned in the same breath with Whitney

Houston and/or Aretha Franklin - is that what is really being said here?!

No its not. Ive been a big fan even before watching the movie but I was unaware she played the drums and overall it was very informative.

I didnt say she was number one. I said I would put her in the top 10 and she definitly deserves it. She had a very unique voice and she was a very good singer.

[Edited 11/18/12 18:23pm]

And I didn't say you said she was number one. I'm voicing my concern over your

mental health for placing Karen Carpenter in the same breath with Whitney Houston,

Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner. Hell, I personally know 10 gospel singers who sing

better than Carpenter.

Admit that you're exaggerating after watching a documentary on her and keep it

moving. Besides, as someone has already stated, she scored number one hits;

that's hardly being underrated. The 70s treated her well. The reason why someone

could claim that Carpenter's underrated is because she wasn't spectacular. I'm

not knocking her, I'm just keeping it real.

And she was a decent drummer. Y'all are all acting a' fool in this thread because

someone watched some sappy Karen Carpenter movie and are blowing her legacy and

musical abilities outta the water. She was a nice singer with a nice voice but she

does not belong in the same category as Whitney Houston as a singer or Cindy Black-

man as a drummer.

Y'all buggin' the fuck out.

duccichucka said:

mjscarousal said:

No its not. Ive been a big fan even before watching the movie but I was unaware she played the drums and overall it was very informative.

I didnt say she was number one. I said I would put her in the top 10 and she definitly deserves it. She had a very unique voice and she was a very good singer.

[Edited 11/18/12 18:23pm]

And I didn't say you said she was number one. I'm voicing my concern over your

mental health for placing Karen Carpenter in the same breath with Whitney Houston,

Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner. Hell, I personally know 10 gospel singers who sing

better than Carpenter.

Admit that you're exaggerating after watching a documentary on her and keep it

moving. Besides, as someone has already stated, she scored number one hits;

that's hardly being underrated. The 70s treated her well. The reason why someone

could claim that Carpenter's underrated is because she wasn't spectacular. I'm

not knocking her, I'm just keeping it real.

And she was a decent drummer. Y'all are all acting a' fool in this thread because

someone watched some sappy Karen Carpenter movie and are blowing her legacy and

musical abilities outta the water. She was a nice singer with a nice voice but she

does not belong in the same category as Whitney Houston as a singer or Cindy Black-

man as a drummer.

Y'all buggin' the fuck out.

I'm exactly right:

If Karen Carpenter had Cindy Blackman drumming chops and Whitney Houston singing

chops and spent her entire career unnoticed, THEN we could savour over the question

"Isn't Karen Carpenter such an underrated vocalist and musician?"

Ann Peebles...now she's definitely underrated.

I've always loved her voice and the Carpenters music

there is no need for anyone to compare her to Whitney or Aretha or Mariah, because they all did different styles of music, belters and blowers are not the only types of voice

OldFriends4Sale said:

I've always loved her voice and the Carpenters music

there is no need for anyone to compare her to Whitney or Aretha or Mariah, because they all did different styles of music, belters and blowers are not the only types of voice

OldFriends4Sale said:

I've always loved her voice and the Carpenters music

there is no need for anyone to compare her to Whitney or Aretha or Mariah, because they all did different styles of music, belters and blowers are not the only types of voice

There is a need to compare because that's one way in which the mind gathers information

and beliefs. And yes, not every great singer has to be a belter; there is something to be

said for nuance and subtlety. Yet, if you declare singer 'A' as worthy as being in the top ten

singers of all time, then you should prepare yourself for some detractors, such as myself.

However, Karen Carpenter is hardly underrated as a vocalist or musician. She's ranked

accordingly. This thread is a kneejerk reaction to someone watching a movie about her

and finally discovering that Carpenter could sit behind a drum set. This'll sound heartless

but her eating disorder is what makes her such a compelling person, and not solely her

musical abilities.

I think her eating disorder makes her boring. Her voice makes her compelling.

duccichucka said:

mjscarousal said:

No its not. Ive been a big fan even before watching the movie but I was unaware she played the drums and overall it was very informative.

I didnt say she was number one. I said I would put her in the top 10 and she definitly deserves it. She had a very unique voice and she was a very good singer.

[Edited 11/18/12 18:23pm]

And I didn't say you said she was number one. I'm voicing my concern over your

mental health for placing Karen Carpenter in the same breath with Whitney Houston,

Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner. Hell, I personally know 10 gospel singers who sing

better than Carpenter.

Admit that you're exaggerating after watching a documentary on her and keep it

moving. Besides, as someone has already stated, she scored number one hits;

that's hardly being underrated. The 70s treated her well. The reason why someone

could claim that Carpenter's underrated is because she wasn't spectacular. I'm

not knocking her, I'm just keeping it real.

And she was a decent drummer. Y'all are all acting a' fool in this thread because

someone watched some sappy Karen Carpenter movie and are blowing her legacy and

musical abilities outta the water. She was a nice singer with a nice voice but she

does not belong in the same category as Whitney Houston as a singer or Cindy Black-

man as a drummer.

Y'all buggin' the fuck out.

You need to admit yourself to a psy mental institution because no where in that OP do I mention or even compare Karen to Aretha or Whitney.....

You like to put words on the screen and instigate arguements just because

You the one acting the fool, its really not that serious.

MidniteMagnet said:

I think her eating disorder makes her boring. Her voice makes her compelling.

In the midst of your snarky-ness, you missed my point, MidniteMagnet: there's

more to Karen Carpenter than her voice - it's the travesty that was a component

of her life that makes her much more alluring in the public's eyes. So, you find

that tragic element of her life boring? - fine. But I find it compelling and it places

a "famous" person into a human context I can understand to a degree.

She did have a nice voice.

Her voice was nothing short of angelic.

scriptgirl said:

her voice was amazing-one of the purest sounds I have ever heard. I think it really hurt them that they came out in the 70s-so much of that decade is just dismissed as cheese.

I know people that dismiss them because of this view. They hear a song like "Top of the World" and dismiss it as Disney like but never give their music the chance it deserves to be heard. Karen Caprenter is one of the most amazing voices in music history.

duccichucka said:

Pump the brakes:

She had a nice voice, no doubt. But this thread is a kneejerk reaction

to a kneejerk reaction from watching some maudlin TV show about her

as there is no way in hell that Karen Carpenter is one of the ten greatest

female vocalists of all time.

Carpenter should never be mentioned in the same breath with Whitney

Houston and/or Aretha Franklin - is that what is really being said here?!

Wow. Way to miss the point. Just because she isn't wailing doesn't mean she shouldn't be considered one of the greatest voices in music history.