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Close to You

Carpenters - Close to You Audio CD

A fair review of the Carpenters "Close to You" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Carpenters reviews here, or go back to the Carpenters tabs.

Band: Carpenters
Title: Close to You
Rating:

Release Date: 1999-01-12
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: We've Only Just Begun 2: Love Is Surrender 3: Maybe It's You 4: Reason to Believe 5: Help! 6: (They Long to Be) Close to You 7: Baby It's You 8: I'll Never Fall in Love Again 9: Crescent Noon 10: Mr. Guder 11: I Kept on Loving You 12: Another Song

The breakthrough album

The album contains several other fine songs including Crescent moon, Mr Guder, Maybe it's you and Another song. With the title track, a Bacharach-David song first recorded by Dionne Warwick but hitherto not released as a single, and another classic (We've only just begun, which evolved from a TV jingle), the Carpenters established themselves in the pop charts around the world. A cover of Help! (Beatles) was originally considered for single release, but having already released another Beatles song (Ticket to ride) as a single from their debut album, the decision was probably wise. Three other excellent covers are Reason to believe (Tim Hardin), I'll never fall in love again (a Bacharach-David song that provided Bobbie Gentry with a British number one hit) and Baby it's you (one of the less famous songs from the Bacharach-David catalog).

Following the modest start to their career provided by their debut album (Offering, also known as Ticket to ride), this follow-up hit the big time. It's not difficult to understand why.

A surprisingly great CD.
I was into rock bands like Deep Purple and the Grass Roots, and just starting to listen to Black Sabbath. I was 13 years old when this album was released. So you could imagine my reaction when a neighbor friend of my parents gave me this tape for Christmas. First of all, at that time I had never heard of the Carpenters, and the only exposure to their music was some bank using "We've Only Just Begun" in their commercials. So I took one brief, two-song listen, and put it away. A couple years later, having trouble sleeping, I decided to put it in the tape player figuring it would bore me to sleep. And in that setting I couldn't believe how beautiful the music was. Instead of helping me sleep I must have listened to it three times. Although there are a few weak songs (hence the 4 star rating instead of a 5) there are some wonderfully produced and original sounding pieces as well.

Believe it or not, the two hits on this CD are by far not the best songs on this album. While popular as easy-listening pop songs, "We've Only Just Begun" and "Close to You" feel like they were produced solely to be hits. To me, the best part of the tape was side two which, if you look at the sequence of songs on the CD, started with "Baby It's You. " Here you begin to find, with the possible exception of "Mr. Guder", a group of songs that just sound beautiful. Wonderful melodies, great harmonies, and above average lyrics set these songs way above the first six on the CD. My favorites are the aforementioned "Baby It's You" (a Burt Bacharach song that had been done by just about everyone), "Crescent Moon (showing Karen's ability to sing in a lower octave that you normally hear), and "Another Song" (an interesting mix of vocal & instrumental music). Other gems, "Maybe It's You", "Reason to Believe" and "I kept on Loving You" (Sung by Richard Carpenter).

Of course I would recommend this to any Carpenter fan, although I would be surprised if you didn't already have it. But also to fans of great and beautiful music. Even though I still prefer a harder guitar type of music I went ahead and bought this CD when my tape finally died and I still listen to it.
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Probably their best before the "fame" took up their time....
12 songs, and all are great. "Close to You" is probably the most complete LP they put together. The haunting arrangements, Karen's warm alto, this was the Carpenters shining moment. Once they hit the big time in 1970 with touring, etc. there really wasn't too much "studio time" allowed. (The next LP "Carpenters" did contain some classic tracks, but it was a slim LP, total play time about 29 minutes & songs like 'Druscilla Penny' and 'Saturday' are too sappy. ) Close To You just shines with classic tracks like Reason to Believe, the gorgeous Crescent Noon and one of my faves, BABY IT's YOU. Karen was an unbelievable talent at just 20, her voice is amazing. (not to mention her drum playing) The later LPs seem to fall a bit short in quality, save for A Song For You, which was the last really good Carpenters LP in my opinion.
The "Now and Then" Lp in 1973 was saved by "yesterday once more", one of their best. But all of side 2 was just a medley of 1950s tunes. 1974 offered no new Lp, just the singles compliation. 1976's Kind of Hush, was bland, lacking texture. But check out CLOSE TO YOU, (and A SONG FOR YOU) you won't be let down. .

Karen and Richard sold these songs without even trying--BRAVO, KAREN AND RICHARD !!!
They made outstanding music together and it still stands the test of time. Close To You is an excellent album by Karen and Richard Carpenter. Hearing this music brings back so many fond memories for me as I heard so many of these tunes originally on the radio. The quality of the sound on this CD is very good; and I really like the artwork, too.

"We've Only Just Begun" begins the album with a smash hit for Carpenters; they play and sing this beautifully and the number is very sensitive. Karen sings this with so much passion; you truly feel that she is singing to you and only you as you hear her sing. In addition, Karen sings so sweetly about the joys of starting a love affair or a marriage while still managing to acknowledge in the lyrics that there is still some uncertainty about the road that lies ahead for her and her one true love. Great! "We've Only Just Begun" is truly one of their greatest hits ever; and I could never tire of listening to this ballad. "Maybe It's You" is a number that stuns me with its beauty; Karen sings this with panache and Richard's music is perfect to go along with Karen's vocals. The lush musical arrangement makes "Maybe It's You" a classic Carpenters song.

"Reason To Believe" is a soft pop number from the early `70s that still holds its own very well even today all these years later; and "Reason To Believe" puts Karen and Richard Carpenter squarely front and center--and that's wonderful. "Help" is a sublime cover of this Beatles song; Karen sings this with heart and soul. You can really hear Karen's delving into the song to bring out her personal emotions that, as she sings this song, make this a wonderful rendition of this number second only to the rendition by The Beatles themselves. Wonderful! In addition, "(They Long To Be) Close To You" charms me with its beauty; and I cannot understand why anyone would think that music like this is "corny. " "(They Long To Be) Close To You" is a very sweet tune and we really see Karen Carpenter open up and let herself perform this ballad with her heart and lots of feeling. "(They Long To Be) Close To You" is clearly a major highlight of this album.

"Baby It's You" has a very sensitive arrangement; and listen for "I'll Never Fall In Love Again. " "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" is a Burt Bacharach/Hal David number that Dionne Warwick made so famous; when Karen and Richard do their cover of this classic ballad Bacharach must have surely been proud! Karen sings this to perfection; and her uncanny sense of timing impresses me, too.

"I Kept On Loving You" has that early `70s flavor to it; and the number works very well. "I Kept On Loving You" is a solid number and those chorus lyrics fit in well, too. The album ends with "Another Song;" "Another Song" is a very special number and it makes a fine ending for this album.

Overall, Carpenters fans will love this album if they don't have it already. This is also great for people who enjoy contemporary pop vocals.
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GREAT IMPROVE
The title track and the opening track "We've only just began" were the hits at the time, and today this songs are truly Carpenter's classics. This album was the follow-up to their debut ("Offerings"), and the sound of their music was far better. The album also includes some very catchy tunes, among them "Reason to believe", "Mr. Guder", the Burt Bacharach songs ("I'll never fall in love again" and "Baby it's you", and a version of a Beatles song ("Help!")that was fantastically made.
My personal favourite is "Crescent Noon", a song that gives Karen the oportunity to use her rich low vocal register, it's a song I never get tired to listen. Finally, "Another Song" is a very good number that closes the album, with a fine vocal work, courtesy of Karen, followed by an instrumental part (flutes, keyboards and drums), this song isn't a classic but deserves to be.
As a curiosity, no guitarist is credited but there's an evident guitar part on "I kept on loving you", so I will thank who tell me who was the guitar player.
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You can see a complete list of all Carpenters discography, or go back to the Carpenters tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.