Carpenters (again)

[pigmode]

I know this was covered at the other board but I wasn't paying attention. Are the 30th anniversary remasters any good? If not, are there any CD issues worth buying?

[luke j. chung]

Hi, Pigmode! I have most of these remasters and I can tell you that they're quite good. The remastering was done by Bernie Grundman, who was the Carpenters' LP mastering engineer at A & M, under Richard's personal supervision. Especially good to listen to is "A Song For You", which, IMHO, is an improvement over the MFSL Ultradisc reissue, great as that was in its day.:D

[pigmode]

Great news! Thanks Luke. That thar is some great music...

[Jeff H.]

The Carpenters remasters are quite good. Fortunately all of them use the original 2-track stereo mixdown masters. Did anyone else hate the remixes done on the "From The Top" box set and hits packages like "Love Songs" and "Interpretations" as much as I did?

[Grant]

What I like about the new remasters is that they have BASS and are less compressed than any other of the previous reissues!

I recall someone on the BSN board complaining about the increased bass some time ago.

[Kevin Sypolt]

Yeah, the "From The Top" box set just doesn't sound right, and I felt it was downright harsh in places. Stick with the individual CDs. Overall I think they sound pretty good.

[AudioGirl]

Wow... It's good to see you guys posting the thumbs up on the Carpenters! I love the Carpenters but always hesitate to say anything.... I always fear the dreaded "Chick Music" kill button. :D

So, happy to see guys talking Carpenters! :)

Thanks guys!

[Grant]

Originally posted by AudioGirl
Wow... It's good to see you guys posting the thumbs up on the Carpenters! I love the Carpenters but always hesitate to say anything.... I always fear the dreaded "Chick Music" kill button. :D

So, happy to see guys talking Carpenters! :)

Thanks guys!

Yeah? Just wait 'till Andrew and I start talking about the Archies!

BTW, you'd probably also like posting on the ICE forum. http://www.icemagazine.com:8080/~2

[Dave]

Well Grant,

You aren't the only one. I liked The Archies as well and alot of the tv. pop of the 60's and 70's.;)

[Andrew]

Originally posted by Grant


Yeah? Just wait 'till Andrew and I start talking about the Archies!



Now THERE is the album that Steve should do... "Everything's Archie"!:D

[Grant]

Originally posted by Andrew


Now THERE is the album that Steve should do... "Everything Archie"!:D

Naaaa! he should start with the original greatest hits album with bonus tracks.

Ron Dante has had so much trouble finding a company that will do justice to the sound of the tapes that this doesn't seem like such a bad idea! There are a lot of closet Archie fans out there!

[Andrew]

"Sugar Sugar"/ "Melody Hill" wuz my veruh first 45, a birthday present back in the day (along with "Rubber Soul").

[Mart]

http://www.heenan.net//carpenters/images/c-gold.jpg

Originally posted by AudioGirl
Wow... It's good to see you guys posting the thumbs up on the Carpenters! I love the Carpenters but always hesitate to say anything.... I always fear the dreaded "Chick Music" kill button. :D

So, happy to see guys talking Carpenters! :)

Thanks guys!

http://www.bahnhof.se/~cmpalm/pics/abbangol.jpg

Gee ... I hope they don't think Abba is "Chick Music" too? :confused:

Yeah ... like i care what the elusive "they" think ;)

[Dave]

I think that the UD1 pressing sounds excellent and yes there is bass on this one.

Guess I'll have to hear the new remaster to really compare it though according to Luke as he sounds pretty certain about this one. (shrug)

[lennonfan]

count me in as a Carpenters/ABBA/Archies fan too:) :) :)
Bright sunny pop can offer so much...wish I could find my Jingle Jangle album LOL.
Seriously, tho, Karen could really sing well, and on the early albums Richard's arrangements aren't too sappy....with Abba, they grow darker with each record as their personal relationships fall apart....with the Archies, I have great memories of going nuts over Bang Shang-a-lang.....

Today, music is either really nasty or too cutesy. With all of the above artists, a certain amount of thought and message went into the songs. Today's music is almost universally completely disposable, IMO.
The fact that we're still talking about the above groups 30 years on is a sign of endurance.
-regards from lennonfan

[AudioGirl]

That's what I love about this forum... You guys aren't afraid to say you like something (or don't) no matter what the "elusive they" think...

Even if it is "chick music" :D

Thanks guys!!

The Archies!! Now there's a band!!:p

[pigmode]

Hey AudioGirl, somehow I never related the Carpenters with chick music. I figured chick music to be like Tracy Chapman or Joan Baez, and especially the Monkees (Davy Jones). I guess Celine Dion would fit in there too...

[AudioGirl]

Pigmode...

I'll be quoting you on that. So you would say ~ Definitely NOT "chick music"... RIGHT?

And all this time, I thought only girls liked the Carpenters .... ABBA, now they were cute, guys could like them. The Monkees, well they probably go toward "chick music" too.

But hey, my whole perspective has been changed!! :D

THANKS!!

[Mart]

I can't listen to Pink Floyd & Led Zeppelin & Heart exclusively. One needs to add some variety & sometimes believe it or not ... psychedlic 60s stuff doesn't always fill that niche

[Dave]

Actually Audiogirl I like the Monkees and The Partridge Family as well.

Call it "chick music" or what ever you want to but I just think that they're well written catchy pop/bubblegum tunes that can pick up your mood sometimes.;)

[AudioGirl]

So... I surmise... There really IS no "chick music"

:D :D Hallelujah :D :D

[pigmode]

What about "guy music", like Women by Foreigner?

Women living in fantasies,
Bringing man to his knees...

[Mart]

I always believed things like Plant's rebel yell at the beginning of "Immigrant Song" & the crude "Dyer Maker" was enough to qualify as guy music.

If not that then there's Ted Nugent ...

[YaQuin]

Well a hard choice but here it goes in order of sound quality:

1) Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys

2) Al Green Greatest Hits

3) Empire - Queensryche

[YaQuin]

Sorry Guys,

The above post was supposed to be under "Steve's Best Work"