Search - Richard Carpenter :: Richard Carpenter: Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor

Richard Without Karen is Empty

James Koenig | Minnesota | 07/22/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"There is no doubt that Richard Carpenter is an exceptionally talented pianist, composer, and performer; however, without the pure vocals of sister Karen Carpenter, this collection of instrumental Carpenter songs falls flat. It's like having ice tea without the sugar, or Coca-Cola without the fizz - you know something vital is missing. In this case what is missing is Karen's exceptional voice. As a fan of the Carpenters for over 30 years, I of course knew all the songs on this collection, and they are excellent melodies, but I kept expecting to hear Karen's voice break in, the voice that makes these songs complete.



I love the Carpenters, but without Karen's vocals, this collection reminds me of "elevator music".



Die hard Carpenter fans will want this album to compete their collection, but if you are new to Carpenter music, I'd suggest you buy one of their greatest hits collections instead.



Jim Konedog Koenig"

Superior Elevator Music

D. Frame | 09/08/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"While this CD may not break any ground musically for Richard, it is superior elevator music. The songs are well arranged, but every song makes you long for Karen's voice to somewhere magically appear on the album. Her drumming is evident on a couple songs, and her voice is mixed in with the OK Chorale on "Sandy", but she's still not there. Richard would be better off putting out unreleased Carpenters material or doing completely new music. This album is nice to play in the office or in the background - but it is not much more than that."

Good, but let's hear something new!

David Whitmore | United States | 05/23/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"nice RE-arrangements of lot's of Carpenters favorites (time to loose the OK Corale Singers), with 2 new titles. Unfortunately, he should use his brilliant arranging skills and get into some new tunes. The old ones, while the arrangements are good, still conjure up Karen's voice and memories of what she might sound like. New songs would help him break away . . ."