Search - Carpenters :: Ultimate Collection (Reis)

Ultimate Collection (Reis)
Carpenters
Ultimate Collection (Reis)
Genres: Pop, Rock, Broadway & Vocalists
 
  •  Track Listings (18) - Disc #1
  •  Track Listings (17) - Disc #2
  •  Track Listings (7) - Disc #3

2007 Reissue of the 32bit Digitally Remastered Anthology from the 70's Superstar Sibling Duo who Ruled the Top of the Pop Charts for the First Half of the Decade. With Karen's Angelic Voice Up Front and Richard's Melodic H...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Carpenters
Title: Ultimate Collection (Reis)
Members Wishing: 4
Total Copies: 0
Label: Universal Nl
Original Release Date: 1/1/2007
Re-Release Date: 1/22/2007
Album Type: Import, Original recording remastered
Genres: Pop, Rock, Broadway & Vocalists
Styles: Easy Listening, Soft Rock, Oldies, Vocal Pop
Number of Discs: 3
SwapaCD Credits: 3
UPC: 602498406113

Synopsis

Album Details
2007 Reissue of the 32bit Digitally Remastered Anthology from the 70's Superstar Sibling Duo who Ruled the Top of the Pop Charts for the First Half of the Decade. With Karen's Angelic Voice Up Front and Richard's Melodic Harmony, their Vocal Blend was Simply Irresistable. They Recorded a Long String of Chart Hits that Includes "Close to You", "we've Only Just Begun", "Rainy Days and Mondays", "Top of the World", "Sing", "Yesterday Once More", "Only Yesterday" and Many More. Those Hits also Brought Further Acclaim to Composers as Well Like Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Paul Williams and Leon Russell. As Pop/Rock Music Fans Themselves, They Defied Convention and Dared to Cover Klaatu's "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" and Make it their Own.

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CD Reviews

Currently (2009) the best of the Carpenters' hits collection
Jeff Pearlman | Lakeland, FL USA | 11/12/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Because this is the most comprehensive CD set to use original mixes of the tracks. They are the album mixes, not the singles, which is important in some cases, but these versions are closest to what we heard on the radio and on our, cough, records.



Any 2-disc set (this has a 7-song bonus disc of solo songs) will by necessity leave off some favorites. However, this is the only collection I've found with versions of all 28 of the Carpenters' Hot 100 hits. That includes the uncharacteristically uptempo "(Want You) Back in My Life Again" and "Beechwood 4-5789", as well as "Goofus", actually quite an interesting single but its chart chances had to be done in by its title. Like, duh.



Why not 5 stars? Because of "Top of the World" and "Yesterday Once More". "World" was a Number One single only after having been substantially reworked from the version here (from "A Song For You"). The vocals and instrumentation are, to my ears, much improved on the single. Also, the compilers somehow couldn't separate out the fade-out on "Yesterday" from the vroom-motor intro to the oldies medley that followed it on "Now and Then". This happens to be one of my favorite Carpenter hits, of course.



Also of interest (to me anyway): The LP version of "Close To You" is relatively rare...some may be surprised by the extra WAAAAH...Close-To-You's that follow the fade from the single. Finally, the version of "Goodbye To Love" is very different from the one Richard Carpenter has remixed for every other CD sice 1985. He'd redone the piano and pumped up the bass and drums, which I admit does work in its own way. However, Karen's voice dominated the original, which was more appropriate for the heartbroken lyric.



Listening to Karen's voice and Richard's beautiful arrangements (remixed or otherwise) bring back the early '70's for me like nothing else. This can be bittersweet, both because Karen and some people I love are no longer among us, but when I can get past that "Rainy Days and Mondays", "Goodbye To Love", "Yesterday Once More", "Superstar", and so many others can be sweet tonic for a troubled soul. So, 26 out of 28 original mixes, six fine non-singles and seven bonus solo songs makes this the best Carpenters CD available today."